The high-precision dynamic positioning of highway vehicles is the foundation and prerequisite for achieving intelligent connected transportation. To address the shortcomings of the GNSS/INS combination and GNSS/INS/OD combination in tunnel vehicle positioning, this paper proposes a tunnel vehicle positioning method for the GNSS/INS/OD combination based on lateral distance measurements and lane constraints. Firstly, a lateral distance measurement of vehicles inside the tunnel is conducted based on laser radar point cloud data. Secondly, map matching positioning is performed based on lateral distance measurements, odometer, and lane markings. Experimental results demonstrate that, for a 4.6 km tunnel, the average absolute error in the lateral positioning is 0.294 m, and the longitudinal positioning error is no more than 0.6 m, which can effectively meet practical operational requirements. Full article

Type 3c diabetes mellitus (T3cDM), also known as pancreatogenic or pancreoprivic diabetes, is a specific type of DM that often develops as a result of diseases affecting the exocrine pancreas, exhibiting an array of hormonal and metabolic characteristics. Several pancreatic exocrine diseases and surgical procedures may cause T3cDM. Diagnosing T3cDM remains difficult as the disease characteristics frequently overlap with clinical presentations of type 1 DM (T1DM) or type 2 DM (T2DM). Managing T3cDM is likewise challenging due to numerous confounding metabolic dysfunctions, including pancreatic endocrine and exocrine insufficiencies and poor nutritional status. Treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency is of paramount importance when managing patients with T3cDM. This review aims to consolidate the latest information on surgical etiologies of T3cDM, focusing on partial pancreatic resections, total pancreatectomy, pancreatic cancer and trauma. Full article

This research was devoted to study the effect of the tacticity on the surface physicochemical properties of PMMA. (1) Background: The determination of the surface free energy of polymers is generally carried out by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) at infinite dilution. The dispersive, polar and surface acid-base properties of PMMA at different tacticities were obtained via IGC technique with the help of the net retention time and volume of adsorbed. (2) Methods: The London dispersion equation was used to quantify the polar free energy of adsorption, while the London dispersive surface energy ${\gamma }_s^d\left(T\right)$ of PMMAs was determined using the thermal model. (3) Results: The results showed non-linear variations of ${\gamma }_s^d\left(T\right)$ of atactic, isotactic, and syndiotactic PMMAs with three maxima characterizing the three transition temperatures of PMMAs. The obtained values of the enthalpic and entropic Lewis’s acid-base parameters showed that the basicity of the atactic PMMA was about four times larger than its acidity. (4) Conclusions: A large difference in the behavior of the various PMMAs was proven in the different values of the polar acid and base surface energies of the three PMMAs with an important effect of the tacticity of PMMA on its acid-base surface energies. Full article

Primary hyperhidrosis (PH) is a relatively common chronic disorder, characterized by significant and uncontrollable sweating. The predominant areas of occurrence are hands, feet, head and armpits, and it affects both men and women equally, with a false impression of increased prevalence in women. This study aims to determine the incidence of cases of hyperhidrosis, the gender of the patients and the environment of origin and to identify the most affected age groups and the distribution of hyperhidrosis, as well as creating a curve of cases within the time interval studied and their comparison with those in the specialized literature. Full article

Sustainable development goals challenge the carbon lock-in dilemma of the industrial economy, and identifying the motivation and mechanism behind carbon unlocking has become an urgent priority. With its inclusive and precise advantages, digital finance (DF) provides a new impetus for the economy’s low-carbon transformation, while reasonable environmental regulation (ER) acts as an important guiding constraint. We focus on the carbon unlocking performance of DF under ER constraints. After constructing and calculating the industrial carbon unlocking efficiency (ICUE), we observe the trends of ICUE fluctuating positively, clustering towards the eastern region, and polarization. Subsequently, based on theoretical analyses, we explore the marginal and configuration effects of DF and ER in improving ICUE using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces between 2011 and 2021 and adopt a mixed research method with regression analysis (Tobit hierarchical regression and quantile regression for panel data (QRPD)) and dynamic fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The regression analysis results show that DF can notably enhance China’s provincial ICUE, with ER generally serving as a positive moderator; however, the unlocking potential of informal environmental regulations needs further exploration. As ICUE improves in a specific location or time, the positive contribution of DF to ICUE also increases, whereas the moderating effect of ER exhibits an optimal range and follows an inverted U-shape. The dynamic fsQCA results support the findings of the regression analysis and further emphasize that effective cooperation between DF and ER is crucial for high ICUE, while inadequate DF support and the absence of formal environmental regulations remain bottlenecks in industrial carbon lock-in. Moreover, configuration paths demonstrate clear path dependency in both time and space, indicating a prolonged unlocking endeavor. Full article

(1) Background. Coeliac disease (CD) often co-occurs with autoimmune conditions or genetic syndromes, but there are few studies on the co-existence of CD and immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergies. The purpose of this study was to assess sensitization to food and aero-allergens in pediatric patients with CD. (2) Methods. A multiplex ALEX^®2 test was used to determine specific IgEs (sIgEs). (3) Results. The study included 108 children newly diagnosed with CD. Allergen extract- and/or allergen molecule-sIgEs were detected in 49.1% of children. Most children (41.5%) were sensitized to both inhalant and food allergens. The three most common aero-allergens (timothy pollen, ryegrass, silver birch) were molecules Phl p 1, Lol p 1, and Bet v 1. The most common food allergens (hazelnut, apple, and peanut) were Cor a 1, Mal d 1, and Ara h 8 molecules of the PR-10 subfamily. Patients were not sensitized to cereal allergens containing gluten. Spearman’s rank correlation analysis of sensitized patients showed a significant positive relationship (r = 0.31) between the patients’ age and the occurrence of positive sIgEs (≥0.3 kU_A/L) for inhalant allergen molecules (p = 0.045). In sensitized patients, mainly symptoms of inhalant allergy were observed, such as hay fever, conjunctivitis, and bronchial asthma. (4) Conclusions. The current study indicates the co-occurrence of IgE sensitization to food and inhalant allergens in children with CD. The study highlights the need to take a closer look at the diagnosis of IgE-mediated allergy in patients with CD, which may help in their care and lead to a better understanding of the relationship between CD and IgE-mediated allergy. Full article

In this longitudinal retrospective image analysis, conducted on patients diagnosed with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and 5 years of follow-up imaging data, the study aimed to investigate the relationship between ellipsoid zone (EZ) integrity on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and visual acuity (VA). Using a machine learning-enabled feature extraction tool, quantitative EZ parameters were derived from SD-OCT images. The analysis revealed significant correlations between EZ integrity metrics and VA. Eyes with excellent VA (≥20/25 Snellen) exhibited higher EZ integrity, including less EZ attenuation, thicker ellipsoid zone-retinal pigment epithelium (EZ-RPE) thickness, and higher EZ intensity, in contrast to eyes with worse VA (≤20/40 Snellen). Additionally, eyes with geographic atrophy (GA) in the foveal region displayed compromised EZ integrity compared to those without GA. Notably, baseline EZ integrity metrics were predictive of future VA loss. These findings suggest that quantitative SD-OCT measurements of EZ integrity could potentially detect early changes in dry AMD and serve as valuable indicators for predicting future functional outcomes. Furthermore, these measurements hold promise for use in clinical trial screenings, offering insights into the progression of the disease and its impact on visual acuity. This study underscores the importance of EZ integrity assessment in understanding and managing dry AMD. Full article

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a type of cardiomyopathy usually precipitated by either emotional or physical stress and potentially leading to reversible heart failure. There is emerging evidence indicating an interaction between the brain and the heart in patients with TTS. Nevertheless, these new insights are not reflected in the current clinical approach to TTS. The application of novel and existing imaging modalities for the evaluation of brain–heart interactions is an interesting approach that could potentially augment diagnostic and prognostic yield, as well as improve our pathophysiologic understanding in the context of TTS. In this opinion piece, we discuss the evidence supporting a brain–heart interaction in patients with TTS and discuss how a combined evaluation of brain–heart interactions could potentially be implemented. Full article

A design method for an ultra-wideband coplanar-stripline-based vertical transition that can be used for ultra-high-speed digital interfaces is proposed. A conventional via structure, based on a differential line (DL), inherently possesses performance limitations (<10 GHz) due to difficulties in maintaining constant line impedance and smooth electric field transformation, in addition to the effects of signal skews, FR4 fiber weave, and unbalanced EM interferences. DL-based digital interfaces may not meet the demands of ultra-high-speed digital data transmission required for the upcoming 6G communications. The use of a coplanar stripline (CPS), a type of planar balanced line (BL), for the vertical transition, along with the ultra-wideband DL-to-CPS transition, mostly removes the inherent and unfavorable issues of the DL and enables ultra-high-speed digital data transmission. The design process of the transition is simplified using the analytical design formulas, derived using the conformal mapping method, of the transition. The characteristic line impedances of the transition are calculated and found to be in close agreement with the results obtained from EM simulations. Utilizing these results, the CPS-based vertical transition, maintaining the characteristic line impedance of 100 Ω, is designed and fabricated. The measured results confirm its ultra-wideband characteristics, with a maximum of 1.6 dB insertion loss and more than 10 dB return loss in the frequency range of DC to 30 GHz. Therefore, the proposed CPS-based vertical transition offers a significantly wider frequency bandwidth, i.e., more than three times that of conventional DL-based via structures. Full article

Due to the widespread use of intensive cropping patterns, the problem of continuous cropping obstacle, which is dominated by autotoxicity, has been becoming more and more prominent. Although many methods have been proposed to overcome the continuous cropping obstacle of cucumber, no study has reported the screening and evaluation of cucumber germplasm resistant to autotoxicity. In this study, 28 physiological indices related to the cucumber bud stage under cinnamic acid (CA) treatment were determined. In total, 45 cucumber cultivars were classified into three groups using principal component analysis and cluster analysis, and a model for evaluating cucumber resistance to autotoxicity was developed. The evaluation model was validated using autotoxicity-tolerant and non-autotoxicity-tolerant cultivars. The results showed that the growth of non-autotoxicity-tolerant cultivars was significantly inhibited compared to autotoxicity-tolerant cultivars. This indicated that the evaluation model of cucumber autotoxicity tolerance is reliable. The results of this study provide a valuable reference for the application of cucumber autotoxicity-tolerant germplasm resources and the development of autotoxicity-tolerant genes. Full article

Public bicycle systems (PBSs) serve as the ‘last mile’ of public transportation for urban residents, yet the problem of the difficulty in borrowing and returning bicycles during peak hours remains a major bottleneck restricting the intelligent and efficient operation of public bicycles. Previous studies have proposed reasonable models and efficient algorithms for optimizing public bicycle scheduling, but there is still a lack of consideration for actual road network distances between stations and the temporal characteristics of demand at rental points in the model construction process. Therefore, this paper aims to construct a public bicycle dispatch framework based on the spatiotemporal characteristics of borrowing and returning demands. Firstly, the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of borrowing and returning demands for public bicycles are explored, the origin–destination (OD) correlation coefficients are defined, and the intensity of connections between rental point areas is analyzed. Secondly, based on the temporal characteristics of rental point demands, a random forest prediction model is constructed with weather factors, time characteristics, and rental point locations as feature variables, and station bicycle-borrowing and -returning demands as the target variable. Finally, bicycle dispatch regions are delineated based on actual path distances between stations and OD correlation coefficients, and a public bicycle regional dispatch optimization method is established. Taking the PBS in Ningbo City as an example, the balancing optimization framework proposed in this paper is validated. The results show that the regional dispatch optimization method proposed in this paper can achieve optimized dispatch of public bicycles during peak hours. Additionally, compared with the Taboo search algorithm (TSA), the genetic algorithm (GA) exhibits a 11.1% reduction in rebalancing time and a 40.4% reduction in trip cost. Full article

Several metabolites of the essential amino acid tryptophan have emerged as key players in gut homeostasis through different cellular pathways, particularly through metabolites which can activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). This study aimed to map the metabolism of tryptophan in early life and investigate the effects of specific metabolites on epithelial cells and barrier integrity. Twenty-one tryptophan metabolites were measured in the feces of full-term and preterm neonates as well as in human milk and formula. The ability of specific AHR metabolites to regulate cytokine-induced IL8 expression and maintain barrier integrity was assessed in Caco2 cells and human fetal organoids (HFOs). Overall, higher concentrations of tryptophan metabolites were measured in the feces of full-term neonates compared to those of preterm ones. Within AHR metabolites, indole-3-lactic acid (ILA) was significantly higher in the feces of full-term neonates. Human milk contained different levels of several tryptophan metabolites compared to formula. Particularly, within the AHR metabolites, indole-3-sulfate (I3S) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were significantly higher compared to formula. Fecal-derived ILA and milk-derived IAA were capable of reducing TNFα-induced IL8 expression in Caco2 cells and HFOs in an AHR-dependent manner. Furthermore, fecal-derived ILA and milk-derived IAA significantly reduced TNFα-induced barrier disruption in HFOs. Full article

The aim of the present study is to explore differences in personality traits and emotion regulation of people suffering from GD, substance-dependent gamblers (SDGs), and healthy controls (HCs). Additionally, the study proposes a new experimental task: the “Gambling Affective Task” (GAT) to investigate the influence of affective priming on risk-taking behaviors. Results: Our findings indicate that participants placed lower bets following positive priming. Additionally, SDGs wagered significantly higher amounts than HCs, regardless of priming type. In general, participants exhibited longer response times after positive priming trials, compared to negative and neutral priming trials. These findings suggest that experiencing positive emotions can act as a protective factor by delaying and lengthening gambling behaviors. By comparing gamblers with and without substance comorbidity, we can gain insight into the exclusive factors of GD and improve our understanding of this disorder. Conclusions: By elucidating the impact of emotional states on risk-taking, the research also provides new insights into the prevention and treatment of GD. Full article

This narrative review aims to discuss the main interest in and cautions associated with the use of expired antibiotics in the context of repeated shortages, notably in Europe. Articles concerning the topic of expiry dates related to antibiotic use were reviewed using keywords in the PubMed^®/MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases to identify the most extensive evidence-based documentation. The present review evaluates the potential interest and efficacy of using expired drugs and their possible related adverse events. Overall, in the context of drug shortages, expiry dates could be safely extended for at least one year for most solid antibiotics (tablets or powder) used in daily clinical practice, as long as they are stored under the right conditions, in accordance with the summary of product characteristics. Full article

Background: Research studies have showed that maternal diet may influence fetal neurodevelopment, but most studies have only assessed single nutrients or food groups. Objective: To investigate the impact of maternal prenatal dietary patterns during pregnancy on child neurodevelopment. Methods: Study participants were obtained from the China National Birth Cohort. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition, was used to assess children’s neurodevelopment at 36 months old. Maternal antenatal dietary data were collected over three trimesters using food frequency questionnaires. Five distinct maternal dietary patterns throughout pregnancy were identified by principal component analysis, namely protein- and micronutrient-rich dietary patterns, low-iron dietary patterns, pasta as the staple food dietary patterns, iron-rich dietary patterns, tubers, fruits, and baked food dietary patterns. Group-based trajectory modeling was performed for dietary patterns present in all three periods. Multiple linear regression models were used for statistical analysis. Results: Children of mothers who followed a high protein- and micronutrient-rich dietary pattern trajectory during pregnancy presented better neurodevelopment, including higher gross motor and problem-solving scores. Furthermore, it was observed that children born of women with low-iron dietary patterns had poorer neurodevelopment. In detail, children born to mothers with a low-iron dietary pattern during the first trimester had lower problem-solving scores, while to those who were exposed to a low-iron dietary pattern in the second and third trimesters had lower gross motor scores. Additionally, children with mothers who had a low-iron dietary pattern in the third trimester had lower communication scores. Conclusions: A nutrition-balanced protein- and micronutrient-rich dietary pattern and adequate iron dietary pattern for mothers throughout pregnancy may be beneficial to children’s neurodevelopment. Full article

The capacity of untreated cotton stalk to remove and adsorb Cu²⁺ ions in synthetic and natural aqueous solutions was evaluated. The influence of three sensitive parameters of the adsorption process—solution pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time—on the percentage of Cu²⁺ removal in agricultural wastewater, livestock wastewater, and synthetic samples was studied. Physicochemical and morphological properties were studied using thermogravimetry, Fourier infrared spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The elemental composition, proximal composition, zero charge point, and acid–base sites were determined. In addition, kinetic studies were performed, and the adsorption equilibrium was analyzed. The optimum conditions for Cu²⁺ adsorption were the following: solution pH = 5.5, adsorbent dosage of 0.6 g, and contact time of 60 min. Under these conditions, the percentage of Cu²⁺ removal in synthetic samples was 66.5% when the initial copper concentration was 50 mg/L. The removal percentage in agricultural and livestock wastewater samples was 87.60% and 85.05%, respectively, when the initial copper concentration was 25 mg/L. The adsorption data are consistent with the Freundlich isotherm model, which achieved a quadratic fit of 0.991 compared to 0.5542 for the Langmuir model. The experimental results indicate that the adsorption adequately fits the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results suggest that cotton stalks are a promising adsorbent for the ecological and economical removal of Cu²⁺ in wastewater. This research, therefore, provides relevant information that contributes to the sustainable management of agricultural waste and instills hope for a reduction in water pollution from heavy metals derived from agricultural activities. Full article

The energy management system (EMS) of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is an algorithm that determines the power split between the electrical and thermal paths. It defines the operating state of the power sources, i.e., the electric motor (EM) and the internal combustion engine (ICE). It is therefore one of the main factors that can significantly influence the fuel consumption and performance of hybrid vehicles. In the transmission path, the power generated by the ICE is in part employed to accelerate the rotating components of the powertrain, such as the crankshaft, flywheel, gears, and shafts. The main inertial components are the crankshaft and the flywheel. This additional power is significant during high-intensity acceleration. Therefore, the actual engine operation is different from that required by the power split unit. This study focuses on exploring the influence of engine inertia on HEV fuel consumption by developing a controller based on an equivalent consumption minimisation strategy (ECMS) that considers crankshaft and flywheel inertia. The optimal solution obtained by the ECMS controller is refined by incorporating the inertia effect of the main rotating components of the engine into the cost function. This reduces the engine operation during high inertial torque transient phases, resulting in a decrease in vehicle CO${}_2$ emissions by 2.34, 2.22, and 1.13 g/km for the UDDS, US06, and WLTC driving cycles, respectively. Full article

NMR is widely considered the gold standard for organic compound structure determination. As such, NMR is routinely used in organic compound identification, drug metabolite characterization, natural product discovery, and the deconvolution of metabolite mixtures in biofluids (metabolomics and exposomics). In many cases, compound identification by NMR is achieved by matching measured NMR spectra to experimentally collected NMR spectral reference libraries. Unfortunately, the number of available experimental NMR reference spectra, especially for metabolomics, medical diagnostics, or drug-related studies, is quite small. This experimental gap could be filled by predicting NMR chemical shifts for known compounds using computational methods such as machine learning (ML). Here, we describe how a deep learning algorithm that is trained on a high-quality, “solvent-aware” experimental dataset can be used to predict ¹H chemical shifts more accurately than any other known method. The new program, called PROSPRE (PROton Shift PREdictor) can accurately (mean absolute error of <0.10 ppm) predict ¹H chemical shifts in water (at neutral pH), chloroform, dimethyl sulfoxide, and methanol from a user-submitted chemical structure. PROSPRE (pronounced “prosper”) has also been used to predict ¹H chemical shifts for >600,000 molecules in many popular metabolomic, drug, and natural product databases. Full article

Moving fast by high-speed planing craft (HSPC) is advantageous for some special missions, though it causes severe hull vibrations and shocks that can transfer to the human body and increase health and comfort risks. This study reviews the current safety standards to avoid human safety risks affected by whole-body vibrations (WBVs), as well as the safety status of HSPC occupants. In addition, the efficiency of motion-reduction devices (trim tab and interceptor) and shock/vibration-mitigation devices (shock-mitigation seat) in improving the safety of HSPC occupants is examined according to existing documents. The research methodology was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRIS-MA) method, and published papers in the Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were analyzed. Because most of these publications are academic research, issues of bias in the eligible publications were not of particular interest. During this systematic review, many gaps and challenges in current information on safety improvement devices were found that need to be addressed in future studies, such as a lack of information on motion-reduction devices and shock-mitigation seat performance in reducing lateral and fore-and-aft motions. Referring to these gaps and challenges can be valuable as a suggestion to improve current knowledge in research and reduce safety risks. Full article

Data mining technology is the process of extracting hidden knowledge and potentially useful information from a large number of incomplete, noisy, and random practical application data. The clustering algorithm based on multi-objective evolution has obvious advantages compared with the traditional single-objective method. In order to further improve the performance of evolutionary multi-objective clustering algorithms, this paper proposes a multi-objective automatic clustering model based on evolutionary multi-task optimization. Based on the multi-objective clustering algorithm that automatically determines the value of k, evolutionary multi-task optimization is introduced to deal with multiple clustering tasks simultaneously. A set of non-dominated solutions for clustering results is obtained by concurrently optimizing the overall deviation and connectivity index. Multi-task adjacency coding based on a locus adjacency graph was designed to encode the clustered data. Additionally, an evolutionary operator based on relevance learning was designed to facilitate the evolution of individuals within the population. It also facilitates information transfer between individuals with different tasks, effectively avoiding negative transfer. Finally, the proposed algorithm was applied to both artificial datasets and UCI datasets for testing. It was then compared with traditional clustering algorithms and other multi-objective clustering algorithms. The results verify the advantages of the proposed algorithm in clustering accuracy and algorithm convergence. Full article

This study builds upon existing research on institutional investors and corporate green innovation by distinguishing green investors, who prioritize environmental contribution, from general institutional investors. Drawing on the stakeholder theory and the Porter hypothesis, we hypothesize that the shareholdings of green investors can effectively stimulate corporate enthusiasm for green innovation, with state ownership exerting a positive moderating influence. Utilizing panel data from China’s A-share listed manufacturing firms spanning from 2010 to 2019, we employ a fixed effect regression model to test these hypotheses. Our empirical findings confirm our expectations, demonstrating that green investors’ shareholdings indeed foster corporate green innovation. Moreover, we observe that this positive relationship is amplified within state-owned enterprises, indicating the presence of a robust and stable environmental regulatory framework across the market. Additionally, our results support the Porter hypothesis, suggesting that adherence to environmental regulations can coexist with firm performance rather than being mutually exclusive. This study contributes to the literature on green investors and corporate green innovation, providing valuable insights for the development of China’s green financial system and sustainable development strategies. Full article

This study examines the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on labor investment efficiency utilizing a sample of China’s listed companies. The empirical results demonstrate that CSR improves labor investment efficiency, and the effect is significant in terms of both overinvestment and underinvestment. Findings from cross-sectional tests indicate that CSR has a more significant effect on labor investment efficiency in non-state-owned firms and firms with more financing constraints or higher labor adjustment costs. The conclusion is robust after utilizing a 2SLS regression, replacing indicators for labor investment efficiency and accounting for the impact of non-labor investment. In general, the results support stakeholder theory and confirm that CSR can enhance external monitoring and improve firms’ investment behavior. Full article