WaterBiSeg-Net: An underwater bilateral segmentation network for marine debris segmentation.

The cleanup of marine debris is an urgent problem in marine environmental protection. AUVs with visual recognition technology have gradually become a central research issue. However, existing recognition algorithms have slow inference speeds and high computational overhead. They are also affected by blurred images and interference information. To solve these problems, a real-time semantic segmentation network is proposed, called WaterBiSeg-Net. First, we propose the Multi-scale Information Enhancement Module to solve the impact of low-definition and blurred images. Then, to suppress the interference of background information, the Gated Aggregation Layer is proposed. In addition, we propose a method that can extract boundary information directly. Finally, extensive experiments on SUIM and TrashCan datasets show that WaterBiSeg-Net can better complete the task of marine debris segmentation and provide accurate segmentation results for AUVs in real-time. This research offers a low computational cost and real-time solution for AUVs to identify marine debris.

Construction of V2O5@MXene Cathodes toward a High Specific Capacity Aqueous Aluminum-Ion Battery.

Aqueous aluminum-ion batteries (AAIBs) are considered a strong candidate for the new generation of energy storage devices. The lack of suitable cathode materials has been a bottleneck factor hindering the future development of AAIBs. In this work, we design and construct a highly effective cathode with dual morphologies. Two-dimensional (2D) layered MXene materials possessed good conductivity and hydrophilicity, which are used as the substrates to deposit rod-shaped vanadium oxides (V2O5) to form a three-dimensional (3D) cathode. The cathode design provides a strong boost for the rapid electrochemical activities of rod-shaped V2O5 by embedding/extracting both protons (H+) and aluminum-ion (Al3+). As a result, the V2O5@MXene cathode based AAIB delivers an ultrahigh initial specific capacity of 626 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g with a stable cycle performance up to 100 cycles. This work is a breakthrough for the development of cathode materials for AAIBs.

Particle size distribution of total suspended sediments in urban stormwater runoff: Effect of land uses, precipitation conditions, and seasonal variations.

Understanding particle size distribution (PSD) of total suspended sediments in urban runoff is essential for pollutant fate and designing effective stormwater treatment measures. However, the PSDs from different land uses under different weather conditions have yet to be sufficiently studied. This research conducted a six-year water sampling program in 15 study sites to analyze the PSD of total suspended sediments in runoff. The results revealed that the median particle size decreased in the order: paved residential, commercial, gravel lane residential, mixed land use, industrial, and roads. Fine particles less than 125 µm are the dominant particles (over 75%) of total suspended sediments in runoff in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Roads have the largest percentage of particles finer than 32 µm (49%). Gravel lane residential areas have finer particle sizes than paved residential areas. The results of PSD were compared with previous literature to provide more comprehensive information about PSD from different land uses. The impact of rainfall event types can vary depending on land use types. A long antecedent dry period tends to result in the accumulation of fine particles on urban surfaces. High rainfall intensity and long duration can wash off more coarse particles. The PSD in spring exhibits the finest particles, while fall has the largest percentage of coarse particles. Snowmelt particles are finer for the same land use than that during rainfall events because the rainfall-runoff flows are usually larger than the snowmelt flows.

The discovery of indazapyroxamet: a novel 3-pyridinyl insecticide targeting piercing/sucking insectsa.

In recent years, the registrations for a number of commercial insecticides utilized for piercing/sucking insects have been cancelled or restricted. To meet this growing need for new hemipteran controlling agrochemicals, we discovered a 2-(pyridin-3-yl)-thiazole compound, with limited insecticidal activity against cotton/melon aphid (Aphis gossypii). The 2-(pyridin-3-yl)-thiazole moiety offered us a basis to pursue the bicyclic 2-(pyridin-3-yl)-2H-indazole carboxamides. Evaluation of such 2-(pyridin-3-yl)-2H-indazole carboxamides revealed that even analogs containing only simple alkyl amides attached at the 4 or 5 positions possess promising insecticidal activity. Extensive optimization of this novel class of 2-(pyridin-3-yl)-2H-indazole carboxamides led to identifying indazapyroxamet for commercial development. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prosthetic spacers in two-stage revision for knee periprosthetic joint infection achieve better function and similar infection control.

Aims: To explore the clinical efficacy of using two different types of articulating spacers in two-stage revision for chronic knee periprosthetic joint infection (kPJI). Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 50 chronic kPJI patients treated with two types of articulating spacers between January 2014 and March 2022 was conducted. The clinical outcomes and functional status of the different articulating spacers were compared. Overall, 17 patients were treated with prosthetic spacers (prosthetic group (PG)), and 33 patients were treated with cement spacers (cement group (CG)). The CG had a longer mean follow-up period (46.67 months (SD 26.61)) than the PG (24.82 months (SD 16.46); p = 0.001). Results: Infection was eradicated in 45 patients overall (90%). The PG had a better knee range of motion (ROM) and Knee Society Score (KSS) after the first-stage revision (p = 0.004; p = 0.002), while both groups had similar ROMs and KSSs at the last follow-up (p = 0.136; p = 0.895). The KSS in the CG was significantly better at the last follow-up (p = 0.013), while a larger percentage (10 in 17, 58.82%) of patients in the PG chose to retain the spacer (p = 0.008). Conclusion: Prosthetic spacers and cement spacers are both effective at treating chronic kPJI because they encourage infection control, and the former improved knee function status between stages. For some patients, prosthetic spacers may not require reimplantation.

A Novel Infrapatellar Fat Pad Preservation Technique in Total Knee Arthroplasty Reduced Postoperative Pain and Wound Complications.

OBJECTIVE: The management of the infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate a novel IPFP preservation technique-"the medially pedicled IPFP flap"-for reducing postoperative pain, wound complications, and improving functional recovery after TKA. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on TKA cases at our institution from 2018 to 2021, including those with IPFP preservation (medially pedicled flap) versus IPFP complete resection. Patient demographics, perioperative parameters (blood loss, operative time, length of hospital stay, visual analogue scale [VAS] score, white cell count [WBC], C-reactive protein [CRP], erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], and wound oozing), and postoperative follow-up data (VAS, Knee Society [KSS], or Knee Society functional assessment [KSFA] scores) were compared between groups. Independent sample t-tests were used to compare continuous data and chi-squared tests were used to compare categorical data between groups. RESULTS: Six hundred thirty patients were included, with 278 in the medial pedicled IPFP flap group (preservation group) and 352 in the IPFP resection group (resection group). The operative time was significantly shorter in the preservation versus resection group (125.5 ± 23.2 vs 130.3 ± 28.7 mins, p = 0.03), as was the length of hospital stay (8.4 ± 2.7 vs 9.2 ± 2.3 days, p < 0.01). Regarding pain, the preservation group had significantly lower VAS scores on postoperative day 2 (2.0 ± 0.8 vs 2.4 ± 1.2, p < 0.001) and day 3 (1.5 ± 0.5 vs 1.8 ± 1.0, p < 0.001). CRP and ESR levels on postoperative day 5 were also significantly lower in the preservation group. Wound oozing rates were significantly lower in the preservation versus resection group (0.7% vs 2.8%, p = 0.04). No significant differences existed in VAS, KSS, or KSFA scores at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: The novel IPFP preservation technique significantly improved surgical exposure, shortened operative time and length of hospital stay. It also reduced wound pain and oozing compared to IPFP resection.

Thermal noise-driven resonant sensors.

MEMS/NEMS resonant sensors hold promise for minute mass and force sensing. However, one major challenge is that conventional externally driven sensors inevitably encounter undesired intrinsic noise, which imposes a fundamental limitation upon their signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and, consequently, the resolution. Particularly, this restriction becomes increasingly pronounced as sensors shrink to the nanoscale. In this work, we propose a counterintuitive paradigm shift that turns intrinsic thermal noise from an impediment to a constituent of the sensor by harvesting it as the driving force, obviating the need for external actuation and realizing 'noise-driven' sensors. Those sensors employ the dynamically amplified response to thermal noise at resonances for stimulus detection. We demonstrate that lightly damped and highly compliant nano-structures with high aspect ratios are promising candidates for this class of sensors. To overcome the phase incoherence of the drive force, three noise-enabled quantitative sensing mechanisms are developed. We validated our sensor paradigm by experimental demonstrating noise-driven pressure and temperature sensors. Noise-driven sensors offer a new opportunity for delivering practical NEMS sensors that can function at room temperature and under ambient pressure, and a development that suggests a path to cheaper, simpler, and low-power-consumption sensors.

Settling velocity of microplastics in turbulent open-channel flow.

The settling behavior of microplastics (MPs) plays a pivotal role in their transport and fate in aquatic environments, but the dominant mechanisms and physics governing the settling of MPs in rivers remain poorly understood. To gain mechanistic insights into the velocity lag of MPs in an open-channel flume under different turbulent flow conditions, an experimental study was conducted using three types of MPs: polystyrene, cellulose acetate, and acrylic, of sphere-shaped particles with diameters ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm. A particle tracking technique was employed to record and analyze the MPs velocity within turbulent flows. The results showed a variation in the vertical settling velocity of MPs ωMP ranging from -26 % to +16 %, when compared to their counterparts in still water (ωs). A new formula for the drag coefficient (Cd) of MP particles was developed by introducing the suspension number (u∗/ωs). The developed Cd formula was used to calculate the resultant velocity lag VMP, with a mean relative error of 16 % compared with the measured values. Further, the study highlighted that the MPs with large Stokes numbers are mainly driven by their own inertia and turbulence has less influence on their settling behavior. This study is crucial for understanding the settling behavior of MPs in turbulent flows and developing their transport and fate models for MPs in riverine systems.

Construction of N-doped carbon encapsulated CoP hollow nanofibers as multifunctional electrode materials for potassium-ion and lithium-sulfur batteries.

Herein, a composite of N-doped carbon coated phosphating cobalt hollow nanofibers (N/C@CoP-HNFs) was synthesized by electrospinning, phosphating, and carbon coating processes. When employed as multifunctional electrode materials for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) and lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the N/C@CoP-HNFs demonstrated notable electrochemical properties. Specifically, it delivered an initial specific capacity of 420.4 mA h g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1, with a sustained capacity of 190.8 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles in PIBs, and a specific capacity of 1448 mA h g-1 at a current density of 0.5C in Li-S batteries, which is considered relatively high for these types of battery technology. This good performance may due to the combination of the carbon nitrogen layer and cobalt phosphide bilayer hollow tube structure, which is conducive to telescoping the diffusion length of ions and electrons and buffer volume variation, and effectively inhibits the shuttle effect. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also used to explore the energy storage mechanism of the material. The possible adsorption sites and corresponding adsorption energy of K+ were analyzed, and the advantages of the material were explored by calculating the diffusion barrier and state density. The theoretical simulations further validated the strong adsorption capability of CoP for polysulfides. This work is expected to provide new ideas for new energy storage materials.

Improved cure rate of periprosthetic joint infection through targeted antibiotic therapy based on integrated pathogen diagnosis strategy.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether combined of pathogen detection strategies, including specimen acquisition, culture conditions, and molecular diagnostics, can improve treatment outcomes in patients with periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). Methods: This retrospective study included suspected PJI cases from three sequential stages at our institution: Stage A (July 2012 to June 2015), Stage B (July 2015 to June 2018), and Stage C (July 2018 to June 2021). Cases were categorized into PJI and aseptic failure (AF) groups based on European Bone and Joint Infection Society (EBJIS) criteria. Utilization of pathogen diagnostic strategies, pathogen detection rates, targeted antibiotic prescription rates, and treatment outcomes were analyzed and compared across the three stages. Results: A total of 165 PJI cases and 38 AF cases were included in this study. With the progressive implementation of the three optimization approaches across stages A, B and C, pathogen detection rates exhibited a gradual increase (χ2 = 8.282, P=0.016). Similarly, utilization of targeted antibiotic therapy increased stepwise from 57.1% in Stage A, to 82.3% in Stage B, and to 84% in Stage C (χ2 = 9.515, P=0.009). The 2-year infection control rate exceeded 90% in both stages B and C, surpassing stage A (71.4%) (χ2 = 8.317, P=0.011). Combined application of all three optimized protocols yielded the highest sensitivity of 91.21% for pathogen detection, while retaining higher specificity of 92.11%. Conclusion: The utilization of combined pathogen diagnostic strategies in PJI can increase pathogen detection rates, improve targeted antibiotic prescription, reduce the occurrence of antibiotic complications, and achieve better treatment outcomes.

The bioproduction of astaxanthin: A comprehensive review on the microbial synthesis and downstream extraction.

Astaxanthin is a valuable orange-red carotenoid with wide applications in agriculture, food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals areas. At present, the biological synthesis of astaxanthin mainly relies on Haematococcus pluvialis and Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous. With the rapid development of synthetic biology, more recombinant microbial hosts have been genetically constructed for astaxanthin production including Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica. As multiple genes (15) were involved in the astaxanthin synthesis, it is particularly important to adopt different strategies to balance the metabolic flow towards the astaxanthin synthesis. Furthermore, astaxanthin is a fat-soluble compound stored intracellularly, hence efficient extraction methods are also essential for the economical production of astaxanthin. Several efficient and green extraction methods of astaxanthin have been reported in recent years, including the superfluid extraction, ionic liquid extraction and microwave-assisted extraction. Accordingly, this review will comprehensively introduce the advances on the astaxanthin production and extraction by using different microbial hosts and strategies to improve the astaxanthin synthesis and extraction efficiency.

Dynamic imaging of micro-vibrations with an ultra-wide bandwidth and a femtometer noise using switchable pulsed laser interferometry.

Imaging the complex dynamics of micro-vibrations plays a fundamental role in the investigation of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). However, it remains a challenge for achieving both a wide bandwidth and a low noise due to the high photodetector noise and electromagnetic interference at GHz frequencies. Here, we propose a pulsed laser interferometry system with an adaptable switch to image GHz vibrations based on stroboscopic mixing, while measuring lower-frequency vibrations based on the homodyne scheme. The noise power spectral density is shown in both regions from DC to 10 GHz with an average noise down to 30.8 fm/√Hz at GHz frequencies, which holds the highest resolution to the best of our knowledge. Vibrational amplitude and phase mappings of a kHz comb-drive resonator, a GHz piezoelectric transducer, and a GHz film bulk acoustic resonator are presented with animated visualizations and k-space analysis, paving a new paradigm for the first time to image and analyze various MEMS devices of a bandwidth spanning 10 orders of magnitude.

An intelligent spinal soft robot with self-sensing adaptability.

Self-sensing adaptability is a high-level intelligence in living creatures and is highly desired for their biomimetic soft robots for efficient interaction with the surroundings. Self-sensing adaptability can be achieved in soft robots by the integration of sensors and actuators. However, current strategies simply assemble discrete sensors and actuators into one robotic system and, thus, dilute their synergistic and complementary connections, causing low-level adaptability and poor decision-making capability. Here, inspired by vertebrate animals supported by highly evolved backbones, we propose a concept of a bionic spine that integrates sensing and actuation into one shared body based on the reversible piezoelectric effect and a decoupling mechanism to extract the environmental feedback. We demonstrate that the soft robots equipped with the bionic spines feature locomotion speed improvements between 39.5% and 80% for various environmental terrains. More importantly, it can also enable the robots to accurately recognize and actively adapt to changing environments with obstacle avoidance capability by learning-based gait adjustments. We envision that the proposed bionic spine could serve as a building block for locomotive soft robots toward more intelligent machine-environment interactions in the future.

Comparative analysis of machine learning methods for prediction of chlorophyll-a in a river with different hydrology characteristics: A case study in Fuchun River, China.

Eutrophication is a serious threat to water quality and human health, and chlorophyll-a (Chla) is a key indicator to represent eutrophication in rivers or lakes. Understanding the spatial-temporal distribution of Chla and its accurate prediction are significant for water system management. In this study, spatial-temporal analysis and correlation analysis were applied to reveal Chla concentration pattern in the Fuchun River, China. Then four exogenous variables (wind speed, water temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity) were used for predicting Chla concentrations by six models (3 traditional machine learning models and 3 deep learning models) and compare the performance in a river with different hydrology characteristics. Statistical analysis shown that the Chla concentration in the reservoir river segment was higher than in the natural river segment during August and September, while the dominant algae gradually changed from Cyanophyta to Cryptophyta. Moreover, air temperature, water temperature and dissolved oxygen had high correlations with Chla concentrations among environment factors. The results of the prediction models demonstrate that extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) were the best performance model in the reservoir river segment (NSE = 0.93; RMSE = 4.67) and natural river segment (NSE = 0.94; RMSE = 1.84), respectively. This study provides a reference for further understanding eutrophication and early warning of algal blooms in different type of rivers.

In-Plane Combination of Micropillars with Distinct Aspect Ratios to Resist Overload-Induced Adhesion Failure.

Bioinspired micropillar adhesives have shown broad application prospects in space capture and docking, due to their strong adhesion, good environmental adaptability, and reusability. However, when performing space missions, unavoidable contact collision with target objects may cause large deformation of the micropillars, resulting in the loss of adhesion ability. This study reports a novel micropillar adhesive through the in-plane combination of micropillars (IPCM) with different aspect ratios, consisting of small pillars for retaining strong adhesion and large ones for resisting overload-induced adhesion failure. It is demonstrated that the IPCM array can still maintain 85% of the adhesion peak after static large deformation compared to a general micropillar array composed of the same pillars. The impact of element size and layout of the IPCM, as well as detachment velocity on adhesion performance under high preload is discussed. Furthermore, finite element contact analysis qualitatively reproduces the experimentally observed micropillar deformations and attributes the overload-induced adhesion failure to the redistribution of surface normal stress. Finally, the potential application of the IPCM in dynamic capture is demonstrated on different objects. The proposed IPCM opens up new design concepts for practical applications of bioinspired adhesives in space capture and docking.

FAT10 mediates the sorafenib-resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by stabilizing E3 ligase NEDD4 to enhance PTEN/AKT pathway-induced autophagy.

Although sorafenib is the first-line therapeutic agent for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the development of drug resistance in HCC cells limits its clinical efficacy. However, the key factors involved in mediating the sorafenib resistance of HCC cells and the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. In this study, we generated sorafenib-resistant HCC cell lines, and our data demonstrate that HLA-F locus-adjacent transcript 10 (FAT10), a ubiquitin-like protein, is markedly upregulated in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells and that reducing the expression of FAT10 in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells increases sensitivity to sorafenib. Mechanistically, FAT10 stabilizes the expression of the PTEN-specific E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4 that causes downregulation of PTEN, thereby inducing AKT-mediated autophagy and promoting the resistance of HCC cells to sorafenib. Moreover, we screened the small molecule Compound 7695-0983, which increases the sensitivity of sorafenib-resistant HCC cells to sorafenib by inhibiting the expression of FAT10 to inhibit NEDD4-PTEN/AKT axis-mediated autophagy. Collectively, our preclinical findings identify FAT10 as a key factor in the sorafenib resistance of HCC cells and elucidate its underlying mechanism. This study provides new mechanistic insight for the exploitation of novel sorafenib-based tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-targeted drugs for treating advanced HCC.

A Stretchable and Tough Graphene Film Enabled by Mechanical Bond.

The pursuit of fabricating high-performance graphene films has aroused considerable attention due to their potential for practical applications. However, developing both stretchable and tough graphene films remains a formidable challenge. To address this issue, we herein introduce mechanical bond to comprehensively improve the mechanical properties of graphene films, utilizing [2]rotaxane as the bridging unit. Under external force, the [2]rotaxane cross-link undergoes intramolecular motion, releasing hidden chain and increasing the interlayer slip distance between graphene nanosheets. Compared with graphene films without [2]rotaxane cross-linking, the presence of mechanical bond not only boosted the strength of graphene films (247.3 vs 74.8 MPa) but also markedly promoted the tensile strain (23.6 vs 10.2 %) and toughness (23.9 vs 4.0 MJ/m3). Notably, the achieved tensile strain sets a record high and the toughness surpasses most reported results, rendering the graphene films suitable for applications as flexible electrodes. Even when the films were stretched within a 20 % strain and repeatedly bent vertically, the light-emitting diodes maintained an on-state with little changes in brightness. Additionally, the film electrodes effectively actuated mechanical joints, enabling uninterrupted grasping movements. Therefore, the study holds promise for expanding the application of graphene films and simultaneously inspiring the development of other high-performance two-dimensional films.

Strategies for the efficient biosynthesis of ß-carotene through microbial fermentation.

ß-Carotene is an orange fat-soluble compound, which has been widely used in fields such as food, medicine and cosmetics owing to its anticancer, antioxidant and cardiovascular disease prevention properties. Currently, natural ß-carotene is mainly extracted from plants and algae, which cannot meet the growing market demand, while chemical synthesis of ß-carotene cannot satisfy the pursuit for natural products of consumers. The ß-carotene production through microbial fermentation has become a promising alternative owing to its high efficiency and environmental friendliness. With the rapid development of synthetic biology and in-depth study on the synthesis pathway of ß-carotene, microbial fermentation has shown promising applications in the ß-carotene synthesis. Accordingly, this review aims to summarize the research progress and strategies of natural carotenoid producing strain and metabolic engineering strategies in the heterologous synthesis of ß-carotene by engineered microorganisms. Moreover, it also summarizes the adoption of inexpensive carbon sources to synthesize ß-carotene as well as proposes new strategies that can further improve the ß-carotene production.

Settling behaviors of microplastic disks in acceleration fall.

The settling of microplastics (MPs) in the initial acceleration fall stage, i.e., before reaching the terminal settling velocity, has not been investigated, which is however important for understanding MP transport and fate. MP disks sized 3-5 mm, of three shapes and made of three polymers (1.038-1.343 g/cm3) were examined. Five release ways and three release angles (0°, 45°, 90°) were used. MP disks with the release angle of 0° start to zigzag immediately after the release, while the MP disks with the release angles of 45° and 90° first adjust to a horizontal position and then zigzag. The adjustment distances in the vertical and horizontal directions, as well as the maximum vertical settling velocity, are influenced by MP density, size, release angle and release way. The detailed settling trajectory and velocity were also analyzed. Finally, the time-changing drag coefficient of MP disks was examined and discussed.

α-MnO2 Cathode with Oxygen Vacancies Accelerated Affinity Electrolyte for Dual-Ion Co-Encapsulated Aqueous Aluminum Ion Batteries.

Aluminum batteries (ABs) are identified as one of the most promising candidates for the next generation of large-scale energy storage elements because of their efficient three-electron reaction. Compared to ionic electrolytes, aqueous aluminum-ion batteries (AAIBs) are considered safer, less costly, and more environmentally friendly. However, considerable cycling performance is a key issue limiting the development of AAIBs. Stable, efficient, and electrolyte-friendly cathodes are most desirable for AAIBs. Herein, a rod-shaped defect-rich α-MnO2 is designed as a cathode, which is capable to deliver high performance with stable cycling for 180 cycles at 500 mA g-1 and maintains a discharge specific capacity of ≈100 mAh g-1. In addition, the infiltrability simulation is effectively utilized to corroborate the rapid electrochemical reaction brought about by the defective mechanism. With the formation of oxygen vacancies, the dual embedding of protons and metal ions is activated. This work provides a brand-new design for the development and characterization of cathodes for AAIBs.