Impact of LED Light Mixing on Color Discrimination in Low Vision

With the accelerated aging of the population, the number of people with low vision continues to rise. According to WHO, the majority of this group is beyond the age of 50, and 81 percent have never experienced a visual issue before. Visual impairment can have a significant impact on the quality of life and the ability of patients to live safely and independently. This study proposes an LED-based lighting strategy to aid those with age-related vision impairment. The methodology relies on psychophysical investigations using the arrangement of standard color samples. Under varying illumination conditions generated by a 24-channel multi-spectral lighting system, volunteers utilizing low vision simulation goggles performed this task. A filtering technique employing different color rendering indices and color measurements allowed for the objective determination of illumination conditions with the best color discrimination scores. The results of the experiment were utilized to combine three channels to produce white light that induces a stronger color perception in a low vision environment than the white LEDs currently used for general illumination. Even if further research is required, these preliminary findings offer hope for the development of intelligent lighting solutions that adapt to the visual needs of the visually impaired

Metagenomic insights into the abundance and composition of resistance genes in aquatic environments:Influence of stratification and geography

A global survey was performed with 122 aquatic metagenomic DNA datasets (92 lake water and 30 seawater) obtained from the Sequence Read Archive (SRA). Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and metal resistance genes (MRGs) were derived from the dataset sequences via bioinformatic analysis. The relative abundances of ARGs and MRGs in lake samples were in the ranges ND (not detected)-1.34x10(0) and 1.22x10(-3) -1.98x10(-1) copies per 16S rRNA, which were higher than those in seawater samples. Among ARGs, multidrug resistance genes and bacitracin resistance genes had high relative abundances in both lake and sea water samples. Multimetal resistance genes, mercury resistance genes and copper resistance genes had the greatest relative abundance for MRGs. No significant difference was found between epilimnion and hypolimnion in abundance or the Shannon diversity index for ARGs and MRGs. Principal coordinates analysis and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) test showed that stratification and geography had significant influence on the composition of ARGs and MRGs in lakes (p < 0.05, PERMANOVA). Coastal seawater samples had significantly greater relative abundance and a higher Shannon index for both ARGs and MRGs than deep ocean and Antarctic seawater samples (p < 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA), suggesting that human activity may exert more selective pressure on ARGs and MRGs in coastal areas than those in deep ocean and Antarctic seawater

Suitable hepatitis B vaccine for adult immunization in China

The aim of this study was to evaluate, in adults, the immunogenicity of six hepatitis B vaccines with different doses or different manufacturers in the Chinese market and to provide evidence to support adult hepatitis B vaccination. Participants were randomly divided into six groups (I–VI). Six vaccines (4 at 10 μg/dose and 2 at 20 μg/dose) were administered intramuscularly to healthy adults at 0, 1 and 6 month intervals. All participants (16–50 years) who were negative for any hepatitis B virus serological markers were vaccinated. Anti-HBs levels were assessed 1 month and 1 year after the third vaccination. The anti-HBs seroconversion rate (anti-HBs >10mIU/ml) was 99.4 % (99.9 % for 10 μg dose groups and 97.9 % for 20 μg dose groups) 1 month after the third vaccination, and the anti-HBs seroreversion rate was 77.0 % (75.3 and 82.6 %) 1 year after the third vaccination (n = 1036). One month after completing the vaccinations, the seroconversion rates were not significantly different (100.0, 100.0, 99.6, 100.0 %) for the four 10 μg dose and two 20 μg dose groups (99.1, 96.9 %). One year after the third vaccination, the group II positive rate was significantly higher than the other three 10 μg dose groups, and the group VI positive rate was significantly higher than the other 20 μg dose group. Groups II and VI showed a significantly higher positive rate and anti-HBs geometric mean titer (GMT) than the other groups. The anti-HBs level declined with increasing age, and the seroreversion rate and GMT decreased over time. All six vaccines had high anti-HBs seroconversion rates and good immunization effects. The 10 μg dose vaccine (Dalian High-Tech) and the 20 μg dose vaccine (GlaxoSmithKline) are recommended for adults

Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in global lakes:A review and meta-analysis

Lakes are an important source of freshwater, containing nearly 90% of the liquid surface fresh water worldwide. Long retention times in lakes mean pollutants from discharges slowly circulate around the lakes and may lead to high ecological risk for ecosystem and human health. In recent decades, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have been regarded as emerging pollutants. The occurrence and distribution of antibiotics and ARGs in global freshwater lakes are summarized to show the pollution level of antibiotics and ARGs and to identify some of the potential risks to ecosystem and human health. Fifty-seven antibiotics were reported at least once in the studied lakes. Our meta-analysis shows that sulfamethoxazole, sulfamerazine, sulfameter, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, erythromycin, and roxithromycin were found at high concentrations in both lake water and lake sediment. There is no significant difference in the concentration of sulfonamides in lake water from China and that from other countries worldwide; however, there was a significant difference in quinolones. Erythromycin had the lowest predicted hazardous concentration for 5% of the species (HC5) and the highest ecological risk in lakes. There was no significant difference in the concentration of sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1 and sul2) in lake water and river water. There is surprisingly limited research on the role of aquatic biota in propagation of ARGs in freshwater lakes. As an environment that is susceptible to cumulative build-up of pollutants, lakes provide an important environment to study the fate of antibiotics and transport of ARGs with a broad range of niches including bacterial community, aquatic plants and animals

A microscale soft lithium-ion battery for tissue stimulation

Advances in the development of tiny devices with sizes below a few cubic millimeters require a corresponding decrease in the volume of driving power sources. To be minimally invasive, prospective power sources in biomedical devices must be fabricated from soft materials. Previous endeavors with droplet-based devices have produced promising miniature power sources; however, a droplet-based rechargeable battery has remained out of reach. Here we report a microscale soft flexible lithium-ion droplet battery (LiDB) based on the lipid-supported assembly of droplets constructed from a biocompatible silk hydrogel. Capabilities such as triggerable activation, biocompatibility and biodegradability and high capacity are demonstrated. We have used the LiDB to power the electrophoretic translocation of charged molecules between synthetic cells and to mediate the defibrillation and pacing of ex vivo mouse hearts. By the inclusion of magnetic particles to enable propulsion, the LiDB can function as a mobile energy courier. Our tiny versatile battery will thereby enable a variety of biomedical applications

Multi-Robot exploration for coal mine rescue based on the extension of undirected graph

After coal mine disasters, the environment deteriorates and rescue tasks are complex and arduous, resulting in numerous threats to the rescue personnel. Robot participation in rescue can effectively improve rescue efficiency and safety, but existing remote sensing rescue robots suffer from problems, e.g., inability to communicate in real-time. Therefore, in response to the complex post-disaster downhole environment, a multi-robot autonomous exploration method based on the extended undirected graph is proposed, aiming at studying the collaborative search and rescue of a multi-robot autonomous exploration system to further improve rescue efficiency. Firstly, based on the characteristics of the downhole environment and the needs of post-disaster rescue, the architecture and algorithm flow of the multi-robot autonomous exploration system for coal mine rescue are constructed by combining local and global planning strategies to address the issues of computational efficiency and spatial exploration depth in autonomous exploration. Secondly, when conducting local rescue exploration, there is a special environment where narrow and open spaces coexist, making the multi-robot system difficult to quickly sample and generate local exploration paths. This situation can result in premature termination of rescue tasks. Therefore, the traveling salesman problem is integrated, where each robot performs viewpoint sampling and exploration gain calculation in the local space to construct a local map and determine the points to be visited. The A * algorithm is used to optimize the shortest exploration path in the local map. Moreover, when the local graph exploration gain is insufficient, global graph exploration is performed. Each robot shares the global maps and expands them incrementally to reduce the overall efficiency decline caused by multiple robots directly accessing the target point. The collaborative global map search algorithm solves the shortest path for each robot's global map exploration. Finally, three different models of robots are used for real experiments and compared with commonly used multi-robot autonomous exploration algorithms based on boundary point methods. The results show that the multi-robot autonomous exploration method proposed in this paper improves exploration completeness by 51% and saves exploration time by more than 58%. The proposed method can effectively achieve multi-robot autonomous exploration tasks in complex environments

A value-based network analysis for stakeholder engagement through prefabricated construction life cycle: evidence from China

Over the past decade, prefabricated construction has increasingly gained popularity in addressing environmental concerns while meeting the high construction demand, particularly in developing countries. Accordingly, the concept of stakeholder engagement increasingly garnered attention as it is highly relevant for understanding and explaining the relationships among various stakeholders, like contractors, suppliers, and producers, especially within the fragmented context of prefabrication. To further the field, this study aims to provide a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analysis for stakeholder engagement in the realm of prefabricated construction via a value-based network. This value-based network analysis is utilized to model multiple relationships between stakeholders as value exchanges, thus enabling to engage them though management with a focus. Specifically, A total of 110 values were identified and analyzed among 12 stakeholders throughout the whole lifecycle via an extensive literature review, interviews, and questionnaires directed at prefabrication practitioners in China. This data collection process garnered 194 valid responses with a 64.7% response rate. The findings show that enhancing stakeholder engagement requires improvements in both the abilities and experiences of developers, and in the collaborative relationships among key stakeholders. These improvements can be achieved by prioritizing the engagement of prefabrication consultants and encouraging the government to issue policies that support developers, producers, and consultants in fostering collaboration. This in-depth network analysis offers practical insights for decision-makers in the management of core stakeholders and value-based relationships, thereby improving stakeholder engagement. Additionally, it expands the current body of knowledge on stakeholder engagement by incorporating the value-based network analysis into the exploration of its stakeholders and relationships

Sequence of a complete chicken BG haplotype shows dynamic expansion and contraction of two gene lineages with particular expression patterns.

Many genes important in immunity are found as multigene families. The butyrophilin genes are members of the B7 family, playing diverse roles in co-regulation and perhaps in antigen presentation. In humans, a fixed number of butyrophilin genes are found in and around the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and show striking association with particular autoimmune diseases. In chickens, BG genes encode homologues with somewhat different domain organisation. Only a few BG genes have been characterised, one involved in actin-myosin interaction in the intestinal brush border, and another implicated in resistance to viral diseases. We characterise all BG genes in B12 chickens, finding a multigene family organised as tandem repeats in the BG region outside the MHC, a single gene in the MHC (the BF-BL region), and another single gene on a different chromosome. There is a precise cell and tissue expression for each gene, but overall there are two kinds, those expressed by haemopoietic cells and those expressed in tissues (presumably non-haemopoietic cells), correlating with two different kinds of promoters and 5' untranslated regions (5'UTR). However, the multigene family in the BG region contains many hybrid genes, suggesting recombination and/or deletion as major evolutionary forces. We identify BG genes in the chicken whole genome shotgun sequence, as well as by comparison to other haplotypes by fibre fluorescence in situ hybridisation, confirming dynamic expansion and contraction within the BG region. Thus, the BG genes in chickens are undergoing much more rapid evolution compared to their homologues in mammals, for reasons yet to be understood.This is the final published version. It was originally published by PLOS in PLOS Genetics here: http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1004417

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and physicochemical property assessment of 4-substituted 2-phenylaminoquinazolines as Mer tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Current results identified 4-substituted 2-phenylaminoquinazoline compounds as novel Mer tyrosine kinase (Mer TK) inhibitors with a new scaffold. Twenty-one 2,4-disubstituted quinazolines (series 4-7) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated against Mer TK and a panel of human tumor cell lines aimed at exploring new Mer TK inhibitors as novel potential antitumor agents. A new lead, 4b, was discovered with a good balance between high potency (IC50 0.68μM) in the Mer TK assay and antiproliferative activity against MV4-11 (GI50 8.54μM), as well as other human tumor cell lines (GI50<20μM), and a desirable druglike property profile with low logP value (2.54) and high aqueous solubility (95.6μg/mL). Molecular modeling elucidated an expected binding mode of 4b with Mer TK and necessary interactions between them, thus supporting the hypothesis that Mer TK might be a biologic target of this kind of new active compound

Effective treatment of non-fusion RET intragenic deletion lung adenocarcinoma with pralsetinib: a case report

RET fusions, the most common oncogenic RET alterations, occur in approximately 1–2% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases and represent well-established therapeutic targets. Pralsetinib, a selective RET kinase inhibitor, has demonstrated significant efficacy and tolerability in patients with RET fusion-positive NSCLC. However, the clinical management of NSCLC with non-fusion RET structural variants remains challenging. Here, we report a case of a middle-aged male diagnosed with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma, in whom initial next-generation sequencing (NGS) revealed no actionable mutations. The patient achieved a partial response to pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy, but disease progression occurred 9 months later. Upon re-biopsy, a large intragenic RET deletion involving exons 2–11 was detected. Based on this finding, the patient was treated with pralsetinib and achieved radiological tumor regression, with a progression-free survival of 5 months to date. This case highlights a potential therapeutic role for RET inhibitors even in the absence of canonical fusions, and underscores the importance of reassessing the tumor’s molecular profile following treatment failure, as acquired genomic alterations may provide new targets for precision therapy