In this paper, a capsule endoscopy system with a sensing function is proposed for medical devices. A single-arm spiral antenna is designed for data transmission and is combined with the voltage controlled oscillator to achieve sensing capabilities. The designed antenna operates at a 900 MHz industrial scientific medical band. By establishing a three-layer cylindrical model of the stomach, it was concluded that the antenna in the stomach has a high peak gain of −1.1 dBi. Additionally, the antenna achieved a −10 dB impedance bandwidth of 5%. The capsule endoscopy was experimentally measured in both actual stomach and simulated environments. The maximum working distance of the capsule endoscope was measured to be 6.8 m. Additionally, the proposed capsule endoscope was tested for its sensing function using solutions with different dielectric constants. Finally, it was confirmed through link analysis that it has good communication capabilities. The results and analysis confirm that the proposed capsule endoscope can be used for examining gastric diseases.

Growing evidence indicates a link between diet and depression risk. We aimed to examine the association between an inflammatory diet index and depression utilising extensive data from UK biobank cohort. The energy-adjusted dietary inflammation index (E-DII) was calculated to quantify the potential of daily diet, with twenty-seven food parameters utilised. The E-DII scores were classified into two categories (low v. high) based on median value. To mitigate bias and ensure comparability of participant characteristics, propensity score matching was employed. To ascertain the robustness of these associations, sensitivity analyses were conducted. Subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the consistency of these associations within different subpopulations. Totally, 152 853 participants entered the primary analyses with a mean age of 56·11 (sd 7·98) years. Employing both univariate and multivariate logistic regression models, adjustments were made for varying degrees of confounding factors (socio-demographics, lifestyle factors, common chronic medical conditions including type 2 diabetes and hypertension). Results consistently revealed a noteworthy positive correlation between E-DII and depression. In the context of propensity score matching, participants displaying higher E-DII scores exhibited an increased likelihood of experiencing incident depression (OR = 1·12, 95 % CI: 1·05, 1·19; P = 0·000316). Subgroup analysis results demonstrated variations in these associations across diverse subpopulations. The E-value for the point-estimate OR calculated from the propensity score matching dataset was 1·48. Excluding individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or hypertension, the findings consistently aligned with the positive association in the primary analysis. These findings suggested that consumption of a diet with higher pro-inflammatory potential might associated with an increase of future depression risk.

Accurate dynamic model is essential for the model-based control of robotic systems. However, on the one hand, the nonlinearity of the friction is seldom treated in robot dynamics. On the other hand, few of the previous studies reasonably balance the calculation time-consuming and the quality for the excitation trajectory optimization. To address these challenges, this article gives a Lie-theory-based dynamic modeling scheme of multi-degree-of-freedom (DoF) serial robots involving nonlinear friction and excitation trajectory optimization. First, we introduce two coefficients to describe the Stribeck characteristics of Coulomb and static friction and consider the dependency of friction on load torque, so as to propose an improved Stribeck friction model. Whereafter, the improved friction model is simplified in a no-load scenario, a novel nonlinear dynamic model is linearized to capture the features of viscous friction across the entire velocity range. Additionally, a new optimization algorithm of excitation trajectories is presented considering the benefits of three different optimization criteria to design the optimal excitation trajectory. On the basis of the above, we retrieve a feasible dynamic parameter set of serial robots through the hybrid least square algorithm. Finally, our research is supported by simulation and experimental analyses of different combinations on the seven-DoF Franka Emika robot. The results show that the proposed friction has better accuracy performance, and the modified optimization algorithm can reduce the overall time required for the optimization process while maintaining the quality of the identification results.

The current LiDAR-inertial odometry is prone to cumulative Z-axis error when it runs for a long time. This error can easily lead to the failure to detect the loop-closing in the correct scenario. In this paper, a ground-constrained LiDAR-inertial SLAM is proposed to solve this problem. Reasonable constraints on the ground motion of the mobile robot are incorporated to limit the Z-axis drift error. At the same time, considering the influence of initial positioning error on navigation, a keyframe selection strategy is designed to effectively improve the flatness and accuracy of positioning and the efficiency of loop detection. If GNSS is available, the GNSS factor is added to eliminate the cumulative error of the trajectory. Finally, a large number of experiments are carried out on the self-developed robot platform to verify the effectiveness of the algorithm. The results show that this method can effectively improve location accuracy in outdoor environments, especially in environments of feature degradation and large scale.

The intraspecific variations of phenotypic traits in the early life stages, such as seed germination and seedling establishment, are important components affecting species adaptation and differentiation. As one of the most common ways in which seeds are maintained, dry storage usually affects these traits, by either increasing or decreasing variation among populations. However, little is known about how the interaction between dry storage and population variation of a species affects the performance and adaptability of early life-cycle traits. In this study, we conducted experiments with seeds from ten populations of Elymus nutans along an altitudinal gradient on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Fresh seeds and seeds stored dry for 6 months were used to quantify the temperature thresholds for germination, determine seedling emergence and survival in two common gardens and examine the correlation between these traits and environmental conditions of population provenance. Dry storage increased germination percentage, germination speed and seedling emergence, and decreased intraspecific variation in germination traits of seeds (reduced by 33.36, 52.05 and 20.45% for Tb, θT(50) and σθT, respectively). Dry storage had little effect on the intraspecific variation of seedling emergence and survival. In addition, the temperature threshold for germination cannot be used to predict seedling emergence and survival in either common garden, regardless of whether seeds were stored or not. These results indicated that it is feasible to use dry-stored seeds to evaluate and select suitable provenances in ecological restoration, and using dry-stored seeds in ecological restoration projects is expected to achieve better vegetation restoration results than fresh seeds. On the other hand, the status of seeds (fresh vs. dry stored) should be considered in an evaluation of the adaptive value of plant functional traits, especially in the early life stages, otherwise, inconsistent conclusions may be drawn.

To investigate the effects of co-infection with Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) on T cell exhaustion levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B, we enrolled clinical cases in this study, including the patients with concomitant C. sinensis and HBV infection. In this study, we detected inhibitory receptors and cytokine expression in circulating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells by flow cytometry. PD-1 and TIM-3 expression levels were significantly higher on CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells from co-infected patients than on those from the HBV patients. In addition, CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells function were significantly inhibited by C. sinensis and HBV co-infection compared with HBV single infection, secreting lower levels of Interferon gamma (IFN-γ), Interleukin-2 (IL-2), and TNF-α. Our current results suggested that C. sinensis co-infection could exacerbate T cell exhaustion in patients with chronic hepatitis B. PD-1 and TIM-3 could be novel biomarkers for T cell exhaustion in patients with Clonorchis sinensis and chronic hepatitis B co-infection. Furthermore, it may be one possible reason for the weaker response to antiviral therapies and the chronicity of HBV infection in co-infected patients. We must realize the importance of C. sinensis treatment for HBV-infected patients. It might provide useful information for clinical doctors to choose the right treatment plans.

This study assessed the efficacy of ThinPrep cytologic test and human papillomavirus (HPV) co-test in cervical cancer screening during pregnancy. A cohort of 8,712 pregnant women from Ren Ji Hospital participated in the study. Among them, 601 (6.90%) tested positive for high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and 38 (0.44%) exhibited abnormal cytology results (ASCUS+). Following positive HR-HPV findings, 423 patients underwent colposcopy, and 114 individuals suspected of having high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and cervical cancer (HSIL+) underwent cervical biopsy. Histological examination revealed 60 cases of normal pathology (52.63%), 35 cases of low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (30.70%), 17 cases of HSIL (14.91%), and 2 cases of cervical cancer (1.75%). The incidence of HSIL+ in HPV 16/18 group was significantly higher than that in non-HPV16/18 group (10.53% vs. 6.14%, P < 0.05). Subsequent evaluation of the clinical performance of cytology alone, primary HPV screening, and co-testing for HSIL+ detection revealed that the HSIL+ detection rate was lowest with cytology alone. These findings suggest that HPV testing, either alone or combined with cytology, presents an efficient screening strategy for pregnant women, underscoring the potential for improved sensitivity in cervical cancer screening during pregnancy. The significantly higher incidence of HSIL+ in the HPV16/18 group emphasizes the importance of genotype-specific considerations.

Maternal syphilis not only seriously affects the quality of life of pregnant women themselves but also may cause various adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). This study aimed to analyse the association between the related factors and APOs in maternal syphilis. 7,030 pregnant women infected with syphilis in Henan Province between January 2016 and December 2022 were selected as participants. Information on their demographic and clinical characteristics, treatment status, and pregnancy outcomes was collected. Multivariate logistic regression models and chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) decision tree models were used to analyse the factors associated with APOs. The multivariate logistic regression results showed that the syphilis infection history (OR = 1.207, 95% CI, 1.035–1.409), the occurrence of abnormality during pregnancy (OR = 5.001, 95% CI, 4.203–5.951), not receiving standard treatment (OR = 1.370, 95% CI, 1.095–1.716), not receiving any treatment (OR = 1.313, 95% CI, 1.105–1.559), and a titre ≥1:8 at diagnosis (OR = 1.350, 95%CI, 1.079–1.690) and before delivery (OR = 1.985, 95%CI, 1.463–2.694) were risk factors. A total of six influencing factors of APOs in syphilis-infected women were screened using the CHAID decision tree model. Integrated prevention measures such as early screening, scientific eugenics assessment, and standard syphilis treatment are of great significance in reducing the incidence of APOs for pregnant women infected with syphilis.

Recent arguments claim that behavioral science has focused – to its detriment – on the individual over the system when construing behavioral interventions. In this commentary, we argue that tackling economic inequality using both framings in tandem is invaluable. By studying individuals who have overcome inequality, “positive deviants,” and the system limitations they navigate, we offer potentially greater policy solutions.

We presented the first photometric and orbital period investigations for four W Ursae Majoris-type binaries: V473 And, V805 And, LQ Com, and EG CVn. The photometric solutions suggested that V805 And and LQ Com are two total-eclipse contact binaries, while V473 And and EG CVn are partial-eclipse ones. V473 And and LQ Com belong to the A-subtype contact binaries, while V805 And and EG CVn belong to the W subtype. The O’Connell effects found in the light curves of V805 And, LQ Com, and EG CVn can be interpreted as a result of a cool spot on the surface of their less massive and hotter primary components. Based on two different methods, the absolute physical parameters were properly determined. Combining the eclipse timings derived from our observations and survey’s data with those collected from literature, we investigated their orbital period variations. The results show that the orbital periods of V473 And, V805 And, and EG CVn are undergoing a secular decrease/increase superposed a periodic variation, while LQ Com exhibits a possible cyclic period variation with a small amplitude. The secular period changes are caused mainly by the mass transfer between two components, while the cyclic period oscillations may be interpreted as the results of either the light-time effect due to the third body or the cyclic magnetic activity. Finally, we made a statistical investigation for nearly 200 contact binaries with reliable physical parameters. The statistical results suggested that the W-subtype systems are more evolved than the A-subtype ones. Furthermore, the evolutionary direction of A-subtype into W-subtype systems is also discussed. The opposite evolutionary direction seems to be unlikely because it requires an increase of the total mass, the orbital angular momentum, and the temperature differences between two components of a binary system.

The mumps resurgence has frequently been reported around the world in recent years, especially in many counties mumps vaccines have been widely used. This study aimed to describe the spatial epidemiological characteristics of mumps in Jiangsu, and provide a scientific basis for the implementation and adjustment of strategies to prevent and control mumps. The epidemiological characteristics were described with ratio or proportion. Spatial autocorrelation, Tango's flexible spatial scan statistics, and Kulldorff's elliptic spatiotemporal scan statistics were applied to identify the spatial autocorrelation, detect hot and cold spots of mumps incidence, and aggregation areas. A total of 172 775 cases were reported from 2004 to 2020 in Jiangsu. The general trend of mumps incidence is declining with a bimodal seasonal distribution identified mainly in summer and winter, respectively. Children aged 5–10 years old are the main risk group. A migration trend of hot spots from southeast to northwest over time was found. Similar high-risk aggregations were detected in the northwestern parts through spatial-temporal analysis with the most likely cluster time frame around 2019. Local medical and health administrations should formulate and implement targeted health care policies and allocate health resources more appropriately corresponding to the epidemiological characteristics of mumps.

In this study, we focus on the significant upward trend of occupational accidental traffic injuries in commercial couriers during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This review comments on the characteristics of occupational accidental injuries of commercial couriers in China and then discusses the reasons of the high incidence rate and associated risk factors. Various potential protective measures were also explored to prevent and control the occupational injuries in this vulnerable worker group.