Differences In Density Research Articles

ALMA-LEGUS. II. The Influence of Subgalactic Environments on Molecular Cloud Properties

We compare the molecular cloud properties in subgalactic regions of two galaxies, barred spiral NGC 1313, which is forming many massive clusters, and flocculent spiral NGC 7793, which is forming significantly fewer massive clusters despite having a similar star formation rate to NGC 1313. We find that there are larger variations in cloud properties between different regions within each galaxy than there are between the galaxies on a global scale, especially for NGC 1313. There are higher masses, line widths, pressures, and virial parameters in the arms of NGC 1313 and the center of NGC 7793 than in the interarm and outer regions of the galaxies. The massive cluster formation of NGC 1313 may be driven by its greater variation in environment, allowing more clouds with the necessary conditions to emerge, although no one parameter seems primarily responsible for the difference in star formation. Meanwhile NGC 7793 has clouds that are as massive and have as much kinetic energy as the clouds in the arms of NGC 1313, but have densities and pressures more similar to those in the interarm regions and so are less inclined to collapse and form stars. The cloud properties in NGC 1313 and NGC 7793 suggest that spiral arms, bars, interarm regions, and flocculent spirals each represent distinct environments with regard to molecular cloud populations. We see surprisingly little difference in surface density between the regions, suggesting that the differences in surface densities frequently seen between arm and interarm regions in lower-resolution studies are indicative of the sparsity of molecular clouds, rather than differences in their true surface density.

Bone formation in large/moderate gap after immediate implantation in response to different treatments: a pre-clinical study in the canine posterior mandible.

This study aims to investigate different treatments on new bone formation around immediate implants in the canine posterior mandible with varying sized mesial-distal gap. The 4th premolar and the 1st molar of six Labrador dogs were extracted from the mandible, and 4 dental implants were placed 1mm below the level of the buccal bone crest. Moderate/large mesial-distal gaps between the implants and the sockets were treated with one of four methods and divided into the following groups: (1) the blank group, (2) the collagen membrane (CM) group, (3) the deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) group, and (4) the DBBM + CM group. Sequential fluorescent labeling was performed at 4, 8, and 10 weeks after the operation. After 12 weeks, the dogs were euthanized, and specimens were collected for micro-CT scanning and histological analysis. The survival rate of immediate implant was 100%. Micro-CT showed significant differences in bone mineral density (BMD) and bone volume fraction (BVF) among groups (P = 0.040, P = 0.009); other indicators were not significantly different among groups. Histological analysis showed the proportion of new bone formation and bone-to-implant contact were not significantly different among groups. No significant difference in bone reduction height around dental implant among four groups and varied mesial-distal gap size. Owing to the restricted sample size, this pilot study lacks conclusive findings. Within the limitation, this study demonstrated that although DBBM significantly increase BMD and BVF, the use of DBBM/CM didn't significantly improve bone formation and healing in extraction sockets around the implants in both moderate and large mesial-distal gap. The use of deproteinized bovine bone in conjunction with collagen is a common practice in immediate implantation procedures in the posterior mandible. However, there is a lack of conclusive evidence regarding the timing and circumstances under which they should be employed.

Research and Implementation of Denoising Algorithm for Brain MRIs via Morphological Component Analysis and Adaptive Threshold Estimation

The inevitable noise generated in the acquisition and transmission process of MRIs seriously affects the reliability and accuracy of medical research and diagnosis. The denoising effect for Rician noise, whose distribution is related to MR image signal, is not good enough. Furthermore, the brain has a complex texture structure and a small density difference between different parts, which leads to higher quality requirements for brain MR images. To upgrade the reliability and accuracy of brain MRIs application and analysis, we designed a new and dedicated denoising algorithm (named VST–MCAATE), based on their inherent characteristics. Comparative experiments were performed on the same simulated and real brain MR datasets. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and mean structural similarity index measure (MSSIM) were used as objective image quality evaluation. The one-way ANOVA was used to compare the effects of denoising between different approaches. p < 0.01 was considered statistically significant. The experimental results show that the PSNR and MSSIM values of VST–MCAATE are significantly higher than state-of-the-art methods (p < 0.01), and also that residual images have no anatomical structure. The proposed denoising method has advantages in improving the quality of brain MRIs, while effectively removing the noise with a wide range of unknown noise levels without damaging texture details, and has potential clinical promise.

Antibubble formation through single drop impact: Effect of density difference

The antibubble has emerged as a promising tool for the microdroplet manipulation since the intermediate air film can protect the inner globule from external contaminants. Moreover, the antibubble structure allows the convenient package and release of microdroplets since the intermediate air film would not hinder the separation between the inner globule and the liquid surface. Despite the development of various methods for antibubble formation, the initial approach involving single drop impact on a free liquid surface has received limited attention in subsequent studies, partly due to the challenges in replicating this phenomenon in practical applications. This paper presents an experimental investigation into antibubble formation via single drop impact on a liquid surface. Experimental results imply that antibubble formation requires the droplet to penetrate deeply into the liquid bath before the intermediate air film collapses or the deformed liquid surface contracts. A theoretical analysis is introduced to emphasize the crucial role of the density difference between the droplet and the liquid bath. A higher density of the droplet results in an increased penetration speed into the liquid bath, facilitating the formation of antibubbles. Notably, this study repeats the experimental results reported by Hughes and Hughes in 1932. Moreover, the method provides a means to control antibubble parameters such as diameter and air film thickness. This control offers valuable insight for subsequent investigations on antibubbles, establishing a foundation for further exploration and application of this intriguing phenomenon.

Study on the influencing factors and improving countermeasures of regional financial service function -- Take corporate loans as an example

Focusing on regional financial services, this paper analyzes the variables affecting non-financial businesses getting loans through the region economic services function, and then proposes countermeasures to improve it. The DPC algorithm is applied to the financial analysis in this paper because of its fast speed and high accuracy. The AD-DPC approach is suggested in this study as a solution to the issue that the computation of local density relies on the choice of the truncation length parameter dc and the clustering sites must be manually chosen. This strategy lessens the subjectivity and volatility that the fictitious label dc brings. For the DPC algorithm by using a one-step assignment strategy, i.e., assigning the labels of clustering centers to all non-clustering centroids at one time, such a strategy is poorly fault-tolerant, this paper proposes the DAS-DPC algorithm on the basis of AD-DPC. Through experiments, ADAS-DPC is optimal for ARI metrics in the dataset. Among them, the ARI indexes of ADAS-DPC algorithm are 0.832, 0.895, 0.768 and 0.757 in the datasets Iris, Wine, Seed and Sonar. It shows that the ADAS-DPC algorithm can not only handle the datasets with complex shapes, large density differences between clusters and tightly connected clusters, but also improve the clustering performance of the algorithm for high-dimensional data.

Modeling target-density-based cull strategies to contain foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks.

Total ring depopulation is sometimes used as a management strategy for emerging infectious diseases in livestock, which raises ethical concerns regarding the potential slaughter of large numbers of healthy animals. We evaluated a farm-density-based ring culling strategy to control foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom (UK), which may allow for some farms within rings around infected premises (IPs) to escape depopulation. We simulated this reduced farm density, or "target density", strategy using a spatially-explicit, stochastic, state-transition algorithm. We modeled FMD spread in four counties in the UK that have different farm demographics, using 740,000 simulations in a full-factorial analysis of epidemic impact measures (i.e., culled animals, culled farms, and epidemic length) and cull strategy parameters (i.e., target farm density, daily farm cull capacity, and cull radius). All of the cull strategy parameters listed above were drivers of epidemic impact. Our simulated target density strategy was usually more effective at combatting FMD compared with traditional total ring depopulation when considering mean culled animals and culled farms and was especially effective when daily farm cull capacity was low. The differences in epidemic impact measures among the counties are likely driven by farm demography, especially differences in cattle and farm density. To prevent over-culling and the associated economic, organizational, ethical, and psychological impacts, the target density strategy may be worth considering in decision-making processes for future control of FMD and other diseases.

Contribution of satellite sea surface salinity to the estimation of liquid freshwater content in the Beaufort Sea

Abstract. The hydrography of the Arctic Ocean has experienced profound changes over the last 2 decades. The sea ice extent has declined by more than 10 % per decade, and its liquid freshwater content has increased mainly due to glaciers and sea ice melting. Further, new satellite retrievals of sea surface salinity (SSS) in the Arctic might contribute to better characterizing the freshwater changes in cold regions. Ocean salinity and freshwater content are intimately related such that an increase (decrease) in one entails a decrease (increase) in the other. In this work, we evaluate the freshwater content in the Beaufort Gyre using surface salinity measurements from the satellite radiometric mission Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and TOPAZ4b reanalysis salinity at depth, estimating the freshwater content from 2011 to 2019 and validating the results with in situ measurements. The results highlight the underestimation of the freshwater content using reanalysis data in the Beaufort Sea and a clear improvement in the freshwater content estimation when adding satellite sea surface salinity measurements in the mixed layer. The improvements are significant, with up to a 70 % reduction in bias in areas near the ice melting. Our research demonstrates how remotely sensed salinity can assist us in better monitoring the changes in the Arctic freshwater content and understanding key processes related to salinity variations that cause density differences with potential to influence the global circulation system that regulates Earth's climate.

A novel Joint Probability Density Difference Approach for assessing the alteration of hydrologic regime

AbstractThe construction and operation of upstream reservoirs have significantly altered downstream hydrologic regime. Appropriate and quantifiable assessment method for the alteration of hydrologic regime is considerably vital and emergent for ecological protection and restoration. The Range of Variability Approach (RVA) and modified RVA methods have been widely used in practice to assess the hydrological alteration. However, these methods have failed to concurrently describe the distribution of indicator and morphological features in detail, which might inevitably lead to the misjudgment of alteration. This paper proposes a Joint Probability Density Difference Approach (JPDDA) method to address the major drawbacks of these previous methods with the introduction of Gaussian Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and copula function. The annual average flow is selected as the reference variable to construct a proper joint probability density function between itself and other hydrological alteration indicators. The JPDDA method could describe the marginal distribution in detail through Gaussian KDE and also link the morphological features with copula function. Along with pervious methods, the hydrological alterations at Yichang hydrological station, Yangtze River are estimated based on the measured flow from 1949 to 2022. It is shown that the hydrologic regime has suffered from a moderate or even heavy alteration under the influence of massive upstream cascade reservoirs, and the JPDDA outperforms the other methods in terms of rationality and stability for practical assessments. Thus, the proposed JPDDA method is strongly advised to handle the hydrological alteration and could provide a reasonable reference for ecological operation.

The Physical Mechanism of Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Nanographene-Induced Chiral Inversion.

Based on density functional theory (DFT) and wave function analysis, the ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis) spectra and Raman spectra of 1-meso and 1-rac obtained by the chiral separation of chiral nanographenes are theoretically investigated. The electron excitation properties of 1-meso and 1-rac are studied by means of transition density matrix (TDM) and charge density difference (CDD) diagrams. The intermolecular interaction is discussed based on an independent gradient model based on Hirshfeld partition (IGMH). The interaction of 1-meso and 1-rac with the external environment is studied using the electrostatic potential (ESP), and the electron delocalization degree of 1-meso and 1-rac is studied based on the magnetically induced current under the external magnetic field. Through the chiral separation of 1-rac, two enantiomers, 1-(P, P) and 1-(M, M), were obtained. The electrical-magnetic interaction of the molecule is revealed by analyzing the electron circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of 1-meso, 1-(P, P) and 1-(M, M), the transition electric dipole moment (TEDM) and the transition magnetic dipole moment (TMDM). It is found that 1-(P, P) and 1-(M, M) have opposite chiral properties due to the inversion of the structure.

The effect of the whole-process care model of the medical union on the improvement of kinesiophobia and bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis.

To observe the effect of the whole-process care model of the medical union on the improvement of kinesiophobia and bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis. In this descriptive study, a convenient sampling method was used to select 148 patients with osteoporosis who visited the hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. Patients aged ≥ 18years and diagnosed with osteoporosis through quantitative computed tomography (QCT) were included in the study. They were able to cooperate during follow-up and had normal cognitive function. Patients with combined spinal curvature, thoracic deformity, and pulmonary dysfunction, accompanied by severe cardiovascular or limb dysfunction, and those who withdrew midway or participated in other clinical studies were excluded. According to whether to use the whole-process care model of the medical union, they were divided into intervention group and control group, with 74 cases each. The control group used conventional care, and the intervention group used the whole-process care model of the medical association. The occurrence of kinesiophobia between the two groups were compared. The dual-energy X-ray absorption detector is used to measure differences in bone density changes. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the TSK scale score and the incidence of kinesiophobia before intervention (P > 0.05). The TSK scale scores of patients in the intervention group were higher than those in the control group at 3months and 6months after operation (P < 0.05). The incidence of kinesiophobia in the intervention group for 3months and 6months was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in bone mineral density between the two groups before and 3months after intervention (P > 0.05). The bone mineral density of lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group after 6months of intervention (P < 0.05). The whole-process care model of the medical association is used for osteoporosis patients, which might reduce the risk of kinesiophobia and improve the bone density of the lumbar spine and total hip in patients. But further promotion and improvement of relevant support systems are needed to achieve comprehensive promotion and maximize clinical benefits in this field.

Assessing Impact of Cooking Methods on the Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Instant Fortified Rice Congee for the Elderly.

Instant rice congee (IRC) fortified with functional ingredients is designed for supplementation in nourishing the elderly. In this study, collagen peptide and curcumin were fortified in IRC to improve antioxidant and protein content. Different cooking methods were used to prepare rice congee in order to retain the nutritional content of instant fortified rice congee (IFRC). The effect of cooking methods on IFRC were investigated in this study using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). As for cooking methods, the steaming method (IFRC-S) exhibited the highest total phenolic content (TPC) at 36.13 ± 5.63 mg GAE/g sample; a ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value of 6.39 ± 0.24 mg TE/g sample and protein content at 52.20 ± 6.48%. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the texture analysis of hardness, cohesiveness and viscosity between the different cooking methods. However, the boiling method (IFRC-B) showed the highest adhesiveness, at -58.78 ± 11.55 g/s. IFRC with different cooking methods also had no significant differences (p > 0.05) in bulk density, volume expansion and the water absorption index. In sensory analysis, it was found that there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) detected in attribute colour, odour, taste, texture and overall acceptability between each cooking method. This study is particularly useful for gaining a preliminary understanding of the development of IRC focused on the elderly.

Modeling sporadic Alzheimer's disease in mice by combining Apolipoprotein E4 risk gene with environmental risk factors.

Developing effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a challenge. This can be partially attributed to the fact that the mouse models used in preclinical research largely replicate familial form of AD, while majority of human cases are sporadic; both forms differ widely in the onset and origin of pathology, therefore requiring specific/targeted treatments. In this study, we aimed to model sporadic AD in mice by combining two of the many risk factors that are strongly implicated in AD: ApoE4, a major genetic risk factor, together with an inflammatory stimuli. Accordingly, we subjected ApoE4 knock in (KI) mice, expressing humanized ApoE4, to low doses of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections (i.p, weekly, for 4 months). We assessed these animals for behavioral impairments at 6 months of age using Open Field, Y-maze, and Barnes Maze Test. LPS induced hypoactivity was observed in the Open Field and Y-maze test, whereas spatial learning and memory was intact. We then quantified differences in dendritic spine density, which is a strong correlate of AD. ApoE4KI mice showed a significant reduction in the number of spines after treatment with LPS, whereas there were no obvious differences in the total number of microglia and astrocytes. To conclude, in the current study the APoEe4 risk gene increases the vulnerability of hippocampal neurons to inflammation induced spine loss, laying a foundation for an early sporadic AD mouse model.

Thomson scattering measurements in the krypton plume of a lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathode in a large vacuum test facility

Laser Thomson scattering is a minimally intrusive diagnostic technique for determining electron temperature, density, and bulk velocity in plasma systems. Advances in technology have made possible the application of Thomson scattering to electric propulsion-relevant plasma systems, with reported electron number-density detection limits as low as 1×1016 m−3, and electron temperatures from one-to-tens eV. However, the implementation of laser Thomson scattering in large vacuum testing facilities, wherein electric propulsion devices are tested, remains a challenge. This work presents the implementation of a laser Thomson scattering system in a large vacuum test facility at the Georgia Tech High Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory. The diagnostic was optimized for maximum light-collection efficiency and ease of re-alignment while the facility is at vacuum. The high light-collection efficiency allowed reduced accumulation times to achieve the target detection limit of 1×1017 m−3. The diagnostic is used to measure axial electron property profiles in the near-field plume of a lanthanum hexaboride hollow cathode operating at 25 A on krypton at a background pressure of 1.3×10−6 Torr—Kr. The diagnostic is quantitatively compared to similar systems in the literature. The resulting axial points, collected from 2 to 8 mm downstream of the cathode keeper orifice, are qualitatively and quantitatively compared with simulations and experimental measurements made with electrostatic probes and laser-induced fluorescence. The main quantitative difference between measured values and results is the one to two order of magnitude difference in the peak electron density, being attributed to the relative size and location of the external anode with respect to the cathode keeper.

Impact force of non-Boussinesq gravity-current head against a circular cylinder above the seabed

We study the impact force of the gravity-current head on a circular cylinder above the seabed for the non-Boussinesq effect using a large-eddy simulation model well validated against laboratory data. Most existing studies of the gravity current were for the slight density difference between the current and the ambient fluid, assuming the density is constant using the Boussinesq approximation. The aim of the present study, however, is about gravity current of significant density difference. We detail the coherent turbulence structure of the gravity current and the transient oscillation of the impact force on the cylinder over a range of density differences varying from (ρs−ρa)/ρa=0.02 to 2 for the elevation relative to the diameter of the cylinder E/D=0.05, 0.4 and 1.0. The velocity and vorticity field in the current show a gravity-current head separating from the primary current driven by excess pressure at the back, with a structural similarity almost independent of the density difference. The gravity-current head’s frontal and wake velocities are determined from the numerical simulations and related to the buoyancy speed. The impact force on the cylinder rises to a peak immediately after the arrival of the gravity-current head. We propose a set of new drag and lift coefficients using a gravity-driven pressure as a reference for the impact force of the non-Boussinesq current. The peak impact force, made dimensionless by the gravity-driven pressure, is found to be relatively independent of the density difference, regardless of how large the current density may be.

Histomorphology of Chorionic Villi of Term Placentae of Mothers Exposed to Retroviral and Hepatitis B Viruses

Retroviral and hepatitis B infections can be potential threats to foetomaternal health through inducing distortions of the architecture and structure of the placenta. Improved insights into the effects of these infections on placental morphology would be integral to our understanding of maternal and neonatal health. Aim: To histomorphologically and stereologically investigate selected placental structures in virus-infected (HIV [human immunodeficiency virus] and hepatitis B virus [HBV]) and uninfected women at term. Method: This cross-sectional study involved the screening of 237 placentae collected at term (38 ± 2 weeks) from the maternity delivery units and surgical theatres of the LEKMA and Weija/Gbawe Municipal Hospitals in Accra. Venous blood samples from the umbilical vein and placenta basal plate blood were screened for HIV, HBV, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) using serological test kits (RDT). A total of 34 placentae were selected, comprising 20 cases and 14 controls that were gestational age-matched. Using stereology and a systematic random sampling technique with test point and intersection counting of photomicrographs, the mean volume densities of syncytial knots, syncytial denudations, foetal capillaries, and intervillous spaces of the placentae were estimated on a total of 2720 photomicrographs. Results: On stereological assessment, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean volume densities of syncytial knots (HIV-infected = 0.562 ± 0.115, HBV-infected = 0.516 ± 0.090, control group = 0.171 ± 0.018, p = 0.001), syncytial denudations (HIV-infected = 0.121 ± 0.022, HBV-infected = 0.111 ± 0.016, control group = 0.051 ± 0.00, p = 0.004), and foetal capillaries (HIV-infected = 0.725 ± 0.152, HBV-infected = 0.902 ± 0.078, control group = 0.451 ± 0.064, p = 0.006) among the different groups of placentae (control) at term. A statistically significant decrease in intervillous space (p = 0.022) was recorded in HBV-infected placentae compared to the control (from 15.450 ± 1.075 to 11.32 ± 0.952). Conclusion: Placental viral infections might lead to significant increases in syncytial knots, foetal capillaries, and syncytial denuded areas of the chorionic villi and a significant decrease in intervillous spaces. This finding could signify evidence of advanced gestation, placental malperfusion, hypermaturity of the placenta, and a possible vertical transmission of the viral antigen to the foetus, which may be crucial in understanding perinatal outcomes.

Interactions of Acetylene-Derived Thioester Collectors with Gold Surfaces: A First-Principles Study

The high reactivity of the acetylene group enables the formation of strong chemical bonds with active sites on mineral surfaces, thereby improving the flotation performance of gold minerals. This study utilized density functional theory (DFT) to analyze the quantum chemical parameters of structure, Mulliken population, and the frontier orbitals of a thioester collector containing an acetylene group, PDEC (prop-2-yn-1-yl diethylcarbamodithioate). PDEC was compared with analogous thioester collectors Z-200 and Al-DECDT. The interaction mechanism of PDEC on the Au(1 1 1) surface was simulated, followed by empirical validation through adsorption experiments. The findings indicate that the S atom of PDEC in the carbon–sulfur group exhibits shorter covalent bond lengths, and has reduced carbon–sulfur double bonds and Mulliken population, resulting in enhanced electron localization. This confers greater selectivity to PDEC during its adsorption on mineral surfaces. Frontier orbital analysis shows that the electrons of the acetylene group possess a notable electron-accepting capacity, significantly influencing the frontier orbital energy of PDEC and playing a pivotal role in the bonding interaction with mineral surfaces. Both the S atom in the carbon–sulfur group and its acetylene group establish stable adsorption structures with the A(111) surface in a single coordination mode. The adsorption energy sequence is PDEC &gt; Al-DECDT &gt; Z-200. Partial density of states demonstrates that the S 3p orbit of the carbon–sulfur group hybridizes with the Au 5d orbit, while the C 2p orbit of the acetylene group engages in weaker back-donation bonding with the Au 5d orbit. This is corroborated by the electron density difference and post-adsorption Mulliken population analyses, revealing that the S atom of the carbon–sulfur group in PDEC donates electrons to the Au atom, forming dominant positive coordination bonds, whereas the acetylene group accepts partial electrons from the Au atom, resulting in weaker back-donation bonds. The adsorption experiments align with the DFT adsorption energy results.

First-principles study of LiFePO4 modified by graphene and defective graphene oxide

The energy stability and electronic structural of graphene and defective graphene oxide (GO) parallel to the surface of LiFePO4 (010) were theoretically investigated by using first-principles density functional theory calculations within the DFT + U framework. The calculated formation energy shows that GO coating on the surface of LiFePO4 (010) is energetically favorable and has higher bond strength compared to graphene. The calculation of the electronic structure indicates that the emergence of band in-gap states originates from graphene coating, with adsorbed O atoms contributing significantly above the Fermi level. Electron density difference indicate that GO stands on the LFP (010) surface through C–O and Fe–O bonds, rather than relying on van der Waals forces placed parallel to the LFP crystal, with the chemical bond at the LFP/GO interface (Fe–O–C) both anchoring the coated carbon layer and promoting electron conductivity at the interface. In addition, LFP/GO shows superior electrochemical performance, Atomic Populations suggests that the average Fe–O bonding on the surface of LiFePO4 (010) was clearly changed after graphene or GO coating, which led to the expansion of Li+ channels and favored the migration insertion and extraction of Li+.

The adsorption mechanism of 5-fluorouracil on MnO2-based nanostructures by DFT calculation and experimental analysis

It is of great significance to explore the mechanism of drug molecules hiking on nanomaterials for targeted delivery. In this study, we evaluated the interaction potential of three manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanostructures with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) using a density function theory (DFT) framework and dispersion correction (D3BJ) and conducted experimental verification. All possible adsorption modes and locations were predicted by electrostatic surface potential (ESP) and van der Waals force calculations. The charge transfer between molecular groups was estimated by electron density difference (EDD). The energy-favorable model of 5-FU interaction with distinct MnO2 crystals was investigated by using partial density of states (PDOS). Further, the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) calculation and independent gradient model based on Hirshfeld partition (IGMH) analysis were applied to reveal the interaction details. Our results suggest that 5-FU can be absorbed at different positions on the surface of MnO2, in which the O-adsorption mode is mainly dominated by hydrogen bond, while the Mn-adsorption mode is dominated by coordination interaction. Besides, the dispersion-dominated interaction cannot be ignored. DFT calculations show that MnO2 nanostructures are promising drug carriers, and β-MnO2 exhibits better adsorption behavior than the other two crystals. Experimental study showed that the 5-FU drug loading of β-MnO2 (28.82 %) was higher than that of α-MnO2 (16.72 %) and δ-MnO2 (21.69 %).

Assessment of seabed litter at Concepción Seamount (Canary island) using a remotely operated towed vehicle

The seafloor is recognised as a major sink for marine litter. However, studies conducted in this compartment addressing marine litter densities and its interactions with fauna are scarce, mainly due to sampling constraints. In this paper, we assess marine litter density, composition and interactions with marine communities and evaluate its relationship with fishing activities at the “Banco de la Concepción” seamount (Canary Islands, Spain). We took advantage of underwater video records taken with a Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle in the framework of the LIFE IP INTEMARES project.A total of 56 video transects were analysed covering about 9 km with 19 h of video recording. Transects were categorised as high, low, and null fishing effort based on the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) positional data registered between 2009 and 2017. Litter items were recorded in 70% of the transects with a mean density of 2122 (±2464) items km−2. There were significant differences in litter densities over the three levels of fishing pressure, with a density decrease from stations of high to stations of null fishing pressure.Regarding categories, plastic was by far the most abundant category found (83.1%), mainly consisting of fishing lines, both monofilaments and entangled longlines. The study of the interactions of marine litter with fauna showed that less than 20% of the items presented an interaction with benthic organisms either by causing or not a visible impact. The sponge Asconema setubalense accounted for more than half (57.4%) of all interactions, but only 5% of all A. setubalense specimens showed physical damage.

REB: Reducing biases in representation for industrial anomaly detection

Existing representation-based methods usually conduct industrial anomaly detection in two stages: obtain feature representations with a pre-trained model and perform distance measures for anomaly detection. Among them, K-nearest neighbor (KNN) retrieval-based anomaly detection methods show promising results. However, the features are not fully exploited as these methods ignore domain bias of pre-trained models and the difference of local density in feature space, which limits the detection performance. In this paper, we propose Reducing Biases (REB) in representation by considering the domain bias and building a self-supervised learning task for better domain adaption with a defect generation strategy (DefectMaker) that ensures a strong diversity in the synthetic defects. Additionally, we propose a local-density KNN (LDKNN) to reduce the local density bias in the feature space and obtain effective anomaly detection. The proposed REB method achieves a promising result of 99.5% Im.AUROC on the widely used MVTec AD, with smaller backbone networks such as Vgg11 and Resnet18. The method also achieves an impressive 88.8% Im.AUROC on the MVTec LOCO AD dataset and a remarkable 96.0% on the BTAD dataset, outperforming other representation-based approaches. These results indicate the effectiveness and efficiency of REB for practical industrial applications. Code: https://github.com/ShuaiLYU/REB.