•Proposing general behavior recognition framework of group-housed goats.•Investigating appropriate detection model of individual goat based on deep learning.•Incorporating spatial-temporal location ...features of goats and feeding/drinking zones.•Developing the strategy for achieving real-time analysis of goat behavior.•Achieving high recognition accuracies without animal head detection and extra tools.
Daily behavior is one important manifestation for health and welfare status of livestock. In traditional behavior recognition methods, it was often mandatory to detect animal heads or depend on extra tools. To overcome such shortcomings, this paper proposed one efficient behavior recognition approach using deep learning to recognize eating, drinking, active and inactive behaviors of group-housed goats from video sequences of top upper-side view. Firstly, the approach of detecting individual goat was designed by means of investigating the characteristics and suitability of several popular deep learning methods. Secondly, we proposed a general behavior recognition framework of group-housed goats for videos acquired from top upper-side view. Four types of goat behaviors were recognized by analyzing the spatial location relationship between goat bounding boxes and feeding/drinking zones, as well as the temporal movement amount of bounding box centroids of the same goat among consecutive frames. One inferential strategy was presented for estimating the missing behaviors caused by goat detection failure in frames. The experimental results showed that YOLOv4 was superior to other models in terms of both goat detection speed and accuracy, and the average recognition accuracies of 97.87%, 98.27%, 96.86% and 96.92%, respectively, for eating, drinking, active and inactive behaviors were achieved on the experimental videos, in real-time manner with the average analysis speed of 17 frames per second on a conventional hardware configuration. Hence, it was demonstrated that the proposed approach could offer one effective way for automatically conducting comprehensive behavior recognition of group-housed livestock.
The influence of a deep excavation on existing shield tunnels nearby is a vital issue in tunnelling engineering. Whereas, there lacks robust methods to predict excavation-induced tunnel ...displacements. In this study, an auto machine learning (AutoML)-based approach is proposed to precisely solve the issue. Seven input parameters are considered in the database covering two physical aspects, namely soil property, and spatial characteristics of the deep excavation. The 10-fold cross-validation method is employed to overcome the scarcity of data, and promote model's robustness. Six genetic algorithm (GA)-ML models are established as well for comparison. The results indicated that the proposed AutoML model is a comprehensive model that integrates efficiency and robustness. Importance analysis reveals that the ratio of the average shear strength to the vertical effective stress Eur/σv′, the excavation depth H, and the excavation width B are the most influential variables for the displacements. Finally, the AutoML model is further validated by practical engineering. The prediction results are in a good agreement with monitoring data, signifying that our model can be applied in real projects.
A novel double-sided yokeless multitooth linear switched-flux permanent magnet (DYMLSFPM) motor is proposed to improve the electromagnetic performance of conventional double-sided linear ...switched-flux PM (DLSFPM) motor in terms of force ripple and cogging force. Its feature of structure is the multitooth primary without yoke. First, an analytical method of permeance model is developed for determining the optimal combination of primary slots and secondary poles. For DYMLSFPM motor with six primary slots, there are four available different secondary poles 16/17/19/20, respectively. By comparing the results of four combinations, it shows that the DYMLSFPM motor with 19 secondary poles can have better thrust force performance, which is also verified by the finite-element analysis. After all these four structures are optimized first by single-variable optimization and then by global optimization with genetic algorithm for further analysis, 6-slots/19-poles (6s/19p) combination can have the second highest average thrust force and the lowest thrust ripple. Moreover, it requires significantly smaller volume of PMs and exhibits much lower cogging force than conventional 6s/7p DLSFPM motor. Finally, a prototype of 6s/19p DYMLSFPM motor is manufactured and tested to validate the predicted results.
The first Eugaleaspiforme fish, Jiangxialepis rongi sp. nov., from the lower Telychian (Llandovery, Silurian) Tataertag Formation in the Tarim Basin is described and its palaeogeographic significance ...is evaluated. The new species can be assigned to the family Shuyuidae and distinguished from J. retrospina and J. jiujiangensis by its comparatively broader headshield, ornamentation, and serrated margin of the headshield and median dorsal opening. The discovery of J. rongi provides direct fossil evidence for the correlation of lower Telychian marine red beds between the Tarim Basin and South China and expands our knowledge of the distribution of Eugaleaspiforme fish into the Tarim Basin. An analysis of galeaspid paleogeographic distribution within a phylogenetic framework reveals at least five galeaspid dispersal events between the blocks of South China and the Tarim Basin during the early Telychian age. This indicates that the South China and Tarim blocks were close enough to share the same shallow marine environment, and perhaps comprise a united Tarim-South China Block during the early Silurian.
•The first Eugaleaspiforme fish, Jiangxialepis rongi sp. nov., is established.•The Tataertag Formation can be correlated with the Qingshui Formation.•Shuyuidae provided key evidence for the correlation of Silurian LRBs in China.•5 dispersal events between South China and Tarim blocks were recognized.•South China and Tarim blocks should be closely related at 438 mya.
This study aims to explore the molecular mechanisms of miR-206-3p in regulating Hsp90aa1 and its involvement in the central nervous system (CNS) injury in heat stroke. Weighted gene co-expression ...network analysis (WGCNA) was performed on the GSE64778 dataset of heat stroke to identify module genes most closely associated with disease characteristics. Through the selection of key genes and predicting upstream miRNAs using RNAInter and miRWalk databases, the regulatory relationship between miR-206-3p and Hsp90aa1 was determined. Through in vitro experiments, various methods, including bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, RIP experiment, and RNA pull-down experiment, were utilized to validate this regulatory relationship. Furthermore, functional experiments, including CCK-8 assay to test neuron cell viability and flow cytometry to assess neuron apoptosis levels, confirmed the role of miR-206-3p. Transmission electron microscopy, real-time quantitative PCR, DCFH-DA staining, and ATP assay were employed to verify neuronal mitochondrial damage. Heat stroke rat models were constructed, and mNSS scoring and cresyl violet staining were utilized to assess neural functional impairment. Biochemical experiments were conducted to evaluate inflammation, brain water content, and histopathological changes in brain tissue using H&E staining. TUNEL staining was applied to detect neuronal apoptosis in brain tissue. RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to measure gene and protein expression levels, further validating the regulatory relationship in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-206-3p regulation of Hsp90aa1 may be involved in CNS injury in heat stroke. In vivo, animal experiments demonstrated that miR-206-3p and Hsp90aa1 co-localized in neurons of the rat hippocampal CA3 region, and with prolonged heat stress, the expression of miR-206-3p gradually increased while the expression of Hsp90aa1 gradually decreased. Further in vitro cellular mechanism validation and functional experiments confirmed that miR-206-3p could inhibit neuronal cell viability and promote apoptosis and mitochondrial damage by targeting Hsp90aa1. In vivo, experiments confirmed that miR-206-3p promotes CNS injury in heat stroke. This study revealed the regulatory relationship between miR-206-3p and Hsp90aa1, suggesting that miR-206-3p could regulate the expression of Hsp90aa1, inhibit neuronal cell viability, and promote apoptosis, thereby contributing to CNS injury in heat stroke.This study aims to explore the molecular mechanisms of miR-206-3p in regulating Hsp90aa1 and its involvement in the central nervous system (CNS) injury in heat stroke. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed on the GSE64778 dataset of heat stroke to identify module genes most closely associated with disease characteristics. Through the selection of key genes and predicting upstream miRNAs using RNAInter and miRWalk databases, the regulatory relationship between miR-206-3p and Hsp90aa1 was determined. Through in vitro experiments, various methods, including bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, RIP experiment, and RNA pull-down experiment, were utilized to validate this regulatory relationship. Furthermore, functional experiments, including CCK-8 assay to test neuron cell viability and flow cytometry to assess neuron apoptosis levels, confirmed the role of miR-206-3p. Transmission electron microscopy, real-time quantitative PCR, DCFH-DA staining, and ATP assay were employed to verify neuronal mitochondrial damage. Heat stroke rat models were constructed, and mNSS scoring and cresyl violet staining were utilized to assess neural functional impairment. Biochemical experiments were conducted to evaluate inflammation, brain water content, and histopathological changes in brain tissue using H&E staining. TUNEL staining was applied to detect neuronal apoptosis in brain tissue. RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to measure gene and protein expression levels, further validating the regulatory relationship in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-206-3p regulation of Hsp90aa1 may be involved in CNS injury in heat stroke. In vivo, animal experiments demonstrated that miR-206-3p and Hsp90aa1 co-localized in neurons of the rat hippocampal CA3 region, and with prolonged heat stress, the expression of miR-206-3p gradually increased while the expression of Hsp90aa1 gradually decreased. Further in vitro cellular mechanism validation and functional experiments confirmed that miR-206-3p could inhibit neuronal cell viability and promote apoptosis and mitochondrial damage by targeting Hsp90aa1. In vivo, experiments confirmed that miR-206-3p promotes CNS injury in heat stroke. This study revealed the regulatory relationship between miR-206-3p and Hsp90aa1, suggesting that miR-206-3p could regulate the expression of Hsp90aa1, inhibit neuronal cell viability, and promote apoptosis, thereby contributing to CNS injury in heat stroke.
•K2LaBr5:Eu2+ single crystal was obtained successfully by vertical Bridgman method without flux for the first time.•The luminescence phenomenon of K2LaBr5:Eu2+ was studied.•The optical transmission ...of K2LaBr5:Eu2+ single crystal was presented and the bandgap was estimated according to Tauc and Menth’s law.•For the first time, the decay time of the heterovalently doped K2LaBr5:Eu2+ single crystal under gamma rays is nanoseconds.
Recent researches have shown that Eu2+ ion heterovalently doped rare earth halide scintillators attract the attention of researchers. In this paper, the transparent K2LaBr5 scintillation crystals of centimeter size doped with heterovalent Eu2+ were successfully grow by the vertical Bridgman technique. X-ray powder diffraction analysis shows that the crystal has an orthonormal structure with space group Pnma(62). A small amount of Eu2+ doping does not change the internal structure of the crystal.
The transmittance, the UV–visible excited spectrum and emission spectrum, X-ray excited luminescence spectrum, Photoluminescence decay time and scintillation pulse decay time have been measured at room temperature. The results show that the crystal has strong luminescence intensity, and the maximum emission peak is about 430 nm. The photoluminescence decay time of K2LaBr5:xmol.%Eu2+(x = 0.5, 1, 2) are 5.56 μs, 5.67 μs and 7.03 μs, respectively. The decay time of K2LaBr5:Eu2+ crystal under 137Cs 662 keV radiation is nanosecond, indicating that the K2LaBr5:Eu2+ crystal has fast decay characteristics and excellent time resolution performance.
Background
Pyroptosis plays an essential function in carcinogenesis and the antitumor immune response. Herein, we constructed a pyroptosis‐related long noncoding RNA (prLncRNA) signature to predict ...therapeutic effects and outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients.
Methods
Patients obtained from the TCGA‐HNSC project were divided randomly into the training as well as the validation sets at a ratio of 7:3. A novel prognostic prLncRNA signature was constructed from the results of the training set using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operation. The medium value was used as the basis for categorizing all HNSCC patients into a low‐ or high‐risk cohort. Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival analyses were executed to estimate the prognostic value. We also evaluated the functional enrichment, tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration, and the sensitivity to chemotherapy and immunotherapy between the high‐ and low‐risk cohorts.
Results
Nineteen prognostic prlncRNAs were identified to establish the prognostic signature. Multivariate Cox regression and KM survival analyses confirmed that this prlncRNA signature might serve as an independent prognostic indicator of patient survival, which was subsequently confirmed using a validating dataset. Multiple ROC curves indicated the prlncRNA signature presented a more predictive power than clinicopathological factors (age, sex, tumor grade, and tumor stage). GO, KEGG, and GSEA enrichment analysis disclosed several immune‐related pathways which appeared to be enhanced in the low‐risk cohort. ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and ssGSEA algorithms indicated considerable differences in the tumor microenvironment and immune cell infiltration in the low‐ and high‐risk cohorts. Furthermore, the low‐risk cohort was predicted to achieve a better response to immunotherapeutic drugs, while in contrast, the high‐risk cohort would be more sensitive to chemotherapy drugs.
Conclusions
Our findings robustly demonstrate that our constructed prlncRNA signature could serve as an efficient indicator of prognosis, immunotherapy response, and chemosensitivity for HNSCC patients.
our findings robustly demonstrate that our constructed prlncRNA signature could serve as an efficient indicator of prognosis, immunotherapy response, and chemosensitivity for HNSCC patients.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play an important role in the development and progression of ulcerative colitis (UC). Peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) is essential for the formation of NETs ...via catalyzing histone citrullination. This study mainly to explore the role of PAD4-mediated NETs in intestinal inflammation of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC.
Acute and chronic colitis mouse models were established by supplementing DSS in drinking water. Colon tissues from colitis mice were analyzed for the level of PAD4 expression, citrullinated histone H3(Cit-H3), intestinal histopathology, and inflammatory cytokines secretion. Serum samples were tested for systemic neutrophil activation biomarkers. Colitis mice administered with Cl-amidine, a PAD4 inhibitor, and PAD4 knockout mice were investigated to detect NETs formation, intestinal inflammation, and barrier function.
We found the formation of NETs significantly increased in DSS-induced colitis mice and was correlated with disease markers. Blocking NETs formation by Cl-amidine or PAD4 genetic knockout could alleviate clinical colitis index, intestinal inflammation, and barrier dysfunction.
This study provided a research basis for the role of PAD4-mediated NETs formation in the pathogenesis of UC and suggested that inhibition of PAD4 activity and the formation of NETs may be helpful for the prevention and treatment of UC.
Advances in mixed reality (MR) have led to the extensive use of technological forms in education and training, and there is evidence of MR's pedagogical effectiveness. Owing to its ability to foster ...learning, research on MR and its application in education are considered technological breakthroughs. Design education requires an environment that supports creative activities to help students improve their learning outcomes, making it an appropriate field to explore the incorporation of MR. This study developed a virtual learning environment based on Microsoft HoloLens 2, creating an MR educational setting that enhances design students' learning experience by combining a physical and a virtual environment. Additionally, the study evaluated the impact of MR environment interventions on the creative process and the effect of design students' creativity on the results. Employing an experimental research design, 24 design students were divided into control and experimental groups, each with an equal number of participants. Both groups completed a creative task, with the control group using a traditional creative environment and the latter using an MR creative environment. The experimental results showed that the MR environment is feasible for use in design education. Additionally, the creative outcomes of the experimental group were better than those of the control group, and the students who used the MR environment rated their creative experience more positively. For example, MR intervention stimulated students' personal engagement and learning motivation by providing them with more intelligent and multisensory 3D interactive information. The study also revealed that students' creative processes and outcomes benefited from the MR environment. We explored the advantages of MR educational environments in terms of expanding the environmental dimension in education and valuing the promotion of learners' capabilities, as well as the application of its future developments in education and beyond.
A novel linear doubly salient slot permanent magnet motor (LDSSPMM) is proposed in this paper. First, the topology and geometric parameters of the LDSSPMM with 12 slots (12s) are proposed and the ...basic operating principle is investigated. By analyzing the feasible slot/pole combinations and harmonic winding factors, 11 poles and 13 poles (11p/13p) are proved to have higher winding factor for working harmonic. In addition, the LDSSPMMs with 12s/11p and 12s/13p are optimized by global optimization with genetic algorithm. It is shown that 12s/13p is the optimal slot/pole combination. Finally, the electromagnetic performance of the 12s/13p LDSSPMM is investigated by 2-D finite-element analysis (FEA) and validated by 3-D FEA.
