Machine learning (ML) models have been developed to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to accelerate systematic reviews (SRs). However, their use has been limited due to concerns about their performance and practical benefits. We developed a high-recall ensemble learning model using Cochrane RCT data to enhance the identification of RCTs for rapid title and abstract screening in SRs and evaluated the model externally with our annotated RCT datasets. Additionally, we assessed the practical impact in terms of labour time savings and recall improvement under two scenarios: ML-assisted double screening (where ML and one reviewer screened all citations in parallel) and ML-assisted stepwise screening (where ML flagged all potential RCTs, and at least two reviewers subsequently filtered the flagged citations). Our model achieved twice the precision compared to the existing SVM model while maintaining a recall of 0.99 in both internal and external tests. In a practical evaluation with ML-assisted double screening, our model led to significant labour time savings (average 45.4%) and improved recall (average 0.998 compared to 0.919 for a single reviewer). In ML-assisted stepwise screening, the model performed similarly to standard manual screening but with average labour time savings of 74.4%. In conclusion, compared with existing methods, the proposed model can reduce workload while maintaining comparable recall when identifying RCTs during the title and abstract screening stages, thereby accelerating SRs. We propose practical recommendations to effectively apply ML-assisted manual screening when conducting SRs, depending on reviewer availability (ML-assisted double screening) or time constraints (ML-assisted stepwise screening).

In the contemporary maritime industry, characterised by intense competition, reduced visibility due to heavy fog is a primary cause of accidents, significantly impairing maritime operational efficiency. Consequently, investigating foggy weather navigation safety holds crucial practical significance. This paper, through an analysis and synthesis of various aspects of foggy navigation technology, including foggy navigation regulations at different ports, fog warnings, foggy vessel environmental perception and foggy auxiliary navigation systems, explores the key issues concerning vessel navigation during foggy conditions from a scientific perspective. This discussion encompasses the aspects of regulatory frameworks, standardisation, and the development of intelligent and responsive onboard equipment. Finally, the paper offers a glimpse into potential strategies for fog navigation.

Missing data occur in many real world studies. Knowing the type of missing mechanisms is important for adopting appropriate statistical analysis procedure. Many statistical methods assume missing completely at random (MCAR) due to its simplicity. Therefore, it is necessary to test whether this assumption is satisfied before applying those procedures. In the literature, most of the procedures for testing MCAR were developed under normality assumption which is sometimes difficult to justify in practice. In this paper, we propose a nonparametric test of MCAR for incomplete multivariate data which does not require distributional assumptions. The proposed test is carried out by comparing the distributions of the observed data across different missing-pattern groups. We prove that the proposed test is consistent against any distributional differences in the observed data. Simulation shows that the proposed procedure has the Type I error well controlled at the nominal level for testing MCAR and also has good power against a variety of non-MCAR alternatives.

In this study, a new item response theory model is developed to account for situations in which respondents overreport or underreport their actual opinions on a positive or negativeissue. Such behavior is supposed to be a result of deception and transfer mechanisms. In the proposed model, this behavior is simulated by incorporating a deception term into a multidimensional rating scale model, followed by multiplication by a transfer term, with the two operations performed by an indicator function and a transition matrix separately. The proposed model is presented in a Bayesian framework approximated by Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms. Through a series of simulations, the parameters of the proposed model are recovered accurately. The methodology is also implemented within an online experimental study to demonstrate the methodology’s application.

Introduction: Late-life depression (LLD) is associated with cognitive deficit with risk of future dementia. By examining the entropy of the spontaneous brain activity, we aimed to understand the neural mechanism pertaining to cognitive decline in LLD.

Methods: We collected MRI scans in older adults with LLD (n = 32), mild cognitive impairment [MCI (n = 25)] and normal cognitive function [NC, (n = 47)]. Multiscale entropy analysis (MSE) was applied to resting-state fMRI data. Under the scale factor (tau) 1 and 2, reliable separation of fMRI data and noise was achieved. We calculated the brain entropy in 90 brain regions based on automated anatomical atlas (AAL). Due to exploratory nature of this study, we presented data of group-wise comparison in brain entropy between LLD vs. NC, MCI vs. NC, and LLD and MCD with a p-value below 0.001.

Results: The mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of LLD and MCI was 27.9 and 25.6. Under tau 2, we found higher brain entropy of LLD in left globus pallidus than MCI (p = 0.002) and NC (p = 0,009). Higher brain entropy of LLD than NC was also found in left frontal superior gyrus, left middle superior gyrus, left amygdala and left inferior parietal gyrus. The only brain region with higher brain entropy in MCI than control was left posterior cingulum (p-value = 0.015). Under tau 1, higher brain entropy was also found in LLD than in MCI in right orbital part of medial frontal gyrus and left globus pallidus (p-value = 0.007 and 0.005).

Conclusions: Our result is consistent with prior hypothesis where higher brain entropy was found during early aging process as compensation. We found such phenomenon particular in left globus pallidus in LLD, which could be served as a discriminative brain region. Being a key region in reward system, we hypothesis such region may be associated with apathy and with unique pathway of cognitive decline in LLD. We will undertake subsequent analysis longitudinally in this cohort

Key words: resting-state fMRI, Late-life depression, Brain entropy, globus pallidus, cognitive decline

Human alveolar echinococcosis is a hard-to-treat and largely untreated parasitic disease with high associated health care costs. The current antiparasitic treatment for alveolar echinococcosis relies exclusively on albendazole, which does not act parasiticidally and can induce severe adverse effects. Alternative, and most importantly, improved treatment options are urgently required. A drug repurposing strategy identified the approved antimalarial pyronaridine as a promising candidate against Echinococcus multilocularis infections. Following a 30-day oral regimen (80 mg kg−1 day−1), pyronaridine achieved an excellent therapeutic outcome in a clinically relevant hepatic alveolar echinococcosis murine model, showing a significant reduction in both metacestode size (72.0%) and counts (85.2%) compared to unmedicated infected mice, which revealed significantly more potent anti-echinococcal potency than albendazole treatment at an equal dose (metacestode size: 42.3%; counts: 4.1%). The strong parasiticidal activity of pyronaridine was further confirmed by the destructive damage to metacestode tissues observed morphologically. In addition, a screening campaign combined with computational similarity searching against an approved drug library led to the identification of pirenzepine, a gastric acid-inhibiting drug, exhibiting potent parasiticidal activity against protoscoleces and in vitro cultured small cysts, which warranted further in vivo investigation as a promising anti-echinococcal lead compound. Pyronaridine has a known drug profile and a long track record of safety, and its repurposing could translate rapidly to clinical use for human patients with alveolar echinococcosis as an alternative or salvage treatment.

Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) is one of the world’s resilient upland weeds, primarily spreading through its tubers. Its emergence in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields has been increasing, likely due to changing paddy-farming practices. This study aimed to investigate how C. rotundus, an upland weed, can withstand soil flooding and become a problematic weed in rice fields. The first comparative analysis focused on the survival and recovery characteristics of growing and mature tubers of C. rotundus exposed to soil-flooding conditions. Notably, mature tubers exhibited significant survival and recovery abilities in these environments. Based on this observation, further investigation was carried out to explore the morphological structure, nonstructural carbohydrates, and respiratory mechanisms of mature tubers in response to prolonged soil flooding. Over time, the mature tubers did not form aerenchyma but instead gradually accumulated lignified sclerenchymal fibers, with lignin content also increasing. After 90 d, the lignified sclerenchymal fibers and lignin contents were 4.0 and 1.1 times higher than those in the no soil-flooding treatment. Concurrently, soluble sugar content decreased while starch content increased, providing energy storage, and alcohol dehydrogenase activity rose to support anaerobic respiration via alcohol fermentation. These results indicated that mature tubers survived in soil-flooding conditions by adopting a low-oxygen quiescence strategy, which involves morphological adaptations through the development of lignified sclerenchymal fibers, increased starch reserves for energy storage, and enhanced anaerobic respiration. This mechanism likely underpins the flooding tolerance of mature C. rotundus tubers, allowing them to endure unfavorable conditions and subsequently germinate and grow once flooding subsides. This study provides a preliminary explanation of the mechanism by which mature tubers of C. rotundus from the upland areas confer flooding tolerance, shedding light on the reasons behind this weed’s increasing presence in rice fields.

Dietary restriction-influenced biological performance is found in many animal species. Pardosa pseudoannulata is a dominant spider species in agricultural fields and is important for controlling pests. In this study, three groups – a control group (CK group), a re-feeding group (RF group), and a dietary restriction group (RT group) – were used to explore development, mating, reproduction, and the expression levels of Vg (vitellogenin) and VgR (vitellogenin receptor) genes in the spider. The findings indicated that when subjected to dietary restriction, the carapace size, weight of the spiderlings, and weight of the adults exhibited a decrease. Furthermore, the preoviposition period and egg stage were observed to be prolonged, while the number of spiderlings decreased. It was also observed that re-feeding reduced cannibalism rates and extended the preoviposition period. Dietary restriction also affected the expression of the Vg-3 gene in the spider. These results will contribute to the understanding of the impact of dietary restriction in predators of pest control, as well as provide a theoretical foundation for the artificial rearing and utilisation of the dominant spider in the field.

Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) processing has been proven as a method for preparing polymer/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites with improved platelet dispersion. The influence of scCO2 processing on the shape and size of the MMT tactoid/platelet, which is of great importance to the final platelet dispersion in the polymer matrix, is scarcely reported in the literature. In the present study, the pristine MMT was first surface modified with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (the grafted MMT is labeled as GMMT), and then intercalated using three kinds of intercalating agents, myristyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (MTAB), tetradecyltrihexylphosphonium chloride (TDTHP), and ethoxyltriphenyl-phosphonium chloride (ETPC), in water or scCO2, to study the effect of intercalating agent type and intercalation method on the morphology and thermal properties of GMMT, as a part of a program devoted to the synthesis of polymer/MMT nanocomposites. The structure of intercalated GMMT was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optimum intercalation conditions in scCO2 were established by trying a range of reaction times and pressures. The structures of intercalated GMMT obtained under optimum scCO2 conditions and water were compared. The basal spacing of GMMT intercalated in scCO2 was almost the same as that in water, and both were obviously larger than that of GMMT. The GMMT exhibited a compact spherical morphology (examined using SEM), and the surface structures (including surface morphology, surface roughness, and surface compactness) of samples intercalated in water became ‘less compact’ and the degree of the ‘compactness’ of samples intercalated in scCO2 decreased further. Whether in water or scCO2, samples intercalated with TDTHP exhibited a larger basal spacing and the extent of disorder increased compared to that for samples intercalated with MTAB. The pristine MMT was also intercalated for comparison and silane grafting was proven to contribute to the increased basal spacing and ‘less compact’ surface structure.

This article examines the evolution of the Sino-Malaysian rubber trade between 1950 and 1980 from a global perspective. In the 1950s, this trade was one part of a triangular rubber trade extending from Southeast Asia through China to the European socialist countries who were the real buyers of much of the Malayan rubber exported to China. While China stopped its rubber re-exports to the Soviet Union in 1961, the Sino-Malaysian rubber trade continued to evolve under the shadow of global events, especially Malaysia’s economic tensions with industrialized Western countries and China’s military confrontations with its enemies. The engagement of so many global players in this trade brought more pressures, challenges, and opportunities for Malaysia and China as they bargained with each other, consequently contributing to the sharp fluctuation of trade during this period.

Aphids exhibit seasonally alternating asexual and sexual reproductive modes. Different morphs are produced throughout the life cycle. To evaluate morph-specific fitness during reproductive switching, holocyclic Sitobion avenae were induced continuously under short light conditions, and development and reproduction were compared in each morph. Seven morphs, including apterous and alate virginoparae, apterous and alate sexuparae, oviparae, males, and fundatrices, were produced during the life cycle. The greatest proportions of sexuparae, oviparae, males, and virginoparae were in the G1, G2, G3, and G4 generations, respectively. Regardless of asexual or sexual morphs, alate morphs exhibited a marked delay in age at maturity compared with that of apterous morphs. Among the alate morphs, males had the longest age at maturity, followed by sexuparae and virginoparae. Among the apterous morphs, sexuparae were older at maturity than the fundatrices, virginoparae, and oviparae. The nymphs of each morph had equal survival potentials. For the same wing morphs, apterous sexuparae and oviparae exhibited substantial delays in the pre-reproductive period and considerable reductions in fecundity, compared with those of apterous virginoparae and fundatrices, whereas alate sexuparae and alate virginoparae had similar fecundity. The seven morphs exhibited Deevey I survivorship throughout the life cycle. These results suggest that sexual production, particularly in males, has short-term development and reproduction costs. The coexistence of sexual and asexual morphs in sexuparae offspring may be regarded as an adaptive strategy for limiting the risk of low fitness in winter.

Menaquinone-7 (MK-7), a multipotent vitamin K2, possesses a wide range of biological activities, a precise curative effect and excellent safety. A simple and rapid LC-APCI-MS/MS method for the determination of MK-7 in human plasma with single liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) extraction and 4·5-min analysis time has been developed and validated. Four per cent bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as surrogate matrix for standard curves and endogenous baseline subtraction. This method was reproducible and reliable and was used to analyse of MK-7 in human plasma. The endogenous circadian rhythm and bioavailability of MK-7 were investigated in two randomised single-dose, open, one-way clinical trials (Study I and Study II). A total of five healthy male subjects were enrolled in Study I and 12 healthy male subjects in Study II. Single-dose (1 mg) of MK-7 was given to each subject under fasting condition, and all eligible subjects were given a restricting VK2 diet for 4 d prior to drug administration and during the trial. The experiment results of Study I demonstrated that endogenous MK-7 has no circadian rhythm in individuals. Both studies showed MK-7 are absorbed with peak plasma concentrations at about 6 h after intake and has a very long half-life time.

To explore the effect of yield stress on the secondary breakup of gel drops, experimental and theoretical investigations are carried out by employing a high-speed camera. A unique hemline-type breakup, as a modified behaviour of sheet-thinning breakup, occurs when the air velocity increases to a high region. The edges of the drops constantly deform into thin membranes when the high-velocity air skims over the gel drops. These membranes vibrate vertically, and breaking points occur at high amplitudes, causing the formation of reticular fragments. The results of linear stability analysis indicated that the yield stress of the gel drops has an influence on the formation and breakup of the gel membranes. The breakup regime map and breakup times are also studied.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common infection in the world, and its epidemics result in heavy disease burdens. Over the past decade, HFMD has been widespread among children in China, with Shanxi Province being a severely affected northern province. Located in the temperate monsoon climate, Shanxi has a GDP of over 2.5 trillion yuan. It is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the basic features of HFMD in those areas that have similar meteorological and economic backgrounds to northern China. We aimed to investigate epidemiological characteristics, identify spatial clusters and predict monthly incidence of HFMD. All reported HFMD cases were obtained from the Shanxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall HFMD incidence showed a significant downward trend from 2017 to 2020, increasing again in 2021. Children aged < 5 years were primarily affected, with a high incidence of HFMD in male patients (relative risk: 1.316). The distribution showed a seasonal trend, with major peaks in June and July and secondary peaks in October and November with the exception of 2020. Other enteroviruses were the predominant causative agents of HFMD in most years. Areas with large numbers of HFMD cases were primarily in central Shanxi, and spatial clusters in 2017 and 2018 showed a positive global spatial correlation. Local spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that hot spots and secondary hot spots were concentrated in Jinzhong and Yangquan in 2018. Based on monthly incidence from September 2021 to August 2022, the mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and root mean square error (RMSE) of the long short-term memory (LSTM) and seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models were 386.58 vs. 838.25, 2.25 vs. 3.08, and 461.96 vs. 963.13, respectively, indicating that the predictive accuracy of LSTM was better than that of SARIMA. The LSTM model may be useful in predicting monthly incidences of HFMD, which may provide early warnings of HFMD epidemics.

The carbonate-hosted Pb–Zn deposits in the Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou (SYG) triangle region are important Indosinian deposits in South China. The Tianbaoshan deposit is a typical large Pb–Zn deposit in the SYG area and occurs as pipe-like type, hosted by Sinian dolostone. It contains ∼26 Mt Zn–Pb ore (7.76–10.09 % Zn, 1.28–1.50 % Pb and 93.6 g t−1 Ag) and >0.1 Mt Cu ore (2.55 % Cu). In this study, the detailed mineral textures, mineral chemical and sulphur isotopic compositions of the various sulphides have been analysed to constrain the abnormal enrichment mechanism and mineralization relationship. Four mineralization stages have been recognized: Stage 1, minor early pyrite (Py1) with relics and infill of intergranular dolomite or quartz grains; Stage 2, Cu mineralization with coarse-grained, elliptical crystal chalcopyrite (Cp1); (3) Stage 3, Zn mineralization with dark fine-grained sphalerite (Sph1) and light coarse-grained sphalerite (Sph2); and (4) Stage 4, as represented by a quartz–calcite assemblage with galena, minor pyrite (Py2) and chalcopyrite (Cp2). The petrography of the sulphide minerals (Py1, Cp1, Sph1 and Sph2) demonstrates a mutual inclusion relationship. The nature of this relationship from core to rim and their similar sulphur isotope values (5.5–8.3 ‰) indicates a single sulphur source, suggesting that the different mineralization types are the result of different stages of a continuous hydrothermal system. Sphalerite geothermometer study suggests that sphalerite in the Tianbaoshan deposit formed in a low-temperature (<200 °C) hydrothermal system. The low concentrations of Mn and In, low In/Ge ratios and high Fe/Cd ratios in the sphalerite are consistent with those of Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits, but different from those of magmatism-related deposits (e.g. epithermal, skarn and VMS deposits). The positive δ34S values for Py1 (5.1–7.9 ‰), Cp1 (5.1–7.2 ‰), Sph1 (4.7–7.4 ‰), Sph2 (3.9–8.7 ‰), Py2 (4.4–9.3 ‰) and Cp2 (5.0–6.8 ‰) indicate a sulphur source from thermochemical reduction of coeval seawater sulphate. Widely developed dissolved textures (caverns and breccias) with massive sulphide infillings and deformed host rock remnants suggest that replacement of host dolostones by ore fluids was volumetrically significant and the ore formed nearly simultaneously with the cavities. The Tianbaoshan deposit is a typical MVT deposit, which resulted from mixing of a H2S-rich fluid and a metal-rich fluid, with thermochemical sulphate reduction occurring before ore precipitation rather than during ore precipitation.