Room geometry blind inference based on the localization of real sound source and first order reflections

The conventional room geometry blind inference techniques with acoustic signals are conducted based on the prior knowledge of the environment, such as the room impulse response (RIR) or the sound source position, which will limit its application under unknown scenarios. To solve this problem, we have proposed a room geometry reconstruction method in this paper by using the geometric relation between the direct signal and first-order reflections. In addition to the information of the compact microphone array itself, this method does not need any precognition of the environmental parameters. Besides, the learning-based DNN models are designed and used to improve the accuracy and integrity of the localization results of the direct source and first-order reflections. The direction of arrival (DOA) and time difference of arrival (TDOA) information of the direct and reflected signals are firstly estimated using the proposed DCNN and TD-CNN models, which have higher sensitivity and accuracy than the conventional methods. Then the position of the sound source is inferred by integrating the DOA, TDOA and array height using the proposed DNN model. After that, the positions of image sources and corresponding boundaries are derived based on the geometric relation. Experimental results of both simulations and real measurements verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed techniques compared with the conventional methods under different reverberant environments

Equity evaluation of urban park system: a case study of Xiamen, China

Urban parks play a distinctive and important role in satisfying residents’ demands on leisure and recreation, and thus have become the focus of research in the field of urban planning and sustainable development. This paper used equity as indicator to combine both the supply and demand sides of urban park service. Taking Xiamen as the study case, the relationship between spatial distribution of population and park services was analyzed. The results show that while population density has a significant spatial relationship with urban park service level at the city scale, Xiamen has the problem of neglecting the equity of urban park service between people and regions within the city. The proposed approach builds up the linkage between urban park service and urban population in order to evaluate the performance of urban park. Although the mechanism remains to be discussed, this study provides a useful auxiliary tool for constructing a guideline for urban green space planning, since urban park is increasingly seen as a kind of restricted public resource and ensuring its equity should be an important task for city mangers

Triptolide Induces Glioma Cell Autophagy and Apoptosis via Upregulating the ROS/JNK and Downregulating the Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathways

Apoptosis and autophagy are the two prominent forms of developmental cell death, and researches have shown that crosstalk exists between these two processes. A prior study demonstrated that triptolide inhibited the proliferation of malignant glioma cells. However, whether apoptosis and autophagy participate in the inhibitory effect of triptolide in glioma cells has not been clarified. In the present study, we demonstrated that triptolide potently inhibited the growth of glioma cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Additionally, the treatment with triptolide induced apoptosis and autophagy in various glioma cell lines. Triptolide-induced autophagy may have tumor-supporting effects. Autophagy and apoptosis could cross-inhibit each other in glioma cells treated with triptolide. Moreover, we found that triptolide induced ROS production and JNK activation and inhibited the activity of Akt and mTOR. Finally, we demonstrated that triptolide suppressed tumor growth in an orthotopic xenograft glioma model. Collectively, these data indicated that triptolide induced G2/M phase arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy via activating the ROS/JNK and blocking the Akt/mTOR signaling pathways in glioma cells. Triptolide may be a potential anti-tumor drug targeting gliomas

DNAm-based signatures of accelerated aging and mortality in blood are associated with low renal function

Background The difference between an individual's chronological and DNA methylation predicted age (DNAmAge), termed DNAmAge acceleration (DNAmAA), can capture life-long environmental exposures and age-related physiological changes reflected in methylation status. Several studies have linked DNAmAA to morbidity and mortality, yet its relationship with kidney function has not been assessed. We evaluated the associations between seven DNAm aging and lifespan predictors (as well as GrimAge components) and five kidney traits (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio [uACR], serum urate, microalbuminuria and chronic kidney disease [CKD]) in up to 9688 European, African American and Hispanic/Latino individuals from seven population-based studies. Results We identified 23 significant associations in our large trans-ethnic meta-analysis (p < 1.43E-03 and consistent direction of effect across studies). Age acceleration measured by the Extrinsic and PhenoAge estimators, as well as Zhang's 10-CpG epigenetic mortality risk score (MRS), were associated with all parameters of poor kidney health (lower eGFR, prevalent CKD, higher uACR, microalbuminuria and higher serum urate). Six of these associations were independently observed in European and African American populations. MRS in particular was consistently associated with eGFR (beta = - 0.12, 95% CI = [- 0.16, - 0.08] change in log-transformed eGFR per unit increase in MRS, p = 4.39E-08), prevalent CKD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.78 [1.47, 2.16], p = 2.71E-09) and higher serum urate levels (beta = 0.12 [0.07, 0.16], p = 2.08E-06). The first-generation clocks (Hannum, Horvath) and GrimAge showed different patterns of association with the kidney traits. Three of the DNAm-estimated components of GrimAge, namely adrenomedullin, plasminogen-activation inhibition 1 and pack years, were positively associated with higher uACR, serum urate and microalbuminuria. Conclusion DNAmAge acceleration and DNAm mortality predictors estimated in whole blood were associated with multiple kidney traits, including eGFR and CKD, in this multi-ethnic study. Epigenetic biomarkers which reflect the systemic effects of age-related mechanisms such as immunosenescence, inflammaging and oxidative stress may have important mechanistic or prognostic roles in kidney disease. Our study highlights new findings linking kidney disease to biological aging, and opportunities warranting future investigation into DNA methylation biomarkers for prognostic or risk stratification in kidney disease

COVID-19 vaccination willingness among people living with HIV in Shijiazhuang, China: a cross-sectional survey

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic imposed an enormous disease and economic burden worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is essential to containing the pandemic. People living with HIV (PLWH) may be more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 outcomes; thus, understanding their vaccination willingness and influencing factors is helpful in developing targeted vaccination strategies.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between 15 June and 30 August 2022 in Shijiazhuang, China. Variables included socio-demographic characteristics, health status characteristics, HIV-related characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination status. Multivariable logistic regression was used to confirm factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination willingness among PLWH.ResultsA total of 1,428 PLWH were included, with a 90.48% willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. PLWH were more unwilling to receive COVID-19 vaccination for those who were female or had a fair/poor health status, had an allergic history and comorbidities, were unconvinced and unsure about the effectiveness of vaccines, were unconvinced and unsure about the safety of vaccines, were convinced and unsure about whether COVID-19 vaccination would affect ART efficacy, or did not know at least a type of domestic COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 93.00% of PLWH have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine among PLWH, and 213 PLWH (14.92%) reported at least one adverse reaction within 7 days.ConclusionIn conclusion, our study reported a relatively high willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccination among PLWH in Shijiazhuang. However, a small number of PLWH still held hesitancy; thus, more tailored policies or guidelines from the government should be performed to enhance the COVID-19 vaccination rate among PLWH

Job burnout among primary healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional study in China

ObjectiveThis study evaluated job burnout among primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) in China during the COVID-19 pandemic, explored its influencing factors, and examined PHCWs' preferences for reducing job burnout.MethodWe conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study in Heilongjiang, Sichuan, Anhui, Gansu, and Shandong Provinces. An electronic questionnaire survey was conducted through convenience sampling in communities from May to July 2022. We collected sociodemographic characteristics, job burnout level, job satisfaction, and preferred ways to reduce job burnout among PHCWs.ResultsThe job burnout rate among PHCWs in China was 59.87% (937/1565). Scores for each dimension of job burnout were lower among PHCWs who had a better work environment (emotional exhaustion OR: 0.60; depersonalization OR: 0.73; personal accomplishment OR: 0.76) and higher professional pride (emotional exhaustion OR: 0.63; depersonalization OR: 0.70; personal accomplishment OR: 0.44). PHCWs with higher work intensity (emotional exhaustion OR: 2.37; depersonalization OR: 1.34; personal accomplishment OR: 1.19) had higher scores in all job burnout dimensions. Improving work environments and raising salaries were the preferred ways for PHCWs to reduce job burnout.ConclusionStrategies should be developed to improve job satisfaction among PHCWs, enhance their professional identity, and alleviate burnout to ensure the effective operation of the healthcare system, especially during periods of overwork

The genome and transcriptome of Japanese flounder provide insights into flatfish asymmetry

Flatfish have the most extreme asymmetric body morphology of vertebrates. During metamorphosis, one eye migrates to the contralateral side of the skull, and this migration is accompanied by extensive craniofacial transformations and simultaneous development of lopsided body pigmentation(1-5). The evolution of this developmental and physiological innovation remains enigmatic. Comparative genomics of two flatfish and transcriptomic analyses during metamorphosis point to a role for thyroid hormone and retinoic acid signaling, as well as phototransduction pathways. We demonstrate that retinoic acid is critical in establishing asymmetric pigmentation and, via cross-talk with thyroid hormones, in modulating eye migration. The unexpected expression of the visual opsins from the phototransduction pathway in the skin translates illumination differences and generates retinoic acid gradients that underlie the generation of asymmetry. Identifying the genetic underpinning of this unique developmental process answers long-standing questions about the evolutionary origin of asymmetry, but it also provides insight into the mechanisms that control body shape in vertebrates.National Natural Science Foundation of China [31130057, 31461163005, 31530078, 31472269, 31472262, 31472273]; State 863 High Technology R&D Project of China [2012AA092203, 2012AA10A408, 2012AA10A403-2]; Education and Research of Guangdong Province [2013B090800017]; Taishan Scholar Climb Project Fund of Shandong of China; Taishan Scholar Project Fund of Shandong of China for Young Scientists; Shanghai Universities First-class Disciplines Project of Fisheries; Program for Professor of Special Appointment (Eastern Scholar) at the Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning; Shanghai Municipal Science, Special Project on the Integration of Industryinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A sheep pangenome reveals the spectrum of structural variations and their effects on tail phenotypes

Structural variations (SVs) are a major contributor to genetic diversity and phenotypic variations, but their prevalence and functions in domestic animals are largely unexplored. Here we generated high-quality genome assemblies for 15 individuals from genetically diverse sheep breeds using Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) high-fidelity sequencing, discovering 130.3 Mb nonreference sequences, from which 588 genes were annotated. A total of 149,158 biallelic insertions/deletions, 6531 divergent alleles, and 14,707 multiallelic variations with precise breakpoints were discovered. The SV spectrum is characterized by an excess of derived insertions compared to deletions (94,422 vs. 33,571), suggesting recent active LINE expansions in sheep. Nearly half of the SVs display low to moderate linkage disequilibrium with surrounding single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and most SVs cannot be tagged by SNP probes from the widely used ovine 50K SNP chip. We identified 865 population-stratified SVs including 122 SVs possibly derived in the domestication process among 690 individuals from sheep breeds worldwide. A novel 168-bp insertion in the 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) of HOXB13 is found at high frequency in long-tailed sheep. Further genome-wide association study and gene expression analyses suggest that this mutation is causative for the long-tail trait. In summary, we have developed a panel of high-quality de novo assemblies and present a catalog of structural variations in sheep. Our data capture abundant candidate functional variations that were previously unexplored and provide a fundamental resource for understanding trait biology in sheep

DNAm-based signatures of accelerated aging and mortality in blood are associated with low renal function

Background The difference between an individual's chronological and DNA methylation predicted age (DNAmAge), termed DNAmAge acceleration (DNAmAA), can capture life-long environmental exposures and age-related physiological changes reflected in methylation status. Several studies have linked DNAmAA to morbidity and mortality, yet its relationship with kidney function has not been assessed. We evaluated the associations between seven DNAm aging and lifespan predictors (as well as GrimAge components) and five kidney traits (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio [uACR], serum urate, microalbuminuria and chronic kidney disease [CKD]) in up to 9688 European, African American and Hispanic/Latino individuals from seven population-based studies. Results We identified 23 significant associations in our large trans-ethnic meta-analysis (p < 1.43E−03 and consistent direction of effect across studies). Age acceleration measured by the Extrinsic and PhenoAge estimators, as well as Zhang’s 10-CpG epigenetic mortality risk score (MRS), were associated with all parameters of poor kidney health (lower eGFR, prevalent CKD, higher uACR, microalbuminuria and higher serum urate). Six of these associations were independently observed in European and African American populations. MRS in particular was consistently associated with eGFR (β =  − 0.12, 95% CI = [− 0.16, − 0.08] change in log-transformed eGFR per unit increase in MRS, p = 4.39E−08), prevalent CKD (odds ratio (OR) = 1.78 [1.47, 2.16], p = 2.71E-09) and higher serum urate levels (β = 0.12 [0.07, 0.16], p = 2.08E−06). The “first-generation” clocks (Hannum, Horvath) and GrimAge showed different patterns of association with the kidney traits. Three of the DNAm-estimated components of GrimAge, namely adrenomedullin, plasminogen-activation inhibition 1 and pack years, were positively associated with higher uACR, serum urate and microalbuminuria. Conclusion DNAmAge acceleration and DNAm mortality predictors estimated in whole blood were associated with multiple kidney traits, including eGFR and CKD, in this multi-ethnic study. Epigenetic biomarkers which reflect the systemic effects of age-related mechanisms such as immunosenescence, inflammaging and oxidative stress may have important mechanistic or prognostic roles in kidney disease. Our study highlights new findings linking kidney disease to biological aging, and opportunities warranting future investigation into DNA methylation biomarkers for prognostic or risk stratification in kidney disease

Exploring solutions to improve the evaluation of development of rural villages:A case study of the application of the evaluation for the construction of beautiful villages (ecbv) in a village in South China

Eco-village development has been considered by the Chinese central government as part of its rural revitalisation campaign and it is seen as a crucial/main solution to the increasingly serious rural issues caused by urban&ndash;rural inequality. A significant number of eco-villages are being or will be developed with government leadership and support under the guidance of a corresponding assessment. However, the latest Chinese eco-village assessment, the Evaluation for the Construction of Beautiful Villages (ECBV), has been found to have limitations related to the assessment process, method, and indicators, meaning that it cannot be used to perform a balanced evaluation of the social, economic, and environmental aspects of an eco-village. As assessing an eco-village is as essential as building it, it has become necessary to balance the criteria and improve the ECBV assessment so that it can review existing achievements, guide further development, and ensure better outcomes. Thus, this paper aims to: (1) identify the limitations of ECBV through a case study of a carefully selected Chinese eco-village, Zhenghu Village, by repeating the assessment process and analysing the assessment results, and (2) propose three possible solutions to improve the assessment by applying a revised ECBV assessment, the components of which are adopted and revised from an internationally recognised sustainability assessment, the Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs). The results of the case study confirm the limitations of the ECBV assessment. Besides, the research outcomes of these three possible solutions can improve ECBV assessment and also provide ideas for the improvement of other existing assessment methods. Moreover, other developing countries may apply the research process and method introduced in this paper to formulate or improve their own eco-village assessments