Mycosis fungoides is characterized by widespread skin patches that may progress to plaques and tumors, necessitating precise tumor burden assessment for staging and treatment guidance. However, existing methods, including the widely accepted modified Severity Weighted Assessment Tool (mSWAT), present significant challenges in routine practice owing to their time-consuming nature and interobserver variability. This study developed an artificial intelligence model, mSWAT-Net, to estimate mSWAT scores using clinical images of patients with mycosis fungoides. Notably, the overlap area segmentation submodule of mSWAT-Net addressed double-counting errors in multiangle photos through training on 3904 annotated images generated from 61 three-dimensional human images. Across 2463 standardized full-body photographs from 134 imaging series, mSWAT-Net demonstrated performance comparable with that of experienced cutaneous lymphoma specialists, achieving intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.917 (internal validation) and 0.846 (temporal validation) for mSWAT score. Moreover, mSWAT-Net outperformed 3 junior dermatologists in image-based scoring (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.917 vs 0.777) and demonstrated robust performance when compared with ground truth derived from 3-dimensional patient imaging (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.812). Finally, mSWAT-Net was deployed as a free web application to support mycosis fungoides management in clinical settings. These findings highlight the potential of mSWAT-Net as an accurate, automated clinical tool for facilitating patient follow-up, treatment monitoring, and remote consultations.
Trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) are important to marine life and are essential tools for studying ocean processes1. Two different frameworks have arisen regarding marine TEI cycling: reversible scavenging favours water-column control on TEI distributions2–5, and seafloor boundary exchange emphasizes sedimentary imprints on water-column biogeochemistry6,7. These two views lead to disparate interpretations of TEI behaviours8–10. Here we use rare earth elements and neodymium isotopes as exemplar tracers of particle scavenging11 and boundary exchange6,7,12. We integrate these data with models of particle cycling and sediment diagenesis to propose a general framework for marine TEI cycling. We show that, for elements with greater affinity for manganese oxide than biogenic particles, scavenging is a net sink throughout the water column, contrary to a common assumption for reversible scavenging3,13. In this case, a benthic flux supports increasing elemental concentrations with water depth. This sedimentary source consists of two components: one recycled from elements scavenged by water-column particles, and another newly introduced to the water column through marine silicate weathering inside sediment8,14,15. Abyssal oxic diagenesis drives this benthic source, and exerts a strong influence on water-column biogeochemistry through seafloor geometry and bottom-intensified turbulent mixing16,17. Our findings affirm the role of authigenic minerals, often overshadowed by biogenic particles, in water-column cycling18, and suggest that the abyssal seafloor, often regarded as inactive, is a focus of biogeochemical transformation19,20.
In this paper, we develop a new adaptive hyperbolic-cross-space mapped Jacobi (AHMJ) method for solving multidimensional spatiotemporal integrodifferential equations in unbounded domains. By devising adaptive techniques for sparse mapped Jacobi spectral expansions defined in a hyperbolic cross space, our proposed AHMJ method can efficiently solve various spatiotemporal integrodifferential equations such as the anomalous diffusion model with reduced numbers of basis functions. Our analysis of the AHMJ method gives a uniform upper error bound for solving a class of spatiotemporal integrodifferential equations, leading to effective error control.
Quorum quenching (QQ)-based strategies are efficient for biofouling control. However, the feasibility of using QQ bacteria in antibiotic-stressed membrane bioreactors (MBRs) remains unknown. In this study, we isolated three novel QQ strains (Bacillus sp. QX01 and QX03, Delftia sp. QX14) from the activated sludge of an actual MBR. They can degrade 11 N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) with high efficiencies and rates through intracellular QQ pathways involving putative acylases and lactonases. Running two lab-scale MBRs, we found that introducing antibiotics (sulfamethoxazole, azithromycin, and ciprofloxacin, each at 100 μg/L) shortened the fouling cycle by 71.4 %. However, the immobilized inoculation of QX01 into one MBR extended the fouling cycle by 1.5-2.0 times. Quantitative detection revealed that QX01 significantly reduced the concentrations of two AHLs (C4-HSL and C8-HSL), which were positively correlated with the contents of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) (Pearson's r = 0.62-0.83, P < 0.01). This suggests that QX01 could perform its QQ activity robustly under antibiotic stress, thereby inhibiting EPS production (proteins especially) and biofilm formation. Moreover, QX01 notably altered the succession patterns of both sludge and fouling communities, with more pronounced effects on abundant taxa. Genera associated with AHL synthesis and EPS production, such as Terrimonas and Rhodobacter, were significantly depleted, contributing to the mitigated biofouling. Additionally, QX01 increased the bacterial community diversity (evenness especially), which was inhibited by antibiotics. Overall, we demonstrate that the novel QQ bacteria could be effective for biofouling control in antibiotic-stressed MBRs, though future work is needed to develop practical approaches for prolonging QQ activity.
This study examines the socio-political landscape of the ancient city of Amastris (modern Amasra) through the lens of its road infrastructure, with a particular focus on the construction and significance of Aquila’s roads. Situated in the challenging terrain of northern Anatolia’s Küre Mountains, Amastris served as a vital maritime hub, linking diverse inland and coastal communities within Paphlagonia. Employing a multidisciplinary approach that integrates ancient literary analysis, archaeological evidence, and geospatial modeling, this paper reconstructs the network of primary and secondary Roman roads emanating from Amastris. The research highlights the dual role of these roads in fostering territorial coherence and enhancing regional connectivity, supporting both local autonomy and imperial governance. Key findings demonstrate that Aquila’s roads were not merely infrastructural projects but strategic undertakings that blended private investment with public utility. These projects reflect the intricate interplay between individual agency and state interests in Roman provincial administration. Furthermore, the study explores the broader cultural and economic impacts of road construction on Amastris, illustrating how connectivity shaped civic identity, social integration, and territorial integrity. The paper concludes that Aquila’s road-building initiatives were instrumental in sustaining Amastris’s strategic significance and functionality within the Roman Empire. By examining the dynamic relationship between local and imperial priorities, this study offers insights into how infrastructure functioned as a nexus of governance, economic development, and regional integration in ancient Anatolia.
Wetlands are major microplastic sinks with a large atmospheric input. However, many details of such deposited atmospheric microplastics entering into wetlands remain unclear, including temporal patterns of input and ecological effects. We monitored the aerial microplastics during four seasons in eleven economically developed cities along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin, China. The average microplastic deposition rate was 512.31 items m−2 d−1, equivalent to an annual contribution of 17.46 metric tons of plastic to the surveyed wetlands with a total area of 1652 km2. These microplastics were predominantly composed of polyamide and polyethylene terephthalate with 61.85 ± 92.29 µm sized pellets, and we obtained similar results for microplastics intercepted on moss in wetlands. Microplastic input varied between wet and dry periods, primarily influenced by wind, rainfall and ozone concentration. Civilian vehicle density and textile industry were the primary socioeconomic factors driving microplastic deposition. Further indoor microcosm experiments revealed that moss phyllosphere bacterial community structure and function were influenced by microplastic abundance and size, exemplifying the unique ecological risks of aerially deposited microplastics to wetlands. These results indicate that mosses and their phyllosphere microbiota could serve as bio-indicators of aerial microplastic characteristics and impacts.
Sunlight-driven photosynthesis by covalent organic frameworks (COFs) from water and air without using sacrificial reagents is a promising H2O2 fabrication approach, but is still restricted by the insufficient charge separation and sluggish 2e- water oxidation process. Herein, we provide a facile strategy to simultaneously improve charge separation and water oxidation in COFs via confining the charge transfer pathways from two diversion ones to a confluence one through regulating the site of nitrogen in bipyridine. Combining in-situ characterization with computational calculations, we reveal that compared to COF-BD1 containing two diversion charge transfer pathways, the charge transfer pathway in COF-BD2 is confined to a confluence one due to the electron-deficiency effect of nitrogen, which greatly accelerates the intermolecular and out-of-plane charge transfer. Via effectively reducing the energy barrier of rate-determining water oxidation reaction, the subsequent water oxidation process to produce key *OH intermediate in COF-BD2 is also greatly facilitated, boosting the yield of H2O2 (5211 μmol g-1 h-1) from water, oxygen, and light without sacrificial agents or additional energy consumption. We further demonstrate that H2O2 can be efficiently produced by COF-BD2 in broad pH range, in real water, and in enlarged reactor with using natural sunlight for water decontamination.
Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study examines the impact of art education on Chinese citizens’ trust in Americans. We find that participation in art tutorials correlates with increased trust towards Americans, with the level of trust rising with time spent in art education. Further analysis indicates that this effect is more pronounced in males and individuals whose parents already hold positive views of Americans. These results highlight the role of art education in fostering intercultural understanding. The study contributes to the literature on trust formation and the effects of art education, underscoring the significance of cultural engagement in promoting cross-cultural trust in global relations.
Addressing poverty is paramount, aligning with the first Sustainable Development Goal focused on eradicating poverty in all its forms. While the effects of high-speed rail (HSR) on absolute poverty have been documented, its impact on relative poverty remains understudied. This paper examines the influence of HSR on household relative poverty in China through a quasi-experimental design. The main results are as follows: (1) The opening of HSR significantly reduced the household relative poverty by approximately 1.8 %. (2) This alleviation effect primarily transpires through the expansion of economic activities and employment opportunities. (3) Notably, the impact of HSR is more pronounced in lower-ranked, smaller cities and in the western regions of China. Moreover, households with migrant workers or those engaged in non-agricultural sectors derive greater benefits from HSR developments. Our results suggest that HSR opening could have contributed to China’s relative poverty alleviation. Policymakers can consider the role of transportation infrastructure in mitigating household relative poverty, especially for low rank cities, small cities and periphery regions in other developing countries.
The advantage of Chinese-as-a-heritage-language (CHL) learners in acquiring Chinese has been widely recognized. However, it is still unclear whether the effect of CHL background on Chinese receptive vocabulary breadth varies across different countries. To address this gap, the present study recruited 232 Chinese language learners (half were CHL learners) from Indonesia and Thailand and administered a Chinese vocabulary proficiency test. The results of regression analysis revealed an interaction effect between country and CHL background on vocabulary breadth, with the contribution of CHL background to vocabulary breadth more robust in the Indonesian group than that in the Thai group. Interviews were then conducted to explore the factors that might influence such an interaction effect. Analysis of the interview data found that the influencing factors could be categorized into four themes, including individual differences, family background, Chinese language education and socio-cultural factors. The overall results were discussed within the framework of ecological system theory, and pedagogical implications for CHL learners were proposed.
