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Severe snowstorms pose multiple threats to high-speed rail systems, including sudden drops in track friction coefficients, icing of overhead contact lines, and reduced visibility. These conditions can trigger dynamic risks such as train speed restrictions, cascading delays, and operational disruptions. Addressing the limitations of traditional scheduling methods in spatio-temporal modeling during blizzards, real-time multi-objective trade-offs, and high-dimensional constraint solving efficiency, this paper proposes a collaborative optimization approach integrating temporal forecasting with deep reinforcement learning. A dual-module LSTM-PPO model is constructed using LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory) and PPO (Proximal Policy Optimization) algorithms, coupled with a composite reward function. This design collaboratively optimizes punctuality and scheduling stability, enabling efficient schedule adjustments. To validate the proposed method’s effectiveness, a simulation environment based on the Lanzhou-Xinjiang High-Speed Railway line was constructed. Experiments employing a three-stage blizzard evolution mechanism demonstrated that this approach effectively achieves a dynamic equilibrium among safety, punctuality, and scheduling stability during severe snowstorms. This provides crucial decision support for intelligent scheduling of high-speed rail systems under extreme weather conditions.

Characterizing defect levels and identifying the compositional elements in semiconducting materials are important research subject for understanding the mechanism of photogenerated carrier recombination and reducing energy loss during solar energy conversion. Here it shows that deep‐level defect in antimony triselenide (Sb2Se3) is sensitively dependent on the stoichiometry. For the first time it experimentally observes the formation of amphoteric SbSe defect in Sb‐rich Sb2Se3. This amphoteric defect possesses equivalent capability of trapping electron and hole, which plays critical role in charge recombination and device performance. In comparative investigation, it also uncovers the reason why Se‐rich Sb2Se3 is able to deliver high device performance from the defect formation perspective. This study demonstrates the crucial defect types in Sb2Se3 and provides a guidance toward the fabrication of efficient Sb2Se3 photovoltaic device and relevant optoelectronic devices. Amphoteric SbSe defect in theoretical prediction, possessing equivalent capability of trapping electron and hole, plays a critical role in charge recombination and device performance. It experimentally discloses the existence of amphoteric SbSe defect for the first time, and establishes the correlation between defect properties, charge recombination, carrier dynamics as well as device performance using deep level transient spectroscopy.

Background With the increase in cancer survivors, more pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are developing as second primary cancers. Whether a prior cancer has an inferior impact on survival outcomes in patients with PDAC remains unknown, and the validity of criteria used to exclude patients with prior cancers in clinical trials needs to be determined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors and assess the survival impact of a prior cancer in patients with second primary PDAC. Methods Patients with PDAC were retrospectively selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific mortality rates were compared between patients with and those without prior cancer. Results The data of 9235 patients with PDAC from 2004 to 2015 were retrieved from the SEER database, consisting of 438 (4.74%) patients with a prior cancer and 8797 (95.26%) patients without a prior cancer, the patients were then pair-matched using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. The median OS rates were 7 months for both groups of patients with PDAC with and without prior cancer. These two groups of patients had similar survival rates and cancer-specific mortalities before and after the PSM analysis. In the multivariate analysis, a history of prior cancer was not a significant prognostic factor of OS in patients with PDAC. Conclusions Patients with PDAC who had a prior cancer had similar OS and cancer-specific mortality rates as those of patients without a prior cancer. The inclusion of patients with a prior cancer in the clinical trials of PDAC should be considered.

Background Our objective was to identify risk factors affecting overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) and build nomograms to predict survival based on a large population-based cohort. Methods Two hundred and thirty patients diagnosed with CHCC between 2004 and 2015 were retrospectively extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database as a training cohort. In addition, Ninety-nine patients diagnosed with CHCC between 2000 and 2017 were retrospectively extracted from Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) as an external validation. Nomograms for predicting probability of OS and CSS were established. Performance of the nomograms was measured by concordance index (C-index) and the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Results In training cohort, the 1-, 2 and 3-year OS were 67.7, 46.8 and 37.9%, and the 1-, 2 and 3-year CSS were 73.1, 52.0 and 43.0%, respectively. The established nomograms were well calibrated in both training and validation cohort, with concordance indexes (C-index) of 0.652 and 0.659, respectively for OS prediction; 0.706 and 0.763, respectively for CSS prediction. Nomograms also displayed better discriminatory compared with 8th edition tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage system for predicting OS and CSS. Conclusion We constructed nomograms to predict OS and CSS based on a relatively large cohort. The established nomograms were well validated and could serve to improve predictions of survival risks and guide management of patients with CHCC after surgery.

To investigate the effect of indenter shape, impact energy, and impact velocity on the rock breakage performance, a test device for rock fragmentation by indenter impact was developed to obtain the rock breakage volume, depth, and area under different impact conditions. By comparing the rock breakage volume, depth, area, and specific energy consumption, the results show that indenter shape has a greater influence on the rock breakage performance than that of the impact velocity with the same impact energy, and impact energy plays a decisive role in rock breakage performance with an identical indenter shape and impact velocity. For the lowest to highest specific energy consumption, the order of indenter shape is cusp-conical, warhead, hemispherical, spherical-arc, and flat-top under the same impact energy and velocity, but the cusp-conical indenter is damaged after several impacts. The rock breakage volume, depth, and area all increase with the increase in impact energy, but the effect of the impact velocity could be ignored under the same impact energy. In addition, the rock breakage features of the numerical simulation and experiments are similar, which show that the crushing zone close to the indenter impact point is mainly caused by the high compressive stress, and then radial cracks are caused by the accumulative energy release. The findings of this study will contribute to progress in the performance and efficiency for percussive rock drilling.

Seasonal reproduction is a mammalian behavior that has developed over an extended evolutionary period and requires animals to respond to external environmental changes to facilitate reproduction. In this study, we investigated the role of PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) in the seasonal reproduction of plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi). piRNA expression profiles in plateau zokor testes during both breeding and non-breeding seasons were examined. The piRNAs had a distinctive ping-pong signature and ranged from 27 to 32 nt with a peak at 30 nt. Testicular piRNAs predominantly aligned to specific genomic regions, including repeat and gene regions. Analysis of the piRNA–mRNA interaction network and functional enrichment of differentially expressed piRNAs targeting mRNAs revealed their association with testicular development and spermatogenesis. Significantly, PIWIL4 is an mRNA gene that interacts with piRNA and exhibits high expression levels within the testes during the non-breeding phase. This study provides a foundation to improve our understanding of piRNA regulatory mechanisms during testicular development and spermatogenesis in seasonally reproducing animals and, specifically, in the plateau zokor.

Predator odors are natural stressors that induce anti-predator defensive responses, which have developed under evolutionary pressures to maximize the fitness of an individual to avoid dangerous confrontations. In this study, we analyzed the defensive responses of a subterranean rodent species, the plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi), to predation threat, and examined the trade-offs between defensive responses and foraging. Plateau zokors were exposed to 1, 3, and 6 g of eagle owl (Bubo bubo) feces, and the anti-predator behavioral, hormonal, and hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor and c-fos mRNA expression responses were analyzed and compared with the control (distilled water). Exposure of the animals to owl feces led to significant reductions in both duration of feeding and amount of food consumed, while some defensive behavioral responses (e.g., freezing and rearing) were more significant in the exposed animals than in the control. Serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone in plateau zokors exposed to owl feces were significantly higher compared with the control. The hypothalamic corticotropinreleasing factor and c-fos mRNA expression levels of plateau zokors exposed to 1, 3, and 6 g owl feces increased significantly, concomitant with the amount of eagle owl feces presented. Owl feces induced various behavioral, hormonal, and hypothalamic gene expression changes in plateau zokors exposed to them. Some behavioral and gene expression (but not hormonal) responses appeared to be threshold dependent.

Endothelial cell (EC) calcification is an important marker of atherosclerotic calcification. ECs play a critical role not only in atherogenesis but also in intimal calcification, as they have been postulated to serve as a source of osteoprogenitor cells that initiate this process. While the role of transglutaminase 2 (TG2) in cellular differentiation, survival, apoptosis, autophagy, and cell adhesion is well established, the mechanism underlying the TG2-mediated regulation of EC calcification is yet to be fully elucidated. The TG2 gene was overexpressed or silenced by using siRNA and recombinant adenovirus. RT-PCR and WB were used to analyze the relative expression of target genes and proteins. 5-BP method analyzed TG2 activity. mCherry-eGFP-LC3 adenovirus and transmission electron microscopy analyzed EC autophagy level. Calcium concentrations were measured by using a calcium colorimetric assay kit. Alizarin red S staining assay analyzed EC calcification level. Elisa analyzed IL-6 level. Establishing EC calcification model by using a calcification medium (CM). Our findings demonstrated that CM increased TG2 activity and expression, which activated the NF-κB signaling pathway, and induced IL-6 autocrine signaling in ECs. Furthermore, IL-6 activated the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway to suppress cell autophagy and promoted ECs calcification. ECs are not only critical for atherogenesis but also believed to be a source of osteoprogenitor cells that initiate intimal calcification. Previous research has shown that TG2 plays an important role in the development of VC, but the mechanism by which it exerts this effect is not yet fully understood. Our results demonstrated that TG2 forms complexes with NF-κB components inhibition of autophagy promoted endothelial cell calcification through EndMT. Therefore, our research investigated the molecular mechanism of EC calcification, which can provide new insights into the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.

Background Locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) remains a challenge for current treatments. Local destructive therapies, such as irreversible electroporation (IRE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), were used more and more frequently in the treatment of LAPC. Objective This study aimed to compare the efficacy of IRE with RFA in patients with LAPC. Methods From August 2015 to August 2017, 58 LAPC patients after IRE or RFA therapy, which was performed through open approach, were retrospectively reviewed. The survival outcomes after IRE (36 patients) and RFA (18 patients) were compared after propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Results Before PSM analysis, IRE after the induction chemotherapy resulted in significant higher overall survival (OS) rates and progression‐free survival (PFS) rates to RFA (2‐year OS, 53.5% vs 30.8%, P = .013; 2‐year PFS, 28.4% vs 12.1%, P = .043). After PSM analysis, compared with RFA, the survival benefit of IRE was even more obvious, (2‐year OS, 53.5% vs 27.0%, P = .010; 2‐year PFS, 28.4% vs 6.4%, P = .018). For patients with tumor larger than 4 cm, IRE resulted in comparable OS and PFS between RFA and IRE while IRE also achieved better long‐term OS to RFA for those with tumor smaller than 4 cm. Multivariate analysis illustrated that IRE was a favorable prognostic factor in terms of OS and PFS in patients with LAPC. Conclusions IRE after induction chemotherapy is superior to RFA after induction chemotherapy for treating LAPC patients while these two therapies have comparable efficacy for tumors which were larger than 4 cm. Locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) is a devastating disease while the standard chemotherapy remains an unmet need in the management of LAPC. Only a multidisciplinary approach can be effective in obtaining both a local tumor reduction and a systemic control of disease. Local destructive therapies were important components of the multidisciplinary treatment. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and irreversible electroporation (IRE) have been proposed as new treatment options in the multimodal treatment of the LAPC. Until recently, there is a lack of studies comparing treatment effects between IRE and RFA. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of IRE versus RFA after the induction chemotherapy on long‐term OS and progression‐free survival (PFS) in patents with LAPC. It was the first time to show that IRE resulted in better OS and PFS than RFA after the induction chemotherapy in patients with LAPC and should be considered as the first‐line ablation modality. A new ablative method, RFA ablation followed by tumor margin accentuation by IRE, is also considerable.

The distributed power industry has the characteristics of multiple participants, long business processes, and wide distribution areas, which leads to serious data islands, difficulties in credit transmission, and outstanding transaction risks. Blockchain has technical characteristics such as openness, transparency, traceability, tamper resistance, and decentralization, making it an inevitable trend for its extensive and indepth application in the energy and power industry. The article first analyzes the generation and development of block technology, and then analyzes the current application status of block chain technology in distributed power transactions; then, based on the summary of existing research, it introduces in detail the blockchain-based technology The technical mechanism design of the distributed energy trading scheme analyzes the problems existing in the current application of blockchain in the field of distributed power trading, and proposes targeted development suggestions.