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Rising global temperatures will increase the number of extreme weather events, creating new challenges for cities around the world. Archaeological research on the destruction and subsequent reoccupation of ancient cities has the potential to reveal geological and social dynamics that have historically contributed to making urban settings resilient to these extreme weather events. Using a combination of archaeological and geological methods, we examine how extreme flood events at Kaifeng, a former capital of dynastic China, have shaped the city’s urban resilience. Specifically, we focus on an extreme Yellow River flood event in AD 1642 that historical records suggest killed around 300,000 people living in Kaifeng. Our recent archaeological excavations have discovered compelling geological and archaeological evidence that corroborates these documents, revealing that the AD 1642 Yellow River flood destroyed Kaifeng’s inner city, entombing the city and its inhabitants within meters of silt and clay. We argue that the AD 1642 flood was extraordinarily catastrophic because Kaifeng’s city walls only partly collapsed, entrapping most of the flood waters within the city. Both the geology of the Yellow River floods as well as the socio-political context of Kaifeng shaped the city’s resilience to extreme flood events.

One of the major issues in buried archeological sites especially if characterized by intense human activity, complex structures, and several constructive phases, is: to what depth conduct the excavation? The answer depends on a number of factors, among these one of the most important is the a priori and reliable knowledge of what the subsoil can preserve. To this end, geophysics (if used in strong synergy with archaeological research) can help in the planning of time, depth, and modes of excavation also when the physical characteristics of the remains and their matrix are not ideal for archaeo-geophysical applications. This is the case of a great part of the archaeological sites in Henan, the cradle of the most important cultures in China and the seat of several capitals for more than two millennia. There, the high depth of buried remains covered by alluvial deposits and the building materials, mainly made by rammed earth, did not favor the use of geophysics. In this paper, we present and discuss the GPR and ERT prospection we conducted in Kaifeng (Henan, China), nearby a gate of the city walls dated to the Northern Song Dynasty. The integration of GPR and ERT provided useful information for the identification and characterization of archaeological remains buried at different depths. Actually, each geophysical technique, GPR frequency (used for the data acquisition) as well as each way to analyze and visualize the results (from radargrams to time slice) only provided partial information of little use if alone. The integration of the diverse techniques, data processing and visualization enabled us to optimize the penetration capability, the resolution for the detection of archaeological features and their interpretation. Finally, the results obtained from the GPR and ERT surveys were correlated with archaeological stratigraphy, available nearby the investigated area. This enabled us to further improve the interpretation of results from GPR and ERT survey and also to date the anthropogenic layers from Qing to Yuan Dynasty.

We have previously identified 1 241 regions of somatic copy number alterations （CNAs） in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. In the present study, we found that a novel recurrent focal amplicon, lq24.1-24.2, targets the MPZL1 gene in HCC. Notably, there is a positive correlation between the expression levels of MPZL1 and intrahepatic metastasis of the HCC specimens. MPZL1 can significantly enhance the migratory and metastatic potential of the HCC cells. Moreover, we found that one of the mechanisms by which MPZL1 promotes HCC cell migration is by inducing the phosphorylation and activation of the pro-metastatic protein, cortactin. Additionally, we found that Src kinase mediates the phosphorylation and activation of cortactin induced by MPZL1 overexpression. Taken together, these findings suggest that MPZL1 is a novel pro-metastatic gene targeted by a recurrent region of copy number amplification at lq24.1-24.2 in HCC.

This paper presents Fix-YOLOX (Fixmatch-You Only Look Once X), a semisupervised target detection model that uses a small amount of annotated data for fully supervised training, and adds a semisupervised training module using both pseudolabelling and consistent regularization to prevent overfitting in fully supervised training by using unlabelled data. Additionally, the generalization of the model and its fault tolerance to labelled data are improved. The experimental results show that the proposed semisupervised visual detection algorithm, Fix-YOLOX, can substantially reduce the amount of data annotation required for the target detection task while effectively overcoming the problem caused by annotated data with uneven quality. The YOLOX model achieves 91.95% accuracy with 50% annotated data and an average detection time of 10.4 ms per image/frame, which is consistent with the detection time of original YOLOX. Therefore, the model has good real-time performance and generalizability.

The migration of iodide ions out of the perovskite film degrades charge transport and electrode layers, reducing the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells. The current strategy primarily employs blocking layers atop the perovskite film to suppress this migration. However, the layers cannot completely prevent ion movement due to trade-offs with carrier transport. In this work, we quantify the barrier energy required to prevent the iodide ions migration from the perovskite film and develop a composite layer that leverages scattering and drift effects on perovskite surface to meet this threshold, reducing ions migration by 99.9%. Moreover, we utilize Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) with a high work function as hole transport material to address the band shift caused by the drift electric-field, thus enhancing hole extraction efficiency. Eventually, the device achieves a certified steady-state efficiency of 25.7% and maintains >95% of the initial efficiency after 1500 hours at 85 °C under maximum power point tracking. The blocking layer atop perovskite film cannot completely prevent ion movement due to trade-off with carrier transport. Here, authors develop a composite layer and use poly(N-vinylcarbazole) as the hole transport material, achieving certified steady-state efficiency of 25.7% for stable solar cells.

Fatigue failure is a significant problem in the structural safety of engineering structures. Human inspection is the most widely used approach for fatigue failure detection, which is time consuming and subjective. Traditional vision-based methods are insufficient in distinguishing cracks from noises and detecting crack tips. In this paper, a new framework based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) and digital image processing is proposed to monitor crack propagation length. Convolutional neural networks were first applied to robustly detect the location of cracks with the interference of scratch and edges. Then, a crack tip-detection algorithm was established to accurately locate the crack tip and was used to calculate the length of the crack. The effectiveness and precision of the proposed approach were validated through conducting fatigue experiments. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach could robustly identify a fatigue crack surrounded by crack-like noises and locate the crack tip accurately. Furthermore, crack length could be measured with submillimeter accuracy.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a progressive liver inflammatory disease mediated by an autoimmune response, with an increasing incidence rate. In severe cases, AIH will rapidly progress to liver cirrhosis and liver failure and even lead to death. The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem that significantly regulates physiological and pathological processes among various digestive system diseases. It is widely acknowledged that there is a critical correlation between AIH and the gut microbiota. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the composition of gut microbiota in individuals with AIH differs markedly from that of healthy subjects. Immune cells, especially T cells, are pivotal in the development of AIH, closely interacting with the gut microbiota. In this review, we discuss the regulatory role of the gut microbiota in T cell-mediated development of AIH, as well as the effect of T cells on the composition of the gut microbiota in AIH. By modulating gut microbiota or immunity pathways, novel opportunities are provided to regulate the balance of the immune-microbial microenvironment, targeting the dual factor for autoimmune hepatitis therapies.

Background The prevalence of abnormal weight is on the rise, presenting serious health risks and socioeconomic problems. Nonetheless, there is a lack of studies on the medical cost savings that can be attained through the mitigation of abnormal weight. The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of abnormal weight on healthcare costs in China. Methods The study employed a 4-wave panel data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) between 2012 and 2018 (11,209 participants in each wave). Inpatient, non-inpatient and total healthcare costs were outcome variables. Abnormal weight is categorized based on body mass index (BMI). Initially, the two-part model was employed to investigate the impact of overweight/obesity and underweight on healthcare utilisation and costs, respectively. Subsequently, the estimated results were utilised to calculate the overweight/obesity attributable fraction (OAF) and the underweight attributable fraction (UAF). Results In 2018, healthcare costs per person for overweight and obese population were estimated to be $607.51 and $639.28, respectively, and the underweight population was $755.55. In comparison to people of normal weight, individuals who were overweight/obese (OR = 1.067, p < 0.05) was more likely to utilise healthcare services. Overweight/obesity attributable fraction (OAF) was 3.90% of total healthcare costs and 4.31% of non-inpatient costs. Overweight/obesity does not result in additional healthcare expenditures for young people but increases healthcare costs for middle-aged adults (OAF = 7.28%) and older adults (OAF = 6.48%). The non-inpatient cost of underweight population was significantly higher than that of normal weight population (β = 0.060,p < 0.1), but the non-inpatient health service utilisation was not significantly affected. Conclusions Abnormal weight imposes a huge economic burden on individuals, households and the society. Abnormal weight in Chinese adults significantly increased healthcare utilisation and costs, particular in non-inpatient care. It is recommended that government and relevant social agencies provide a better social environment to enhance individual self-perception and promote healthy weight.

Curcumin, a natural polyphenol derived from Curcuma longa , exhibits potent multimodal anticancer activity by modulating critical oncogenic pathways (e.g., NF-κB, STAT3, PI3K/Akt/mTOR), inducing apoptosis, suppressing angiogenesis, and reversing multidrug resistance (MDR). However, its clinical translation is severely hindered by poor aqueous solubility, rapid metabolism, and negligible oral bioavailability (typically <1% in serum), which result in subtherapeutic concentrations at tumor sites. Smart nanoparticle delivery systems have emerged as a transformative strategy to overcome these limitations, enabling enhanced solubility, controlled release, and targeted accumulation in tumors. This review comprehensively summarizes the advancements in curcumin-loaded nanocarriers, including polymeric nanoparticles (e.g., PLGA, chitosan), lipid-based systems (e.g., liposomes, NLCs), inorganic nanoparticles (e.g., mesoporous silica, gold nanoparticles), and stimuli-responsive platforms (pH-, redox-, enzyme-sensitive). These nanosystems leverage passive targeting via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and active targeting through ligand conjugation (e.g., folate, transferrin, hyaluronic acid), significantly improving tumor-specific delivery and curcumin’s bioavailability—exemplified by a 178-fold increase in plasma AUC in healthy human volunteers following oral administration of the co-grinding formulation CUMINUP60® compared to standard crystalline curcumin. Preclinical and clinical studies demonstrate that nanoformulated curcumin synergizes with conventional chemo/radiotherapy, sensitizes resistant cancers, and modulates the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. For instance, Phase I/II trials indicate that formulations like nanomicellar curcumin (Sinacurcumin®) can modulate inflammatory cytokines, while liposomal variants (Lipocur™) have shown target engagement in metastatic cancers, albeit with the need for dose optimization. Hybrid nanocarriers co-delivering curcumin with chemotherapeutics or siRNA further augment therapeutic outcomes in models of colorectal, breast, pancreatic, and glioblastoma cancers. Despite these progresses, the gap between preclinical success and clinical translation remains significant. This review critically analyzes the barriers impeding commercialization, specifically highlighting the heterogeneity of the EPR effect, the lack of scalable GMP-compliant manufacturing for complex nanocarriers, and the regulatory hurdles regarding long-term biocompatibility and safety assessments. Graphical Abstract

Vortex pumps are widely used in many engineering fields because of their small size and high lift head. However, the efficiency of this pump is quite low compared with that of other pumps. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to increase the efficiency of a vortex pump while increasing the head and reducing the power consumption. Numerical simulations are performed to obtain the internal flow pattern of the pump, and the nonideal double-vortex structure appears under all flow conditions. Modification of the volute shape was then proposed to optimize the double-vortex flow pattern, and the results revealed that the trapezoidal-shaped volute greatly improved the internal flow pattern. Additional modifications are proposed to reduce the power consumption of the pump. The experimental results of the optimized model show increase in the head and efficiency of 3.6 m and 3.2% (under nominal conditions), respectively, and a decrease in the power consumption from 10 to 20 W. This work highlights the importance of the volute shape on the performance of vortex pumps; a proper volute diffusion angle effectively suppresses the nonideal double-vortex structure and then avoids unnecessary energy losses.