Impaired large-scale cortico–hippocampal network connectivity, including the anterior temporal and posterior medial systems, and its associations with cognition in patients with first-episode schizophrenia

Background and objectiveThe cortico–hippocampal network is an emerging neural framework with striking evidence that it supports cognition in humans, especially memory; this network includes the anterior temporal (AT) system, the posterior medial (PM) system, the anterior hippocampus (aHIPPO), and the posterior hippocampus (pHIPPO). This study aimed to detect aberrant patterns of functional connectivity within and between large-scale cortico–hippocampal networks in first-episode schizophrenia patients compared with a healthy control group via resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and to explore the correlations of these aberrant patterns with cognition.MethodsA total of 86 first-episode, drug-naïve schizophrenia patients and 102 healthy controls (HC) were recruited to undergo rs-fMRI examinations and clinical evaluations. We conducted large-scale edge-based network analysis to characterize the functional architecture of the cortico–hippocampus network and investigate between-group differences in within/between-network functional connectivity. Additionally, we explored the associations of functional connectivity (FC) abnormalities with clinical characteristics, including scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and cognitive scores.ResultsCompared with the HC group, schizophrenia patients exhibited widespread alterations to within-network FC of the cortico–hippocampal network, with decreases in FC involving the precuneus (PREC), amygdala (AMYG), parahippocampal cortex (PHC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), perirhinal cortex (PRC), retrosplenial cortex (RSC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), angular gyrus (ANG), aHIPPO, and pHIPPO. Schizophrenia patients also showed abnormalities in large-scale between-network FC of the cortico–hippocampal network, in the form of significantly decreased FC between the AT and the PM, the AT and the aHIPPO, the PM and the aHIPPO, and the aHIPPO and the pHIPPO. A number of these signatures of aberrant FC were correlated with PANSS score (positive, negative, and total score) and with scores on cognitive test battery items, including attention/vigilance (AV), working memory (WM), verbal learning and memory (Verb_Lrng), visual learning and memory (Vis_Lrng), reasoning and problem-solving (RPS), and social cognition (SC).ConclusionSchizophrenia patients show distinct patterns of functional integration and separation both within and between large-scale cortico–hippocampal networks, reflecting a network imbalance of the hippocampal long axis with the AT and PM systems, which regulate cognitive domains (mainly Vis_Lrng, Verb_Lrng, WM, and RPS), and particularly involving alterations to FC of the AT system and the aHIPPO. These findings provide new insights into the neurofunctional markers of schizophrenia

Unfolding environmental γ\gamma flux spectrum with portable CZT detector

Environmental $\gamma$-rays constitute a crucial source of background in various nuclear, particle and quantum physics experiments. To evaluate the flux rate and the spectrum of $\gamma$ background, we have developed a novel and straightforward approach to reconstruct the environmental $\gamma$ flux spectrum by applying a portable CZT $\gamma$ detector and iterative Bayesian unfolding, which possesses excellent transferability for broader applications. In this paper, the calibration and GEANT4 Monte-Carlo modeling of the CZT detector, the unfolding procedure as well as the uncertainty estimation are demonstrated in detail. The reconstructed spectrum reveals an environmental $\gamma$ flux intensity of $3.3\pm 0.9\times 10^{7}$~ (m$^2\cdot$sr$\cdot$hour)$^{-1}$ ranging from 73 to 3033~keV, along with characteristic peaks primarily arising from $^{232}$Th series, $^{238}$U series and $^{40}$K. We also give an instance of background rate evaluation with the unfolded spectrum for validation of the approach

Genomic insights and antimicrobial resistance profiles of CRKP and non-CRKP isolates in a Beijing geriatric medical center: emphasizing the blaKPC-2 carrying high-risk clones and their spread

BackgroundThe escalating resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a prevalent pathogen in healthcare settings, especially its carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP), to a wide array of antibiotics, notably β-lactams, constitutes a formidable challenge for healthcare and global public health management.MethodsThis research compared the resistance phenotypes and genomic profiles of CRKP and Non-CRKP isolates in a Beijing hospital, focusing on high-risk blaKPC-2 gene-bearing CRKP clones and the structure of mobile genetic elements facilitating their spread across hospital departments. Forty K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from various departments of the hospital and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing to analyze their resistance phenotypes and genomic features.ResultsThe study revealed that among the 31 CRKP isolates, ST11 is the most common sequence type, with K47 and OL101 being the dominant capsule types, primarily observed in the respiratory department. In terms of antimicrobial susceptibility: 87.5% of the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR), with a high resistance rate of 30% against tigecycline. All CRKP isolates demonstrated resistance to multiple drug classes (≥5 CLSI classes). Non-CRKP isolates also showed high resistance rates to minocycline and doxycycline (77.8%). the ST11-KL47-OL101 type emerged as the predominant clone among the CRKP isolates carrying the blaKPC-2 gene. This dominance appears to be mediated by the pKpnR03_2 plasmid, which harbors not only blaKPC-2 and rmtb but also gene clusters pertinent to iron transport and arsenic resistance. These isolates, clustering in the C3 clade of the phylogenetic tree, exhibited minor genetic variations and close evolutionary relationships, suggesting a plasmid-driven spread across various hospital departments.ConclusionIn summary, our study highlights the extensive spread of antibiotic-resistant K. pneumoniae across various departments in our hospital, with a particular emphasis on the dominant clonal proliferation of the ST11-KL47-OL101 CRKP strain. This finding underscores the significant role of plasmid-mediated gene transfer in the evolution and dissemination of resistant strains within hospital environments. The study emphasizes the necessity for ongoing surveillance of antibiotic resistance and genomic analysis in hospital settings to effectively monitor and manage these challenges

Quantity Calculation of the Land Unsuitable for Farming: A Case Study of Anze County in Shanxi Province

Adhering to the "red line" of 1800 million mu of arable land is China's arable land protection guideline and policy, and the "red line" places emphasis on both quantity and quality of arable land. Taking Shanxi's Anze County as an example, based on ecological safety and natural suitability criteria, we select 10 evaluation indicators to evaluate the farming suitability of existing land in the county. Results show that Anze County needs to reuse 48.7% of the existing arable land for ecological purpose in order to ensure ecological safety. It still retains 51.3% of existing arable land after abandoning tillage, which can ensure 0.15 ha of arable land per capita, 743.12 kg of grain per capita and 170% of food self-sufficiency rate, thereby fully ensuring food safety. The farming suitability evaluation of land resources should not only consider the natural suitability of land, but also consider ecological safety. Faced with the new situation of arable land protection, it is necessary to explore new farmland protection theories and indicator systems based on actual conditions, to meet the requirements of sustainable development of population, resources and ecology

Underwater sound absorption performance of acoustic metamaterials with multilayered locally resonant scatterers

Although the conventional locally resonant acoustic metamaterials (LRAMs) have shown better sound absorption performance in the low frequency band, the effective frequency range of the sound absorption performance is quite narrow relatively. To overcome this drawback, a novel type of multilayered locally resonant acoustic metamaterials (M-LRAMs) is proposed in this paper. The sound absorption performance of the proposed LRAMs can be broadened and enhanced by coupled resonance with embedding multilayered locally resonant scatterers into the matrix structure. The finite element method (FEM) is employed to investigate the band gap characteristics and the sound absorption performance of the proposed M-LRAMs. The coupled resonance effects of the scatterers on the band gap characteristics and the sound absorption performance of acoustic metamaterials are studied as well. Moreover, the effects of the physical parameters of matrix, the thickness of each layer, the number of locally resonant scatterers and the materials of the scatterers on sound absorption performance are investigated. Results indicate that coupled resonance can broaden band gaps and engender multiple band gaps, and the M-LRAMs have many advantages in underwater sound absorption over the conventional LRAMs due to the enhanced coupled resonance effects. Keywords: Underwater sound absorption, M-LRAMs, Multilayered locally resonant scatterers, Band gap

Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties of Perfobond Rib Shear Connectors with Steel Fiber High Strength Concrete

Perfobond rib (PBL) shear connectors, made up of the perforated steel plates with the penetrating rebars passing through the holes, are extensively adopted in steel-concrete composite structures for their excellent performance. The adequate understanding of mechanical properties for PBL connectors is of great significance for their reasonable design. In this study, a push out experiment, including 12 specimens with the parameters of concrete strength, diameter of penetrating rebars and the number of holes on perforated steel plate, was performed to explore the mechanical behavior of PBL connectors with steel fiber high strength concrete (SFHSC). The experimental results showed that the shear capacity of the PBL connectors increased with the increase in concrete strength, diameter of the penetrating rebars and the number of holes. Furthermore, a general prediction formula for the shear capacity of PBL connectors was developed, which considers the shear contribution of concrete dowels, concrete end-bearing, interfacial bonding between the perforated steel plates and concrete and the penetrating rebars as well as the enhancement effect of steel fibers. The prediction results of the equation are in good agreement with the experimental data and could provide a reference for the design of PBL connectors

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction towards industrial applications

Abstract Recently, research on the electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR) has attracted considerable attention due to its potential to resolve environmental problems caused by CO2 while utilizing clean energy and producing high‐value‐added products. Considerable theoretical research in the lab has demonstrated its feasibility and prospect. However, industrialization is mandatory to realize the economic and social value of eCO2RR. For industrial application of eCO2RR, more criteria have been proposed for eCO2RR research, including high current density (above 200 mA cm−2), high product selectivity (above 90%), and long‐term stability. To fulfill these criteria, the eCO2RR system needs to be systematically designed and optimized. In this review, recent research on eCO2RR for industrial applications is summarized. The review starts with focus on potential industrial catalysts in eCO2RR. Next, potential industrial products are proposed in eCO2RR. These products, including carbon monoxide, formic acid, ethylene, and ethanol, all have high market demand, and have shown high current density and product selectivity in theoretical research. Notably, the innovative components and strategy for industrializing the eCO2RR system are also highlighted here, including flow cells, seawater electrolytes, solid electrolytes, and a two‐step method. Finally, some instructions and possible future avenues are presented for the prospects of future industrial application of eCO2RR