Search Results (4,826)

Our goal is to further understand how a simulated extravehicular mobility unit (xEMU) spacesuit affects the relative movement of one’s body segments. The effect of the xEMU spacesuit on gait is not yet fully understood. Here, gait was examined in terms of postural strategies, defined by the absolute angle with standard deviation (AAD) and the anchoring index (AI). The AAD values allowed the measurement of the absolute angles of body segments and their standard deviation, whereas the AI provided a measure of how stable a body segment was relative to a global reference frame and the inferior body segment. The body segments examined were the head, thorax, lumbar, and pelvis segments of 17 participants (26.53 ± 6.51 years old). The configurations tested included unsuited, or using a xEMU Vest or a hard upper body torso (HUT) for four walking conditions: eyes open/closed, with either forward or backward walking. The AAD values of the xEMU Vest were insignificant compared to those of the unsuited condition. The HUT significantly affected the AAD values compared to the unsuited condition. The AI for the HUT also indicates a new unique postural strategy being employed by the HUT group that was not previously observed. Full article

Background: Research into the pivotal role of potassium in chronic diseases and their comorbidities remains scarce. Our aim is to elucidate the relationship between potassium and chronic diseases, including comorbid conditions, and to provide evidence-based recommendations for potassium intake in patients. Methods: This study is anchored in a representative, population-based survey conducted in Zhejiang Province, China, in 2017, encompassing participants aged 18 to 69 years. Data collection included questionnaire responses, physical measurements, and biological samples, obtained through a multistage cluster random sampling method. A subset of 1496 participants provided complete 24 h urine samples. Results: The median age of the participants was 48.0 years (interquartile range [IQR] 24.0), with 51.1% being female, and hypertension was identified in more than one third (35.6%) of the participants. The prevalence of diabetes was approximately 9.0%, dyslipidemia was found in 34.2%, and microalbuminuria in 8.8%. The 24 h urinary excretion levels were 3613.3 mg/24 h (IQR 2161.7) for sodium and 1366.0 mg/24 h (IQR 824.9) for potassium, respectively. Potassium excretion exhibited an inverse relationship with blood pressure. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between potassium excretion and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, with an elevation of 0.03 mmol/L (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00 to 0.05). In binary logistic regression analysis, individuals in the fourth quartile of potassium excretion (Q4) exhibited an odds ratio (OR) of 0.56 (95% CI 0.36–0.87) for hypertension compared to those in the first quartile (Q1). Urinary potassium excretion was inversely associated with low HDL-C levels, with Q4 individuals having 0.62 times the odds of having low HDL-C levels (OR, 0.62; 95% CI 0.39–1.00) compared to Q1. Conclusions: Potassium excretion demonstrated a direct negative correlation with certain comorbidities. This study underscores the pivotal role of potassium in the management of chronic diseases and associated comorbidities, thereby highlighting the significance of potassium in both public health initiatives and clinical practice. Full article

Recently, considerable attention has been directed toward graph-based semi-supervised learning (GSSL) as an effective approach for data labeling. Despite the progress achieved by current methodologies, several limitations persist. Firstly, many studies treat all samples equally in terms of weight and influence, disregarding the potential increased importance of samples near decision boundaries. Secondly, the detection of outlier-labeled data is crucial, as it can significantly impact model performance. Thirdly, existing models often struggle with predicting labels for unseen test data, restricting their utility in practical applications. Lastly, most graph-based algorithms rely on affinity matrices that capture pairwise similarities across all data points, thus limiting their scalability to large-scale databases. In this paper, we propose a novel GSSL algorithm tailored for large-scale databases, leveraging anchor points to mitigate the challenges posed by large affinity matrices. Additionally, our method enhances the influence of nodes near decision boundaries by assigning different weights based on their importance and using a mapping function from feature space to label space. Leveraging this mapping function enables direct label prediction for test samples without requiring iterative learning processes. Experimental evaluations on two extensive datasets (Norb and Covtype) demonstrate that our approach is scalable and outperforms existing GSSL methods in terms of performance metrics. Full article

Chronological aging of bone tissues is a multi-faceted process that involves a complex interplay of cellular, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms. Metabolites play a crucial role for bone homeostasis, and a changed metabolome is indicative for bone aging, although bone metabolomics are currently understudied. The vertebral bone metabolome of the model fish Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) was employed to identify sex-specific markers of bone aging. 265 and 213 metabolites were differently expressed in 8-month-old vs. 3-month-old female and male fish, respectively. The untargeted metabolomics pathway enrichment analysis indicated a sex-independent increased hyperglycosylation in 8-month-old individuals. The upregulated glycosylation pathways included glycosphingolipids, glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors, O-glycans, and N-glycans. UDP-sugars and sialic acid were found to be major drivers in regulating glycosylation pathways and metabolic flux. The data indicate a disruption of protein processing at the endoplasmic reticulum and changes in O-glycan biosynthesis. Dysregulation of glycosylation, particularly through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway, may contribute to bone aging and age-related bone loss. The results warrant further investigation into the functional involvement of increased glycosylation in bone aging. The potential of glycan-based biomarkers as early warning systems for bone aging should be explored and would aid in an advanced understanding of the progression of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Full article

An automatic focusing system is a crucial component of automated microscopes, adjusting the lens-to-object distance to find the optimal focus by maximizing the focus measure (FM) value. This study develops reliable autofocus methods for hyperspectral imaging microscope systems, essential for extracting accurate chemical and spatial information from hyperspectral datacubes. Since FMs are domain- and application-specific, commonly, their performance is evaluated using verified focus positions. For example, in optical microscopy, the sharpness/contrast of visual peculiarities of a sample under testing typically guides as an anchor to determine the best focus position, but this approach is challenging in hyperspectral imaging systems (HSISs), where instant two-dimensional hyperspectral images do not always possess human-comprehensible visual information. To address this, a principal component analysis (PCA) was used to define the optimal (“ideal”) optical focus position in HSIS, providing a benchmark for assessing 22 FMs commonly used in other imaging fields. Evaluations utilized hyperspectral images from visible (400–1100 nm) and near-infrared (900–1700 nm) bands across four different HSIS setups with varying magnifications. Results indicate that gradient-based FMs are the fastest and most reliable operators in this context. Full article

To simulate the influence of rainfall on the internal forces of expansive soil slope retaining structures, an approximate calculation method for the humidity stress field of expansive soil is proposed in this study. Considering both rainy and non-rainy conditions, on a high expansive soil slope, a numerical model is constructed for a combining supporting structure, which is composed of upper and lower anti-sliding piles and anchor rods/cable frames. Furthermore, the distribution of internal forces in the retaining structure is studied, and design optimization is performed. The research findings reveal that the bending moment profile along the longitudinal axis of the lower anti-sliding pile demonstrates a distinctive “W” pattern, which is characterized by initial reduction, following augmentation, a subsequent reduction, and final amplification. In contrast, the upper anti-sliding pile experiences an ascending trend, followed by a descending trend, and then a subsequent ascending trend. Interestingly, the introduction of rainfall grants an escalation in both the shear force exerted along the entire length of the upper and lower anti-sliding piles and the bending moment encountered by the lower anti-sliding pile. The determination of the internal force distribution of the expansive soil slope retaining structures under different conditions, using the proposed calculation method, provides a further optimization in their design. Full article

Cardiac lymphatic vessels (LyVs) are suggested to be important players in cardiovascular disease-associated myocardial remodeling. However, there is a gap in the knowledge of whether LyV remodeling is an integral component of cardiac remodeling, especially in obesity associated with other comorbidities, including increased levels of circulating angiotensin II (Ang II). We studied the structural alterations in the myocardium and LyVs in Ang II-treated db/db mice compared with db/db mice and Ang II-treated wild-type mice with histopathological imaging methods, confocal microscopy, ultrastructural morphology, and morphometric analysis. We demonstrated that Ang II-treated db/db mice exhibited significantly increased fibrosis, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and local edema compared with untreated db/db mice; however, the cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was similar to that in Ang II-treated control mice. The decreased density of the LyVs and their wall shape alterations, with disorganized anchoring filaments, widened junctional gaps, decreased numbers of cytoplasmic vesicles indicative of a leaky phenotype, and increased basement membrane (BM) thickness, were observed in Ang II-treated db/db mice compared with Ang II-treated controls. Our findings revealed a structural basis for intensive LyV remodeling in association with cardiac remodeling in obesity. Full article

Ubiquitination is one of the most important post-translational modifications in eukaryotes. The ubiquitination cascade includes ubiquitin-activating enzymes (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2), and ubiquitin ligases (E3). The E3 ligases, responsible for substrate recognition, are the most abundant and varied proteins in the cascade and the most studied. SKP1-CUL1-F-Box (SCF)-type E3 ubiquitin ligases are multi-subunit RING (Really Interesting New Gene) E3 ubiquitin ligases, composed of CUL1 (Cullin 1), RBX1 (RING BOX 1), SKP1 (S-phase Kinase-associated Protein 1), and F-box proteins. In vitro ubiquitination assays, used for studying the specific recognition of substrate proteins by E3 ubiquitin ligases, require the purification of all components involved in the cascade, and for assays with SCF-type E3 ligases, additional proteins (several SCF complex subunits). Here, the Duet expression system was used to co-express E1, E2, ubiquitin, ubiquitylation target (substrate), and the four subunits of a SCF-type E3 ligase in E. coli. When these proteins co-exist in bacterial cells, ubiquitination occurs and can be detected by Western Blot. The effectiveness of this bacterial system for detecting ubiquitination cascade activity was demonstrated by replicating both AtSCF^TIR1-mediated and human SCF^FBXO28-mediated ubiquitylation in bacteria. This system provides a basic but adaptable platform for the study of SCF-type E3 ubiquitin ligases. Full article

Background: It is widely accepted that the 3D chromatin organization in human cell nuclei is not random and recent investigations point towards an interactive relation of epigenetic functioning and chromatin (re-)organization. Although chromatin organization seems to be the result of self-organization of the entirety of all molecules available in the cell nucleus, a general question remains open as to what extent chromatin organization might additionally be predetermined by the DNA sequence and, if so, if there are characteristic differences that distinguish typical regions involved in dysfunction-related aberrations from normal ones, since typical DNA breakpoint regions involved in disease-related chromosome aberrations are not randomly distributed along the DNA sequence. Methods: Highly conserved k-mer patterns in intronic and intergenic regions have been reported in eukaryotic genomes. In this article, we search and analyze regions deviating from average spectra (ReDFAS) of k-mer word frequencies in the human genome. This includes all assembled regions, e.g., telomeric, centromeric, genic as well as intergenic regions. Results: A positive correlation between k-mer spectra and 3D contact frequencies, obtained exemplarily from given Hi-C datasets, has been found indicating a relation of ReDFAS to chromatin organization and interactions. We also searched and found correlations of known functional annotations, e.g., genes correlating with ReDFAS. Selected regions known to contain typical breakpoints on chromosomes 9 and 5 that are involved in cancer-related chromosomal aberrations appear to be enriched in ReDFAS. Since transposable elements like ALUs are often assigned as major players in 3D genome organization, we also studied their impact on our examples but could not find a correlation between ALU regions and breakpoints comparable to ReDFAS. Conclusions: Our findings might show that ReDFAS are associated with instable regions of the genome and regions with many chromatin contacts which is in line with current research indicating that chromatin loop anchor points lead to genomic instability. Full article

This paper discusses the iteration of a seismic retrofit solution for shear-deficient end regions of 19 reinforced concrete (RC) moment-resisting frame (MRF) T-beams located in a 12-story RC MRF building in downtown Los Angeles, California. Local strengthening with externally bonded (EB) fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) fabric was chosen as the preferred retrofit strategy due to its cost-effectiveness and proven performance. The FRP-shear-strengthening scheme for the deficient end-hinging regions of the MRF beams was designed and evaluated through large-scale cyclic testing of three replica specimens. The specimens were constructed at 4/5 scale and cantilever T-beam configurations with lengths of 3.40 m or 3.17 m. The cross-sectional geometry was 0.98 × 0.61 m with a top slab of 1.59 m in width and 0.12 m in thickness. Applied to these specimens were three different retrofit configurations, tested sequentially, namely: (a) unanchored continuous U-wrap; (b) anchored continuous U-wrap with conventional FRP-embedded anchors at the ends; and (c) fully closed external FRP hoops made of discrete FRP U-wrap strips and FRP through-anchors that penetrate the top slab and connect both ends of the FRP strips, combined with intermediate crack-control joints. The strengthening concept with FRP hoops precluded the premature debonding and anchor pullout issues of the two more conventional retrofit solutions and, despite a more challenging and labor-intensive installation, was selected for the in-situ implementation. The proposed hooplike EB-FRP shear-strengthening scheme enabled the deficient MRF beams to overcome a 30% shear overstress at the end-yielding region and to develop high-end rotations (e.g., 0.034 rad [3.4% drift] at peak and 0.038 rad [3.8% drift]) at strength loss for a beam that, otherwise, would have prematurely failed in shear. These values are about 30% larger than the ASCE 41 prescriptive value for the Life Safety (LS) performance objective. Energy dissipation achieved with the fully closed scheme was 108% higher than that of the unanchored FRP U-wrap and 45% higher than that of the FRP U-wrap with traditional embedded anchors. The intermediate saw-cut grooves successfully attracted crack formation between the strips and away from the FRP reinforcement, which contributed to not having any discernable debonding of the strips up to 3% drift. This paper presents the experimental evaluation of the three large-scale laboratory specimens that were used as the design basis for the final retrofit solution. Full article

Object detection, as a crucial aspect of computer vision, plays a vital role in traffic management, emergency response, autonomous vehicles, and smart cities. Despite the significant advancements in object detection, detecting small objects in images captured by high-altitude cameras remains challenging, due to factors such as object size, distance from the camera, varied shapes, and cluttered backgrounds. To address these challenges, we propose small object detection YOLOv8 (SOD-YOLOv8), a novel model specifically designed for scenarios involving numerous small objects. Inspired by efficient generalized feature pyramid networks (GFPNs), we enhance multi-path fusion within YOLOv8 to integrate features across different levels, preserving details from shallower layers and improving small object detection accuracy. Additionally, we introduce a fourth detection layer to effectively utilize high-resolution spatial information. The efficient multi-scale attention module (EMA) in the C2f-EMA module further enhances feature extraction by redistributing weights and prioritizing relevant features. We introduce powerful-IoU (PIoU) as a replacement for CIoU, focusing on moderate quality anchor boxes and adding a penalty based on differences between predicted and ground truth bounding box corners. This approach simplifies calculations, speeds up convergence, and enhances detection accuracy. SOD-YOLOv8 significantly improves small object detection, surpassing widely used models across various metrics, without substantially increasing the computational cost or latency compared to YOLOv8s. Specifically, it increased recall from 40.1% to 43.9%, precision from 51.2% to 53.9%, mAP_0.5 from 40.6% to 45.1%, and mAP_0.5:0.95 from 24% to 26.6%. Furthermore, experiments conducted in dynamic real-world traffic scenes illustrated SOD-YOLOv8’s significant enhancements across diverse environmental conditions, highlighting its reliability and effective object detection capabilities in challenging scenarios. Full article

This paper presents the archaeometric and chemometric authentication of a Renaissance-style oil painting on linen canvas, with plaster and barium sulphate-based primer preparation and bone glue as binder. By optical microscopy (OM), stereomicroscopy (SOM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), a series of archaeometric characteristics were identified: the grain size of the chemical components of the paint layers, the 3D porosity distribution of the pigments, the degree of penetration between the paint layers and the varnish and between the varnish and the oxidatively anchored dirt, and the typology of the craquelure (craquelure network arrangement and morphology). By correlating the results obtained, it was possible to estimate the period of the painting as 1660 ± 3 years. Full article

The electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was considered to be a promising strategy for future clean energy. In this work, a composite electrocatalyst (designated as CGO36@CC) was synthesized through anchoring of nano spinel structure Co₂GeO₄ onto carbon cloth fibers and exhibited outstanding electrocatalytic performance for HERs in an alkaline medium. The characterization outcome established that, after 36 h of hydrothermal reaction, nano spinel structure Co₂GeO₄ particles (exposed abundant 111 crystal planes) were stably loaded onto a carbon cloth fiber surface, and this structural configuration facilitated the electrons transferring between each other. In addition, the electrochemical analysis revealed that the incorporation of nano spinel structure Co₂GeO₄ and carbon cloth significantly augmented the electrochemical activity value of the composite and efficiently enhanced the HER performance. Notably, the overpotential was merely 96 mV at 10 mA·cm⁻² current density, and the Tafel slope was only 48.9 mV·dec⁻¹. Moreover, CGO36@CC displayed remarkable catalytic activity and sustained HER catalytic stability. The theoretical catalytic prowess of CGO36@CC stemmed from the collaborative influence of germanium and cobalt atoms within the exposed 111 crystal plane of the Co₂GeO₄ molecular framework. The amalgamation of Co₂GeO₄ with carbon cloth fiber conferred upon the composite electrocatalyst both superior theoretical catalytic activity and enhanced electron transfer capability. This work provides a novel strategy for exploring a highly efficient composite electrocatalyst combined transition metal with carbon material to accelerate the HER activity. Full article

Atlantic White Cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) (AWC) anchors a globally threatened ecosystem that is being impacted by climate change, as these trees are vulnerable to hurricane events, sea-level rises, and increasing salinity at the forest–marsh ecotone. In this study, we determined the current amount and distribution of AWC in an area that is experiencing sea-level rises that are higher than the global average rate. We used a combination of a field investigation and aerial photo interpretation to identify known locations of AWC, then integrated Sentinel-1 and 2A satellite data with abiotic variables into a species distribution model. We developed a spectral signature of AWC to aid in our understanding of phenology differences from nearby species groups. The selected model had an out-of-bag error of 7.2%, and 8 of the 11 variables retained in the final model were derived from remotely sensed data, highlighting the importance of including temporal data to exploit divergent phenology. Model predictions were strong in live AWC stands and, accurately, did not predict live AWC in stands that experienced high levels of mortality after Hurricane Sandy. The model presented in this study provides high utility for AWC management and tracking mortality dynamics within stands after disturbances such as hurricanes. Full article

An assessment was made halfway into the sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda period, and the findings indicated a slower than anticipated pace towards the implementation of the SDGs agenda. One of the possible causes of the slower pace is a lack of strong governance mechanisms such as gender diversity, sustainability committees, and board sustainability experience in institutions. The study sought to investigate the influence of board gender diversity on SDGs disclosure amongst the top 15 JSE-listed mining companies in light of their contribution towards the attainment of this global agenda. Mining in South Africa affects about nine percent of the country’s population. The study was anchored on the agency and the stakeholder theories. This is quantitative research which employed a keyword search to measure SDGs disclosure in the annual integrated reports for the sampled companies from 2019 to 2023. The study hypothesised that there is a significant positive relationship between a female-dominated board and SDGs disclosure in the sampled companies. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, as well as regression analysis were employed. The results established a lack of significant evidence of a positive or negative relationship between gender diversity and SDGs disclosure, a significant positive relationship between board size and SDGs disclosure, and no relationship between board independence and SDGs disclosure in the sampled mining companies. It was concluded that board gender diversity in corporate boards in the top 15 JSE-listed mining companies has no impact on the SDGs disclosure. The study recommends including more moderating factors and conducting more empirical studies towards the attainment of conclusive results in this space. Full article