The ease with which a software system can be modified or adapted to meet new requirements, fix defects, or improve its performance is referred to as software maintainability. Software maintainability is an essential quality that distinguishes high-quality software from low-quality software. Poor design or implementation choices are examples of code smells. These choices can have a negative impact on the software’s maintainability because they make the code more difficult to understand, modify, and test. In this article, we present a comprehensive analysis of the impact that code smells have on the maintainability of software. Our findings are based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature as well as a meta-analysis of empirical studies. According to the findings of our study, code smells can significantly lower the maintainability of software, but the degree to which they do so varies depending on the nature and severity of the smell, as well as the programming language used, the method of software development, and the specifics of the software project. Refactoring, testing, documentation, and code reviews are some of the factors that we identify as being able to mitigate the negative effects of code smells. Our findings have important ramifications for software developers, managers, and researchers because they highlight the need for effective strategies to prevent, detect, and remediate code smells in software projects. These strategies can be found in software development environments.

TitlePost-operative wound infection by Nontuberculous Mycobacteria; case series in Dhaka Medical College Hospital of Bangladesh.Introduction: Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) are ubiquitous group of bacteria that include mycobacterial species other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis  complex and Mycobacterium leprae (1). NTM are the diverse group of organisms that are isolated from environmental sources like soil, water, dust, lakes, rivers, streams and also from municipal water sources like water that people drink or shower (2). Mycobacterium chelonae , Mycobacterium abscessus , Mycobacterium fortuitum,  and Mycobacterium smegmatis  are most often linked with NTM infections after surgical intervention worldwide (3). Usually, Ziehl-Neelsen (Z-N) staining and mycobacterial cultures are not routinely performed, that’s why the detection of NTM is missed and the burden is increasing (4). Resistance to common antiseptics and disinfectant solutions used in hospital settings is also making these illnesses a growing threat. Inaccurate sterilization of instruments used in operation theater (OT) is usually responsible for such types of infections and makes it a great problem mainly affecting developing countries (5). Thus, proper sterilization of such instruments is essential to prevent the occurrence of post-laparoscopic wound infections with atypical Mycobacterium. NTM can produce biofilms which are collections of microorganisms that stick to each other, adhere to the surfaces of moist environments, become resistant to antibiotics, are difficult to eliminate, and ultimately increase the likelihood of chronic infection (3,6). Globally, in the last few years nosocomial post-operative wound infections by NTM have been increasing (7).  NTM is becoming more common day by day yet it may be difficult to diagnose and long-term medication with lowered tolerance make it more challenging to treat effectively (8). Since treatment differs from species to species, species and sub-variants should be identified and even must be recognized from environmental NTM (9).Materials methods: We collected data on such infections from February 2021 to July 2022 from the patients who presented with complaints of chronic serous discharge from the post-operative wound. The cases were examined, detailed history was taken, and wound discharge was collected for microbiological laboratory testing at the Microbiology department of Dhaka Medical College, Bangladesh. To detect NTM from these cases, Gram stain, ZN stain, fungal microscopy of the samples, culture, Gene-Xpert and, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were done. We identified three patients with post-operative skin and soft tissue infections caused by NTM.In the microbiology department, with proper aseptic technique discharge was collected by sterile swab sticks from all the cases. Wet-film preparation for fungal microscopy, Gram stain, Z-N stain, Gene-Xpert, culture, and PCR were done from wound discharge. Discharge was inoculated and incubated on blood agar media and MacConkey agar media for 7 days, and Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) media for up to 6 weeks at 37°C aerobically. Written informed consent was taken from each patient.Detailed information about the operation history, the treatment regimens of antibiotics, duration of therapy that is completed or running, follow-up, and the ultimate outcome were collected from patients. In other cases, where NTM were suspected but not identified from the samples, were treated with another treatment protocol advised by Microbiology department of Dhaka Medical College.Results: On Gram staining, in some cases, few to moderate amounts of pus cells and sometimes gram-positive cocci were seen under the microscope. Z-N stained smear revealed acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in all the cases (Fig-1). No fungal element was found in any sample on microscopic examination of the discharge. No Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in GeneXpert for MTB from any case.Culture on LJ media and MacConkey agar media did not show any growth but in on Blood agar media pale and opaque colored colonies were found in two samples after 4 days of incubation at 37°C (Fig-2) which became yellow-pink after 7 days of incubation. Again, Z-N stain was done from culture isolates and revealed AFB. PCR was done, and NTM was detected in two specimens. In one sample, culture yielded additional growth of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on blood agar media after 24 hours of incubation. The patients were treated initially for 6 weeks with 4 drugs regimen (clarithromycin 500 mg 12 hourly, ciprofloxacin 500 mg 12 hourly, linezolid 400 mg 12 hourly, and, amikacin 500 mg 12 hourly) for 6 weeks, followed by 5 months with 3 drugs regimen (clarithromycin 500 mg 12 hourly, ciprofloxacin 500 mg 12 hourly and linezolid 400 mg 12 hourly) as a maintenance dose. Follow-up was done in every case after the completion of the proposed drug regimens. Cessation of discharge occurred within 3-4 weeks after starting treatment and the wound was also healed or healing in most of the cases (fig-3, 4).Case series: Two males and one female, between the ages of 30-36 years, who underwent various surgery presented with serous discharge at the site of incision mostly within a few months of the surgical procedures, which progressed to chronic discharging sinus with a small opening. Most of the patients had a history of apparently healthy post-operative wounds and stitches were removed within 7-10 days after surgery. The discharge from the wounds was thin, serous, and non-purulent. Most of them did not give any history of high fever, pain, or any constitutional symptoms associated with the wound discharge but some had low-grade fever and mild pain by giving pressure on the wound site.One case presented with nodular swellings that progressed to chronic discharging sinus from a small site over the incision sites. On applying local pressure the discharge from the sinus of the wound site increased. Those patients gave a history of taking several antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones, colistin, cefixime, vancomycin, ceftriaxone, meropenem, and linezolid previously but none was cured. One patient took anti-MTB drug regimens for several months without any improvement and could not show any diagnostic evidence for MTB. Detailed clinical profiles of study cases are shown in Table-1, and investigation profiles are given in Table-2.Discussion: In recent years, frequently encountered NTM species in post-surgical wound infections are M. chelonae and M. fortuitum (10). NTM are transmitted through aerosol, soil, dust, or contaminated tap water (11). In our study, all the post-operative wounds were healed initially within 7-10 days of surgery. Then within the next 1-2 months incision sites became erythematous, and indurated, small blisters formed, burst out, and started serous discharge in small quantities. Several antibiotics were recommended for these wound-infected cases but did not respond to any of them, discharge continued and persisted for a long time before they were referred to the Microbiology department. Wound infections due to NTM usually do not occur as an early postoperative complication. During operation, wounds are contaminated with NTM from environmental sources and take some time to make their clinical appearance. After infection with NTM, the operation scar breaks down and develops a non-healing superficial ulcer with the sinus tract from which non-purulent serous discharge comes out (12).Bhalla et al reported 10.9% of post-operative wound infections occurred by NTM infections in South India (13). Development of mild fever, small indurations, with or without mild local pain, and serous discharge from a tiny opening of post-operative healed wound scar indicates the initiation of the onset of NTM infection. Specimens from such cases usually show no pus cell or organism on Gram stain and cultures show no growth on routine culture media for aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Hence, all these specimens should be collected through aseptic precautions, must be stained by the Z-N staining method for acid-fast bacilli (AFB), and incubated on LJ media and blood agar media to isolate NTM (14). The aim of accurate and early diagnosis is to formulate an appropriate treatment regimen that is specific to NTM.NTM have commonly identified pathogens from post-operative wound infection patients and require a high suspicion for correct and early diagnosis (13). Chronic discharge with a prolonged course of expensive antibiotics makes it a serious type of nosocomial infection. Skin or soft tissue infection is the most common manifestation seen in NTM-infected individuals whose wounds may be exposed directly or indirectly to the soil, colonized tap water, unsterilized operative instruments, or medical devices contaminated with environmental NTM after traumatic injury, during surgery, or cosmetic procedures. Surveillance study of environmental culture from tap water, operation instruments, wall, floor, basin and operation theatre (OT) may not yield growth of NTM (11). Strict sterilization of all OT equipment, proper hand washing, and prevention of wound contamination with dust, soil, and tap water are needed to prevent wound infections with NTM.Because of the long duration of treatment, side effects and cost of the drugs accurate diagnosis is necessary. The most preferred choice is a varying combination of antibacterial drugs like imipenem, amikacin, fluorinated quinolones, doxycycline, linezolid, and clarithromycin (15). However, first-line antitubercular drugs like ethambutol and rifampicin have a bactericidal effect against NTM but they are not used commonly.When there is a sudden increase in such cases, it is urgent to conduct epidemiological studies, collect specimens from the surrounding environment, and confirm NTM infections whether are identical through culture studies, PCR, and also need antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Therefore, although it is not possible to test for NTM in all patients routinely in developing countries like Bangladesh, it is advisable to refer cases where the patients had an operation history, were exposed to contaminated water, dust or soil, and suffered from discharging post-operative wounds with delayed recovery to detect whether it is NTM infection or not. Furthermore, in this background, there is poor communication between clinicians and the laboratory due to poor awareness, unknown prevalence patterns due to lack of study, and the absence of standard diagnostic facilities and regimens for treatment.Until now, there has been a lack of analysis regarding NTM in Bangladesh. Therefore, such cases have been treated initially as general wound infections and sometimes by anti-MTB regimens given without any diagnosis. Recently NTM infections have attracted more attention from clinicians due to the increase in such cases but still, there is a lack of awareness. When chronic discharge from post-operative wound infections occur after operations that cannot be cured by usual antibiotics, NTM infections should be suspected and ZN stain, culture, Gene-Xpert, and PCR must be considered as diagnostic tools.

Background & purpose Morphine is important for treatment of acute and chronic pain. However, there is high interpatient variability and often inadequate pain relief and adverse effects. To better understand variability in the dose effect relationships of morphine, we investigated the impact of its nonlinear blood-brain-barrier (BBB) transport on mu-opioid receptor (μ-OR) occupancy in different CNS locations, in conjunction with its main metabolites that bind to the same receptor. Methods CNS exposure profiles for morphine, M3G and M6G for clinically relevant dosing regimens based on intravenous, oral immediate- and extended-release formulations were generated using a CNS PBPK model which incorporated nonlinear BBB transport of morphine. The simulated CNS exposure profiles were then used to derive corresponding μ-OR occupancies at multiple CNS pain matrix locations. Results The simulated CNS exposure profiles for morphine, M3G and M6G, associated with nonlinear BBB transport of morphine resulted in varying μ-OR occupancies between the different dose regimens, formulations, and CNS locations. We find that at lower doses, the μ-OR occupancy of morphine was relatively higher than at higher doses of morphine, due to the relative contribution of M3G and M6G. At such higher doses, M6G showed higher occupancy than morphine, whereas M3G occupancy was low throughout the dose ranges. Conclusion and implications Nonlinear BBB transport of morphine influences the μ-OR occupancy ratios of morphine and its metabolites, depending on dose and route of administration, and CNS location. This may impact the clinical effects of morphine treatment for pain relief.

Tibetan pigs are a locally bred domestic pig breed originating from the Tibetan Plateau in China. They can be categorized into four distinct groups based on their geographical locations: Sichuan Tibetan pigs, Tibetan pigs from Tibet, Yunnan Tibetan pigs, and Gansu Tibetan pigs. This study aimed to explore population diversity, genetic structure and selection signals among Tibetan pigs in four Chinese national nature reserves. The results show that there is different observed heterozygosity among Tibetan pig populations (0.1957-0.1978). Ratio of runs of homozygosity (Froh) calculation of four Tibetan pig populations by runs of homozygosity (ROH) revealed the presence of inbreeding within the population (0.0336-0.0378). Analysis of the genetic structure demonstrated distinct population stratification among the four Tibetan pig populations, with each showing relatively independent evolutionary directions. Furthermore, the selection signals predominantly involved processes such as DNA repair, immune regulation, muscle fat deposition, and adaptation to hypoxia. In conclusion, this study enhances our understanding of the genetic characteristics of Tibetan pig populations and provides a theoretical reference for the conservation of resources across different populations of Tibetan pigs.

Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of liver disease in the Western world and has a strong relationship to obesity and diabetes. NAFLD has not been well studied in pregnant women. We studied a series of lean, obese, and gestational diabetic pregnant women to determine whether (1) liver enzymes could predict the presence of NAFLD and (2) to establish the prevalence of NAFLD in an obstetric population. Methods: A total of 59 pregnant women of various gestational ages and maternal weights who denied a history of alcohol intake or pre-existing liver disease. Pregnant women underwent liver enzymes measurement and abdominal ultrasound, and blood samples were obtained for assay of adiponectin and leptin. The presence of hepatic steatosis was established using standardized ultrasound criteria. Setting: Single-center university affiliated hospital Population: 59 pregnant women presenting for prenatal care in a general obstetrical clinic. Main outcomes: Liver enzyme measurements and a number of morphometric and endocrine factors in pregnant women with and without sonographic evidence of NAFLD. Results: NAFLD was found in 48.9% of pregnant women and almost equally distributed between lean and obese women. The incidence of NAFLD in gestational diabetic pregnancies (50%) was comparable to the non-diabetic group. Liver function tests (AST and ALT) were not elevated in any pregnant women with or without NAFLD. Serum levels of leptin were greater in the NAFLD group and conversely, serum levels of adiponectin were less in the NAFLD group. Conclusions: Liver enzymes AST and ALT are not useful tests in screening for NAFLD in pregnant women. Studies to further define the pathophysiology and clinical significance of NAFLD in pregnant women are warranted as it may alter the obstetrical management. Screening of pregnant women at standard ultrasound (US) exams might be a useful approach to patient management.

Introduction:To prevent acute or chronic allograft rejection, recipients of kidney transplants are needed to take immunosuppressive for the rest of their lives. However, their compromised immune system put them at risk for opportunistic infections as well1. Infection with the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is an unusual in recipients of kidney transplants at a frequency rate from 1% to 11%, but the severity is more significant in transplant patients compared to the overall population 2, 3. Fever and a self-limiting rash on the skin and occasionally the mucosa may be the present symptoms of varicella infection. Additionally observed symptoms include headache, malaise, and appetite loss. The rash starts off as macules, quickly develops into papules and then goes through a vesicular stage and crusts over the lesions. After one to two weeks, crusts flake off4. Disseminated herpes zoster (HZ) in kidney transplant recipients can result in a very high overall mortality rate of up to 30% 5.Here we describe a 23-year-old male patient with a history renal transplant who presented to the emergency department with complaint of high grade fever, chills and generalized rash for 5 days.

Background: Genotype 4 Eurasian avian-like lineage swine H1N1 viruses, which are reassortants containing the pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus lineage, triple reassortant lineage internal genes, and EA lineage external genes, have been reported in China since 2013. These have been predominant in pig populations since 2016 and have exhibited pandemic potential. Objectives: Examination of the circulation of G4 and its-related EA H1N1 viruses in Korea. Methods: We developed a one-step multiplex RT-qPCR that targeted M, HA1, and PB2 genes to detect G4 and its-related EA H1N1 viruses. We performed the analytical sensitivity and specificity of the multiplex RT-qPCR. The developed multiplex RT-qPCR was applied to swine respiratory samples between 2020 and 2022 in Korea. Results: Among the swine samples, a G4 EA H1N1 virus-related positive sample (6IP) was detected. Phylogenetic analysis based on all eight partial gene segments showed that 6IP contains nucleic acids of IAV segmented genes, which are closely related to G4 EA H1N1 viruses in HA, NA, PB2, NS, and NP genes. Conclusions: The developed multiplex RT-qPCR proved the sensitivity and specificity for the efficient surveillance of G4 and its-related EA H1N1 virus in clinical samples. Considering the phylogenetic analysis, additional screening for G4 EA H1N1 or its related viruses should be performed in future epidemiological studies.

The target and sea clutter Doppler domains frequently overlap due to the frequent passage of slow ship targets through the sea clutter zone. In this letter, a novel sea clutter suppression method is suggested as a solution to this issue, whose key is a novel singular value zeroing criterion guided by the search results of two-dimensional spectral peaks. Verified by simulations, the method proposed can improve signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) from -8 dB to 41 dB in the frequency domain and be more effective than the conventional SVD-FRFT method in[7] and improved SVD-FRFT method in[8] .

Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) has attracted a lot of attention due to its capability to intelligently change the wireless propagation environment. However, the accuracy of direction of arrival (DOA) estimation in strong interference environment will be seriously affected. In this paper, a RIS aided system for DOA estimation is developed and analysed for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. Unlike traditional DOA estimation systems, a low-cost system with only one full-functional receiver is given by changing the phases of the reflected signals at the RIS elements to realize the multiple measurements. Moreover, a new method based on the corrected projection jam algorithm is proposed for the DOA estimation by constructing the orthogonal projection matrix of the jamming subspace as a block matrix, so as to constrain the strong interferences. Furthermore, the phase shift matrix design of RIS elements is transformed into a specific objective optimization problem and then solved by fractional programming. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves computational complexity in the RIS-aided strong interference system with only one receiving channel than various benchmark schemes.

Many ungulate species in Africa range in habitats that vary in type and quality over space and time, but ongoing environmental change is substantially altering their habitats. Identifying key environmental variables that regulate ungulate population densities can guide management actions for effective conservation. We studied the local population density responses of a community of sympatric ungulate species in the Tarangire Ecosystem of northern Tanzania, to a suite of environmental factors that vary over space and time, to quantify population trends, determine the primary environmental correlates of densities, and identify covariation in densities among species. We estimated seasonal densities of five commonly detected species (impala, dik-dik, Grant’s gazelle, eland, and waterbuck) based on 7 years of distance-sampling data from 41 replicate surveys of 237 line transects. We systematically analyzed the effects of spatial, seasonal, and annual environmental covariates on variation in transect species-specific densities across space and time. Despite large fluctuations in climatic factors, we documented more spatial than temporal variation in four of the five species, suggesting that spatial heterogeneity may provide some buffer against temporal variation in the environment. Protection of sufficient habitats and water sources should allow ungulates to respond to a temporally changing world by moving across space. Further, among-species covariation patterns identified two potential ungulate guilds (impala—dik-dik—waterbuck; eland—grant’s gazelle) that should aid in developing efficient and coordinated management actions.

The Zn anode in rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion battery (AZIBs) suffers from hydrogen gas evolution and dendrite growth, which are critical issues making the current AZIB technology immature. Here, these issues are efficiently tackled by forming an amorphous Zn1-xSex protective layer over the Zn foil surface through a simple chemical bath reaction process. The anti-corrosion performance of the Zn anode in aqueous electrolyte is greatly improved, and the Zn@Zn1-xSex symmetric cell exhibits notable rate performance and long cycle life of 4500 h after being tested at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2. Also, the use of Zn@Zn1-xSex leads to a larger Zn2+ transference number, compared to that that using bare Zn anode. When combined with a MnO2-based cathode, the button-type full cell using Zn@Zn1-xSex exhibits higher capacity and much longer cycle life, compared to the counterpart using bare Zn anode. It is found that the in situ formation of an amorphous ZnO nanosheet network induced by the amorphous Zn1-xSex overlayer plays a key role in improving the Zn anode performance. Pouch cells using high-mass-loading MnO2 cathode and as-prepared Zn anode are made to demonstrate the hydrogen evolution inhibition and some practical applications.

Background: Atypical antipsychotic(AAP) augmentation is an alternative strategy for patients with major depressive disorder(MDD) who had an inadequate response to antidepressant therapy. We aimed to compare and rank the efficacy and safety of 4 AAPs in the adjuvant treatment of MDD. Methods: We searched randomized controlled trials(RCTs) published and unpublished from the date of databases and clinical trial websites inception to April 30, 2022. The risk of bias and certainty of the evidence is assessed using the Cochrane bias risk tool and GRADE framework, respectively. Based on the random effects model, we estimated summary risk ratios (RRs) or standardized mean difference (SMD) using network meta-analysis. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42012002291. Results: 57 eligible RCTs comprising 10900 participants were included. In terms of primary efficacy outcome, compared with placebo, all AAPs had significant efficacy ( SMD= -0.40; 95% CI, -0.68 to -0.12 for quetiapine; -0.35, -0.59 to -0.11 for olanzapine; -0.28, -0.47 to -0.09 for aripiprazole and -0.25, -0.42 to -0.07 for brexpiprazole, respectively). In terms of acceptability, no significant difference was found, either agents versus agents or agents versus placebo. In terms of tolerability, compared with the placebo, quetiapine (RR= 0.24; 95% CI,0.11-0.53), olanzapine (0.30,0.10-0.55), aripiprazole (0.39,0.22-0.69), and brexpiprazole (0.37,0.18-0.75) were significantly less well tolerated. 8 (14.2%) of 56 trials were assessed as low risk of bias(RoB), 38 (67.9%) trials had moderate RoB, and 10 (17.9%) had high RoB; In accordance with the GRADE, the certainty of most evidence was low or very low. Limitations: The overall quality of evidence is low, and the long-term benefits of AAPs are unclear. Conclusion: Adjuvant AAPs had significant efficacy compared with placebo, but treatment decisions need to be made to balance the risks and benefits.

Background and Objectives Misophonia is a condition characterised by the experience of negative emotional and physiological reactions to specific sounds, such as chewing, pen tapping or sniffing (Potgieter et al., 2019). People suffering from misophonia experience irrational and disproportionate feelings of anger, disgust, and harm ideation that negatively impact their lives. The current study aims to address a gap in the literature by exploring people’s lived experience with self-diagnosed misophonia in educational, work, and everyday settings. Methods Five interviews were conducted with individuals who self-diagnosed as having misophonia. Interview transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results The analysis revealed four superordinate themes: ‘Phenomenology of the misophonia reaction’, ‘Susceptibility to triggering sounds’, ‘Coping strategies when triggered’, and ‘Levels of attention and concentration’. Misophonia was reported as having wide-ranging effects on mental health and familial/social relationships. Coping strategies that re-direct attention and concentration, such as mindfulness techniques, were reported to be effective in ameliorating aversive reactions. Conclusions The findings provide the first phenomenological insight into misophonia through ideographical analysis of a small number of cases. Future research and implications of the study are discussed.

There is evidence of an overall decline in maternal mental health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is also heterogeneity in maternal responses. A latent transition analysis was conducted to identify profiles of anxiety, depression, and stress among 289 low-income mothers. Using these identified profiles, we examined the transitional patterns between profiles before and during COVID-19 and the sociodemographic and familial factors related to these profiles. A three-profile solution was identified prior to COVID-19, and a four-profile solution during COVID-19, with some profiles exhibiting qualitatively different defining characteristics. Latent transition analyses found diverse patterns of mental health shifts after the onset of COVID-19. However, mothers with better mental health prior to COVID-19 tended to have the most stable mental health during COVID-19. In contrast, mothers who were highly stressed prior to COVID-19 were equally likely to improve or decline after the onset of the pandemic. In addition, the relationships between ethnicity, parenting practices, child temperament, and mental health were significantly related to maternal mental health. These findings describe mothers' experiences and areas where policymakers and practitioners can tailor support to low-income mothers.

The breakage and deep plugging law of deformable gel particle (DGP) in porous media are not clear. In this study, the flow experiments of DGP were carried out, the changes of residual resistance coefficient (RRC), DGP size and concentration along the way were measured, and the breakage and plugging law of DGP was quantitatively characterized. The results show that the passage after breakage is the main migration behaviors of DGP, and DGP are reduced by half in front of the porous media. Breakage is an important reason for the continuous decrease of concentration, particle size and RRC. However, the DGP can plug in deep of the porous media after breaking. The higher the injection rate or the larger the DGP size, the faster the breakage along the injection direction, and the worse the deep plugging ability. The empirical model can be used to optimize the DGP parameters in oil field.

Tumor-infiltrating T cells are promising drug targets to modulate the tumor microenvironment. However, tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes, as central targets of cancer immunotherapy, show considerable heterogeneity and dynamics across tumor microenvironments and cancer types that may fundamentally influence cancer growth, metastasis, relapse, and response to clinical drugs. The T cell heterogeneity not only refers to the composition of subpopulations but also divergent metabolic states of T cells. Comparing to the diversity of tumor-infiltrating T cell compositions that have been well recognized, the metabolic diversity of T cells deserves more attention for precision immunotherapy. Single-cell sequencing technology enables panoramic stitching of the tumor bulk, partly by showing the metabolic related gene expression profiles of tumor-infiltrating T cells at a single-cell resolution. Therefore, we here discuss T cell metabolism reprogramming triggered by tumor microenvironment as well as the potential application of metabolic targeting drugs. The tumor-infiltrating T cells metabolic pathway addictions among different cancer types are also addressed in this brief review.

We developed a novel Pd-catalyzed [4 + 4] cycloaddition of benzofuran-derived azadienes with homo-TMM all-carbon 1,4-dipoles in situ generated from α-allyl malonate derivatives, affording an array of benzofuro[3,2-b]azocines with good to excellent yields (up to 96%) and exclusive regioselectivities. This methodology featured mild reaction conditions and good functional group tolerance. The synthetic utility was demonstrated by a gram-scale reaction. Furthermore, the catalytic asymmetric [4 + 4] cycloaddition version has also been explored.

This paper studies the exact solutions and dynamic properties of the stochastic governing model for embedded solitons with χ 2 and χ 3 nonlinear susceptibilities. We propose a new trial equation method to find the exact solutions of the model. We also analyze the dynamic properties of the model equation by complete discriminant system for polynomial method. In addition, we assign specific values to the parameters to prove the existence of exact solutions, and giving the two-dimensional diagrams to demonstrate the dynamical behavior of the model. The obtained abundant exact solutions are beneficial for better study of the stochastic perturbation model of optical solitons.

Low and medium speed magnetic levitation traffic with short power supply distance and complex grounding network structure, prone to power supply rail grounding faults. However, the existing fault location methods do not accurately locate the fault point, which in turn makes it difficult for the protection device to act to cut off the fault. To address the above problems, this paper builds a dynamic simulation model of the low and medium speed magnetic levitation power supply rails to study the distribution characteristics of the fault traveling waves after a ground fault occurs in the power supply rails, and analyses the generation mechanism of the traveling wave spectrum through formula calculation. The first step is to determine whether an earth fault has occurred by analysing the difference in current between the positive and negative busbars. Secondly, the direction of the current difference between stations is compared to locate the faulty section. Finally, the fault distance is calculated from the frequency difference of the fault voltage at the double-ended station. Through simulation, the method is validated to be unaffected by fault location, fault transition resistance, noise interference, and is applicable to short circuit faults caused by lightning strikes, and the ranging error always remains within 20m. The method has strong robustness, can effectively solve the problem of protection misoperation and accurately locate the fault point. It is suitable for low and medium speed magnetic levitation transportation power supply rail ground fault.

The multi-energy conversion equipment power devices are prone to form creeping discharges at the interface of silicone gel and ceramic substrate. In this paper, the influence mechanism of coupled temperature-frequency effects on the creeping discharge of “gel-solid” insulation and the surface damage characteristics of ceramic substrate under high-frequency electrical stress were investigated; and the influence mechanism of specimen properties on the discharge was studied based on different degassing methods. The research results showed that the partial discharge initial voltage was independent of the change in frequency, but decreased with increasing temperature. The maximum discharge amplitude and the pulse recurrence frequency increase first and then decrease with the increase of frequency, and there is the phenomenon of “frequency-induced inflection point”; the trend increases with the increase of temperature, and the increase of temperature has a certain weakening effect on the phenomenon of “frequency-induced inflection point”. Due to the nature of the material, the discharge activity of the vacuum-treated sample is slightly lower than that of the non-degassed sample. With the aggravation of surface damage and the generation of products in different discharge stages, the surface conductivity showed a gradual upward trend. The analysis concluded that the coupled temperature-frequency effects had a significant effect on the development of creeping discharge; the bubbles in the colloid and the air gap in the substrate were important factors affecting the discharge; and the creeping discharge pattern was mainly determined by the damage characteristics of the substrate.

In the era of cyber-physical-social systems, research lacks a comprehensive framework to optimize dynamic coordination strategies for electric vehicles (EVs) to enhance modern power distribution networks (MPDNs) resilience. Public studies have not comprehensively addressed the impact of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and smart charging systems (SCS) on MPDN resilience strategies after rare events. To bridge this gap, a two-stage EVs coordination framework is proposed to consider MPDN smart restoration. The first stage involves a novel proactive EV prepositioning model to optimize EV prepositioning plans before a rare event in order to enhance MPDN survivability during the immediate aftermath of the event. The second stage involves an advanced spatial-temporal EV dispatching model to maximize the number of available EVs for discharge, thereby improving MPDN recovery after a rare event. The proposed framework includes an information system facilitating dynamic data exchange between EVs and ITS/SCS automated systems and introduces a novel geographic graph to optimize EV routes between charging points. Effectiveness of the framework is assessed on a modified IEEE 123 node test feeder incorporating real-world transportation and charging infrastructure. The results suggest that significant enhancement in MPDN resilience is possible with smart restoration strategies. Sensitivity analysis specifically demonstrates that integrating recently invented technologies of the smart charging systems and automated systems potentially provides significant benefits if dynamic coordination strategies are employed in MPDNs.

This paper presents a compact CMOS tunable positive and negative active inductor simulator (AIs), positive capacitance and resistance multiplier and negative capacitance and resistance simulator. The proposed design use only one analog building block (ABB) and three passive elements. Applications in the design of different types of tunable filters and parasitic compensation are also presented. The functionality of the design is confirmed using Tanner Tspice in 0.18µm TSMC CMOS technology. Simulation results indicate that the proposed design is superior to previous arts in many aspects.

The implicit moral decision exists widely in our daily life, such as the non-deceptive counterfeit luxury consumption, imitating artwork and so on, but its moral decision mechanism remains to be clarified. The implicit moral decision has two distinct characteristics compared with the traditional moral decision, namely the difficulty in assessing consequences and the vague moral boundaries. This study is dedicated to studying how moral beliefs affect individuals’ moral decision process and decision outcomes in implicit moral decisions, as well as the effect of attitude function, which can impact the implicit degree of moral decision. We employed transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to examine the neural underlying and the effect of moral belief on counterfeit luxury consumption. Our results showed that the moral belief in counterfeit luxury consumption was higher for the a-tDCS group (left anodal/right cathodal tDCS over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) than the s-tDCS group (sham stimulation). The purchase intention of the s-tDCS group is higher than that of the a-tDCS group. Moreover, the response time of the value-expressive function is longer for the a-tDCS group than that of the s-tDCS group. Hence, these results suggested that moral beliefs can change implicit moral decisions, which is also related to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Besides, attitude functions can affect the relationship between moral beliefs and moral decision processes, but it does not affect the relationship between moral beliefs and moral decision outcomes. In summary, these findings can help solve the social problems caused by implicit moral decisions.

This study focuses on investigating the effect of various solvents on the supercritical extraction of organic matter from Moroccan oil shales, with the goal of determining the optimal operating conditions that result in a high yield of high-quality oil rich in aromatic compounds. The results of this study demonstrate that the extraction yield and quality of the extracted oil heavily depend on the chosen operating conditions for supercritical or subcritical extraction of organic matter from oil shale. Additionally, the study found that phenol can effectively degrade oil shale and enable extraction of nearly all the organic matter, even under mild conditions (T = 390°C, P = 1.2 MPa, Time = 2.5 h. Furthermore, the oils obtained through this extraction process are of high quality, with a rich content of maltenes, and a higher concentration of aromatic compounds and lower levels of sulfur than those obtained using other solvents.