Explore the vast range of titles available.

With urbanization accelerating and transportation demand growing, road damage has become an increasingly pressing issue. Traditional manual inspection methods are not only time-consuming but also costly, struggling to meet current demands. As a result, adopting deep learning-based road damage detection technologies has emerged as a leading-edge and efficient solution. This paper presents an enhanced object detection algorithm built upon YOLOv5. By integrating CA (Channel Attention) and SA (Spatial Attention) dual-branch attention mechanisms alongside the GIoU (Generalized Intersection over Union) loss, the model’s detection accuracy and localization capabilities are strengthened. The dual-branch attention mechanisms enhance feature representation in channel and spatial dimensions, while the GIoU loss optimizes bounding box regression—yielding notable improvements, particularly in small object detection and bounding box localization accuracy. Public datasets are used for training and testing, with pavement distress indices derived from simulated detection calculations. Experimental results show that compared to existing methods, this algorithm boosts the retrieval rate by 2.3%, increases the average value by 0.3, and improves the harmonic mean F1 by 0.7 relative to other models. Additionally, expected pavement evaluation results are obtained through calculating PCI (Pavement Condition Index) values.

Functional ingredients in blueberry have the best health benefits. To obtain a better understanding of the health role of blueberry in chronic disease, we conducted systematic preventive strategies for functional ingredients in blueberry, based on comprehensive databases, especially PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and CNKI for the period 2008–2018. Blueberry is rich in flavonoids (mainly anthocyanidins), polyphenols (procyanidin), phenolic acids, pyruvic acid, chlorogenic acid, and others, which have anticancer, anti-obesity, prevent degenerative diseases, anti-inflammation, protective properties for vision and liver, prevent heart diseases, antidiabetes, improve brain function, protective lung properties, strong bones, enhance immunity, prevent cardiovascular diseases, and improve cognitive decline. The anthocyanins and polyphenols in blueberry are major functional ingredients for preventive chronic disease. These results support findings that blueberry may be one of the best functional fruits, and further reveals the mechanisms of anthocyanins and polyphenols in the health role of blueberry for chronic disease. This paper may be used as scientific evidence for developing functional foods, nutraceuticals, and novel drugs of blueberry for preventive chronic diseases.

Cognitive impairment has emerged as a critical global public health issue. This study investigated the association between community and residential environments and the risk of cognitive impairment among Chinese middle-aged and older adults. The study included a final sample of 10,471 participants from the 2011–2020 The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) cohort. Community and residential environment, and cognitive impairment, were assessed using several cognitive tests. The analyzed using the Cox Proportional Hazards Mode adjusting for age, gender, education level, marital status, residence areas, Body Mass Index (BMI), smoking status, alcohol consumption and chronic disease status. After adjusting for all Covariates, participants residing in relaxed community-based residential environments exhibited a 3.8% increased risk of cognitive impairment compared to those in crowded community environments (HR = 1.038). Middle-aged and older adults with access to garbage disposal services had a 19.3% reduced risk of cognitive impairment (HR = 0.807). Community environments featuring age-friendly facilities, such as open-air fitness equipment (HR = 0.834) and accessibility for handicapped individuals (HR = 0.948), were associated with a 16.6% and 5.2% reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment, respectively. In community social support environments, having a social organization for the older adults was associated with a 16.2% reduction in cognitive impairment risk among middle-aged and older adults (HR = 0.838). Regarding housing factors, concrete and steel buildings were associated with an 18.7% lower risk of cognitive impairment compared to adobe or other types of buildings (HR = 0.813). Domestic amenities, including running water supply (HR = 0.847), broadband connectivity (HR = 0.650), and use of clean energy (HR = 0.957), were associated with a 15.3%, 35%, and 4.3% reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment, respectively. Additionally, indoor tidiness (HR = 0.875) was associated with a 12.5% reduction in cognitive impairment risk. The good community and residential environment are correlated with the lower risk of cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Specifically, for the prevention and control of cognitive impairment, community and residential planning and construction should prioritize both the basic social and environmental factors and the internal built environment.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a prevalent chronic pain condition with a complex and not fully understood etiology. Abnormal metabolism of trace elements is suspected to play a role in the pathogenesis of FM, though the exact relationships have yet to be clarified. This study employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess potential causal relationships between 15 major trace elements and the risk of FM, focusing on the specific roles of elements that show significant associations. Genetic instrumental variables (single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs), related to these trace elements and FM were extracted from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Analyses were performed using various methods including inverse-variance weighting (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode. Furthermore, multivariable analysis controlled for selenium as a potential confounder to evaluate the independent associations of copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) with FM risk. Two-sample MR analysis indicated a positive association between Cu and increased risk of FM (IVW: OR = 1.095, 95% CI: 1.015 to 1.181, P  = 0.018), and a negative association between Fe and FM risk (IVW: OR = 0.440, 95% CI: 0.233 to 0.834, P  = 0.011). These associations remained significant in the multivariable analysis, highlighting the independent effects of Cu and Fe. No significant correlations were observed with other trace elements such as selenium and zinc. This study provides new evidence of the roles of Cu and Fe in the pathophysiology of FM and underscores the importance of considering trace elements in the prevention and treatment strategies for FM. Future research should further validate these findings and explore the specific biological mechanisms through which Cu and Fe influence FM risk.

Background Microbes isolated from hyperaccumulating plants have been reported to be effective in achieving higher phytoextraction efficiency. The plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) SaMR12 from the cadmium (Cd)/zinc hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance could promote the growth of a non-host plant, oilseed rape, under Cd stress. However, the effect of SaMR12 on Brasscia juncea antioxidative response under Cd exposure was still unclear. Results A hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the effects of Sphingomonas SaMR12 on its non-host plant Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. under four different Cd treatments. The results showed that SaMR12 could colonize and aggregate in the roots and then move to the shoots. SaMR12 inoculation promoted plant growth by up to 71% in aboveground biomass and 81% in root biomass over that of the non-inoculated plants. SaMR12-inoculated plants significantly enhanced root Cd accumulation in the 10 and 20 μM Cd treatments, with 1.72- and 0.86-fold increases, respectively, over that of the non-inoculated plants. SaMR12 inoculation not only decreased shoot hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) content by up to 38% and malondialdehyde (MDA) content by up to 60% but also reduced proline content by 7–30% in shoots and 17–32% in roots compared to the levels in non-inoculated plants. Additionally, SaMR12 inoculation promoted the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and facilitated the relative gene expression levels of dehydroascorbate reductase ( DHAR ) and glutathione reductase ( GR ) involved in the glutathione (GSH)-ascorbic acid (AsA) cycle. Conclusions The results demonstrated that, under Cd stress, SaMR12 inoculation could activate the antioxidative response of B. juncea by decreasing the concentrations of H 2 O 2 , MDA and proline, increasing the activities of antioxidative enzymes, and regulating the GSH-AsA cycle. These results provide a theoretical foundation for the potential application of hyperaccumulator endophytic bacteria as remediating agents to improve heavy metal tolerance within non-host plant species, which could further improve phytoextraction efficiency. Graphical abstract

The ultrastructure of the sensilla on the proboscis of ten species of butterflies, Iphiclides podalirius, Parara guttata, Colias fieldii, Celastrina oreas, Sasakia charonda, Tirumala limniace, Acraea issoria, Stichophthalma neumogeni, Callerebia suroia, and Libythea celtis, among five families were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. They were compared to reveal the morphological differences in the proboscis sensilla among these butterflies. Four distinct types of sensilla were found on the proboscis among these species. The types of proboscis sensilla of I. podalirius and T. limniace were sensilla chaetica, sensilla coeloconica, and sensilla basiconica. The types in the other eight species were sensilla chaetica, sensilla styloconica, and sensilla basiconica. The number of sensilla styloconica on the proboscis of non-flower-visiting species was greater than that of flower-visiting species.

Curcuma has been used as an adjuvant treatment for osteosarcoma (OS) due to its anticancer compounds. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the mechanism of action of curcuma in the treatment of OS using network pharmacology and molecular docking. In this study, anticancer compounds were obtained from relevant literature, and curcuma-related targets and OS treatment targets were obtained from public databases. Protein‒protein interaction networks were constructed to screen out the hub genes using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Cluster analysis of the protein modules was then performed using the Cytoscape MCODE plugin. Furthermore, Gene Ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were performed for common targets among curcuma targets and OS-related targets using the DAVID database. Finally, molecular docking was performed, and the results were verified by Auto dock Tool and PyMOL software. Our research identified 11 potential active compounds, 141 potential therapeutic targets and 14 hub genes for curcuma. AKT1, TNF, STAT3, EGFR, and HSP90AA1 were the key targets closely related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, HIF-1 signaling pathways, ErbB signaling pathways, and FOXO signaling pathways, which are involved in angiogenesis, cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and chemotherapy resistance in the microenvironment of OS. Molecular docking suggested that the core compound had a strong affinity for key targets, with a binding energy of less than – 5 kJ/mol. The study showed that curcuma-mediated treatment of OS was a complex process involving multiple compounds, targets, and pathways. This study will enhance the understanding of how curcuma affects the proliferation and invasion of OS cells and reveal the potential molecular mechanism underlying the effect of curcuma on OS lung metastasis and chemotherapy resistance.

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is an increasingly severe public health issue globally. Micronutrients are essential for maintaining normal physiological functions and metabolic balance; however, their relationship with OA is not fully understood. Methods This study aimed to evaluate the potential causal relationships between 15 key micronutrients and the risk of OA using both two-sample and multivariate Mendelian randomization approaches. We gathered data from a large prospective cohort of genome-wide association studies on these micronutrients and OA. Comprehensive Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted using inverse variance weighting, MR Egger, weighted median, weighted models, and simple models. Through multivariate analyses, factors such as BMI and strenuous exercise were controlled to assess the independent associations between zinc and OA risk. Results In the two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis, zinc was positively associated with OA risk (OR = 1.045, 95% CI: 1.009 to 1.082, P  = 0.015). This association remained significant even after controlling for other confounding factors in multivariate analyses, indicating an independent effect of zinc. Other micronutrients, such as calcium, iron, and vitamin D, did not show significant associations with OA risk in this study. Conclusion This study provides new evidence of a positive association between the micronutrient zinc and the risk of OA, emphasizing the importance of considering micronutrients in osteoarthritis prevention and treatment strategies. Future research should further validate these findings and explore the specific biological mechanisms by which zinc influences the risk of osteoarthritis.

Aims For a metal hyperaccumulator plant Sedum alfredii, the recruitment of unique rhizospheric bacterial communities from bulk soils has been well studied. However, in the root-soil interface, the knowledge on the establishment of endospheric microbiomes from rhizospheric soil is still scarce. Methods In this study, we combined culture-independent that was 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and culture-dependent methods that included bacterial isolation, heavy metal tolerance and plant growth-promoting traits. Results The Cd/Zn concentrations in endosphere were significantly higher than in soil, while Pb concentration in endosphere was significantly lower than in soil. The α-diversity in rhizosphere soils was higher than in root endosphere, and the compartments as a major determinant revealed 85.9% of the taxa variations. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased in endosphere compared to rhizosphere. The difference of Cd/Zn tolerance between endospheric and rhizospheric isolates was not obvious, while the Pb tolerance of endospheric isolates significantly decreased compared to rhizosphere. Conclusions The results suggest that S. alfredii recruits Cd/Zn-tolerant but not Pb-tolerant endospheric bacterial communities from its rhizospheric soil. The difference in the microbial structure and function in the root-soil interface might be related to the selective absorption of metals in S. alfredii.

Background Implying connections with gut microbiome and serum metabolites, idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) emerges as a prevalent neuropsychiatric condition in the elderly. Our objective was to systematically evaluate the potential causality between gut microbiome, derived metabolites, and INPH through the implementation of Mendelian randomization (MR) methodology. Methods We utilized summary data from extensive genome-wide association studies, encompassing 196 gut microbiomes from the MiBioGen consortium ( n  = 18,340), 486 serum metabolites from the KORA and TwinsUK studies ( n  = 7,824), and individuals with INPH (case = 767, control = 375,610), for MR causal estimates. The leading analysis utilized the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, supplemented by weighted mode, MR-Egger, weighted median and simple mode approaches. Sensitivity analyses included MR-Egger intercept, Cochran’s Q test, leave-one-out analysis and MR-PRESSO. Results Our study primarily relied on the IVW method, confirming a causality between 9 genetically predicted abundance of gut microbiomes and INPH. We found an adverse correlation with genetically predicted abundance of order Clostridiales, genus Eubacteriumeligensgroup, genus Gordonibacter, genus Ruminococcus1 concerning INPH. Conversely, class Melainabacteria, genus Eubacteriumruminantiumgroup, genus Adlercreutzia, genus Dialister, genus RikenellaceaeRC9gutgroup potentially correlated with increased INPH risk. As for derived metabolites, IVW estimates indicated a causal connection between 25 genetically predicted serum metabolites and INPH. Sensitivity analysis underscored the robustness of our findings. Conclusion Our MR analysis provides evidence supporting the causality of certain gut microbial taxa and their derived metabolites on INPH. This underscores the potential for interventions targeting specific gut microbiota and derived metabolites in the treatment and prevention of INPH.