The increased drought risk, stemming from global warming, has intensified ecological issues and consequently, positioned ecological drought as a significant research topic within the field of eco-hydrology. Nevertheless, due to limitations in the precision of spatiotemporal data, there remains a divergence of opinions regarding the primary water resources for vegetation growth in the northwest region of China, whether it be precipitation or groundwater. Consequently, this study endeavors to construct meteorological drought index, groundwater drought index, and ecological drought index, utilizing precipitation, groundwater storage anomaly, and ecological water deficit, respectively. The maximum correlation coefficient and residual analysis methods were used to analyze the joint and relative impacts of meteorological drought and groundwater drought on ecological drought. The primary findings can be summarized as follows: (1) The area dominated by the joint impact of precipitation and groundwater on the ecological drought variation accounts for about 60%, mainly distributed in arid and semi-arid regions. (2) In spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the average contribution of the joint impact of precipitation and groundwater to the increase in ecological drought variation is between 0.26 and 0.43. (3) In contrast to precipitation variation, ecological drought induced by groundwater scarcity predominantly impacts regions like southern Shaanxi, southeastern Gansu, and southern Qinghai. These areas represent between 12.7% and 21.8% of the total area.

As launch and manufacturing costs have become affordable, the industrial and academic interest in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites has increased in recent years. With this interest, the concept of Low-Earth Orbit-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (LEO-PNT) has also gained popularity as a complementary and/or standalone system in addition to the already existing Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This article examines the LEO constellation optimization from the perspective of a LEO-PNT design, identifies and discusses the state-of-art of the LEO satellite constellation optimization approaches, introduces relevant performance and feasibility related metrics and parameters, and addresses key concepts and underlying trade-offs that must be considered for any LEO-PNT system design. In addition, a case study for a LEO-PNT constellation optimization is presented, where we showcase the discussed trade-offs. We present optimization results obtained with the adaptive weighting algorithm “ADaW” applied to the Pareto-optimization algorithm “NSGA-III”. A detailed performance analysis is done for six relevant scenarios with varying receiver location properties, namely by considering indoor/outdoor, rural/urban and line of sight/non-line of sight cases.

Positioning of underwater robots in congested and enclosed spaces remains unsolved for field operations. Well existing field ready systems are generally more suited to use in to use in large, open marine environments. In enclosed and congested environments, which are common in industrial settings, existing systems suffer from a mixture of issues, including: poor coverage, reliance on added infrastructure and the need for feature rich environments. Accurate and readily deployable positioning is a prerequisite for performing repeatable autonomous missions and therefore, until now, there has been a technological bottleneck in such environments. The Collaborative Aquatic Positioning system presented in this paper uses a mixture of collaborative robotics and sensor fusion to solve the problem. The proposed positioning system is deployed in a large water tank and repeatable autonomous missions are performed using the system’s position measurement for real-time feedback. Experimental results show that the system can achieve a Euclidean distance Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 70 mm while operating in real-time. The system enables almost complete coverage of the body of water in large pools without requiring fixed infrastructure, lengthy calibration, or feature rich environments. The Collaborative Aquatic Positioning system builds upon recent advances in mobile robot sensing and a recently developed leader follower control system to provide a step-change in positioning capability for real-world, high-precision autonomous underwater navigation.

Rice blast, caused by the ascomycete fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most problematic diseases for rice production, threatening global food security. Genetic resistance to some M. oryzae races can be achieved using major resistance loci containing the corresponding avirulence (AVR) genes. Weedy rice, a close relative of cultivated rice that competes with the crop, has evolved unique genetic mechanisms to resist the infections of M. oryzae; thus, weedy rice can serve as an excellent resource for blast control. In this study, we assessed disease scores of 183 F5 and F6 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a weedy rice × crop biparental mapping population and their parental lines, a Black Hull Awn weedy rice strain (PI 653413, RR14) and the aus-196 rice variety, using five blast races IB33, IB49, IG1, IE1K and ICI7 under greenhouse conditions. Except for the race IB49, both parental lines were resistant to all blast races; however, RILs showed a wide degree of variation in resistance. Genotyping-by-sequencing of the RIL population and parents generated 1498 SNPs which were used to construct a linkage map, and QTL mapping of blast resistance was performed using r/qtl. A single major blast resistance QTL on chromosome 12 was mapped to the Pi-ta/Pi39(t)/Ptr locus. Identification of the Pi-ta/Pi-t39(t)/Ptr as the key contributor to blast resistance in weedy rice provides insight into the evolution and adaptation of weedy rice and can aid in development of blast resistant rice varieties through marker-assisted selection.

As autonomous driving technology rapidly advances, effective testing tools and methods become crucial. This paper comprehensively assesses the capabilities and limitations of publicly available autonomous driving datasets, simulators, and proving grounds, exploring their roles in testing autonomous vehicles. The aim of the paper is to analyze how these tools can assist in evaluating the capabilities of autonomous driving systems and their tasks in the actual verification process of autonomous driving technology. Furthermore, this paper discusses the challenges faced by autonomous driving datasets, simulators, and proving grounds, as well as future directions for development. It provides guidance for researchers and practitioners in the field of autonomous driving, helping them choose appropriate tools and methods based on specific testing needs.

The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a central element in the vertebrate immune system. While MHC genes are a common target of conservation genomic studies, it has been challenging to reliably amplify locus-specific alleles, which is especially problematic when studying endangered lineages, like some Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) populations and subspecies. Here, we manually annotated all MHC II genes in the Harbour porpoise genome, and genotyped every exon 2 in 94 individuals spanning six geographical regions, including the endangered Black Sea porpoise subspecies (Phocoena phocoena relicta) and the endangered Proper Baltic Sea population of the North Atlantic subspecies (P. p. phocoena). We performed gene-wise analyses of diversity and selection, and put the results into perspective with 24 available Harbour porpoise genomes. Furthermore, we characterized all MHC II genes in 19 available long-read cetacean and terrestrial outgroups genomes to study the MHC II evolution across the cetacean diversification. From the 10 MHC II loci annotated in the Harbour porpoise genome, two (DRB1 and DQB) exhibited inflated allelic diversity and signatures of positive selection. Interestingly, DRB genes followed different evolutionary trajectories in mysticetes and odontocetes. Our results have significant conservation implications since we identified reduced MHC II diversity in the endangered Black Sea subspecies, and provide a case study for reliable MHC II genotyping in other species. Further, our study demonstrates the need for long-read genomes to understand the genomic architecture of MHC and to accurately assess its diversity and evolution.

Optically active phthalides are prevalent in many natural and bioactive products. Herein, a novel dynamic kinetic resolution of iso-benzofuranone derivatives through palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation has been developed to synthesize phthalide de-rivatives bearing vicinal quaternary and tertiary stereocenters with high yields, showing excellent regio-, enantio- and diastereoselec-tivity. Furthermore, gram-scale experiment underwent smoothly and the transformation of product could build a bridged bicyclic skeleton.

Background: The diminished immune response observed in individuals with rheumatic diseases is a contributing factor to the occurrence of tuberculosis (TB) infection. The primary objectives of this investigation were to examine the risk factors associated with the advancement of rheumatic diseases in conjunction with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) leading to active tuberculosis (ATB). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at the Xijing Hospital of the Fourth Military Medical University, utilizing the Laboratory Information System (LIS), to investigate rheumatic diseases diagnosed between January 2012 and October 2022. The collected data underwent statistical analysis using the Social Science Statistical Package (SPSS) version 26, with a significance level of p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results: The research conducted involved a total of 33,020 individuals diagnosed with rheumatic conditions, of which only 18.16% underwent screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Among the rheumatic patients, the incidence of LTBI was found to be 25.33%, with 14.57% of these cases progressing to active tuberculosis (ATB). Utilizing binary logistic regression analysis, it was determined that exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) at a dosage of 20 mg/d or higher was an independent risk factor for the development of ATB [odds ratios (OR) = 3.59, 95% CI: 1.26-10.29, p = 0.017]. Conclusion: It is of the utmost importance to perform a screening for LTBI prior to commencing treatment in patients with rheumatic conditions, as they are at a significantly elevated risk of developing ATB due to their exposure to medium-high doses of glucocorticoids (GCs). Keywords: Latent tuberculosis infection; Active tuberculosis; Rheumatic diseases; Risk factors

A mechanistically distinctive visible-light-promoted metal-free aerobic oxidation of alkenyl silanes with alcohols was disclosed to efficiently construct α-alkoxy ketones under mild conditions. The primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols could be used as reactants. The protocol could be carried out on a gram-scale. The various derivatizations of products could be conducted. Mechanistic studies indicated the reaction was initiated by single-electron oxidation of the alkenyl silanes.

Salimabromide, a unique and scarce marine tetracyclic polyketide, was synthesized in both racemic and optically active forms. A novel carboxylic acid-directed method for tandem oxidative difunctionalization of olefins was developed, whereby the formation of bridged butyrolactone and enone moieties occurs concurrently. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that this reaction follows a [3+2] process rather than the [2+2] process. In the meantime, the distinctive benzo-fused [4.3.1] carbon skeleton and highly hin-dered vicinal quaternary stereocentres were simultaneously constructed through a challenging intramolecular Giese-Baran radical cyclization. Furthermore, deuterium kinetic isotopic effects were utilized to enhance the efficacy of this pivotal step. This represents a new illustration of the application of kinetic isotope effects in natural product synthesis. Then, short asymmetric syntheses of (+)-salimabromide (13 or 15 steps) was accomplished by combing this method with rhodium-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogena-tion of a cycloheptenone derivative (97% ee) or conjugate addition of an aryl boronic acid with 2-cyclohepten-1-one (> 99% ee).

Abstract In this paper, the structural modification of silicon monoxide/carbon composites was carried out, the composition and structure of the prepared composites were characterized in detail, and their electrochemical properties were systematically tested and investigated. The main contents of the study include: Using SiO with a particle size of 30 nm as a silicon source, SiO nanoparticles (SiO NPs) were wrapped in ZIF-67 metal-organic skeletons to prepare hollow-structured SiO@ZIF-67 particles, which were then wrapped in one-dimensional carbon nanofibers (CFs) by simple electrostatic spinning, and then sulfurized and carbonized to obtain free-standing SiO@Co9S8 CF composites. The prepared SiO@Co9S8 CF composite electrodes have high initial charge and discharge reversible capacities, excellent multiplicity performance and ultra-stable cycle life. In addition, the obtained SiO@Co9S8 CF film can be used as a self-supporting electrode, which avoids the traditional cumbersome electrode preparation process.

Acetylcholine esterases (AChEs) are essential enzymes in cholinergic synapses, terminating neurotransmission by hydrolyzing acetylcholine. Membrane bound AChEs at synaptic clefts efficiently perform this task, while soluble AChEs are less stable and effective, but function over broader areas. Vertebrates typically have one AChE gene producing alternatively spliced forms, whereas some invertebrates have multiple AChE genes, producing both synaptic and soluble enzymes. Despite extensive research of invertebrate AChEs as pesticide targets, their physiological roles remain largely elusive. We characterized seven AChEs in the wandering spider, Cupiennius salei, a model species for developmental and neurophysiological studies. Structural and phylogenetic analyses identified CsAChE7 as the sole stable, membrane-bound enzyme likely functioning at synaptic clefts, while the other six are soluble enzymes. In situ hybridization revealed CsAChE7 expression in the nervous system, particularly in cells also expressing choline acetyltransferase and exhibiting AChE activity. In the periphery, CsAChE7 was found in a subgroup of rapidly adapting mechanosensory neurons, facilitating precise and transient activation of postsynaptic cells. Conversely, slowly adapting neurons, also cholinergic, within the same sensory organ, express only soluble AChEs, leading to prolonged postsynaptic activation. Therefore, cholinergic transmission is not only dictated by postsynaptic receptors but also by the characteristics of the enzymes clearing acetylcholine from the synapse. We also show that acetylcholine is a crucial neurotransmitter in the spider’s visual system, sensory and motor pathways, but absent in excitatory motor neurons at neuromuscular junctions, consistent with other arthropods. Our findings on sequence structures may significantly impact the development of neurological drugs and pesticides.

In this article, we present a predictive model for assessing lung cancer risk among smokers, incorporating factors related to social network behavior (both negative and positive) and other risk factors. The model is mathematically represented by a nonlinear temporal system of ordinary differential equations. We perform a stability analysis of the stationary solutions to theoretically confirm the mathematical validity of the model. Numerical simulations are provided to demonstrate the usefulness of the developed model. The results illustrate the significant role of smoking social networks in the spread of smoking habits, which consequently leads to a higher incidence of lung cancer, a major concern in contemporary society.

Assessing personality traits is vital in military selection and operations to enhance human performance. However, relying solely on experienced psychologists for assessments introduces subjectivity and bias. With the surge in online interactions post-pandemic, there’s a need to identify traits through natural interactions without psychological intervention. While machine learning (ML) algorithms have shown promise in identifying traits from social media, relying solely on them leads to accuracy issues due to imbalanced data. This paper proposes a novel two-tier oversampling strategy coupled with an ensemble deep learning (DL) method to address data imbalances. Additionally, to improve generalization capability with good accuracy, a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) ensemble model is introduced to predict MBTI traits from natural text self-descriptions. Subject Matter Experts validated the experimental results, which show over 87% accuracy in personality trait prediction.

ABSTRACTA 19-year-old phenotypically normal female from Kakamega, Kenya presented with primary amenorrhea. Physical examination revealed Tanner stage 3 breast development, Tanner stage 4 pubic hair, and normal external genitalia. Hormonal profile tests indicated hypergonadotropic hypogonadism with normal 17-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone levels. Ultrasound scan showed a normal uterus without ovarian pathology, while MRI revealed a hypoplastic uterus and absent ovaries. Karyotyping confirmed a 46, XY genotype, leading to a diagnosis of 46, XY Complete Gonadal Dysgenesis (Swyer syndrome). Swyer syndrome is a rare disorder of sex development characterized by unambiguous female genitalia, bilateral streak gonads, and elevated gonadotropin levels in individuals with a 46, XY karyotype. The condition results from abnormal gonadal development due to mutations in testis-determining factors, most commonly the SRY gene. Patients typically present with primary amenorrhea and lack of secondary sexual characteristics. Management includes hormone replacement therapy and gonadectomy due to the increased risk of gonadal tumors. The patient was educated about her condition, initiated on combined contraceptive pills, and counseled on exploratory laparoscopic gonadectomy. This case highlights the importance of a comprehensive diagnostic approach in patients with primary amenorrhea, including physical examination, hormonal evaluation, imaging, and karyotyping, to accurately diagnose and manage disorders of sex development.

Species distribution modeling is increasingly used to describe and anticipate consequences of a warming ocean. These models often identify statistical associations between distribution and environmental conditions such as temperature and oxygen, but rarely consider the mechanisms by which these environmental variables affect metabolism. Oxygen and temperature jointly govern the rate of oxygen supply to oxygen demand, and theory predicts thresholds in these rates below which species population densities are diminished. However, parameterizing models with this joint dependence is challenging because of the paucity of experimental work for most species, and the limited applicability of experimental findings in situ. Here we ask whether the joint effects of temperature and oxygen can be reliably inferred from species distribution observations in the field, using the U.S. Pacific Coast as a model system. Through simulation testing, we found that our statistical model—which adapted the metabolic index to jointly consider oxygen and temperature by applying an Arrhenius equation and used a non-linear threshold function to link the index to fish distribution—could not precisely estimate the parameters due to inherent features of the distribution data. However, the model reliably estimated an overall metabolic index threshold effect, and provided a better fit to sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) spatial distribution than previously used models. This mechanistic approach may improve predictions of species distribution, even in novel environmental conditions. Further efforts to combine insights from mechanistic responses and realized species distributions will improve forecasts of species’ responses to future environmental changes.

We report a unique case involving a male breast cancer complicated with leukemoid reaction caused by PEG-rhG-CSF after chemotherapy. A male patient with postoperative breast cancer developed leukemoid reaction induced by prophylactic use of PEG-rhG-CSF after AC-T regimen chemotherapy. Combined with the related literature, we analyzed and summarized the rare complications of clinical diagnosis, treatment, prevention of myelosuppression after chemotherapy and leukemoid reaction in male breast cancer.

Accurate staging of nodal involvement in pediatric sarcoma patients is important to determine correct systemic and local therapy, with the goal to reduce subsequent recurrences. However, differences in lymph node staging strategies, definitions, and treatment protocols between the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), European Pediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG), and the Cooperative Weichteil Sarkom Studiengruppe (CWS), complicate comparisons. In this article we try to establish internationally recognized recommendations for lymph node assessment and treatment of children and adolescents diagnosed with RMS and NRSTS according to the Consensus Conference Standard Operating Procedure methodology.

Mutations in the SRP54 gene are linked to the pathophysiology of severe congenital neutropenia (SCN). SRP54 is a key protein comprising one of the six protein subunits of the signal recognition particle responsible for co-translational targeting of proteins to the ER; mutations in SRP54 disrupt this process. Crystal structures and biochemical characterization of a few SRP54 mutants provide insights into how SRP54 mutations affect its function. However, to date, no scalable, flexible platform exists to study the sequence-structure-function relationships of SRP54 mutations and perform functional genomics and genome-wide association studies. In this work, we established a haploid model in Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on inducible gene expression that allows these relationships to be studied. We employed this model to test the function of orthologous clinical mutations to demonstrate the model’s suitability for studying SCN. Lastly, we demonstrate the suspected dominant-negative phenotypes associated with SRP54 mutants. In doing so, we discovered for the first time that the most common yeast orthologous clinical mutation, S125del (T117del human orthologue) displayed the least severe growth defect while the less common G234E mutant (G226E human orthologue) displayed the most severe growth defect. The ability of this haploid model to recapitulate these phenotypes while remaining amenable to high-throughput screening approaches makes it a powerful tool for studying SRP54. Furthermore, the methodology used to create this model may also be used to study other human diseases involving essential and quasi-essential genes.

The transition towards more sustainable and renewable energy sources is a critical global concern. Solar energy is an promising solution to meet the world’s energy demands and solar air heaters (SAHs) are a technology that can harness the energy from the sun for heating air which is used for various applications, including crop drying and heating of building etc. However, their efficiency is limited due to their low heat transfer coefficient. To address this issue, researchers have developed various techniques to improve SAH efficiency. One approach is to introduce absorber plate with artificial roughness. This can be achieved by adding fins or corrugations to absorber plate, to increase the surface area, and improving heat transfer. Another approach is to introduce dimple-shaped cavities in the absorber plate, as a result turbulence and heat transfer improves. Studies have also explored using different materials for of the absorber plate for improving efficiency. Improving the efficiency of SAHs is crucial to maximize their potential as a sustainable energy solution. However, cost and durability are important consideration for widespread adoption .

Background: Musculoskeletal problems are reported in the literature as a common problem for people with cystic fibrosis, with a range of aetiologies including an inflammatory arthritis. However, accurate data on the presentations and prevalence are lacking. The aim of this cohort study was to describe the scale and impact of musculoskeletal symptoms in CF. Methods: A collaboratively designed questionnaire was administered to adults attending two large UK CF centres. Data collected evaluated scale and impact of musculoskeletal symptoms. Results: Results were obtained from 489 patients (response rate 59%). Of these, 49% reported that musculoskeletal symptoms impacted their activities of daily living in the previous year. Back pain was common, occurring in 44% of participants in the preceding week. The knee was the most commonly affected painful peripheral joint, with 26% of participants reporting knee pain within the last week rising to 50% within the last year. Early morning stiffness and joint swelling were markedly less common, suggesting that the majority of musculoskeletal pain in CF is not due to an inflammatory arthritis but is due to other factors. Conclusion: Musculoskeletal problems are common in CF and frequently affect activities of daily living. Symptoms of inflammatory arthritis occurred in only a small minority of individuals. A focused approach to characterising and clarifying the aetiology of musculoskeletal symptoms is needed to inform the management of these disabling symptoms.

Safe reinforcement learning is an emerging research area that focuses on developing algorithms and techniques to train reinforcement learning agents to act safely in real-world environments. While reinforcement learning has achieved remarkable success in various applications, using these agents in safety-critical systems such as self-driving cars, medical devices, and robotics poses significant challenges. The primary concern is that these agents may exhibit unsafe or unpredictable behavior, which can lead to severe consequences. Therefore, the goal of safe reinforcement learning is to develop methods that ensure the agent’s behavior is safe and reliable in the face of uncertainty and unexpected conditions. This paper introduce CARL (Constraint Acquisition Reinforcement Learning) that is a framework for automatic and integrated constraint identification in reinforcement learning problems. CARL automatically identifying constraints from the agent’s experiences and using them to guide the learning process towards safe and effective policies. Experimental results have shown that CARL can effectively learn policies that satisfy safety constraints in complex environments and can outperform traditional reinforcement learning algorithms that do not consider constraints.The CARL algorithm rapidly achieves maximum rewards with significantly fewer steps. However, it’s observed that standard reinforcement learning algorithms, given more steps and time, can achieve higher maximum rewards.

An unusually large amplitude spontaneous miniature endplate potential (MEPP) occurs naturally at low frequency at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. Unlike the normal MEPPs, these giant MEPPs have long duration and long time to peak. More strikingly, gMEPPs seem to be independent of extracellular and intracellular Ca+2. and have a greater temperature sensitivity than nMEPPs. They are potentiated by tetrodotoxin (TTX) but inhibited by acetylcholine (ACh) receptor blockers indicating ACh is the neurotransmitter responsible for gMEPPs. The frequency of gMEPPs is greatly increased in muscles weakened by various drugs, toxins or disease conditions suggesting that gMEPPs may be a part of possible neurotrophic mechanism to preserve effective neuromuscular transmission when normal function is compromised.

A comparison of habitat utilization was undertaken one year after a large fire outbreak on part of a mixed wildlife-livestock ranch in Kenya, driving along roads and tracks to search for animals on three consecutive days. The overall distribution of large animals differed significantly between the unburnt and burnt areas (t = 3.713, df =36, P<0.001**), as was the case for the elephant (t= 2.820, df =4, P<0.05*) but not any of the other species. A large proportion of the populations were spotted in the portion affected by the fire over the course of the three-day survey, indicating that the ranch remained a wildlife stronghold. The findings suggested that the disturbance was akin to the ‘beneficial’ prescribed burn.