Since the first report of erythromycin-resistant Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) in Arizona in 1994, macrolide-resistant strains have emerged worldwide, threatening pertussis control. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the prevalence and temporal trends of this resistance. Four databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science) were searched for studies on B. pertussis antimicrobial susceptibility through December 2024. Among 57 included studies (1994–2024), pooled resistance rates (breakpoint ≥32 mg/L) were: erythromycin 21% (95% CI 11–32%), azithromycin 25% (95% CI 12–40%), clarithromycin 15% (95% CI 4–30%), and clindamycin 49% (95% CI 28–70%). Subgroup analyses by country, year, and test method are presented. No trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (STX) resistance was reported. Six Japanese isolates showed high-level nalidixic acid resistance (MIC >256 mg/L). Seventy-seven studies contributed to MIC90 data for carbapenems, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, quinolones, macrolides, cephalosporins, and others. Selected penicillins and intravenous third-generation cephalosporins demonstrated strong in vitro activity, suggesting alternative treatment options. Macrolide-resistant B. pertussis has increased significantly over the past decade. Due to the high burden of antibiotic resistance in China, enhanced surveillance is warranted, while continued monitoring in other countries also remains necessary.

By generating drag and turbulence away from the bed, aquatic vegetation shapes the mean and turbulent velocity profile. However, the near-bed velocity distribution in vegetated flows has received little theoretical or experimental attention. This study investigated the near-bed velocity profile and bed shear stress using a coupled particle image velocimetry and particle tracking velocimetry system, which enabled the acquisition of flow-field measurements at very high spatial and temporal resolution. A viscous sublayer with a linear velocity profile was present, but this sublayer thickness was much smaller in vegetated flows than in bare flows with the same channel velocity. However, the dimensionless viscous sublayer thickness was the same in vegetated and bare flows, $z_v^+ = z_v \langle u_*\rangle / \nu = 6.1 \pm 0.7$. In addition, in vegetated flow, the horizontally averaged velocity profile above the viscous sublayer did not follow the classic logarithmic law found for bare beds. This deviation was attributed to the violation of two key assumptions in the classic Prandtl mixing length theory. By modifying the mixing length theory for vegetated conditions, a new theoretical power law profile for near-bed velocity was derived and validated with velocity data from both the present and previous studies, with mean percent errors of 4.9 % and 7.8 %, respectively. Using the new velocity law, the spatially averaged bed shear stress (and friction velocity) can be predicted from channel-average velocity, vegetation density and stem diameter, all of which are conveniently measured in the field.

We present a critical survey on the consistency of uncertainty quantification used in deep learning and highlight partial uncertainty coverage and many inconsistencies. We then provide a comprehensive and statistically consistent framework for uncertainty quantification in deep learning that accounts for all major sources of uncertainty: input data, training and testing data, neural network weights, and machine-learning model imperfections, targeting regression problems. We systematically quantify each source by applying Bayes’ theorem and conditional probability densities and introduce a fast, practical implementation method. We demonstrate its effectiveness on a simple regression problem and a real-world application: predicting cloud autoconversion rates using a neural network trained on aircraft measurements from the Azores and guided by a two-moment bin model of the stochastic collection equation. In this application, uncertainty from the training and testing data dominates, followed by input data, neural network model, and weight variability. Finally, we highlight the practical advantages of this methodology, showing that explicitly modeling training data uncertainty improves robustness to new inputs that fall outside the training data, and enhances model reliability in real-world scenarios.

Rural schools in China have long been in a state of underdevelopment. Studies have mainly addressed this issue from the perspective of rural–urban structural inequality, while neglecting the cultural processes that lead to inequality reproduction. Through the lens of cultural production, this study analyses qualitative data gathered in Gongshui county in central China, revealing how rural teachers and parents construct a negative perception of rural schools, evoked by devalued meanings associated with schools’ physical appearance, teaching staff characteristics and academic performance. Influenced by the discourse on rural inferiority, teachers and parents have cultivated a collective identity of becoming “less” rural and adopt strategies to disassociate themselves from rural education and community. Their cultural production of “bad” rural schools perpetuates and reinforces the underdevelopment of rural schools. This study draws attention to the cultural misconceptions surrounding rurality and the cultural processes by which educational inequalities are produced and reproduced in rural areas, both in China and globally.

The host plant associations of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), a major pest of wheat, before and after wheat harvest remain poorly understood. Overlapping growth of maize and wheat may promote R. padi survival and movement between crops. We examined population dynamics and constructed life tables for R. padi reared on wheat seedlings, maize husks, and maize leaves. Field-collected R. padi survived on both maize tissues, but aphid abundance declined sharply on aging maize leaves, while aphids on maize husks developed successfully. Aphids reared on wheat exhibited the fastest development, longest lifespan (27.89 ± 1.20 days), highest fecundity (98.59 ± 5.61 nymphs), and lowest mortality (2.56%). In contrast, aphids transferred to maize leaves showed reduced longevity (19.62 ± 1.16 days), lower fecundity (33.55 ± 2.47 nymphs), and higher mortality (23.73%). No significant differences in some reproductive parameters were observed between wheat- and maize husk-reared aphids, indicating relatively good performance on maize husks. Aphids transferred from wheat to maize experienced fitness costs, while aphids moved from maize husks back to wheat exhibited improved performance. These findings suggest that maize husks offer a comparatively favourable resource microhabitat for R. padi, potentially serving as a secondary host that supports population persistence after wheat harvest.

Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (vSLAM) is essentially limited by the static world assumption, which makes its application in dynamic environments challenging. This paper proposes a robust vSLAM system, RFN-SLAM, which is based on ORB-SLAM3 and does not require preset dynamic labels and weighted features to process dynamic scenes. In the feature extraction stage, an enhanced efficient binary image BAD descriptor is used to improve the accuracy of static feature point matching. Through the improved RT-DETR target detection network and FAST-SAM instance segmentation network, RFN-SLAM obtains semantic information and uses a novel dynamic box detection algorithm to identify and eliminate the feature points of dynamic objects. When optimizing the pose, the static feature points are weighted according to the dynamic information, which significantly reduces the mismatch and improves the accuracy of positioning. Meanwhile, 3D rendering of the neural radiation field is used to remove dynamic objects and render them. Experiments were conducted on the TUM RGB-D dataset, Bonn dataset, and self-collected dataset. The results show that in terms of positioning accuracy, RFN-SLAM significantly outperforms ORB-SLAM3 in dynamic environments. It also achieves more accurate positioning than other advanced dynamic SLAM methods and successfully realizes accurate 3D reconstruction of static scenes. In addition, on the premise of ensuring accuracy, the real-time performance of RFN-SLAM is effectively guaranteed.

Background: The adult intensive care unit comprises a total of 18 beds. On October 18, 2023, a text notification alerted us to a patient whose wound culture tested positive for Enterococcus faecium (VRE). Following protocol, an Anus VRE screening was conducted on the adjacent bed, revealing three additional positive cases, suggesting a cluster outbreak. Investigation and management were initiated. Methods: Through interviews, observations, medical record reviews, and expanded VRE screenings, a total of 8 beds tested positive, resulting in a positivity rate of 44.4% (8/18), all cases being colonization. Root cause analysis identified failures in hand hygiene among healthcare workers (HCWs), failure to wash hands before donning gloves, incorrect sequencing of environmental cleaning and disinfection, and inadequate implementation of contact isolation precautions. Measures included conducting Anus VRE screening for ICU admissions from October 15th to 18th, increasing the frequency of unit cleaning and disinfection, providing education and training, auditing hand hygiene practices and isolation measures, and centralizing VRE patient care. Results: Utilization of multiple measures for controlling drug-resistant bacterial infections, including auditing hand hygiene, environmental cleaning and disinfection, implementing contact isolation precautions, and conducting environmental sampling, yielded negative results. Observation until November 30th showed no new cases, effectively controlling the spread of drug-resistant bacteria and preventing healthcare-associated infections due to VRE. Discussion: Despite HCWs’ often busy clinical care responsibilities leading to neglect of hand hygiene or substituting handwashing with glove usage, and lapses in implementing contact isolation precautions, no healthcare-associated infections occurred, and patients were successfully discharged without disease exacerbation or fatalities. Environmental sampling was conducted post-environmental disinfection. Additionally, all VRE-positive patients were identified as Enterococcus faecium (VRE). Due to limitations, PFGE testing couldn’t be conducted, hence strain and susceptibility determination confirmed the same VRE colonization event within the hospital.

Background: Enhancing environmental hygiene resulted in a reduction of multidrug-resistant microorganisms colonization and healthcare-associated infections. There has been less studies to compare the effects of practice observation with other methods. This study aimed to compare correlations between visual inspection, practice observation and aerobic colony count (ACC) and verify the effectiveness. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a medical intensive care unit from May 2021 to November 2022. High-touch surfaces were assessed by visual inspection (clean or not clean) and practice observation (compliant or not compliant) to compare the correlations by using ACC with the cut-off point of 2.5 CFU/cm2 as a golden standard. Results: Among 569 samples, the pass rate by ACC was 90.5%, the clean rate by visual inspection was 73.3%, and the compliant rate by practice observation was 47.1%. The concordance was 245 surfaces (43.1%) of the three methods. There was no correlation between visual inspection and ACC (p<0.001, φ=0.184). The correlations were weak positive between visual inspection and practice observation and between practice observation and ACC (p<0.001, φ=0.212, 0.233). The median aerobic colony count of “compliant” group (0.00 CFU/cm2) was significantly lower than “not compliant” (0.40 CFU/cm2) (p<0.001). The median aerobic colony count of “clean” groups (0.08 CFU/cm2) was also significantly lower than “not clean” groups (0.20 CFU/cm2) (p<0.001). Conclusion: Practice observation is more reliable than visual inspection. Therefore, visual inspection can be used for low risk area to maintain visibly clean. In high risk area, an integrated program is critical to combine practice observation with other methods to monitor cleanliness.

Background: Enhancing environmental hygiene resulted in a reduction of multidrug-resistant microorganisms colonization and healthcare-associated infections. There has been less studies to compare the effects of practice observation with other methods. This study aimed to compare correlations between visual inspection, practice observation and aerobic colony count (ACC) and verify the effectiveness. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a medical intensive care unit from May 2021 to November 2022. High-touch surfaces were assessed by visual inspection (clean or not clean) and practice observation (compliant or not compliant) to compare the correlations by using ACC with the cut-off point of 2.5 CFU/cm2 as a golden standard. Results: Among 569 samples, the pass rate by ACC was 90.5%, the clean rate by visual inspection was 73.3%, and the compliant rate by practice observation was 47.1%. The concordance was 245 surfaces (43.1%) of the three methods. There was no correlation between visual inspection and ACC (p<0.001, φ=0.184). The correlations were weak positive between visual inspection and practice observation and between practice observation and ACC (p<0.001, φ=0.212, 0.233). The median aerobic colony count of “compliant” group (0.00 CFU/cm2) was significantly lower than “not compliant” (0.40 CFU/cm2) (p<0.001). The median aerobic colony count of “clean” groups (0.08 CFU/cm2) was also significantly lower than “not clean” groups (0.20 CFU/cm2) (p<0.001). Conclusion: Practice observation is more reliable than visual inspection. Therefore, visual inspection can be used for low risk area to maintain visibly clean. In high risk area, an integrated program is critical to combine practice observation with other methods to monitor cleanliness.

The Erdős–Simonovits stability theorem is one of the most widely used theorems in extremal graph theory. We obtain an Erdős–Simonovits type stability theorem in multi-partite graphs. Different from the Erdős–Simonovits stability theorem, our stability theorem in multi-partite graphs says that if the number of edges of an $H$-free graph $G$ is close to the extremal graphs for $H$, then $G$ has a well-defined structure but may be far away from the extremal graphs for $H$. As applications, we strengthen a theorem of Bollobás, Erdős, and Straus and solve a conjecture in a stronger form posed by Han and Zhao concerning the maximum number of edges in multi-partite graphs which does not contain vertex-disjoint copies of a clique.

Inspired by the need to theoretically understand the naturally occurring interactions between internal waves and mesoscale phenomena in the ocean, we derive a novel model equation from the primitive rotational Euler equations using the multi-scale asymptotic expansion method. By applying the classic balance $\epsilon =\mu ^2$ between nonlinearity (measured by $\epsilon$) and dispersion (measured by $\mu$), along with the assumption that variations in the transverse direction are of order $\mu$, which is smaller than those in the propagation direction, we arrive at terms from the classic Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation. However, when incorporating background shear currents in two horizontal dimensions and accounting for Earth’s rotation, we introduce three additional terms that, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, have not been addressed in the previous literature. Theoretical analyses and numerical results indicate that these three terms contribute to a tendency for propagation in the transverse direction and an overall variation in wave amplitudes. The specific effects of these terms can be estimated qualitatively based on the signs of the coefficients for each term and the characteristics of the initial waves. Finally, the potential shortcomings of this proposed equation are illuminated.

This study introduces a low-profile, broadband antenna with filtering features and tunable radiation nulls. The antenna consists of an arc-shaped slot, a sawtooth square slot, a Y-shaped filtering branch, two rectangular metal cavities, and curved current loops. High-frequency current balancing technology is used in this research, two rectangular metal cavities are added above the slot to balance the current strength and reduce cross-polarization. By introducing a Y-shaped filtering branch based on the reverse diversion technique, the filtering capability of the antenna can be significantly enhanced. The electric and magnetic field intensity in the specific area is enhanced through arc-shaped slot tuning technology, and the bandwidth is effectively broadened. The radius adjustment of the sector-shaped feeding network controls the position of the high-frequency radiation null, and the curved current loops control the low-frequency radiation null, the two modulate to regulate the roll-off rate of the radiation characteristic. Experimental tests demonstrate an impedance matching bandwidth greater than 55%, a peak gain of 4.5 dBi, and out-of-band suppression of 25 and 21 dB in the low and high-frequency bands, respectively. Moreover, the cross-polarization level obtained in the xoz plane is lower than –35 dB. The designed antenna demonstrates considerable potential for broadband filtering applications.

Milk fat is a crucial component for evaluating the production performance and nutritional value of goat milk. Previous research indicated that the composition of ruminal microbiota plays a significant role in regulating milk fat percentage in ruminants. Thus, this study aimed to identify key ruminal microorganisms and blood metabolites relevant to milk fat synthesis in dairy goats as a mean to explore their role in regulating milk fat synthesis. Sixty clinically healthy Xinong Saanen dairy goats at mid-lactation and of similar body weight, and similar milk yield were used in a feeding study for 15 days. Based on daily milk yield of dairy goats and the results of milk component determination on the 1st and 8th days, five goats with the highest milk fat content (H group) and five goats with the lowest milk fat content (L group) were selected for further analysis. Before the morning feeding on the 15th day of the experiment, samples of milk, blood and ruminal fluid were collected for analyses of components, volatile fatty acids, microbiota and metabolites. Results revealed that acetate content in the rumen of H group was greater compared with L group. H group had abundant beneficial bacteria including Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Saccharofermentans, Ruminococcaceae-UCG-002 and Prevotellaceae_UCG-3, which were important for plant cellulose and hemicellulose degradation and immune regulation. Metabolomics analysis revealed H group had greater relative concentrations of 4-acetamidobutanoic acid and azelaic acid in serum, and had lower relative concentrations of Arginyl-Alanine, SM(d18:1/12:0) and DL-Tryptophan. These altered metabolites are involved in the sphingolipid signaling pathway, arginine and proline metabolism. Overall, this study identified key ruminal microorganisms and serum metabolites associated with milk fat synthesis in dairy goats. These findings offer insights for enhancing the quality of goat milk and contribute to a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved in milk fat synthesis in dairy goats.

High-power 808 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) chips have unique characteristics for neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser pumping compared with conventional edge-emitting laser bars, including a chip surface with high reflectivity, near flat top distribution in the near field, larger emitting width and smaller divergence. A novel symmetrical pump cavity with an inter-reflective chamber was invented by introducing even-numbered pumping geometry and removing the conventional internal reflector. Several optical tuning measures were taken to improve the uniformity of the pumping distribution, including power and spectrum balancing in the cross-section and the long axis of the laser rod, a diffuse mechanism in the pump chamber by a frosted flow tube and optional eccentric pumping geometry. A series of VCSEL pumping experiments were conducted and optical tuning measures were evaluated through distribution profiles and efficiencies. A new design philosophy for the VCSEL side-pumped Nd:YAG laser cavity was finally developed.

A dual-beam platform is developed for all-optical Thomson/Compton scattering, with versatile parameter tuning capabilities including electron energy, radiation energy, radiation polarization, etc. By integrating this platform with a 200 TW Ti:sapphire laser system, we demonstrate the generation of inverse Compton scattering X-/gamma-rays with tunable energies ranging from tens of keV to MeV. The polarization of X-/gamma-rays is manipulated by adjusting the polarization of the scattering laser. In the near future, by combining this platform with multi-PW laser facilities, our goal is to explore the transition from nonlinear Thomson scattering to nonlinear Compton scattering, ultimately verifying theories related to strong-field quantum electrodynamics effects induced by extreme scattering.