Biomass burning records of the Shulehe Glacier No. 4 from Qilian Mountains, Northeastern Tibetan Plateau.

Biomass burning play a key role in the global carbon cycle by altering the atmospheric composition, and affect regional and global climate. Despite its importance, a very few high-resolution records are available worldwide, especially for recent climate change. This study analyzes levoglucosan, a specific tracer of biomass burning emissions, in a 38-year ice core retrieved from the Shulehe Glacier No. 4, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The levoglucosan concentration in the Shulehe Glacier No. 4 ice core ranged from 0.1 to 55 ng mL-1, with an average concentration of 8 ± 8 ng mL-1. The concentrations showed a decreasing trend from 2002 to 2018. Meanwhile, regional wildfire activities in Central Asian also exhibited a declining trend during the same period, suggesting the potential correspondence between levoglucosan concentration of the Shulehe Glacier No. 4 ice core and the fire activity of Central Asia. Furthermore, a positive correlation also exists between the levoglucosan concentration of the Shulehe Glacier No. 4 ice core and the wildfire counts in Central Asia from 2002 to 2018. While backward air mass trajectory analysis and fire spots data showed a higher distribution of fire counts in South Asia compared to Central Asia, but the dominance of westerly circulation in the northern TP throughout the year. Therefore, the levoglucosan in the Shulehe Glacier No. 4 provides clear evidence of Central Asian wildfire influence on Tibetan Plateau glaciers through westerlies. This highlights a great importance of ice core data for wildfire history reconstruction in the Tibetan Plateau Glacier regions.

New focus on cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel ß1 and ß1B: Novel targets for treating and understanding arrhythmias?

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are transmembrane protein complexes that are vital to the generation and propagation of action potentials in nerve and muscle fibers. The canonical VGSC is generally conceived as a heterotrimeric complex formed by two classes of membrane-spanning subunit-an α-subunit (pore forming) and two ß-subunits (non-pore forming). NaV1.5 is the main sodium channel α-subunit of mammalian ventricle, with lower amounts of other α-subunits, including NaV1.6, being present. There are four ß-subunits, ß1-ß4, encoded by four genes, SCN1B-SCN4B, each of which are expressed in cardiac tissues. Recent studies suggest that in addition to assignments in channel gating and trafficking, products of Scn1b may have novel roles in conduction of action potential in the heart and intracellular signaling. This includes evidence that the ß-subunit extracellular Amino-terminal domain facilitates adhesive interactions in intercalated discs and that its Carboxyl-terminal region is a substrate for a regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) signaling pathway-with a Carboxyl-terminal peptide generated by ß1 RIP trafficked to the nucleus and altering transcription of various genes, including NaV1.5. In addition to ß1, the Scn1b gene encodes for an alternative splice variant, ß1B, which contains an identical extracellular adhesion domain to ß1, but has a unique Carboxyl-terminus. Whilst ß1B is generally understood to be a secreted variant, evidence indicates that when co-expressed with NaV1.5, it is maintained at the cell membrane, suggesting potential unique roles for this understudied protein. In this review, we focus on what is known on the two ß-subunit variants encoded by Scn1b in heart, with particular focus on recent findings and the questions raised by this new information. We also explore data that indicate ß1 and ß1B may be attractive targets for novel anti-arrhythmic therapeutics.

Activation of pyramidal neurons in the infralimbic cortex alleviates LPS-induced depressive-like behavior in mice.

The infralimbic (IL) cortex dysfunction has been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD), yet the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of layer V pyramidal neurons in a mouse model of MDD induced by repeated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. Our results demonstrate that three days of systemic LPS administration induced depressive-like behavior and upregulated mRNA levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) in the IL cortex. Electrophysiological recordings revealed a significant decrease in the intrinsic excitability of layer V pyramidal neurons in the IL following systemic LPS exposure. Importantly, chemogenetic activation of IL pyramidal neurons ameliorated LPS-induced depressive-like behavior. Additionally, LPS administration significantly increased microglial activity in the IL, as evidenced by a greater number of Ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 (IBA-1)-positive cells. Morphometric analysis further unveiled enlarged soma, decreased branch numbers, and shorter branch lengths of microglial cells in the IL cortex following LPS exposure. Moreover, the activation of pyramidal neurons by clozapine-N-oxide increased the microglia branch length but did not change branch number or cytosolic area. These results collectively suggest that targeted activation of pyramidal neurons in the IL cortex mitigates microglial response and ameliorates depressive-like behaviors induced by systemic LPS administration. Therefore, our findings offer potential therapeutic targets for the development of interventions aimed at alleviating depressive symptoms by modulating IL cortical circuitry and microglial activity.

Boundary quantitative characterization of the top-coal limit equilibrium zone in fully mechanized top-coal caving stope along the strike direction of working face.

In the process of fully mechanized top-coal caving mining, the top-coal is affected by mining-induced stress, and the stress varies along the strike direction of working face, so the boundary position of its entering the limit equilibrium state changes accordingly. The determination of the boundary along the strike direction of working face can provide scientific guidance for the stability control of support-surrounding rock in fully mechanized top-coal caving face. Using the research methods of theoretical analysis, physical similarity simulation experiment and numerical simulation experiment, the stress state analysis model of the boundary position of the top-coal limit equilibrium zone under macro-scale conditions was established, the stress state characterization method of the boundary of the top-coal limit equilibrium zone along the strike direction of working face was given, and the quantitative characterization of the boundary of the top-coal limit equilibrium zone along the strike direction of working face was realized by combining with the mining-induced stress path, and the distance relationship between the boundary of the top-coal limit equilibrium zone and the langwall face along the strike direction of working face was revealed. The results show that after critical mining in fully mechanized top-coal caving face, the distance between the boundary of top-coal limit equilibrium zone and the langwall face along the strike direction of working face presents a relationship of increasing from top to bottom. The distance between the top-coal upper boundary and the langwall face was 2.85 m and the distance between the top-coal lower boundary and the langwall face was 5.39 m. The boundary of top-coal limit equilibrium zone along the strike direction of working face was verified by the top-coal elastic-plastic zone boundary and the boundary of the peak position of front abutment pressure in different layers of top-coal. The results show that the quantitative characterization of the top-coal limit equilibrium zone boundary along the strike direction of working face was reasonable. In order to improve mine production efficiency, optimization measures were put forward for hard coal seam and soft coal seam respectively.

High-intensity focused ultrasound strategies for treating prostate cancer.

ABSTRACT: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a significant health concern globally, necessitating effective treatment options. Typical treatment methods for early stage, particularly localized PCa, encompass radical procedures, such as radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiotherapy (RT), and nonradical focal therapy (FT). FT is a focused approach mainly used for treating small lesions limited to a specific zone of the prostate. Its objective is to achieve cancer control when minimizing damage to benign tissue. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is one of the most used modalities in FT for the management of PCa. The progress in HIFU technology showcases continuous advancements, offering clinicians a variety of strategies to cater to diverse patient requirements. The advancements include the development of transrectal and transurethral HIFU machines that offer enhanced treatment distances, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion capabilities, real-time monitoring, and precise ablation. These improvements contribute to increased treatment effectiveness and better outcomes for patients. This narrative review aims to summarize the use of HIFU technology and its evolution, offering diverse options to clinicians, and explores the safety, effectiveness, and quality of different HIFU strategies, such as whole-gland ablation, hemigland ablation, and focal ablation. We conclude that nonwhole-gland HIFU offers similar cancer control with better short-term functional outcomes and fewer complications compared to whole-gland ablation. Combining HIFU with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) improves urinary function and reduces catheterization time. Focal ablation and hemigland ablation show promise in achieving cancer control when preserving continence and potency.

Effects of Artificial Sugar Supplementation on the Composition and Nutritional Potency of Honey from Apis cerana.

In the global apiculture industry, reward feeding and supplementary feeding are essential for maintaining bee colonies. Beekeepers provide artificial supplements to their colonies, typically in the form of either a honey-water solution or sugar syrup. Owing to cost considerations associated with beekeeping, most beekeepers opt for sugar syrup. However, the effects of different types of artificial sugar supplements on bee colonies and their subsequent impact on honey composition remain unclear. To address this gap, this study compared the chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and nutritional potency of three types of honey: honey derived from colonies fed sugar syrup (sugar-based product, SP) or a honey-water solution (honey-sourced honey, HH) and naturally sourced honey (flower-sourced honey, FH), which served as the control. The results revealed that FH outperformed HH and SP in terms of total acidity, sugar content, total protein content, and antioxidant capacity, and HH outperformed SP. Regarding nutritional efficacy, including the lifespan and learning and memory capabilities of worker bees, FH exhibited the best outcomes, with no significant differences observed between HH and SP. This study underscores the importance of sugar source selection in influencing honey quality and emphasizes the potential consequences of substituting honey with sugar syrup in traditional apiculture practices.

Early larval exposure to flumethrin induces long-term impacts on survival and memory behaviors of adult worker bees Apis mellifera.

Flumethrin has been supplied as an acaricide for Varroa mite control in world-wide apiculture due to its low lethal effects on honey bees. However, little is known about the effects of short-term flumethrin exposure in the larval stage on adult life stage of bees involving survival status, foraging and memory-related behaviors. Here, we found that exposure to flumethrin at 1 mg/L during larval stage reduced survival and altered foraging activities including induced precocious foraging activity, decreased foraging trips and time, and altered rotating day-off status of adult worker bees using the radio frequency identification system. Furthermore, larval exposure at 1 mg/L flumethrin influenced the correct proboscis extension responses of 7-day-old worker bees and decreased homing rates of 20-day-old worker bees, suggesting that 1 mg/L flumethrin exposure at larval stage could affect memory-related behaviors of adult bees; meanwhile, three genes related to memory (GluRA, Nmdar1 and Tyr1) were certainly down-regulated varying different flumethrin concentrations (0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/L). Combined with transcriptomic sequencing, differentially expressed genes involved in olfactory memory of adult bees were completely down-regulated under flumethrin exposure. Our findings highlight the unprecedented impact of short-term exposure of insecticides on honey bees in long-term health monitoring under field conditions.

Synergistic resistance of honeybee (Apis mellifera) and their gut microorganisms to fluvalinate stress.

Fluvalinate is widely used in the control of Varroa destructor, but its residues in colonies threaten honeybees. The effect of fluvalinate-induced dysbiosis on honeybee-related gene expression and the gut microenvironment of honeybees has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, two-day-old larvae to seven-day-old adult worker bees were continuously fed different amounts of fluvalinate-sucrose solutions (0, 0.5, 5, and 50 mg/kg), after which the expression levels of two immune-related genes (Hymenoptaecin and Defensin1) and three detoxication-related genes (GSTS3, CAT, and CYP450) in worker bees (1, 7, and 20 days old) were measured. The effect of fluvalinate on the gut microbes of worker bees at seven days old also was explored using 16S rRNA Illumina deep sequencing. The results showed that exposure of honeybees to the insecticide fluvalinate affected their gene expression and gut microbial composition. As the age of honeybees increased, the effect of fluvalinate on the expression of Hymenoptaecin, CYP450, and CAT decreased, and the abundance of honeybee gut bacteria was affected by increasing the fluvalinate concentration. These findings provide insights into the synergistic defense of honeybee hosts against exogenous stresses in conjunction with honeybee gut microbes.

Whole-Genome Resequencing-Based Qualitative Trait Locus Mapping Correlated yellow with the Mutant Color in Honeybees, Apis cerana cerana.

The honeybee, Apis cerana cerana (Ac), is an important pollinator and has adapted to the local ecological environment with relevant coloration. The cuticle coloration of the brown (br) mutant is brown instead of black in wild-type individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and characterize the gene responsible for the br mutation. Genome resequencing with allele segregation measurement using Euclidean distance followed by Lowess regression analysis revealed that the color locus linked to the mutation was located on chromosome 11. A 2-base deletion on exon 4 was identified in the g7628 (yellow) gene after genome assembly and sequence cloning. In addition, the cuticle color of the abdomen of worker bees changed from black to brown when a defect was induced in the yellow gene using short interfering RNA (siRNA); however, the survival rate did not decrease significantly. These results indicate that the yellow gene participated in the body pigmentation, and its defect was responsible for the br mutation. This study promotes the understanding of the molecular basis of body coloration in honeybees, enriching the molecular mechanisms underlying insect pigmentation.

Case report: A case of Paget disease outside the axillary breast.

BACKGROUND: Extramammary Paget disease is a relatively rare and less malignant intraepithelial adenocarcinoma. t is found in areas with abundant distribution of apocrine sweat glands such as the external genitalia, external genitalia, and perianal area, with fewer armpits. The disease progresses slowly and is prone to misdiagnosis in clinical practice. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a female patient. She had a left axillary mass for more than 2 years. Recently, the mass increased and the surface skin was ulcerated. Then she went to Jiangxi Provincial Dermatology Hospital for left axillary lesion resection, and the postoperative pathology showed Paget disease outside the breast. For further diagnosis and treatment, she came to our hospital. We diagnosed a tumor with uncertain or unknown dynamics in the left axillary breast. Under general anesthesia, left subaxillary mass resection, freezing and left breast cancer breast conserving surgery was performed. RESULTS: The postoperative pathology of the left axillary mass combined with morphological and immunohistochemical results was consistent with Paget disease. Postoperative immunohistochemistry showed estrogen receptor (+, 20%), progesterone receptor (-), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (3+), Ki-67 (30%), cytokine7 (+), and p63 (-). Following up for 22 months, there has been no local recurrence, no swelling of the right axillary lymph node, no distant metastasis found on follow-up, and no complications such as upper limb lymphedema, upper limb sensory abnormalities, or motor disorders have been observed. CONCLUSION: Paget disease outside the axillary breast is relatively rare, and surgical resection is the best choice. The prognosis is good, and the recurrence rate is low.

SARS-CoV-2 infection increases airway bleeding risk in patients after tracheostomies.

BACKGROUND: Airway bleeding events are a rare incident in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients after tracheostomies. We aimed to explore the correlation between airway bleeding and SARS-CoV-2 infection and evaluate the consistency of SARS-CoV-2 RNA test results in the upper and lower airway samples from patients after tracheostomies. METHODS: Forty-four patients after temporary or permanent tracheostomy were divided into a positive group (29 patients) and a negative group (15 patients) based on the SARS-CoV-2 RNA test results of their oropharyngeal swabs. The oropharyngeal and tracheal swabs of the positive group were re-collected for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. Demographic and clinical characteristics and airway bleeding events were recorded for all enrolled patients. RESULTS: Airway bleeding was reported in eleven patients of the positive group (11/29), with seven displaying bloody sputum or hemoptysis, and four featuring massive sputum crust formation in the trachea that resulted in dyspnea, and only one patient in the negative group (1/15), with a significant difference in the airway bleeding rate (37.9% vs. 6.7%, p < 0.05). The SARS-CoV-2 RNA test results showed a statistical difference in cycle threshold (Ct) values between oropharyngeal swabs and tracheal swabs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: After tracheostomies, patients are more susceptible to airway bleeding if they are infected with SARS-CoV-2. The findings signify that in addition to droplet transmission through tracheostoma, SARS-CoV-2 may infect the oropharynx by airborne and close contact transmission, and that given the higher viral load and longer infection time in the trachea, tracheal swabs are more reliable for SARS-CoV-2 detection in these patients.

Acute Adenoviral Infection Elicits an Arrhythmogenic Substrate Prior to Myocarditis.

BACKGROUND: Viral cardiac infection represents a significant clinical challenge encompassing several etiological agents, disease stages, complex presentation, and a resulting lack of mechanistic understanding. Myocarditis is a major cause of sudden cardiac death in young adults, where current knowledge in the field is dominated by later disease phases and pathological immune responses. However, little is known regarding how infection can acutely induce an arrhythmogenic substrate before significant immune responses. Adenovirus is a leading cause of myocarditis, but due to species specificity, models of infection are lacking, and it is not understood how adenoviral infection may underlie sudden cardiac arrest. Mouse adenovirus type-3 was previously reported as cardiotropic, yet it has not been utilized to understand the mechanisms of cardiac infection and pathology. METHODS: We have developed mouse adenovirus type-3 infection as a model to investigate acute cardiac infection and molecular alterations to the infected heart before an appreciable immune response or gross cardiomyopathy. RESULTS: Optical mapping of infected hearts exposes decreases in conduction velocity concomitant with increased Cx43Ser368 phosphorylation, a residue known to regulate gap junction function. Hearts from animals harboring a phospho-null mutation at Cx43Ser368 are protected against mouse adenovirus type-3-induced conduction velocity slowing. Additional to gap junction alterations, patch clamping of mouse adenovirus type-3-infected adult mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes reveals prolonged action potential duration as a result of decreased IK1 and IKs current density. Turning to human systems, we find human adenovirus type-5 increases phosphorylation of Cx43Ser368 and disrupts synchrony in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, indicating common mechanisms with our mouse whole heart and adult cardiomyocyte data. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these findings demonstrate that adenoviral infection creates an arrhythmogenic substrate through direct targeting of gap junction and ion channel function in the heart. Such alterations are known to precipitate arrhythmias and likely contribute to sudden cardiac death in acutely infected patients.

Protect the recurrent laryngeal nerves in US-guided microwave ablation of thyroid nodules at Zuckerkandl tubercle: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of US-guided microwave ablation in patients with thyroid nodules at Zuckerkandl tubercle. METHODS: 103 consecutive patients with thyroid nodules at Zuckerkandl tubercle (ZTTN) were enrolled in this study from November 2017 to August 2021. Prior to the surgery or US-guided microwave ablation (MWA), preoperative ultrasound visualization of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and ZTTN was performed, the size and the position relationship between them were observed. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after MWA and the volume reduction rates (VRR) of the thyroid nodules were analyzed. RESULTS: All patients successfully had the RLN and ZTTN detected using ultrasound before surgery or ablation with a detection rate of 100%. For the 103 patients, the majority of ZTTN grades were categorized as grade 2, with the distance from the farthest outside of ZTTN to the outer edge of thyroid ranging between 6.0 and 10.0 mm. The position relationship between ZTTN and RLN was predominantly type A in 98 cases, with type D observed in 5 cases. After MWA, the median nodule volume had significantly decreased from 4.61 (2.34, 8.70) ml to 0.42 (0.15, 1.41) ml and the VRR achieved 84.36 ± 13.87% at 12 months. No nodules regrew throughout the 12-month follow-up period. Of the 11 patients experienced hoarseness due to RLN entrapment before ablation, 7 recovered immediately after separation of the RLN and ZTTN during MWA, 2 recovered after one week, and the other 2 recovered after two months. CONCLUSIONS: The RLN is closely related to ZTTN and mainly located at the back of ZTTN. The RLN can be separated from ZTTN by hydrodissection during MWA. US-guided MWA is a safe and effective treatment for ZTTN.

Electro-oxidation of Ibuprofen using carbon-supported SnOx-CeOx flow-anodes: The key role of high-valent metal.

Exploiting electrochemically active materials as flow-anodes can effectively alleviate mass transfer restriction in an electro-oxidation system. However, the electrocatalytic activity and persistence of the conventional flow-anode materials are insufficient, resulting in limited improvement in the electro-oxidation rate and efficiency. Herein, we reported a rational strategy to substantially enhance the electrocatalytic performance of flow-anodes in electro-oxidation by introducing the redox cycle of high-valent metal in a suitable carbon substrate. The characterization suggested that the SnOx-CeOx/carbon black (CB) featured well-distributed morphology, rapid charge transfer, high oxygen evolution potential, and strong water adsorption, and stood out among three kinds of SnOx-CeOx loaded carbon materials. Mechanistic analysis indicated that the redox cycle of Ce species played a key role in accelerating the electron transfer from SnOx to CB directionally and could continuously create the electron-deficient state of the SnOx, thereby sustainably triggering the generation of ·OH. All these features enabled the resulting SnOx-CeOx/CB flow-anode to accomplish a calculated maximum kinetic constant of 0.02461 1/min, a higher current efficiency of 47.1%, and a lower energy consumption of 21.3 kWh/kg COD compared with other conventional flow-anodes reported to date. Additionally, SnOx-CeOx/CB exhibited excellent stability with extremely low leaching concentrations of Sn and Ce ions. This study provides a feasible manner for efficient water decontamination using the electro-oxidation system with SnOx-CeOx/CB.

A prospective cohort of men with localized prostate cancer on active surveillance protocol in Hong Kong, China: what did we learn?

This study aimed to report the outcomes of active surveillance (AS) in the management of low-risk prostate cancer (PCa). It recruited 87 men who were prospectively followed up according to the Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance (PRIAS) protocol with local adaptation at SH Ho Urology Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China. We investigated the predictors of disease progression and found that baseline prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) and the presence of the highest Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score 5 lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are significantly correlated with disease progression. Moreover, men with PSAD >0.2 ng ml-2 or PI-RADS 4 or 5 lesions had significantly worse upgrading-free survival compared to those with PSAD ≤0.2 ng ml-2 and PI-RADS 2 or 3 lesions. The study concludes that AS is a safe and effective management strategy for selected patients to defer radical treatment and that most disease progression can be detected after the first repeated biopsy. The combination of PSAD >0.2 ng ml-2 and PI-RADS 4 or 5 lesions may serve as a useful predictor of early disease progression and provide a guide to optimize follow-up protocols for men in different risk groups.

Mannitol and hyponatremia regulate cardiac ventricular conduction in the context of sodium channel loss of function.

Scn5a heterozygous null (Scn5a+/-) mice have historically been used to investigate arrhythmogenic mechanisms of diseases such as Brugada syndrome (BrS) and Lev's disease. Previously, we demonstrated that reducing ephaptic coupling (EpC) in ex vivo hearts exacerbates pharmacological voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav)1.5 loss of function (LOF). Whether this effect is consistent in a genetic Nav1.5 LOF model is yet to be determined. We hypothesized that loss of EpC would result in greater reduction in conduction velocity (CV) for the Scn5a+/- mouse relative to wild type (WT). In vivo ECGs and ex vivo optical maps were recorded from Langendorff-perfused Scn5a+/- and WT mouse hearts. EpC was reduced with perfusion of a hyponatremic solution, the clinically relevant osmotic agent mannitol, or a combination of the two. Neither in vivo QRS duration nor ex vivo CV during normonatremia was significantly different between the two genotypes. In agreement with our hypothesis, we found that hyponatremia severely slowed CV and disrupted conduction for 4/5 Scn5a+/- mice, but 0/6 WT mice. In addition, treatment with mannitol slowed CV to a greater extent in Scn5a+/- relative to WT hearts. Unexpectedly, treatment with mannitol during hyponatremia did not further slow CV in either genotype, but resolved the disrupted conduction observed in Scn5a+/- hearts. Similar results in guinea pig hearts suggest the effects of mannitol and hyponatremia are not species specific. In conclusion, loss of EpC through either hyponatremia or mannitol alone results in slowed or disrupted conduction in a genetic model of Nav1.5 LOF. However, the combination of these interventions attenuates conduction slowing.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Cardiac sodium channel loss of function (LOF) diseases such as Brugada syndrome (BrS) are often concealed. We optically mapped mouse hearts with reduced sodium channel expression (Scn5a+/-) to evaluate whether reduced ephaptic coupling (EpC) can unmask conduction deficits. Data suggest that conduction deficits in the Scn5a+/- mouse may be unmasked by treatment with hyponatremia and perinexal widening via mannitol. These data support further investigation of hyponatremia and mannitol as novel diagnostics for sodium channel loss of function diseases.

Novel adaptive loss weighted transfer network for partial domain fault diagnosis.

Mechanical fault transfer diagnosis has been confirmed as a feasible approach for tackling intelligent diagnosis with incomplete fault information and scarce labeled data on the basis of big data through the transfer of diagnostic knowledge from one or more conditions to any other condition. However, existing research has developed a hypothesis, i.e., the target domain shares an identical label space with the source domain, making it unfeasible to address the practical issue that the target domain label space is a subset of the source domain label space, resulting in low transfer diagnosis accuracy. To address this issue, a novel unsupervised intelligent diagnosis approach named double classifiers-dependent transfer diagnosis network is developed. In this approach, the label distribution weights are generated through the probability output of the classifier of source domain label space to target domain samples, by which small weights are assigned to irrelevant source samples to avoid negative transfer in the global-local maximum mean discrepancies (GL-MMD). In addition, classifiers of the source domain label space and the shared label space are built separately to improve the reliability of label distribution weights and GL-MMD. By training the network in the shared label space, diagnostic knowledge in partial domain issues is effectively transferred. Two cases are implemented to verify the effectiveness of the developed approach. Compared with other transfer diagnosis approaches, the developed approach achieved better diagnostic performance.

Atmospheric Nitrogen Pollution Control Benefits the Coastal Environment.

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient and a major limiting element for the ocean ecosystem. Since the preindustrial era, substantial amounts of nitrogen from terrestrial sources have entered the ocean via rivers, groundwater, and atmospheric deposition. China serves as a key hub in the global nitrogen cycle, but the pathways, sources, and potential mitigation strategies for land-ocean nitrogen transport are unclear. By combining the CHANS, WRF-Chem, and WNF models, we estimated that 8 million tonnes (Tg) of nitrogen was transferred into the ocean in 2017 in China, with atmospheric deposition contributing 1/3. About half variation of the offshore chlorophyll concentration was explained by atmospheric deposition. The Bohai Sea was the hot spot of nitrogen input, estimated at 214 kg N ha-1, while other areas were around 25-51 kg N ha-1. The largest contributors are agricultural systems (4 Tg, 55%), followed by domestic sewage (2 Tg, 21%). Abatement measures could reduce nitrogen export to the ocean by 43%, and mitigating ammonia and nitrogen oxide emissions accounts for 33% of this reduction, highlighting the importance of addressing air pollution in resolving ocean pollution. The cost-benefit analysis suggests the priority of nitrogen reduction in cropland and transport systems for the ocean environment.

Combined multiple regional anesthesia for microwave ablation of liver Tumors: Initial experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the feasibility and safety of combined multiple regional anesthesia (CMRA) as a potential strategy to decrease pain and reliance on intravenous analgesics during and after ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (US-guided-MWA) of liver tumors. METHODS: A cohort of 75 patients with a total of 99 liver tumors who underwent US-guided-MWA of liver tumors were enrolled. These patients were randomly allocated into three groups: A, B, and C. Prior to the ablation procedure, Group A patients received a combination of hepatic hilar block (HHB), Transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB), and local anesthesia (LA). Patients in Group B were administered HHB in conjunction with LA, while those in Group C received TAPB and LA. Evaluative parameters included the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores, consumption of morphine, incidence of complications, and factors influencing perioperative pain. RESULTS: All patients successfully underwent US-guided-MWA. The peak NRS scores for pain during ablation across the three groups were 2.36 ± 1.19, 3.28 ± 1.59, and 4.24 ± 1.42 respectively (P < 0.01), while the count of patients requiring morphine were 4/25, 8/25, and 13/25 respectively (P < 0.01). Postoperative NRS scores for the three groups at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 36-hour intervals demonstrated a pattern of initial increase followed by a decrease, with the order at each interval being: Group A < Group C < Group B. Factors associated with increased pain included larger tumor size, greater number of tumors, and longer procedure and ablation time (P < 0.05). No major complications were recorded across the three groups. CONCLUSION: CMRA offers an effective and safe modality to manage pain during and after US-guided-MWA of liver tumors.