Evolutionary Decision-Making and Planning for Autonomous Driving Based on Safe and Rational Exploration and Exploitation

Decision-making and motion planning are extremely important in autonomous driving to ensure safe driving in a real-world environment.This study proposes an online evolutionary decision-making and motion planning framework for autonomous driving based on a hybrid data-and model-driven method.First,a data-driven decision-making module based on deep reinforcement learning(DRL)is developed to pursue a rational driving performance as much as possible.Then,model predictive control(MPC)is employed to execute both longitudinal and lateral motion planning tasks.Multiple constraints are defined according to the vehicle’s physical limit to meet the driving task requirements.Finally,two principles of safety and rationality for the self-evolution of autonomous driving are proposed.A motion envelope is established and embedded into a rational exploration and exploitation scheme,which filters out unreasonable experiences by masking unsafe actions so as to collect high-quality training data for the DRL agent.Experiments with a high-fidelity vehicle model and MATLAB/Simulink co-simulation environment are conducted,and the results show that the proposed online-evolution framework is able to generate safer,more rational,and more efficient driving action in a real-world environment.

GSDMD protects intestinal epithelial cells against bacterial infections through its N-terminal activity affecting intestinal immune homeostasis

The intestinal mucosal barrier serves as a vital guardian of the gut health,maintaining a delicate equilibrium between gut microbiota and host immune homeostasis.Gasdermin D(GSDMD),a key executioner of pyroptosis downstream of the inflammasome,has been found to play intricate roles in modulating colitis by influencing intestinal macrophages and regulating mucus secretion from goblet cells.However,the exact nature of the regulatory function of GSDMD in maintaining intestinal immune homeostasis and defending against pathogens remains to be elucidated.In the current study,by using the Citrobacter rodentium infection model,we found that GSDMD played a key role in the defense against intestinal Citrobacter rodentium infection,with high expression levels in intestinal epithelial and lamina propria myeloid cells.Our results showed that GSDMD acted specifically in intestinal epithelial cells to combat the infection,independently of its effects on antimicrobial peptides or mucin secretion.Instead,the resistance was mediated by the N-terminal fragment of GSDMD,highlighting its importance in intestinal immunity.However,the specific mechanism underlying the N-terminal activity of GSDMD in protecting against intestinal bacterial infections requires future investigation.

The coordinated evolution of ecological environment,public service,and tourism economy along the Silk Road Economic Belt,using the Dual-Carbon Targets

Carbon peak and carbon neutrality(dual-carbon)are important targets for the international response to climate change.The Silk Road Economic Belt is a strategic resource region and is important for future ecological environment and tourism development.Based on the“dual-carbon”targets,the Single index quantification,Multiple index synthesis,and Poly-criteria integration evaluation model were used in this study to measure the coordinated development index of the ecological environment,public service,and tourism economy along the Silk Road Economic Belt and to analyze its spatial and temporal evolution.Further,it explores the dynamic evolution and development trend of the three systems using the Kernel Density and Grey Markov Prediction Model.The results show that the coordinated development index along this region needs to be improved during the study period.Furthermore,the coordinated development index of the Southwest region is relatively higher than that of the Northwest region.From the development trend of the three systems,all of them develop in a stable manner;however,the tourism economy system is easily affected by external disturbances.The coordinated development index of the three systems changes dynamically and tends to be in a good state of coordination.There is a certain spatial and temporal heterogeneity.The gravity center of the coordinated development index has been in the Southwest region.During the forecast period,the coordinated development index along this region will improve significantly,while insufficient and unbalanced development will continue.

Achieving an ion-homogenizing and corrosion-resisting interface through nitro-coordination chemistry for stable zinc metal anodes

Suppression of uncontrollable dendrite growth and water-induced side reactions of Zn metal anodes is crucial for achieving long-lasting cycling stability and facilitating the practical implementations of aqueous Zn-metal batteries.To address these challenges,we report in this study a functional nitro-cellulose interfacial layer(NCIL)on the surface of Zn anodes enlightened by a nitro-coordination chemistry strategy.The NCIL exhibits strong zincophilicity and superior coordination capability with Zn^(2+)due to the highly electronegative and highly nucleophilic nature of the nitro functional group.This characteristic facilitates a rapid Zn-ion desolvation process and homogeneous Zn plating,effectively preventing H_(2) evolution and dendrite formation.Additionally,the negatively charged surface of NCIL acts as a shield,repelling SO_(4)^(2-)anions and inhibiting corrosive reactions on the Zn surface.Remarkably,reversible and stable Zn plating/stripping is achieved for over 5100 h at a current density of 1 mA cm^(-2),which is nearly 30 times longer than that of bare Zn anodes.Furthermore,the Zn/V_(2)O_(5) full cells with the functional interface layer deliver a high-capacity retention of 80.3%for over 10,000 cycles at 5 A g^(-1).This research offers valuable insights for the rational development of advanced protective interface layers in order to achieve ultra-long-lifeZnmetal batteries.

Bioactivities,Mechanisms,Production,and Potential Application of Bile Acids in Preventing and Treating Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases are a global public health problem,with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases on the rise worldwide.Therefore,their prevention and treatment are still major challenges.Bile acids are common metabolites in both hosts and microorganisms that play a significant role in controlling the metabolism of lipids,glucose,and energy.Bile acids have historically been utilized as first-line,valuable therapeutic agents for related metabolic and hepatobiliary diseases.Notably,bile acids are the major active ingredients of cow bezoar and bear bile,which are commonly used traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs)with the therapeutic effects of clearing heat,detoxification,and relieving wind and spasm.In recent years,the promising performance of bile acids against infectious diseases has attracted attention from the scientific community.This paper reviews for the first time the biological activities,possible mechanisms,production routes,and potential applications of bile acids in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.Compared with previous reviews,we comprehensively summarize existing studies on the use of bile acids against infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms that are leading causes of global morbidity and mortality.In addition,to ensure a stable supply of bile acids at affordable prices,it is necessary to clarify the biosynthesis of bile acids in vivo,which will assist scientists in elucidating the accumulation of bile acids and discovering how to engineer various bile acids by means of chemosynthesis,biosynthesis,and chemoenzymatic synthesis.Finally,we explore the current challenges in the field and recommend a development strategy for bile-acid-based drugs and the sustainable production of bile acids.The presented studies suggest that bile acids are potential novel therapeutic agents for managing infectious diseases and can be artificially synthesized in a sustainable way.

Application of Optical Hydrogels in Environmental Sensing

The ever-increasing complexity of environmental pollutants urgently warrants the development of new detection technologies.Sensors based on the optical properties of hydrogels enabling fast and easy in situ detection are attracting increasing attention.In this paper,the data from 138 papers about different optical hydrogels(OHs)are extracted for statistical analysis.The detection performance and potential of various types of OHs in different environmental pollutant detection scenarios were evaluated and compared to those obtained using the standard detection method.Based on this analysis,the target recognition and sensing mechanisms of two main types of OHs are reviewed and discussed:photonic crystal hydrogels(PCHs)and fluorescent hydrogels(FHs).For PCHs,the environmental stimulus response,target receptors,inverse opal structures,and molecular imprinting techniques related to PCHs are reviewed and summarized.Furthermore,the different types of fluorophores(i.e.,compound probes,biomacromolecules,quantum dots,and luminescent microbes)of FHs are discussed.Finally,the potential academic research directions to address the challenges of applying and developing OHs in environmental sensing are proposed,including the fusion of various OHs,introduction of the latest technologies in various fields to the construction of OHs,and development of multifunctional sensor arrays.

Ferroptosis:Iron-mediated cell death linked to disease pathogenesis

Ferroptosis is a pattern of iron-mediated regulatory cell death characterized by oxidative damage.The molecular regulatory mechanisms are related to iron metabolism,lipid peroxidation,and glutathione metabolism.Additionally,some immunological signaling pathways,such as the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of the interferon gene axis,the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 axis,and the transforming growth factor beta 1-Smad3 axis,may also participate in the regulation of ferroptosis.Studies have shown that ferroptosis is significantly associated with many diseases such as cancer,neurodegenerative diseases,inflammatory diseases,and autoimmune diseases.Considering the pivotal role of ferroptosis-regulating signaling in the pathogenesis of diverse diseases,the development of ferroptosis inducers or inhibitors may have significant clinical potential for the treatment of aforementioned conditions.

Spatial network characteristics and drivers of carbon emission reduction capability in urban agglomerations:A case study of Shandong Province

Synergistic carbon emission reduction at the urban scale is an inherent requirement for China to realize its carbon emission reduction commitments and promote sustainable and regional synergistic development.Using 16 prefectural cities in Shandong Province as an example,this study defines and quantifies the regional carbon emission reduction capacity(CERC)based on the synergistic development of carbon emission reduction,environmental protection,and economic growth objectives.The spatial network characteristics of the(CERC)and its drivers were analyzed using social network analysis and quadratic assignment procedure regression methods.The results revealed that the spatial correlation of the CERC among prefectural cities has been increasing over the years.Jinan−Zibo−Qingdao is the center of the network,while the spatial linkage strength in the southwest and northeast of Shandong Province is weak.Geospatial distance and scientific development differences have a significant negative effect on the intensity of spatial association,while differences in economic and informatization developments have a considerable positive impact.Environmental regulatory differences and transportation differences are not significant.This study offers a methodological reference for similar studies in other countries or regions.At the same time,the findings provide a scientific basis for the government to rationally allocate urban resources and promote regional synergistic carbon emission reduction.

Locally purified density operators for noisy quantum circuits

Open quantum system simulations are essential for exploring novel quantum phenomena and evaluating noisy quantum circuits.In this Letter,we investigate whether mixed states generated from noisy quantum circuits can be efficiently represented by locally purified density operators(LPDOs).We map an LPDO of N qubits to a pure state of size 2×N defined on a ladder and introduce a unified method for managing virtual and Kraus bonds.We numerically simulate noisy random quantum circuits with depths of up to d=40 using fidelity and entanglement entropy as accuracy measures.The LPDO representation is effective in describing mixed states in both the quantum and classical regions;however,it encounters significant challenges at the quantum-classical critical point,restricting its applicability to the quantum region.In contrast,matrix product operators(MPO)successfully characterize the entanglement trend throughout the simulation,while the truncation in MPOs breaks the positivity condition required for a physical density matrix.This work advances our understanding of efficient mixed-state representations in open quantum systems and provides insights into the entanglement structure of noisy quantum circuits.

Unlocking the novel activation mechanism of human IL-18

Interleukin(IL)-18,a member of the IL-1 family,is commonly known as an interferon-γinducer and is expressed in both hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells,such as intestinal epithelial cells,keratinocytes,and endothelial cells.In the immune system,the mature IL-18 plays a critical role in eliminating tumors and infectious agents by activating NK cells and T-lymphocytes,and by synergizing with other cytokines like IL-12 and IL-1βto induce inflammation[1-2].

Robust blind image watermarking based on interest points

Digital watermarking technology plays an essential role in the work of anti-counterfeiting and traceability.However,image watermarking algorithms are weak against hybrid attacks,especially geometric attacks,such as cropping attacks,rotation attacks,etc.We propose a robust blind image watermarking algorithm that combines stable interest points and deep learning networks to improve the robustness of the watermarking algorithm further.First,to extract more sparse and stable interest points,we use the Superpoint algorithm for generation and design two steps to perform the screening procedure.We first keep the points with the highest possibility in a given region to ensure the sparsity of the points and then filter the robust interest points by hybrid attacks to ensure high stability.The message is embedded in sub-blocks centered on stable interest points using a deep learning-based framework.Different kinds of attacks and simulated noise are added to the adversarial training to guarantee the robustness of embedded blocks.We use the ConvNext network for watermark extraction and determine the division threshold based on the decoded values of the unembedded sub-blocks.Through extensive experimental results,we demonstrate that our proposed algorithm can improve the accuracy of the network in extracting information while ensuring high invisibility between the embedded image and the original cover image.Comparison with previous SOTA work reveals that our algorithm can achieve better visual and numerical results on hybrid and geometric attacks.

Individualized Sellar Floor Reconstruction Method and Nursing Strategy for the Intraoperative Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage Caused by Neuroendoscopic Transsphenoidal Pituitary Adenoma Resection

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of and the method and nursing strategy for sellar reconstruction for intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage in pituitary adenoma resection under neuroendoscopy. Methods: The data from 20 cases of intraoperative CSF leak caused by transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma resection were retrospectively analyzed. Six patients were treated with mucosal flap and artificial dural reconstruction of sellar (simple sellar floor reconstruction). In 45 patients, autologous fat, fascia lata, and artificial dura were used to repair and reconstruct the sellar floor (multilayer sellar floor reconstruction). After the operation, all patients underwent follow-up for 6 - 24 months. Results: Fifty patients were followed up without CSF leakage. One patient was cured after leakage of CSF through the lumbar cistern 1 month after discharge. Conclusion: For patients with CSF leakage during neuroendoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma resection, individualized sellar floor reconstruction should be adopted according to the degree of CSF leakage and the size of the sellar floor defect. Strict nursing measures can effectively prevent CSF leakage and reduce postoperative complications.

Application and Care of Two Kinds of Sphenoid Sinus Packing Materials after Pituitary Tumor Resection with the Transnasal Endoscopic Approach

Background: Neuroendoscopic transsphenoidal approach for resection of pituitary adenomas has the advantages of less damage, fewer complications, and a faster recovery than the traditional approach and has beening favored by neurosurgeons. However, there has no standard method of selecting suitable packing materials after the operation to relieve pain in patients and achieve the ideal hemostatic effect. We compared the postoperative complications and treatment effects of two different packing materials in patients with pituitary adenomas. Objective: To investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using a catheter balloon and iodoform gauze for hemostasis in patients undergoing pituitary tumor resection by neuroendoscopic transsphenoidal approach. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed these data of 48 cases treated with pituitary adenoma resection by the single nasal approach from January 2018 to October 2019 in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. According to the type of sphenoid sinus packing material used, these patients were divided into balloon tamponade oppression group (24 cases) and tela iodoformum oppression group (24 cases), respectively. The balloon tamponade oppression group received catheter balloon tamponade oppression hemostasis, and the tela iodoformum oppression group underwent tela iodoformum oppression hemostasis. The outcomes and complications were compared between the two groups in which two kinds of sphenoid sinus packing materials were used for hemostasis after tumor resection by transnasal endoscopic approach. For the catheter balloon compression hemostasis method, on account of the plasticity of the balloon, the volume of water in the balloon can be adjusted according to the size of the patient’s own sphenoid cavity. The amount of bleeding and several complications in terms of discomfort during placement and removal of the packing material, rebleeding after removal of the packing, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and electrolyte disturbance are compared between the two groups. Results: 48 patients were enrolled. The two groups’ data of patients were similar in age structure, sex ratio, tumor size at baseline and so on. No complications, such as abscess formation, were found in both groups. The success rate in the compression with catheter balloon group was 100% (24 of 24 patients);and in the iodoform gauze group 83.33% (20 of 24 patients). A catheter balloon was more successful in stopping bleeding at early stage than iodoform gauze. There were no statistically significant differences in the hospitalization stay time, operating day to discharge day and tampon indwelling time (P > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in pairwise comparison between the catheter balloon group and iodoform gauze groups in the incidence of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea or electrolyte disturbance between the two groups (P > 0.05). The incidence of headache in the catheter balloon group was statistically significantly lower than that in the iodoform gauze group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In patients undergoing endoscopic pituitary tumor resection, compression and hemostasis by means of catheterization expansion lead to lower rates of injury and complications and have a good effect, so this method is worthy of being recommended for clinical practice.

Perioperative Nursing of a Case of Right Temporal Lobe Brain Abscess Ruptured into the Ventricle

Objective: To explore the perioperative nursing method of brain abscess breaking into the ventricle. Methods: By reviewing the clinical data of 1 case of right temporal lobe brain abscess into the ventricle, the effective nursing methods were summarized. Results: The patient’s condition was advanced quickly, and the diagnosis was treated in time to avoid brain hernia, but the treatment was difficult because of the critical condition. Conclusion: Brain abscess is a very serious intracranial infectious disease. It is of great significance to observe the changes in patients’ condition and take effective nursing measures.

Brain Functional Network Improved by Magnetic Stimulation at Acupoints during Mental Fatigue

To investigate the effects of magnetic stimulation at acupoints on brain functional network during mental fatigue, magnetic stimulation was applied to stimulate SHENMEN (HT7), HEGU (LI4) and LAOGONG (PC8) acupoint in this paper. The brain functional networks of normal state, mental fatigue state and stimulated state were constructed and the characteristic parameters were comparatively studied based on the complex network theory. The results showed that the connection of the network was enhanced by stimulating the HT7, LI4 and PC8 acupoint. In conclusion, magnetic stimulation at acupoints can effectively relieve mental fatigue.

视网膜光损伤机制的研究进展

视网膜是一种高度专业化的组织,具有独特的结构及适应性,在所有不同类型的视网膜细胞中保持动态平衡对于维持视力至关重要。视网膜可能会暴露在各种环境损伤中,如光诱导的损伤,在进化过程中,视网膜细胞对各种损伤产生了适应性反应,这些反应共同恢复了细胞的动态平衡,并增加了组织对进一步损伤的抵抗力。然而过度光照则会导致视网膜组织内光感受器细胞、视网膜神经节细胞(RGC)、视网膜神经胶质细胞及视网膜色素上皮细胞(RPE)发生一系列病理改变,包括线粒体内活性氧(ROS)和Ca2+浓度增加、细胞凋亡、内质网应激、细胞自噬和炎症等,从而导致视网膜发生不可逆损伤。本文将对视网膜光损伤的发病机制和相关研究进展进行详细阐述,为未来防治视网膜光损伤提供研究方向。

酰胺的制备新创实验——N-二苯甲基乙酰胺

以二苯甲醇与乙腈为原料、摩尔比5%碘单质或对甲苯磺酸作为催化剂,加热反应2 h,即可得到~85%分离收率的N-二苯甲基乙酰胺产物。本新创实验基于绿色化学理念,综合了醇的性质、碳正离子理论、BrØnsted与Lewis酸碱理论、Ritter人名反应等基础知识和基本理论,强化了TLC (薄层层析色谱)、重结晶、抽滤、烘干、熔点测定等基本实验操作,涉及到气相色谱-质谱联用、核磁共振等产物分析、表征的科研方法,渗透了单一变量法等基本科研思维,整个实验流程约需3–4 h,试剂成本~1.2元/人次,便于采用分组对照开展实际教学。总之,该新创实验既紧扣课本教材,又联系科研前沿,“顶天立地”,符合新课改“高阶性、创新性和挑战度”的要求。

Bystin-like protein is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and required for nucleologenesis in cancer cell proliferation

The bystin-like （BYSL） gene was previously characterized to encode an accessory protein for cell adhesion that participates in early embryo implantation. It is also involved in 40S ribosomal subunit biogenesis and is found to be expressed in rapidly growing embryo and cancer cell lines. In order to explore the role of BYSL in cancer cell proliferation and growth, we used hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） as a model. Here, we report that BYSL is crucial for HCC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Expression levels of BYSL mRNA and protein in human HCC specimens were markedly increased compared with those seen in adjacent non-cancerous tissue. In vitro, inhibition of BYSL by short hairpin RNA decreased HCC cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and partially arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase. In vivo, HCC cells treated with BYSL siRNA failed to form tumors in nude mice after subcutaneous implantation. To determine the cellular basis for BYSL RNAi-induced cell growth arrest, BYSL subcellular localization in mitotic and interphase HepG2 cells was examined. BYSL was present at multiple stages during nucleologenesis, including in nucleolus-derived foci （NDF）, perichromosomal regions and the prenucleolar body （PNB） during mitosis. BYSL depletion remarkably suppressed NDF and PNB formation, and disrupted nucleoli assembly after mitosis, resulting in increased apoptosis and reduced tolerance of HCC cells to serum starvation. Taken together, our studies indicate that upregulated BYSL expression plays a role in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Aberrant methylation of the 3q25 tumor suppressor gene PTX3 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM:To identify the novel methylation-silenced gene pentraxin 3(PTX3) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).METHODS:PTX3 mRNA expression was examined in six human ESCC cell lines,one human immortalized normal esophageal epithelial cell line,primary ESCC tumor tissue,and paired adjacent nontumor tissue using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RTPCR).Semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry was used to examine cellular localisation and protein levels.Methylation specific PCR and bisulphite genomic sequencing were employed to investigate the methylation of the candidate gene.RESULTS:In the majority of ESCC cell lines,we found that PTX3 expression was down-regulated due to gene promoter hypermethylation,which was further confirmed by bisulphite genomic sequencing.Demethylation treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine restored PTX3 mRNA expression in ESCC cell lines.Methylation was more common in tumor tissues(85%) than in adjacent nontumor tissues(25%)(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION:PTX3 is down-regulated through promoter hypermethylation in ESCC,and could potentially serve as a biomarker of ESCC.

Introducing oxygen vacancies in TiO_(2) lattice through trivalent iron to enhance the photocatalytic removal of indoor NO

The synthesis of oxygen vacancies(OVs)-modified TiO_(2)under mild conditions is attractive.In this work,OVs were easily introduced in TiO_(2)lattice during the hydrothermal doping process of trivalent iron ions.Theoretical calculations based on a novel charge-compensation structure model were employed with experimental methods to reveal the intrinsic photocatalytic mechanism of Fe-doped TiO_(2)(Fe-TiO_(2)).The OVs formation energy in Fe-TiO_(2)(1.12 eV)was only 23.6%of that in TiO_(2)(4.74 eV),explaining why Fe^(3+)doping could introduce OVs in the TiO_(2)lattice.The calculation results also indicated that impurity states introduced by Fe^(3+)and OVs enhanced the light absorption activity of TiO_(2).Additionally,charge carrier transport was investigated through the carrier lifetime and relative mass.The carrier lifetime of Fe-TiO_(2)(4.00,4.10,and 3.34 ns for 1at%,2at%,and 3at%doping contents,respectively)was longer than that of undoped TiO_(2)(3.22 ns),indicating that Fe^(3+) and OVs could promote charge carrier separation,which can be attributed to the larger relative effective mass of electrons and holes.Herein,Fe-TiO_(2)has higher photocatalytic indoor NO removal activity compared with other photocatalysts because it has strong light absorption activity and high carrier separation efficiency.