Leveraging Optical Communication Fiber and AI for Distributed Water Pipe Leak Detection

Detecting leaks in water networks is a costly challenge. This article introduces a practical solution: the integration of optical network with water networks for efficient leak detection. Our approach uses a fiber-optic cable to measure vibrations, enabling accurate leak identification and localization by an intelligent algorithm. We also propose a method to access leak severity for prioritized repairs. Our solution detects even small leaks with flow rates as low as 0.027 L/s. It offers a cost-effective way to improve leak detection, enhance water management, and increase operational efficiency.Comment: Accepte

Global trends and performances in diabetic retinopathy studies: A bibliometric analysis

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to identify and evaluate global trends in diabetic retinopathy (DR) research and visualize the focus and frontiers of this field.MethodsDiabetic retinopathy-related publications from the establishment of the Web of Science (WOS) through 1 November 2022 were retrieved for qualitative and quantitative analyses. This study analyzed annual publication counts, prolific countries, institutions, journals, and the top 10 most cited literature. The findings were presented through descriptive statistics. VOSviewer 1.6.17 was used to exhibit keywords with high frequency and national cooperation networks, while CiteSpace 5.5.R2 displayed the timeline and burst keywords for each term.ResultsA total of 10,709 references were analyzed, and the number of publications continuously increased over the investigated period. America had the highest h-index and citation frequency, contributing to the most influence. China was the most prolific country, producing 3,168 articles. The University of London had the highest productivity. The top three productive journals were from America, and Investigative Ophthalmology Visual Science had the highest number of publications. The article from Gulshan et al. (2016; co-citation counts, 2,897) served as the representative and symbolic reference. The main research topics in this area were incidence, pathogenesis, treatment, and artificial intelligence (AI). Deep learning, models, biomarkers, and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) of DR were frontier hotspots.ConclusionBibliometric analysis in this study provided valuable insights into global trends in DR research frontiers. Four key study directions and three research frontiers were extracted from the extensive DR-related literature. As the incidence of DR continues to increase, DR prevention and treatment have become a pressing public health concern and a significant area of research interest. In addition, the development of AI technologies and telemedicine has emerged as promising research frontiers for balancing the number of doctors and patients

Degradation of Microcystin-LR and RR by a Stenotrophomonas sp. Strain EMS Isolated from Lake Taihu, China

A bacterial strain EMS with the capability of degrading microcystins (MCs) was isolated from Lake Taihu, China. The bacterium was tentatively identified as a Stenotrophomonas sp. The bacterium could completely consume MC-LR and MC-RR within 24 hours at a concentration of 0.7 μg/mL and 1.7 μg/mL, respectively. The degradation of MC-LR and MC-RR by EMS occurred preferentially in an alkaline environment. In addition, mlrA gene involved in the degradation of MC-LR and MC-RR was detected in EMS. Due to the limited literature this gene has rare homologues. Sequencing analysis of the translated protein from mlrA suggested that MlrA might be a transmembrane protein, which suggests a possible new protease family having unique function

The hornwort genome and early land plant evolution

Hornworts, liverworts and mosses are three early diverging clades of land plants, and together comprise the bryophytes. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the hornwort Anthoceros angustus. Phylogenomic inferences confirm the monophyly of bryophytes, with hornworts sister to liverworts and mosses. The simple morphology of hornworts correlates with low genetic redundancy in plant body plan, while the basic transcriptional regulation toolkit for plant development has already been established in this early land plant lineage. Although the Anthoceros genome is small and characterized by minimal redundancy, expansions are observed in gene families related to RNA editing, UV protection and desiccation tolerance. The genome of A. angustus bears the signatures of horizontally transferred genes from bacteria and fungi, in particular of genes operating in stress-response and metabolic pathways. Our study provides insight into the unique features of hornworts and their molecular adaptations to live on land

Improving the corrosion resistance of MgZn1.2GdxZr0.18 (x =0, 0.8, 1.4, 2.0) alloys via Gd additions

Funding Information: This research was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFB0301101 ), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51971054 ) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant Nos. N180904006 and N2009006 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier LtdEffects of Gd addition on microstructure, corrosion behavior and mechanism of cast and extruded MgZn1.2GdxZr0.18 alloys are investigated through microstructure observation, weight loss and electrochemical tests. Increasing Gd from 0 to 2.0 at.%, grains are refined, MgZn2 phase, W-phase and X-phase are formed successively, and basal texture intensity is decreased. The significantly decreased grain size by extrusion and Gd addition induces formation of protective Gd2O3 and MgO layer. The extruded MgZn1.2Gd2.0Zr0.18 alloy shows decreased corrosion rate of 3.72 ± 0.36 mm/year, owing to fine and homogeneous microstructure, dual-role (micro-anode and barrier) of X-phase, compact oxidation layer and basal crystallographic texture.Peer reviewe

Dissecting the physiology and pathophysiology of glucagon-like peptide-1

Copyright © 2018 Paternoster and Falasca. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. An aging world population exposed to a sedentary life style is currently plagued by chronic metabolic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, that are spreading worldwide at an unprecedented rate. One of the most promising pharmacological approaches for the management of type 2 diabetes takes advantage of the peptide hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) under the form of protease resistant mimetics, and DPP-IV inhibitors. Despite the improved quality of life, long-term treatments with these new classes of drugs are riddled with serious and life-threatening side-effects, with no overall cure of the disease. New evidence is shedding more light over the complex physiology of GLP-1 in health and metabolic diseases. Herein, we discuss the most recent advancements in the biology of gut receptors known to induce the secretion of GLP-1, to bridge the multiple gaps into our understanding of its physiology and pathology

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field