Crank-Nicolson Quasi-Compact Scheme for the Nonlinear Two-Sided Spatial Fractional Advection-Diffusion Equations

The higher-order numerical scheme of nonlinear advection-diffusion equations is studied in this article, where the space fractional derivatives are evaluated by using weighted and shifted Grünwald difference operators and combining the compact technique, in the time direction is discretized by the Crank-Nicolson method. Through the energy method, the stability and convergence of the numerical scheme in the sense of L2-norm are proved, and the convergence order is . Some examples are given to show that our numerical scheme is effective.

Optimized CeO_(2) Nanowires with Rich Surface Oxygen Vacancies Enable Fast Li-Ion Conduction in Composite Polymer Electrolytes

Low-cost and flexible solid polymer electrolytes are promising in all-solid-state Li-metal batteries with high energy density and safety.However,both the low room-temperature ionic conductivities and the small Li^(+)transference number of these electrolytes significantly increase the internal resistance and overpotential of the battery.Here,we introduce Gd-doped CeO_(2) nanowires with large surface area and rich surface oxygen vacancies to the polymer electrolyte to increase the interaction between Gd-doped CeO_(2) nanowires and polymer electrolytes,which promotes the Li-salt dissociation and increases the concentration of mobile Li ions in the composite polymer electrolytes.The optimized composite polymer electrolyte has a high Li-ion conductivity of 5×10^(-4)4 S cm^(-1) at 30℃ and a large Li+transference number of 0.47.Moreover,the composite polymer electrolytes have excellent compatibility with the metallic lithium anode and high-voltage LiNi_(0.8)Mn _(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)(NMC)cathode,providing the stable cycling of all-solid-state batteries at high current densities.

Transcriptomic and genetic approaches reveal that low-light-induced disease susceptibility is related to cellular oxidative stress in tomato

The impact of low light intensities on plant disease outbreaks represents a major challenge for global crop security,as it frequently results in significant yield losses.However,the underlying mechanisms of the effect of low light on plant defense are still poorly understood.Here,using an RNA-seq approach,we found that the susceptibility of tomato to Pseudomonas syringae pv.tomato DC3000(Pst DC3000)under low light was associated with the oxidation-reduction process.Low light conditions exacerbated Pst DC3000-induced reactive oxygen species(ROS)accumulation and protein oxidation.Analysis of gene expression and enzyme activity of ascorbate peroxidase 2(APX2)and other antioxidant enzymes revealed that these defense responses were significantly induced by Pst DC3000 inoculation under normal light,whereas these genes and their associated enzyme activities were not responsive to pathogen inocula-tion under low light.Additionally,the reduced ascorbate to dehydroascorbate(AsA/DHA)ratio was lower under low light compared with normal light conditions upon Pst DC3000 inoculation.Furthermore,the apx2 mutants generated by a CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing approach were more susceptible to Pst DC3000 under low light conditions.Notably,this increased susceptibility could be significantly reduced by exogenous AsA treatment.Collectively,our findings suggest that low-light-induced disease susceptibility is associated with increased cellular oxidative stress in tomato plants.This study sheds light on the intricate relationship between light conditions,oxidative stress,and plant defense responses,and may pave the way for improved crop protection strategies in low light environments.

Changes on Stroke Burden Attributable to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter in China

Objective In recent decades,China has implemented a series of policies to address air pollution.We aimed to assess the health effects of these policies on stroke burden attributable to ambient fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)).Methods Joinpoint regression was applied to explore the temporal tendency of stroke burden based on data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.Results The age-standardized rates of disability-adjusted life year(DALY)for stroke attributable to ambient PM2.5 in China,increased dramatically during 1990-2012,subsequently decreased at an annual percentage change(APC)of-1.98[95% confidence interval(CI):-2.26,-1.71]during 2012-2019.For ischemic stroke(IS),the age-standardized DALY rates doubled from 1990 to 2014,and decreased at an APC of-0.83(95%CI:-1.33,-0.33)during 2014-2019.Intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)showed a substantial increase in age-standardized DALY rates from 1990 to 2003,followed by declining trends,with APCs of-1.46(95%CI:-2.74,-0.16)during 2003-2007 and-3.33(95%CI:-3.61,-3.06)during 2011-2019,respectively.Conversely,the age-standardized DALY rates for subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)generally declined during 1990-2019.Conclusion Our results clarified the dynamic changes of the ambient PM_(2.5)-attributable stroke burden in China during 1990-2019,highlighting the health effects of air quality improvement policies.

Guest Editorial:Special issue on trustworthy machine learning for behavioural and social computing

Machine learning has been extensively applied in behavioural and social computing,encompassing a spectrum of applications such as social network analysis,click stream analysis,recommendation of points of interest,and sentiment analysis.The datasets pertinent to these applications are inherently linked to human behaviour and societal dynamics,posing a risk of disclosing personal or sensitive information if mishandled or subjected to attacks.

知识图谱赋能的知识工程:理论、技术与系统专题序言

知识图谱是人工智能在知识工程理论和技术发展中的前沿。知识图谱方法、技术与应用在新一代人工智能由“感知智能”迈向“认知智能”的过程中扮演重要角色。近年来,随着大规模知识图谱的发布和知识图谱赋能系统的应用,国内外学术界和产业界均在多个维度对知识图谱赋能的知识工程进行了研究与开发。虽然国内外学者在知识图谱及相关方向上已取得若干研究成果,但知识图谱赋能的知识工程尚未形成成熟的理论体系、技术方法、应用与系统实践,仍有众多有待解决的具有挑战性的难题。本专题旨在促进知识图谱赋能的知识工程研究、开发与应用,及时、集中、全面地报道知识图谱赋能的知识工程在理论、方法、技术、系统与应用实践等方面的最新成果和进展。

An animal model of cerebral palsy induced by prenatal exposure to lipopolysaccharide and hypoxia

BACKGROUND： Neonatal cerebral palsy is mainly caused by prenatal factors. At present, an animal model of prenatal infection and early postnatal hypoxia does not exist. OBJECTIVE： To observe morphology and motor performance following prenatal infection and hypoxic insult-induced brain damage of neonatal rats to verify the feasibility to establish a model of cerebral palsy. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A randomized, controlled, animal experiment was performed at the Laboratories of Xinjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention from September 2007 to June 2008. MATERIALS： The hypoxic incubator was purchased from Shanghai Pediatric Medical Institute, China. Lipopolysaccharide （LPS, Escherichia coil, 055： B5） was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich （St. Louis, MO, USA）. METHODS： A total of 27 Wistar rats, aged 7 days, were randomly assigned to sham-surgery group （n = 15） with no carotid artery incision or hypoxia treatment, hypoxia/ischemia （H/I） group （n = 12） undergoing ligature of the right common carotid artery followed by exposure to hypoxia at postnatal day 7 （P7）, and LPS/H group （n = 19）, in which pregnant rats were exposed in utero to LPS followed by prenatal hypoxia at embryonic day 16. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Behavior, compound muscle action potential, and pathological changes were observed in 28-day-old rats. RESULTS： The footprint repeat space showed that left limb footprint repeatability in the H/I and LPS/H groups was lower than in the sham-surgery group （P 〈 0.05）. The space between the footprints was larger and unstable. Hind limb quadricep compound muscle action potential in the H/I and LPS/H groups showed lower wave amplitude compared with the sham-surgery group （P〈 0.05） Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed irregular cells around the ventricle, as well as periventricular leukomalacia. CONCLUSION： An animal model of cerebral palsy was established, which simulated the human condition most likely associated with occurrence of this disease. This model could be used for experimental studies related to cerebral palsy.

High-performance all-solid-state polymer electrolyte with fast conductivity pathway formed by hierarchical structure polyamide 6 nanofiber for lithium metal battery

The utilization of all-solid-state electrolytes is considered to be an effective way to enhance the safety performance of lithium metal batteries.However,the low ionic conductivity and poor interface compatibility greatly restrict the development of all-solid-state battery.In this study,a composite electrolyte combining the electrospun polyamide 6(PA6)nanofiber membrane with hierarchical structure and the polyethylene oxide(PEO)polymer is investigated.The introduction of PA6 nanofiber membrane can effectively reduce the crystallinity of the polymer,so that the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte can be enhanced.Moreover,it is found that the presence of finely branched fibers in the hierarchical structure PA6 membrane allows the polar functional groups(C=O and N-H bonds)to be fully exposed,which provides sufficient functional sites for lithium ion transport and helps to regulate the uniform deposition of lithium metal.Moreover,the hierarchical structure can enhance the mechanical strength(9.2 MPa)of the electrolyte,thereby effectively improving the safety and cycle stability of the battery.The prepared Li/Li symmetric battery can be stably cycled for 1500 h under 0.3 mA cm^(-2) and 60℃.This study demonstrates that the prepared electrolyte has excellent application prospects in the next generation all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

Adverse associations of sedentary behavior with cancer incidence and all-cause mortality:A prospective cohort study

Background:Inconsistent results have been reported in developed countries for relationships between sedentary behavior and cancer incidence and mortality,and evidence from the Chinese population is scarce.This study aimed to investigate such relationships in large Chinese population-based prospective cohorts and to explore the joint effect and interaction of sedentary behavior and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity(MVPA)on these relationships.Methods:We included 95,319 Chinese adults without cancer from 3 large cohorts and assessed their sedentary behavior and physical activity with a unified questionnaire.Cancer incidence and mortality were confirmed by interviewing participants or their proxies and checking hospital records and death certificates.Hazard ratios(HRs)and 95%confidence intervals(95%CIs)for cancer and mortality were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.Results:During 559,002 person-years of follow-up,2388 cancer events,1571 cancer deaths,and 4562 all-cause deaths were recorded.Sedentary behavior was associated with increased risk of developing cancer and deaths in a doseresponse manner.The multivariable-adjusted HRs(95%CIs)were the following:HR=1.16,95%CI:1.01-1.33;HR=1.24,95%CI:1.04-1.48;and HR=1.15,95%CI:1.04-1.28 for cancer incidence,cancer mortality,and all-cause mortality,respectively,for those having≥10 h/day of sedentary time compared with those having<6 h/day of sedentary time.Sedentary populations(≥10 h/day)developed cancer or died 4.09 years and 2.79 years earlier,respectively,at the index age of 50 years.Failure to achieve the recommended level of MVPA may further aggravate the adverse associations,with the highest cancer and mortality risks being observed among participants with both≥10 h/day of sedentary time and<150 min/week of MVPA.Limitations of this study include the fact that physical activity information was obtained via questionnaire instead of objective measurement and that there were insufficient incident cases for the analysis of associations between sedentary behavior and site-specific cancers.Conclusion:Sedentary behavior was associated with an increased risk of cancer and all-cause mortality among Chinese adults,especially for those with≥10 h/day of sedentary time.It is necessary to reduce sedentary time,in addition to increasing MVPA levels,for the prevention of cancer and premature death.

Improved diagnosis of thyroid cancer aided with deep learning applied to sonographic text reports:a retrospective,multi-cohort,diagnostic study

Objective:Large volume radiological text data have been accumulated since the incorporation of electronic health record(EHR)systems in clinical practice.We aimed to determine whether deep natural language processing algorithms could aid radiologists in improving thyroid cancer diagnosis.Methods:Sonographic EHR data were obtained from the EHR database.Pathological reports were used as the gold standard for diagnosing thyroid cancer.We developed thyroid cancer diagnosis based on natural language processing(THCaDxNLP)to interpret unstructured sonographic text reports for thyroid cancer diagnosis.We used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUROC)as the primary metric to measure the performance of the THCaDxNLP.We compared the performance of thyroid ultrasound radiologists aided with THCaDxNLP vs.those without THCaDxNLP using 5 independent test sets.Results:We obtained a total number of 788,129 sonographic radiological reports.The number of thyroid sonographic data points was 132,277,18,400 of which were thyroid cancer patients.Among the 5 test sets,the numbers of patients per set were 439,186,82,343,and 171.THCaDxNLP achieved high performance in identifying thyroid cancer patients(the AUROC ranged from 0.857–0.932).Thyroid ultrasound radiologists aided with THCaDxNLP achieved significantly higher performances than those without THCaDxNLP in terms of accuracy(93.8%vs.87.2%;one-sided t-test,adjusted P=0.003),precision(92.5%vs.86.0%;P=0.018),and F1 metric(94.2%vs.86.4%;P=0.007).Conclusions:THCaDxNLP achieved a high AUROC for the identification of thyroid cancer,and improved the accuracy,sensitivity,and precision of thyroid ultrasound radiologists.This warrants further investigation of THCaDxNLP in prospective clinical trials.

Influence of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate on the expression of connexin43 and gap junction intercellular communication of the bladder cancer cell lines BIU-87 in vitro

Objective： The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of （-）-epigallocatechin-3-gallate （EGCG, the major phytochemistry component in green tea） on the expression of connexin43 （Cx43） gene and detect the intercellular communication of the human bladder cancer cell lines BIU-87, and explore its possible mechanisms of prevention and cure for the bladder tumor. Methods： The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and Annexin-V/PI double-labeled flow cytometry methods were used to observe the growth inhibitory rate （IR） and apoptosis rate （AR） of BlU-87 cells treated by EGCG at different concentrations （0, 5, 10 and 20 mg/L）, respectively. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and Western Blotting analysis were employed to detect the relative expression levels of the Cx43 mRNA and its protein. The scrape-loading fluorescence dye transfer method was used to assess the gap junction intercellular communication （GJIC） under fluorescence microscope. Results： EGCG at concentrations （10 and 20 mg/L） both could significantly inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of BIU-87 cells. The IR and AR were （15.67 ± 1.15）%, （18.33 ± 1.53）% and （42.00 ± 4.34）%, （27.33 ± 3.21）%, respectively. And compared with the control groups of 0 mg/L and 5 mg/L （P 〈 0.05）, EGCG could significantly up-regulate the expression of Cx43 mRNA and its protein and enhance the function of BIU-87 cells. The effects had the significant correlation with the dose-dependent of EGCG. Conclusion： EGCG （10, 20 mg/L） could effectively up-regulate Cx43 expression and enhance the GJIC of BlU-87 cells. The results may indicate the effects of EGCG inducing bladder tumor cells apoptosis and inhibiting its growth which provides the experimental evidence for further demonstrating the mechanism of chemical prevention and cure for the bladder tumor by EGCG.

神经母细胞瘤CCCG-NB-2015共识多中心应用总结

目的:对中国多中心应用CCCG-NB-2015共识方案诊治的儿童神经母细胞瘤(neuroblastoma,NB)病例进行回顾性分析总结,以期为改进NB诊疗工作提供有力依据。方法:回顾性分析2013年3月至2020年7月经统一规范的CCCG-NB-2015共识方案诊治的全国多中心500例NB患儿的临床和预后资料,通过Cox单因素和多因素回归分析明确影响NB预后的关键因素;分别绘制神经元特异性烯醇化酶(neuron-specific enolase,NSE)和乳酸脱氢酶(lactate dehydrogenase,LDH)在预测骨髓转移和复发的ROC曲线,明确NSE和LDH的临床价值;比对分析NB两种不同分期系统和危险度分组系统下患儿的预后差异,着重分析中危组人群的队列特征和预后结局。结果:通过单因素分析共确定10个潜在的预后因子,分别为年龄、肿瘤原发部位、INPC分类、骨髓转移、MYCN状态、INSS分期、INRGSS分期、诊断时NSE、LDH水平和影像学定义的危险因素(image-defined risk factors,IDRFs),均P<0.05。Cox多因素分析结果显示与无事件生存率(event-free survival,EFS)密切相关的独立预后因子为INPC分类、骨髓转移、诊断时NSE、LDH水平,与OS密切相关的独立预后因子为NSE、LDH水平及INRGSS分期(均P<0.05);NSE和LDH可以较好地预测NB骨髓转移、复发等事件发生(均P<0.05);INSS分期中非4期和4期的3年EFS分别为93.8%和52.6%;转换为INRGSS分期后,L1、L2、MS和M期的3年EFS分别为94.4%、87.2%、87.5%和53.6%。低危组、中危组和高危组3年和5年的EFS分别为97.1%和97.1%、90.0%和87.3%、53.9%和47.3%;其中INSS分期中3期且伴有INPC为UH型的患儿在CCCG-NB-2015共识方案中被归入高危组,其预后差,5年EFS为65.7%(P<0.05),但却在INRG危险度分组中被列入中危组。结论:NSE和LDH水平在预测NB患儿骨髓是否转移以及预后评价方面具有重要价值。INRGSS分期为预后的独立影响因子,其较INSS分期在对患儿预后评估方面更具有临床意义,推荐使用INRGSS分期系统;CCCG-NB-2015共识方案各危险度分组治疗下低中危组预后较好,高危组预后较差,建议将来可降低低危组的治疗强度,而对于基于INRG危险度分组治疗的前提下,中危组的治疗建议继续延用CCCG-NB-2015共识中危组方案。

An Overview of the Study of the Materialist Dialectics of Late Engels and the Marxist Dialectical Debate

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great proletarian revolutionary mentor Engels,and the theoretical community has once again started a wave of research on his thought.On the basis of Hegel’s dialectic,Engels inherited and developed Marx’s dialectic,and founded the materialist dialectic,which he called“the best tool and the sharpest weapon”.However,the relationship between Engels’materialist dialectics and Marx’s dialectics has been debated for more than a hundred years in the theoretical circles both at home and abroad,and it is of great significance to correctly summarize and elaborate the domestic and international views in order to clarify the internal logic and truth of Engels’materialist dialectics.

MXene Ti_(3)C_(2) decorated g-C_(3)N_(4)/ZnO photocatalysts with improved photocatalytic performance for CO_(2) reduction

Photocatalytic reduction of CO_(2) is considered as a kind of promising technologies for solving the greenhouse effect.Herein,a novel hybrid structure of g-C_(3)N_(4)/ZnO/Ti_(3)C_(2) photocatalysts was designed and fabricated to investigate their abilities for CO_(2) reduction.As demonstration,heterojunction of g-C_(3)N_(4)/ZnO can improve photogenerated carriers’separation,the addition of Ti_(3)C_(2) fragments can further facilitate the photocatalytic performance from CO_(2) to CO.Hence,g-C_(3)N_(4)/ZnO/Ti_(3)C_(2) has efficiently increased CO production by 8 and 12 times than pristine g-C_(3)N_(4) and ZnO,respectively.Which is ascribed to the photogenerated charge migration promoted by metallic Ti_(3)C_(2).This work provides a guideline for designing efficient hybrid catalysts on other applications in the renewable energy fields.

Metabolomics signature of blood pressure salt sensitivity and its link to cardiovascular disease:A dietary salt-intervention trial

Individuals with a high degree of salt sensitivity(SS)have a greater risk of cardiovascular disease(CVD),but whether SS fosters CVD by influencing metabolomics homeostasis remains unclear.This study aimed to reveal the role of the SS-related metabolomics signature in the development of CVDs,based on the MetaSalt study,which was a dietary salt-intervention trial conducted at four centers in China in 2019.A total of 528 participants were recruited and underwent 3 days of baseline observations,a 10-day low-salt intervention,and a 10-day highsalt intervention.Plasma untargeted metabolomics,lipidomics,and BP measurements were scheduled at each stage.Participants were grouped into extreme SS,moderate SS,and salt-resistant(SR)individuals according to their BP responses to salt.Linear mixed models were used to identify SS-related metabolites and determine the relationship between the SS-related metabolomics signature and arterial stiffness.Mendelian randomization(MR)analyses were applied to establish the causal pathways among the SS-related metabolites,BP,and CVDs.Among the 713 metabolites,467 were significantly changed after the high-salt intervention.Among them,the changes in 30 metabolites from the low-salt to the high-salt intervention differed among the SS groups.Of the remaining nonsalt-related metabolites,the baseline levels of 11 metabolites were related to SS.These 41 metabolites explained 23%of the variance in SS.Moreover,SS and its metabolomics signature were positively correlated with arterial stiffness.MR analyses demonstrated that the SS-related metabolites may affect CVD risk by altering BP,indicating that the increase in BP was the consequence of the changes in SS-related metabolites rather than the cause.Our study revealed that the metabolomics signature of SS individuals differs from that of SR individuals and that the changes in SS-related metabolites may increase arterial stiffness and foster CVDs.This study provides insight into understanding the biology and targets of SS and its role in CVDs.

Identification of watered-out zones in carbonate reservoirs using resistivity curve reconstruction based on reservoir classification

The KT-II layer in the Zananor Oilfield,Caspian Basin,Kazakhstan,contains carbonate reservoirs of various types.The complex pore structure of the reservoirs have made it difficult to identify watered-out zones with traditional logging interpretation methods.This study classifies the reservoirs on the basis of core analysis and establishes an identification model for watered-out layers in the field to effectively improve the interpretation accuracy.Thin section analysis shows that there are three types of pores in the reservoirs,i.e.,the matrix pore,fracture and dissolution vug.A triple porosity model is used to calculate the porosities of the reservoirs and the results are combined with core analysis to classify the reservoirs into the fractured,matrix pore,fracture-pore as well as composite types.A classification standard is also proposed.There are differences in resistivity logging responses from the reservoirs of different types before and after watering-out.The preewatering-out resistivities are reconstructed using generalized neural network for different types of reservoirs.The watered-out layers can be effectively identified according to the difference in resistivity curves before and after watering-out.The results show that the watered-out layers identified with the method are consistent with measured data,thus serving as a reference for the evaluation of watered-out layers in the study area.