Stage at diagnosis of colorectal cancer through diagnostic route:Who should be screened?

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a global health concern,with advanced-stage diagnoses contributing to poor prognoses.The efficacy of CRC screening has been well-established;nevertheless,a significant proportion of patients remain unscreened,with>70%of cases diagnosed outside screening.Although identifying specific subgroups for whom CRC screening should be particularly recommended is crucial owing to limited resources,the association between the diagnostic routes and identification of these subgroups has been less appreciated.In the Japanese cancer registry,the diagnostic routes for groups discovered outside of screening are primarily categorized into those with comorbidities found during hospital visits and those with CRC-related symptoms.AIM To clarify the stage at CRC diagnosis based on diagnostic routes.METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational study using a cancer registry of patients with CRC between January 2016 and December 2019 at two hospitals.The diagnostic routes were primarily classified into three groups:Cancer screening,follow-up,and symptomatic.The early-stage was defined as Stages 0 or I.Multivariate and univariate logistic regressions were exploited to determine the odds of early-stage diagnosis in the symptomatic and cancer screening groups,referencing the follow-up group.The adjusted covariates were age,sex,and tumor location.RESULTS Of the 2083 patients,715(34.4%),1064(51.1%),and 304(14.6%)belonged to the follow-up,symptomatic,and cancer screening groups,respectively.Among the 2083 patients,CRCs diagnosed at an early stage were 57.3%(410 of 715),23.9%(254 of 1064),and 59.5%(181 of 304)in the follow-up,symptomatic,and cancer screening groups,respectively.The symptomatic group exhibited a lower likelihood of early-stage diagnosis than the follow-up group[P<0.001,adjusted odds ratio(aOR),0.23;95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.19-0.29].The likelihood of diagnosis at an early stage was similar between the follow-up and cancer screening groups(P=0.493,aOR for early-stage diagnosis in the cancer screening group vs follow-up group=1.11;95%CI=0.82-1.49).CONCLUSION CRCs detected during hospital visits for comorbidities were diagnosed earlier,similar to cancer screening.CRC screening should be recommended,particularly for patients without periodical hospital visits for comorbidities.

CoopAI-Route: DRL Empowered Multi-Agent Cooperative System for Efficient QoS-Aware Routing for Network Slicing in Multi-Domain SDN

The emergence of beyond 5G networks has the potential for seamless and intelligent connectivity on a global scale.Network slicing is crucial in delivering services for different,demanding vertical applications in this context.Next-generation applications have time-sensitive requirements and depend on the most efficient routing path to ensure packets reach their intended destinations.However,the existing IP(Internet Protocol)over a multi-domain network faces challenges in enforcing network slicing due to minimal collaboration and information sharing among network operators.Conventional inter-domain routing methods,like Border Gateway Protocol(BGP),cannot make routing decisions based on performance,which frequently results in traffic flowing across congested paths that are never optimal.To address these issues,we propose CoopAI-Route,a multi-agent cooperative deep reinforcement learning(DRL)system utilizing hierarchical software-defined networks(SDN).This framework enforces network slicing in multi-domain networks and cooperative communication with various administrators to find performance-based routes in intra-and inter-domain.CoopAI-Route employs the Distributed Global Topology(DGT)algorithm to define inter-domain Quality of Service(QoS)paths.CoopAI-Route uses a DRL agent with a message-passing multi-agent Twin-Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient method to ensure optimal end-to-end routes adapted to the specific requirements of network slicing applications.Our evaluation demonstrates CoopAI-Route’s commendable performance in scalability,link failure handling,and adaptability to evolving topologies compared to state-of-the-art methods.

MA-Res U-Net:Design of Soybean Navigation System with Improved U-Net Model

Traditional machine vision algorithms have difficulty handling the interference of light and shadow changes,broken rows,and weeds in the complex growth circumstances of soybean fields,which leads to erroneous navigation route segmentation.There are additional shortcomings in the feature extractFion capabilities of the conventional U-Net network.Our suggestion is to utilize an improved U-Net-based method to tackle these difficulties.First,we use ResNet’s powerful feature extraction capabilities to replace the original U-Net encoder.To enhance the concentration on characteristics unique to soybeans,we integrate a multi-scale high-performance attention mechanism.Furthermore,to do multi-scale feature extraction and capture a wider variety of contextual information,we employ atrous spatial pyramid pooling.The segmented image generated by our upgraded U-Net model is then analyzed using the CenterNet method to extract key spots.The RANSAC algorithm then uses these important spots to delineate the soybean seedling belt line.Finally,the navigation line is determined using the angle tangency theory.The experimental findings illustrate the superiority of our method.Our improved model significantly outperforms the original U-Net regarding mean Pixel Accuracy(mPA)and mean Intersection over Union(mIOU)indices,showing a more accurate segmentation of soybean routes.Furthermore,our soybean route navigation system’s outstanding accuracy is demonstrated by the deviation angle,which is only 3°between the actual deviation and the navigation line.This technology makes a substantial contribution to the sustainable growth of agriculture and shows potential for real-world applications.

Research on the Evolution of Country-Level BGP Network Ecosystems in 24 Years

The global Internet is composed of more than 70,000 autonomous domain networks interconnected through the Border Gateway Protocol(BGP).Studying the ecological evolution of BGP network is of great significance for analyzing the evolution trend of the global Internet.This paper focuses on the evolution of Country-Level BGP network ecosystems in 24 years,and innovatively studies the relationship between Country-Level BGP network and economy,breaking through the limitations of traditional research that only focuses on BGP network.The results revealed that the number of global BGP networks has increased by nearly 23 times and that network interconnection has increased nearly 80 times over in 24 years.It was found that the growth of the global BGP network ecosystem has slowed overall due to major global security events,although the BGP network ecosystem in some Southeast Asian countries is developing against the trend.At the same time,there is a significant positive correlation between the BGP network ecology and the national economy in the time dimension;there is a strong positive correlation in the spatial dimension,but the trend is weakening year by year.

Risk-Balanced Routing Strategy for Service Function Chains of Cyber-Physical Power System Considering Cross-Space Cascading Failure

Cyber-physical power system(CPPS)has significantly improved the operational efficiency of power systems.However,cross-space cascading failures may occur due to the coupling characteristics,which poses a great threat to the safety and reliability of CPPS,and there is an acute need to reduce the probability of these failures.Towards this end,this paper first proposes a cascading failure index to identify and quantify the importance of different information in the same class of communication services.On this basis,a joint improved risk-balanced service function chain routing strategy(SFC-RS)is proposed,which is modeled as a robust optimization problem and solved by column-and-constraint generation(C-CG)algorithm.Compared with the traditional shortest-path routing algorithm,the superiority of SFC-RS is verified in the IEEE 30-bus system.The results demonstrate that SFC-RS effectively mitigates the risk associated with information transmission in the network,enhances information transmission accessibility,and effectively limits communication disruption from becoming the cause of cross-space cascading failures.

The Influence of Price Discrimination from Airports on the Route Development Behavior of Airlines

Given the prominence and magnitude of airport incentive schemes,it is surprising that literature hitherto remains silent as to their effectiveness.In this paper,the relationship between airport incentive schemes and the route development behavior of airlines is analyzed.Because of rare and often controversial findings in the extant literature regarding relevant influencing variables for attracting airlines at an airport,expert interviews are used as a complement to formulate testable hypotheses in this regard.A fixed effects regression model is used to test the hypotheses with a dataset that covers all seat capacity offered at the 22 largest German commercial airports in the week 46 from 2004 to 2011.It is found that incentives from primary choice,as well as secondary choice airports,have a significant influence on Low Cost Carriers.Furthermore,Low Cost Carriers,in general,do not leave any of both types of airports when the incentives cease.In the case of Network Carriers,no case is found where one joins a primary choice airport and receives an incentive.Insufficient data between Network Carriers and secondary choice airports in the time when incentives have ceased means that no statement can be given.

The Impact of Sea Level Rise on Roadway Design and Evacuation Routes in Delaware

As the global temperature continues to increase, the sea level continues to rise at a rapid rate that has never been seen before. This becomes an issue for many facets of life but one of the most impacted is the transportation infrastructure. Many people living in low elevation coastal areas can become trapped by flooding with no way in or out. With Delaware being a coastal state, this would affect a large portion of the population and will have detrimental effects over time if nothing is done to combat sea level rise. The issue with sea level rise in transportation is that once the roads become flooded, they become virtually unusable and detour routes would be needed. If all the roads in a coastal area were to be affected by sea level rise, the options for detours would become limited. This article looks at direct solutions to combat sea level rise and indirect solutions that would specifically help transportation infrastructure and evacuation routes in Delaware. There is not one solution that can fix every problem, so many solutions are laid out to see what is applicable to each affected area. Some solutions include defense structures that would be put close to the coast, raising the elevation of vulnerable roads throughout the state and including pumping stations to drain the water on the surface of the road. With an understanding of all these solutions around the world, the ultimate conclusion came in the form of a six-step plan that Delaware should take in order to best design against sea level rise in these coastal areas.

A route to selectively increase the microporous structure of zeolite and its optimization in the ethanol to butadiene reaction

Control over the pore structure of zeolite is very important,so researchers are trying to regulate the pore structure of zeolite through various methods to endow it with better performance in industrial applications.Here,a confined etching route that could selectively increase the microporous structure of zeolite is developed using ethanol/amine buffer solution.Ethanol is introduced into an aqueous amine solution,where it could decrease the migration rate and concentration of hydroxyl ions which can etch the framework atoms of zeolite to fabricate various porous structures,consequently developing a confined etching route that could selectively increase the microporous structure of zeolite,unlike conventional approaches that generally increase mesoporous and macroporous architectures.In addition,ethanol enhances the solubility of amine in water,and a buffer solution(ethanol/amine)is formed,which is able to release hydroxyl ions continuously.Based on the above confined etching route,a micropore-increased beta crystal is synthesized and when used as a carrier in ZnLaY/beta catalysts,it achieves excellent ethanol conversion of 96.04%and butadiene selectivity of 64.22%in 20 h time-on-stream in an ethanol to butadiene reaction.

Manual Order Picking Route Optimization in Distribution Warehouse of Chain Furniture Retail Enterprise

Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of online shopping, the offline sales of IKEA Fuzhou have been declining since 2020. Because the cost of distribution warehouse is a major expense for offline chain furniture retailers, and the picking process is a key activity in distribution warehouse operations. To reduce the cost of distribution warehouse and alleviate the survival pressure of the offline chain furniture retailers, this paper focuses on optimizing the picking route of the IKEA Fuzhou distribution warehouse. It starts by creating a two-dimensional coordinate system for the storage location of the distribution warehouse using the traditional S-type picking strategy to calculate the distance and time of the sorting route. Then, the problem of optimizing the picking route is then transformed into the travelling salesman problem (TSP), and picking route optimization model is developed using a genetic algorithm to analyze the sorting efficiency and picking route optimization. Results show that the order-picking route using the genetic algorithm strategy is significantly better than the traditional S-type picking strategy, which can improve overall sorting efficiency and operations, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. Thus, this establishes an implementation process for the order-picking path based on genetic algorithm optimization to improve overall sorting efficiency and operations, reduce costs, increase efficiency, and alleviate the survival pressure of pandemic-affected enterprises.

Safety Evaluation Method of Evacuation Routes in Areas in Case of Earthquake Disasters Using Ant Optimization Algorithm and Geographic Information Systems

The present study aims to propose the method for the quantitative evaluation of safety concerning evacuation routes in case of earthquake disasters in urban areas using ACO （Ant Colony Optimization） algorithm and GIS （Geographic Information Systems）. Regarding the safety evaluation method, firstly, the similarity in safety was focused on while taking into consideration road blockage probability, and after classifying roads by means of the hierarchical cluster analysis, the congestion rates of evacuation routes using ACO simulations were estimated. Based on these results, the multiple evacuation routes extracted were visualized on digital maps by means of GIS, and its safety was evaluated. Furthermore, the selection of safe evacuation routes between evacuation sites, for cases when the possibility of large-scale evacuation after an earthquake disaster is high, is made possible. As the safety evaluation method is based on public information, by obtaining the same geographic information as the present study, it is effective in other areas regardless of whether the information is of the past and future. Therefore, in addition to spatial reproducibility, the safety evaluation method also has high temporal reproducibility. Because safety evaluations are conducted on evacuation routes based on quantified data, highly safe evacuation routes that are selected have been quantitatively evaluated, and thus serve as an effective indicator when selecting evacuation routes.

Modeling commuters' route choice behavior under pre-trip information system

Research about the auto commuter＇s pre-trip route choice behavior ignores the combined influence of the real-time information and all respondents＇ historical information in the existing documents.To overcome this shortcoming,an approach to describing the pre-trip route choice behavior with the incorporation of the real-time and historical information is proposed.Two types of real-time information are investigated,which are quantitative information and prescriptive information.By using the bounded rationality theory,the influence of historical information on the real-time information reference process is examined first.Estimation results show that the historical information has a significant influence on the quantitative information reference process,but not on the prescriptive information reference process.Then the route choice behavior is modeled.A comparison is also made among three route choice models,one of which does not incorporate the real-time information reference process,while the others do.Estimation results show that the route choice behavior is better described with the consideration of the reference process of both quantitative and prescriptive information.

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of single-crystal ZnO hexagonal pyramids by PEG400-assisted thermal decomposition route

Large-scale synthesis of ZnO hexagonal pyramids was achieved by a simple thermal decomposition route of precursor at 240 oC in the presence of PEG400. The precursor was obtained by room-temperature solid-state grinding reaction between Zn（CH3COO）2-2H2O and Na2CO3. Crystal structure and morphology of the products were analyzed and characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. The results of further experiments show that PEG400 has an important role in the formation of ZnO hexagonal pyramids. Difference between the single and double hexagonal pyramid structure may come from the special thermal decomposition reaction. The photoluminescence （PL） spectra of ZnO hexagonal pyramids exhibit strong near-band-edge emission at about 386 nm and weak green emission at about 550 nm. The Raman-active vibration at about 435 cm-1 suggests that the ZnO hexagonal pyramids have high crystallinity.

Tactical planning and optimization of a milk run system of parts pickup for an engine manufacturer

A real-life milk run system designing problem of an engine manufacturer adopted JIT(just-in-time)production is studied.In the process of milk run system planning and design,the supply base is identified and a supplier site map is plotted for an arrangement of routes on which parts are periodically collected in a JIT manner from many scattered suppliers.With unit load designing,vehicle choosing and fleet sizing,pickup routing,vehicle assigning and scheduling problems are studied.Among these problems,a CVRP problem is identified and formulated as the key optimization in designing this milk run system,and it is solved through an optimization process.This tactical planning and optimization process gives a good solution to the real problem,and may shed light on the planning of similar systems.

Research on the Harmony between Route Design of and Landscapes along Highway

Through analyzing landscape environment which is the principal factor to be considered in the route design of highway,principles to be followed by the highway route design are proposed,and approaches of maintaining the harmony between route design and landscape along the highway under different conditions are discussed.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of ZK60 magnesium alloy produced by SSTT and RAP route in semi-solid state

The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of a ZK60 magnesium alloy produced by the semi-solid thermal transformation （SSTT） route and the recrystallization and partial melting （RAP） route were studied, respectively. The microstructure evolution during partial remelting was studied at different temperatures for different time. The tensile mechanical properties of thixoformed components by the two routes at room temperature were examined. The results show that coalescence is dominant in the SSTT alloy and Ostwald ripening is dominant in the RAP alloy. Compared with the SSTT route, the RAP route can produce finer semi-solid microstructure under the similar isothermal holding condition. The microstructure of the RAP alloy is much more spheroidized compared with the SSTT alloy. Thixoforming for the ZK60 magnesium alloy produced by the SSTT and RAP route results in successful filling of the die, and the thixoforming process improves the mechanical properties of ZK60 magnesium alloy. The RAP alloy shows significantly advantageous mechanical properties over that of the SSTT alloy.

Routes Choice of Urban Agriculture,Ecotourism and Cultural Innovation Industry Fusion

The fusion of urban agriculture, ecotourism and cultural innovation industry has been a necessary way for industry updating, value increase and income im- provement of farmers in suburbs. The methods available of the fusion are as fol- lows： corporation development and operation, led by government with an integrated plan; corporation management and development under guidance of market with sup- port from government; collective development under guidance of market and policies; individual development and operation with the model of ＂villagers participation de- pending on infrastructure provided by government＂. The four routes enjoy exclusive advantages and characters. Hence, different villages and towns should adopt the most suitable one according to local conditions for further development and management.

The Training Model and Development Route of Market-oriented Professional Farmers

To cultivate new professional farmers is a key way for rural labor development, resolving existing problems such as how to farming. It is notable that government and market take advantages in training of new professional farmers. Therefore, it is necessary to guarantee government and market playing the roles. The research explored market-oriented farmer training model and the characteristics and investigated training routes for new professional farmers.

ROUTE OPTIMIZING ALGORITHM OF AIRPORT SURFACE BASED ON GIS

The GIS technique is used for airport surface management to study the optimization of airplane taxiway for arrival and departure flights. The shortest paths are designed for just-arrived and ready-for-departing flights of the airport. Additionally, whether the flights could confront each other head-to-head on the taxiway is judged. In regard to the airport′s security and efficiency, airplanes must continuously taxi along the shortest route and the head-to-head confrontation should not occur. Two schemes are designed: One is to change the taxiing velocity of arrival flights, the other is to delay the starting time of departure flights. This algorithm is approved by a practical example.

Injection of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by intravenous or intraperitoneal routes is a viable alternative to spinal cord injury treatment in mice

In spite of advances in surgical care and rehabilitation, the consequences of spinal cord injury （SCI） are still challenging. Several experimental therapeutic strategies have been studied in the SCI field, and recent advances have led to the development of therapies that may act on the inhibitory microenvironment. Assorted lineages of stem cells are considered a good treatment for SCI. This study investigated the effect of systemic transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs） in a compressive SCI model. Here we present results of the intraperitoneal route, which has not been used previously for MSC administration after compressive SCI. We used adult female C57BL/6 mice that underwent laminectomy at the T9 level, followed by spinal cord compression for 1 minute with a 30-g vascular clip. The animals were divided into five groups： sham （anesthesia and laminectomy but without compression injury induction）, MSC i.p. （intraperitoneal injection of 8×10^5 MSCs in 500 μL of DMEM at 7 days after SCI）, MSC i.v. （intravenous injection of 8 × 10^5 MSCs in 500μL of DMEM at 7 days after SCI）, DMEM i.p. （intraperitoneal injection of 500μL of DMEM at 7 days after SCI）, DMEM i.v. （intravenous injection of 500 μL of DMEM at 7 days after SCI）. The effects of MSCs transplantation in white matter sparing were analyzed by luxol fast blue staining. The number of preserved fibers was counted in semithin sections stained with toluidine blue and the presence of trophic factors was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In addition, we analyzed the locomotor performance with Basso Mouse Scale and Global Mobility Test. Our results showed white matter preservation and a larger number of preserved fibers in the MSC groups than in the DMEM groups. Furthermore, the MSC groups had higher levels of trophic factors （brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, neurotrophin-3 and neurotrophin-4） in the spinal cord and improved locomotor performance. Our results indicate that injection of MSCs by either intraperitoneal or intravenous routes results in beneficial outcomes and can be elected as a choice for SCI treatment.

A review of the current state of biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass using thermochemical conversion routes

The rapid increase in energy demand,the extensive use of fossil fuels and the urgent need to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions have raised concerns in the transportation sector.Alternate renewable and sustainable sources have become the ultimate solution to overcome the expected depletion of fossil fuels.The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to liquid(BtL)transportation fuels seems to be a promising path and presents advantages over first generation biofuels and fossil fuels.Therefore,development of BtL systems is critical to increase the potential of this resource in a sustainable and economic way.Conversion of lignocellulosic BtL transportation fuels,such as,gasoline,diesel and jet fuel can be accomplished through various thermochemical processes and processing routes.The major steps for the production of BtL fuels involve feedstock selection,physical pretreatment,production of bio-oil,upgrading of bio-oil to transportation fuels and recovery of value-added products.The present work is aiming to give a comprehensive review of the current process technologies following these major steps and the current scenarios of biomass to liquid facilities for the production of biofuels.