Molecular characterization of PSEUDO RESPONSE REGULATOR family in Rosaceae and function of PbPRR59a and PbPRR59b in flowering regulation.

BACKGROUND: PSEUDO RESPONSE REGULATOR (PRR) genes are essential components of circadian clock, playing vital roles in multiple processes including plant growth, flowering and stress response. Nonetheless, little is known about the evolution and function of PRR family in Rosaceae species. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 43 PRR genes in seven Rosaceae species were identified through comprehensive analysis. The evolutionary relationships were analyzed with phylogenetic tree, duplication events and synteny. PRR genes were classified into three groups (PRR1, PRR5/9, PRR3/7). The expansion of PRR family was mainly derived from dispersed and whole-genome duplication events. Purifying selection was the major force for PRR family evolution. Synteny analysis indicated the existence of multiple orthologous PRR gene pairs between pear and other Rosaceae species. Moreover, the conserved motifs of eight PbPRR proteins supported the phylogenetic relationship. PRR genes showed diverse expression pattern in various tissues of pear (Pyrus bretschneideri). Transcript analysis under 12-h light/ dark cycle and constant light conditions revealed that PRR genes exhibited distinct rhythmic oscillations in pear. PbPRR59a and PbPRR59b highly homologous to AtPRR5 and AtPRR9 were cloned for further functional verification. PbPRR59a and PbPRR59b proteins were localized in the nucleus. The ectopic overexpression of PbPRR59a and PbPRR59b significantly delayed flowering in Arabidopsis transgenic plants by repress the expression of AtGI, AtCO and AtFT under long-day conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide information for exploring the evolution of PRR genes in plants, and contribute to the subsequent functional studies of PRR genes in pear and other Rosaceae species.

Characterization and application of Bacillus velezensis D6 co-producing α-amylase and protease.

BACKGROUND: Research on the co-production of multiple enzymes by Bacillus velezensis as a novel species is still a topic that needs to be studied. This study aimed to investigate the fermentation characteristics of B. velezensis D6 co-producing α-amylase and protease and to explore their enzymatic properties and applications in fermentation. RESULTS: The maximum co-production of α-amylase and protease reached 13.13 ± 0.72 and 2106.63 ± 64.42 U mL-1, respectively, under the optimal fermented conditions (nutrients: 20.0 g L-1 urea, 20.0 g L-1 glucose, 0.7 g L-1 MnCl2; incubation conditions: initial pH 7.0, temperature 41 °C, 8% inoculation size and 30% working volume). Moreover, the genetic co-expression of α-amylase and protease increased from 0 to 24 h and then decreased after 36 h at the transcriptional level, which coincided with the growth trend of B. velezensis D6. The optimal reaction temperature of α-amylase was 55-60 °C, while that of protease was 35-40 °C. The activities of α-amylase and protease were retained by over 80% after thermal treatment (90 °C, 1 h), which indicated that two enzymes co-produced by B. velezensis D6 demonstrated excellent thermal stability. Moreover, the two enzymes were stable over a wide pH range (pH 4.0-8.0 for α-amylase; pH 4.0-9.0 for protease). Finally, the degrees of hydrolysis of corn, rice, sorghum and soybeans by α-amylase from B. velezensis D6 reached 44.95 ± 2.95%, 57.16 ± 2.75%, 52.53 ± 4.01% and 20.53 ± 2.42%, respectively, suggesting an excellent hydrolysis effect on starchy raw materials. The hydrolysis degrees of mackerel heads and soybeans by protease were 43.93 ± 2.19% and 26.38 ± 1.72%, respectively, which suggested that the protease from B. velezensis D6 preferentially hydrolyzed animal-based protein. CONCLUSION: This is a systematic study on the co-production of α-amylase and protease by B. velezensis D6, which is crucial in widening the understanding of this species co-producing multi-enzymes and in exploring its potential application. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

PET/CT Recognition of Costal Cartilage Infection After Breast Implant Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative infection of breast implants can lead to implant removal and other complications. This study aimed to investigate the presence of costal cartilage infection following breast implant surgery and the diagnostic role of PET/CT in identifying this rare complication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study included 16 patients with persistent infections after breast implant removal surgery. Patients underwent PET/CT scans before surgery, and surgical plans were made based on PET/CT findings. Surgical procedures were guided by PET/CT, and specimens were collected for pathological examination and microbiological culture. Follow-up assessments were performed at 1, 3, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Among the 16 patients, 11 were diagnosed with costal cartilage infection, whereas 5 had subcutaneous soft tissue infections. PET/CT accurately identified costal cartilage infection in all cases and localized the infected costal cartilage in the majority of cases. Microbiological culture results showed various pathogens. All patients were cured with one or staged surgery. CONCLUSION: Costal cartilage infection following breast implant surgery is a significant concern. PET/CT plays a crucial role in the accurate diagnosis and localization of infected costal cartilage, aiding in appropriate surgical management. Patients should be closely monitored for the possibility of costal cartilage infection when experiencing persistent symptoms after breast implant surgery.

Effects of Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets and Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill on intestinal flora and metabolism in patients with diabetic kidney disease.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets and Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill on intestinal flora and metabolism in patients with diabetic kidney disease. Methods: In the study conducted at Heping Hospital of Changzhi Medical College from March 2021 to December 2022, 30 cases of patients diagnosed with diabetic nephropathy were meticulously selected as study subjects. Employing a double-blind randomized table method, these patients were randomly allocated into three groups: the control group (n = 10), the Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets group (n = 10), and the Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill group (n = 10). The control group received standard western medical treatments for diabetic nephropathy, including serum glucose, blood lipids, blood pressure management, and other conventional therapies. In addition to the standard treatments, the Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets group received Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets, while the Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill group received Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill. Before and after a 4-week treatment period, various baseline parameters were assessed, including fasting blood glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, triglycerides, serum total cholesterol, serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, random urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), blood creatinine (SCr), and traditional Chinese medicine evidence scores. Stool specimens were collected from all three groups before and after treatment for 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing, followed by comprehensive analyses including OUT clustering, Alpha diversity, Beta diversity, species composition analysis, LEfSe analysis, and KEGG function prediction. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to explore the relationship between intestinal flora and clinical indicators. Furthermore, fasting peripheral venous blood was collected from patients in the Bifidobacterium tetrapunctate tablets group and the control group before and after intervention to measure the optical density values of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) using the Beijing Biolite ELISA kit. This study was conducted with the approval of the Ethics Committee of Changzhi Medical College. Results: 1. The 2hPBG, total cholesterol and LDL levels were observed among patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) across all groups: the Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill group, the Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets group, and the control group (p < 0.05). 2. The Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill demonstrated superior efficacy in alleviating TCM symptoms and reducing the ACR compared to both the Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets group and the control group. Conversely, Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets exhibited a more pronounced reduction in TC levels compared to both the Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill and control groups. Notably, Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets effectively decreased (IL-2) levels in patients with DKD. 3. Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets also demonstrated efficacy in reducing IL-2 levels in DKD patients. 4. Analysis of intestinal microorganism abundance and diversity before and after the intervention, as well as among the three groups, revealed no significant alterations. Similarly, comparisons of ACE, Chao, Simpson, and Shannon indices showed no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05). 5. Qualitative analysis of intestinal microorganisms before and after intervention, as well as among the three groups, indicated no significant differences. Anosim test results also did not reveal qualitative distinctions (Anosim test R = 0.021, p = 0.215). 6. LEfSe analysis unveiled a noteworthy increase in Prevotella_7 abundance within the Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill group post-intervention (p < 0.05). 7. Furthermore, Chinese medicine evidence scores, body mass index, TC, and LDL levels correlated positively with the relative abundance of Tyzzerella_3 bacterial flora. Conversely, age, disease duration, and 2hPBG correlated positively with the relative abundance of Christensenellaceae_R_7 flora, while TC and LDL levels displayed a negative correlation with the relative abundance of Christensenellaceae_R_7 flora. Conclusion: The combination of Jin Gui Ren Qi Pill with western medical treatment exhibited superior efficacy in ameliorating clinical symptoms and reducing the ACR in patients with DKD compared to western medical treatment alone. Furthermore, this combination therapy led to an increase in the abundance of Prevotella_7 within the intestinal flora of patients, suggesting a potential enhancement in carbohydrate metabolism by the intestinal microbiota. On the other hand, Bifidobacterium bifidum tetragonum tablets bacterial tablets combined with western medical treatment demonstrated enhanced efficacy in reducing TC levels in DKD patients compared to western medical treatment alone. Additionally, this combination therapy effectively reduced the levels of IL-2 in DKD patients, thus mitigating inflammation in these individuals.

Q-factor and wavelength adjustable ultra-perfect absorption under critical coupling through epsilon-near-zero-based absorbers.

Perfect absorption with adjustable Q factor and wavelength is essential in both theory and application. To address this issue, a structure composed of an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ)- SiO2 grating and a multilayer dielectric structure was designed. In the structure, the intrinsic loss is related to the ENZ thickness, while the external leakage depends on the grating parameters. By adjusting the ENZ film thickness, the intrinsic loss rate was tuned to match the external leakage rate corresponding to different grating parameters, realizing the critical couplings with different Q factors and wavelengths. Under critical coupling, the absorption rate reached a maximum of 99.999%, demonstrating ultra-perfect absorption. The Q factor was adjusted from 4350 to 35800, and the absorption wavelength was modified from 1050 to 1282 nm. The design work may provide new ideas for developing wavelength- and Q-selective absorbers, optical modulators, dielectric sensors, and photodetectors.

Root-to-shoot signaling positively mediates source-sink relation in late growth stages in diploid and tetraploid wheat.

Non-hydraulic root source signaling (nHRS) is a unique positive response to soil drying in the regulation of plant growth and development. However, it is unclear how the nHRS mediates the tradeoff between source and sink at the late growth stages and its adaptive mechanisms in primitive wheat. To address this issue, a root-splitting design was made by inserting solid partition in the middle of the pot culture to induce the occurrence of nHRS using four wheat cultivars (MO1 and MO4, diploid; DM22 and DM31, tetraploid) as materials. Three water treatments were designed as 1) both halves watered (CK), 2) holistic root system watered then droughted (FS), 3) one-half of the root system watered and half droughted (PS). FS and PS were designed to compare the role of the full root system and split root system to induce nHRS. Leaves samples were collected during booting and anthesis to compare the role of nHRS at both growth stages. The data indicated that under PS treatment, ABA concentration was significantly higher than FS and CK, demonstrating the induction of nHRS in split root design and nHRS decreased cytokinin (ZR) levels, particularly in the PS treatment. Soluble sugar and proline accumulation were higher in the anthesis stage as compared to the booting stage. POD activity was higher at anthesis, while CAT was higher at the booting stage. Increased ABA (nHRS) correlated with source-sink relationships and metabolic rate (i.e., leaf) connecting other stress signals. Biomass density showed superior resource acquisition and utilization capabilities in both FS and PS treatment as compared to CK in all plants. Our findings indicate that nHRS-induced alterations in phytohormones and their effect on source-sink relations were allied with the growth stages in primitive wheat.

MT1G induces lipid droplet accumulation through modulation of H3K14 trimethylation accelerating clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression.

BACKGROUND: Lipid droplet formation is a prominent histological feature in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but the significance and mechanisms underlying lipid droplet accumulation remain unclear. METHODS: Expression and clinical significance of MT1G in ccRCC were analyzed by using TCGA data, GEO data and scRNASeq data. MT1G overexpression or knockdown ccRCC cell lines were constructed and in situ ccRCC model, lung metastasis assay, metabolomics and lipid droplets staining were performed to explore the role of MT1G on lipid droplet accumulation in ccRCC. RESULTS: Initially, we observed low MT1G expression in ccRCC tissues, whereas high MT1G expression correlated with advanced disease stage and poorer prognosis. Elevated MT1G expression promoted ccRCC growth and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, MT1G significantly suppressed acylcarnitine levels and downstream tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity, resulting in increased fatty acid and lipid accumulation without affecting cholesterol metabolism. Notably, MT1G inhibited H3K14 trimethylation (H3K14me3) modification. Under these conditions, MT1G-mediated H3K14me3 was recruited to the CPT1B promoter through direct interaction with specific promoter regions, leading to reduced CPT1B transcription and translation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study unveils a novel mechanism of lipid droplet accumulation in ccRCC, where MT1G inhibits CPT1B expression through modulation of H3K14 trimethylation, consequently enhancing lipid droplet accumulation and promoting ccRCC progression. Graphical abstract figure Schematic diagram illustrating MT1G/H3K14me3/CPT1B-mediated lipid droplet accumulation promoted ccRCC progression via FAO inhibition.

Injectable hydrogel with doxorubicin-loaded ZIF-8 nanoparticles for tumor postoperative treatments and wound repair.

The need for tumor postoperative treatments aimed at recurrence prevention and tissue regeneration have raised wide considerations in the context of the design and functionalization of implants. Herein, an injectable hydrogel system encapsulated with anti-tumor, anti-oxidant dual functional nanoparticles has been developed in order to prevent tumor relapse after surgery and promote wound repair. The utilization of biocompatible gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) was geared towards localized therapeutic intervention. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8@ceric oxide (ZIF-8@CeO2, ZC) nanoparticles (NPs) were purposefully devised for their proficiency as reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers. Furthermore, injectable GelMA hydrogels loaded with ZC NPs carrying doxorubicin (ZC-DOX@GEL) were tailored as multifunctional postoperative implants, ensuring the efficacious eradication of residual tumor cells and alleviation of oxidative stress. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to substantiate the efficacy in cancer cell elimination and the prevention of tumor recurrence through the synergistic chemotherapy approach employed with ZC-DOX@GEL. The acceleration of tissue regeneration and in vitro ROS scavenging attributes of ZC@GEL were corroborated using rat models of wound healing. The results underscore the potential of the multifaceted hydrogels presented herein for their promising application in tumor postoperative treatments.

Fabric tearing performance state perception and classification driven by multi-source data.

The tear strength of textiles is a crucial characteristic of product quality. However, during the laboratory testing of this indicator, factors such as equipment operation, human intervention, and test environment can significantly influence the results. Currently, there is a lack of traceable records for the influencing factors during the testing process, and effective classification of testing activities is not achieved. Therefore, this study proposes a state-awareness and classification approach for fabric tear performance testing based on multi-source data. A systematic design is employed for fabric tear performance testing activities, which can real-time monitor electrical parameters, operational environment, and operator behavior. The data are collected, preprocessed, and a Decision Tree Support Vector Machine (DTSVM) is utilized for classifying various working states, and introducing ten-fold cross-validation to enhance the performance of the classifier, forming a comprehensive awareness of the testing activities. Experimental results demonstrate that the system effectively perceives fabric tear performance testing processes, exhibiting high accuracy in the classification of different fabric testing states, surpassing 98.73%. The widespread application of this system contributes to continuous improvement in the workflow and traceability of fabric tear performance testing processes.

Serum electrolyte concentrations and risk of atrial fibrillation: an observational and mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent arrhythmic condition resulting in increased stroke risk and is associated with high mortality. Electrolyte imbalance can increase the risk of AF, where the relationship between AF and serum electrolytes remains unclear. METHODS: A total of 15,792 individuals were included in the observational study, with incident AF ascertainment in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. The Cox regression models were applied to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for AF based on different serum electrolyte levels. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed to examine the causal association. RESULTS: In observational study, after a median 19.7 years of follow-up, a total of 2551 developed AF. After full adjustment, participants with serum potassium below the 5th percentile had a higher risk of AF relative to participants in the middle quintile. Serum magnesium was also inversely associated with the risk of AF. An increased incidence of AF was identified in individuals with higher serum phosphate percentiles. Serum calcium levels were not related to AF risk. Moreover, MR analysis indicated that genetically predicted serum electrolyte levels were not causally associated with AF risk. The odds ratio for AF were 0.999 for potassium, 1.044 for magnesium, 0.728 for phosphate, and 0.979 for calcium, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Serum electrolyte disorders such as hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and hyperphosphatemia were associated with an increased risk of AF and may also serve to be prognostic factors. However, the present study did not support serum electrolytes as causal mediators for AF development.

Atomic-Level Matching Metal-Ion Organic Hybrid Interface to Enhance Energy Storage of Polymer-Based Composite Dielectrics.

In this work, a distinctive "metal-ion organic hybrid interface" (MOHI) between polyimide (PI) and calcium niobate (CNO) nanosheets is designed. The metal ions in the MOHI can achieve atomic-level matching not only with the inorganic CNO, but also with the PI chains, forming uniform and strong chemical bonds. These results are demonstrated by experiment and theory calculations. Significantly, the MOHI reduces the free volume and introduces deep traps across the filler-matrix interfacial area, thus suppressing the electric field distortion in PI-based composite dielectrics. Consequently, PI-based dielectric containing the MOHI exhibits excellent energy storage performance. The energy storage densities (Ue) of the composite dielectric reach 9.42 J cm-3 and 4.75 J cm-3 with energy storage efficiency (η) of 90% at 25 °C and 150 °C respectively, which are 2.6 and 11.6 times higher than those of pure PI. This study provides new ideas for polymer-based composite dielectrics in high energy storage.

Use of autologous iliac crest graft and free anterolateral femoral skin flap in diabetic foot ulcers: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot has a great impact on the life of patients. Its treatment involves a multi-disciplinary and multi-direction approach, which requires not only soft tissue repair, but also bone reconstruction and functional repair. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old Chinese man with a three-year history of diabetes was diagnosed with ulcers in his left foot. We performed a successful procedure, and the different strategies we adopted helped to avoid serious complications during treatment. The patient was treated with debridement, bone cement, iliac crest graft, and anterolateral femoral skin flap, and recovered well. CONCLUSION: There is a dearth of reports pertaining to treatment of diabetic foot in patients with midfoot bone and soft tissue loss. In this report, we present an effective method that we used to reconstruct the loss of midfoot in a patient with diabetic foot, illustrating a successful therapeutic strategy for saving limbs in this complex medical condition.

First- and Second-Order Sliding Mode Control Design for Networked 2-D Systems Under Round-Robin Protocol.

This article investigates the sliding mode control (SMC) problem for a class of uncertain 2-D systems described by the Roesser models with a bounded disturbance. In order to reduce the communication usage between the controller and the actuators, it is supposed that only one actuator node can gain the access to the network at each sampling time along horizontal or vertical direction, where a proper 2-D round-robin protocol is designed to periodically regulate the access token and a set of zero-order holders (ZOHs) is employed to keep the other actuator nodes unchanged until the next renewed signal arrives. Based on a novel 2-D common sliding function, a token-dependent 2-D SMC scheme with first-order sliding mode is appropriately constructed to cope with the impacts from the periodic scheduling signal and the ZOHs. Furthermore, a novel super-twisting-like 2-D SMC scheme with second-order sliding mode is designed to improve the robustness against the bounded disturbance. By resorting to token-dependent Lyapunov-like function, sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee the ultimate boundedness of the horizontal and vertical states as well as the 2-D common sliding function. For acquiring the optimized gain matrices, two searching algorithms are formulated to solve two optimization problems arising from finding optimized control performance. Finally, two comparative examples are exploited to demonstrate the effectiveness and the advantageous of the proposed first- and second-order 2-D SMC design schemes under round-robin scheduling mechanism.

Output Formation Containment for Multiagent Systems Under Multipoint Multipattern FDI Attacks: A Resilient Impulsive Compensation Control Approach.

The increasing number of devices and frequent interactions of agents from networked multiagent systems (MASs) exacerbate the risks of potential cyber attacks, especially the different point attacks and multiple pattern attacks. This article considers the output formation-containment problem for MASs under multipoint multipattern false data injection (FDI) attacks. The multipoint describes the attacks simultaneously occurring on the sensors, actuators, and communication channels; the multipattern captures that sensor and actuator attack signals are both continuous deterministic variables, and the communication channel attack signals are intermittent random variables, obeying the Bernoulli distribution. For such compromised MASs, a novel hybrid protocol is proposed, which integrates a state observer, an attack estimator, an impulsive interactor and a compensation controller. Thereinto, the state observer and the attack estimator are constructed to recover the unmeasured system states and the unknown FDI attack signals, respectively; the impulsive interactor is designed to guarantee that the neighbor's signals are transmitted only at impulsive instants, and meanwhile the channel attacks are randomly launched; using the recovered signals, the compensation controller is devised to alleviate the effect of attacks. A sufficient condition is identified, under which the output formation containment is achieved with cooperative uniform ultimate boundedness (UUB). Finally, simulation results are carried out to validate the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed approach.

Constructing asymmetric gradient structures to enhance the energy storage performance of PEI-based composite dielectrics.

Enhancing the high electric field resistance and energy storage capacity of polymer dielectrics has been a long-standing challenge for the iterations of power equipment. Synergistic inhibition of carrier injection and transport is vital to energy storage performance improvement. Herein, promising polymer polyetherimide (PEI) was employed as a matrix and wider bandgap boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) were used as a reinforcing filler. Utilizing high-throughput stochastic breakdown simulations with the distribution characteristics of BNNSs as parameters, a series of topological gradient structures with the potential to enhance performance were obtained, thereby shortening the experimental cycle. Changing the BNNS distribution of symmetric/asymmetric and positive/inverse gradients, as well as the total and gradient contents of BNNSs, means that the position and condition of the surface barrier layer and central hinder layer change, which influences the energy storage performance of the polymer at room temperature and high temperature. Remarkably, the asymmetric gradient structure composite dielectrics exhibited excellent performances. Among them, the PEI-based composite dielectric with 2 vol% BNNS asymmetric inverse gradient distribution (gradient content of 1 vol%) achieved energy densities of 8.26 and 4.78 J cm-3 at room temperature and 150 °C, respectively. The asymmetric gradient structure design strategy holds great promise for optimizing the energy storage capacity of polymer dielectric capacitors.

Distributed Proportional-Integral Fuzzy State Estimation Over Sensor Networks Under Energy-Constrained Denial-of-Service Attacks.

This article deals with the distributed proportional-integral state estimation problem for nonlinear systems over sensor networks (SNs), where a number of spatially distributed sensor nodes are utilized to collect the system information. The signal transmissions among different sensor nodes are realized via their individual channels subject to energy-constrained Denial-of-Service (EC-DoS) cyber-attacks launched by the adversaries whose aim is to block the nodewise communications. Such EC-DoS attacks are characterized by a sequence of attack starting time-instants and a sequence of attack durations. Based on the measurement outputs of each node, a novel distributed fuzzy proportional-integral estimator is proposed that reflects the topological information of the SNs. The estimation error dynamics is shown to be regulated by a switching system under certain assumptions on the frequency and the duration of the EC-DoS attacks. Then, by resorting to the average dwell-time method, a unified framework is established to analyze the dynamical behaviors of the resultant estimation error system, and sufficient conditions are obtained to guarantee the stability as well as the weighted H∞ performance of the estimation error dynamics. Finally, a numerical example is given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed estimation scheme.

Source-Storage-Load Coordinated Master-Slave Control Strategy for Islanded Microgrid Considering Load Disturbance and Communication Interruption.

When there is a sudden load disturbance in an islanded microgrid, the peer-to-peer control model requires the energy resource to maintain a margin of generation, resulting in a relatively limited regulation range, that is, voltage/frequency sometimes requires additional control to maintain stability. A "source-storage-load" coordinated master-slave control strategy is proposed in this study to address the aforementioned issues. The system voltage and frequency will be stable as long as the output frequency and voltage of the master resource are stable. Furthermore, it can fully utilize the power supply capacity of resources to support the supply-demand balance. The following tasks are included in the proposed strategy: 1) to improve the operational security in the face of load disruption, a source-storage-load coordinated control method based on the "ramping speed" ratio is proposed, which can quickly restore the balance of supply and demand; 2) to improve the communication reliability in the face of interruption, a channel planning method is proposed, which can address the communication interruption problem by constructing an internal network among source-storage-load; and 3) to improve the mode switching stability of resources subjected to external disturbance, the external disturbance suppression and stability analysis involved in the regulation process are completed using sliding-mode control and small signal model methods. Related case studies are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategies.

Local Boundary Fuzzified Rough K-Means-Based Information Granulation Algorithm Under the Principle of Justifiable Granularity.

Information granularity and information granules are fundamental concepts that permeate the entire area of granular computing. With this regard, the principle of justifiable granularity was proposed by Pedrycz, and subsequently a general two-phase framework of designing information granules based on Fuzzy C-means clustering was successfully developed. This design process leads to information granules that are likely to intersect each other in substantially overlapping clusters, which inevitably leads to some ambiguity and misperception as well as loss of semantic clarity of information granules. This limitation is largely due to imprecise description of boundary-overlapping data in the existing algorithms. To address this issue, the rough k -means clustering is introduced in an innovative way into Pedrycz's two-phase information granulation framework, together with the proposed local boundary fuzzy metric. To further strengthen the characteristics of support and inhibition of boundary-overlapping data, an augmented parametric version of the principle is refined. On this basis, a local boundary fuzzified rough k -means-based information granulation algorithm is developed. In this manner, the generated granules are unique and representative whilst ensuring clearer boundaries. The validity and performance of this algorithm are demonstrated through the results of comparative experiments.

Analysis of influencing factors on pregnancy outcomes in 95 cases of fetal hydrothorax / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To conjecture the correlation between fetal hydrothorax(FHT)and pregnancy outcome through the analysis of 95 fetuses with hydrothorax and their mothers.Methods:In this case series study, 95 FHT patients admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2016 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the pregnancy outcome, these patients were divided into the induced labor group (13 patients) and the delivery group (82 patients). General data and genetic examinations of patients in the induced labor group were analyzed to explore their pathogenesis and genetics.According to the neonatal Apgar score, patients in the delivery group were divided into the normal group and the asphyxia group.Fifteen indicators including the maternal age, gestational week at first diagnosis, maternal complications, FHT location, FHT severity, FHT outcome during pregnancy, fetal ascites, hydrops fetalis, other abnormal fetal structures, amniotic fluid volume, intrauterine treatment, gestational week of delivery, mode of delivery, sex of the newborn, and newborn birth weight in the 2 groups were comparatively analyzed by the chi-square test.With the neonatal Apgar score as the dependent variable, variables that had statistical significance during the univariate analysis were included in the regression analysis, and a multivariate binary Logistic regression equation was established to explore the factors affecting the pregnancy outcome.Results:There were significant differences in the FHT outcome during pregnancy (16/22/13 cases vs.2/18/11 cases, χ2=6.994, P=0.030), FHT severity (27/24 cases vs.9/22 cases, χ2=4.475, P=0.034), hydrops fetalis (14/37 cases vs.23/8 cases, χ2=17.012, P=0.001), amniotic fluid volume (21/30 cases vs.24/7 cases, χ2=10.228, P=0.001), intrauterine treatment (19/32 cases vs.2/29 cases, χ2=9.603, P=0.002), gestational week of delivery[(38.15±2.05) weeks vs.(34.83±3.14) weeks, t=5.748, P=0.001], and newborn birth weight[(3 325.00±637.41) g vs.(2 714.58±837.99) g, t=3.727, P=0.001]between the normal and asphyxia groups(all P<0.05). Among them, hydrops fetalis ( OR=7.070, P=0.020) and severe FHT ( OR=6.927, P=0.043) were risk factors for neonatal Apgar scores.Intrauterine treatment ( OR=0.062, P=0.027) and gestational week of delivery( OR=0.577, P=0.022) could be used as a protective factor for neonatal Apgar scores. Conclusions:Diagnosis of FHT during the early gestational weeks and multiple fetal structural abnormalities, especially hydrops fetalis, have higher probabilities of abnormal genetic examinations, and the fetal prognosis was poor.It is recommended to carry out chromosomal karyo type and microarray tests, as well as whole exome sequencing and detection of genetic syndromes(if necessary), to avoid unnecessary fetal treatment and improve the survival rate of perinatal infants after intrauterine treatment.The poor prognosis is related to hydrops fetalis and severe FHT; however, timely intrauterine treatment and prolonging pregnancy can improve the pregnancy outcome and increase the survival rate of perinatal infants.

Preliminary study of prognostic factors related to patients with stage ⅢC1p cervical cancer based on conventional MR and clinical features / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To evaluate MRI and clinicopathological prognostic factors in predicting disease-free survival(DFS)of stage ⅢC1p cervical cancer patients.Methods A total of 102 stage ⅢC1p cervical cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment were selected.Based on survival status,stage ⅢC1p cases were divided into two subgroups:progression group and no progression group.The influencing factors of clinicopathological indexes and MRI features on prognosis in the two groups were analyzed.Results The results of the univariate analysis showed that squamous cell carcinoma antigen(SCC-Ag)level,T stage and location of lymph node metastasis(LNM)were correlated with the prognosis of stage ⅢC1p cervical cancer patients(P<0.05).Multivariate analysis results showed that late T stage,SCC-Ag>13 ng/mL,and LNM location≥3 were the high risk factors affecting the 3-year DFS decline in stage ⅢC1p cervical cancer patients.Conclusion SCC-Ag,T stage,and LNM location are independent risk factors for 3-year DFS in stage ⅢC1p cervical cancer patients.