In this paper, we carry out the equivalence problem for fifth-order differential operators on the line under general fiber-preserving transformation using the Cartan method of equivalence. Two versions of equivalence problems have been solved. We consider the direct equivalence problem and an equivalence problem to determine the sufficient and necessary conditions on fifth-order differential operators such that there exists a fiber--preserving transformation mapping one to the other according to gauge equivalence.

INTRODUCTIONScheuermann’s kyphosis is a structural deformity of the spine that affects roughly 2.2% of the global population ranging from 0.4 to 10% [1, 2]. Scheuermann’s kyphosis results in progressive thoracic and/or thoracolumbar hyperkyphosis in the spinal structure; consequently, ends in severe back pain in the afflicted population [3]. The structural deformity root in osteonecrosis of vertebral apophyses resulting in wedging of at least three adjacent vertebrae [1]. Another theory for the pathophysiology of this disease is alterations in endochondral ossification [4].Patients with Scheuermann’s kyphosis are classified into typical and atypical. Typical cases have thoracic spine involvement, while atypical Scheuermann’s kyphosis cases have wedging in lumbar or thoracolumbar regions [5, 6]. The management of atypical cases initiate with conservative treatments such as bracing and analgesics, but for thoracolumbar curves greater than 25 to 30 degrees, surgical interventions are indicated, whereas the cutoff value for surgical interventions in thoracic Scheuermann’s kyphosis is curvatures greater than 70 to 75 degrees [7]. However, surgical treatment of atypical Scheuermann’s kyphosis is associated with multiple adverse effects, most importantly, junctional kyphosis [8]. It has been shown that spinal sagittal balance does not change significantly after surgical interventions, and is not correlated with preoperative thoracolumbar kyphosis [9, 10]. In this article, we present a case of atypical Scheuermann’s kyphosis who underwent surgical intervention with anterior release and posterior fusion with a 2-year follow-up and excellent outcome without any complications or adjacent segment disease.

Within the framework of radioactive waste management, the evolution of the gaseous composition inside the underground repository structures must be understood. Indeed, chemical and microbial reactions and exchanges occur between the rock, the structures and the air. These processes are studied in the Andra’s Meuse/Haute-Marne Underground Research Laboratory’s (URL). Recently, a gas monitoring station “Flair soil™” has been designed to monitor the gaseous composition inside this URL. This station is composed by two analyzers: a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) which allows to follow the evolution of several gases and an infrared laser spectroscope (Picarro) providing simultaneous measurements of CH4, CO2 and CO. Thus, a multivariate calibration method for the quantitative detection of interfering and non-interfering gases in a nitrogen matrix has been developed for the QMS. The MS was calibrated from pure gases in a nitrogen matrix, with known concentrations and ion currents obtained from the measurement of each species of gas. This method uses matrix calculations to calculate the relative concentrations of an unknown gas mixture from the ion currents measured directly in the MS. The test gases T1 and T2 were used to assess the accuracy of the method. Daily ion currents are corrected from theoretical ion currents obtained from calibration coefficients and test gas concentrations. Some gases are less well quantified due to their low concentration in the test gases and interferences on the measured masses. One of the motivations of this study lay in developing an advanced measurement tool allowing to be low in sensitivity, and thus to improve the detection and quantification of gases at low concentrations. The objective of this paper is to propose an analytical method to measure the gaseous composition with several molecules. This method was able to detect hydrocarbons, noble gases, sulfides, greenhouse gases, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen in the same mixture.

The basic object of investigation is classical Chazy - a nonlinear third-order autonomous differential equation with movable singular line. In this paper, the first integral of Chazy equation is obtained with the help of Backlund transformation, which is a transcendental dependence on the function and its derivatives . The general solution of equation is represented by Laurent series in the punctured neighborhood of point at infinity, and in the domain is represented by Taylor series. It is proved that the obtained Laurent and Taylor series all converge absolutely in their defined domains. Under the situation that the analytic continuation of solutions of differential equation with movable singular line cannot be realized, a necessary and sufficient condition is presented for obtaining the two-parameter rational solution of Chazy equation from its general solution constructed by Taylor series. And the research results can be applied in the analytic theory of ordinary differential equations.

Pastoralist grazing management practices play a vital role in maintaining rangeland productivity and biodiversity. However, the degradation of rangelands and loss of ecosystem services have raised concerns about the future of pastoralism as a form of land use. Despite their importance, we have limited knowledge about the effect of traditional grazing management practices on vegetation attributes, such as species composition, richness, diversity, herbage biomass, and density, and canopy cover. To address this knowledge gap, we studied the changes in vegetation attributes under three traditional grazing management practices in the Somali pastoral ecosystem of Ethiopia. We found a significant difference in herbaceous and woody vegetation attributes among the grazing management practices (p < 0.001). Enclosures supported higher herbaceous species diversity and abundance of desirable species, such as Chloris gayana, Chrysopogon aucheri, Cynodon dactylon, and Themeda triandera, compared to open grazing and browsing management sites. The herbage biomass was three times higher in enclosures than in open grazing and twice higher than in browsing management practices. However, browsing management practices supported significantly higher levels of wood biomass, density, and canopy cover than the other management practices. Our results suggest that transitioning from open grazing to the enclosure and browsing management practices can lead to higher plant productivity, which supports the local pastoral economy in the Somali rangeland of Ethiopia. Thus, dryland restoration programs should consider traditional indigenous knowledge for ensuring the sustainability of future rangeland productivity and biodiversity conservation.

The role of TLR4 (toll like receptor 4), a key molecule of the classical innate immune pathway, in individual tumors requires further exploration. In this study, numerous databases and tools, such as TCGA, GTEx, cBioportal, GSCALite, and GDSC, were utilized to systematically analyze the prognostic and immunological potential of TLR4 in tumors. The expression levels and mutational dynamics of TLR4 in pan-cancer were investigated. The prognostic potential of TLR4 was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis. Results showed the levels of TLR4 in tumor tissues were significantly lower as compared to those in normal tissues in most cancers and were strongly correlated with the patient’s outcomes. The mutant genes associated with TLR4 were mainly enriched in the PI3K-AKT pathway. This could be a potential pathway for radiotherapy to activate the tumor immune microenvironment via TLR4/MAP. In tumors, the TLR4 mutations were closely associated with the M1/M2 polarization of macrophages. TLR4 and its ligand CD14 were significantly negatively associated with immunosuppressed MDSCs and TAM M2. The intervention of TLR4-dependent signaling pathways might be a promising strategy to reduce tolerance to ICB treatment in the post-immune era. In conclusion, this study expands the potential of TLR4 as an immune target in tumor therapy.

The mechanism of crustal recycling in subduction zones has been a heated debate, and Mg–Fe isotopes may provide new constraints for this debate. This study reported the Fe–Mg isotope data for mafic plutonic rocks from the eastern and central Gangdese arc and their associated trench sediments in southern Tibet. The δ26Mg (–0.32 to –0.20‰) and δ56Fe (0.04 to 0.12‰) values of the eastern Gangdese arc rocks show negative and positive correlations with (87Sr/86Sr)i and (206Pb/204Pb)i values, but positive and negative correlations with εNd(t) and εHf(t) values, respectively. The Mg and Fe isotopic compositions (δ26Mg = –0.28 to –0.15‰; δ56Fe = 0.02 to 0.12‰) of the central Gangdese arc rocks are comparable with the eastern ones, but they are not covariant with Sr–Pb–Nd–Hf isotopes. More importantly, the Fe–Mg isotopes for most of the arc rocks fall in between local trench sediments (δ26Mg = –0.61 to –0.30‰; δ56Fe = 0.00 to 0.17‰) and the normal mantle. Integrated qualitative analyses and quantitative simulations suggest that while the Mg–Fe isotope variations in the eastern Gangdese arc rocks revealed the important role of source mixing between sediment-derived melts and peridotite, their variations in the central Gangdese arc rocks reflected the controlling effects of source mixing between carbonated serpentinite-derived Mg-rich fluid and peridotite and source melting. The good covariant relationships between Mg–Fe isotope and traditional geochemical tracers provide further evidence for the recycling of crustal materials in subduction zones via various types of slab-derived fluids and melts.

For nearly three decades, satellite radar altimetry has provided measurements of the water surface elevation (WSE) of rivers. These observations can be used to calculate the water surface slope (WSS), which is an essential parameter for estimating flow velocity and river discharge. In this study, we calculate a high-resolution WSS of 11 Polish rivers based on multi-mission altimetry observations from 11 satellites in the period from 1994 to 2022. The proposed approach is based on a weighted such gauge stations adjustment with an additional Laplace condition and an a priori gradient condition. The processing is divided into river sections not interrupted by dams and reservoirs. After proper determination of the WSE for each river kilometer (bin), the WSS between adjacent bins is calculated. To assess the accuracy of the estimated WSS, it is compared with slopes between gauge stations, which are referenced to a common vertical datum. Such gauge stations are available for 8 investigated rivers. The root mean squared error (RMSE) ranges from 3 mm/km to 80 mm/km, with an average of 26 mm/km. However, the mean RMSE decreases to 10 mm/km when the 2 mountain rivers are excluded. The WSS accuracies are also compared with those of slope datasets based on digital elevation models, ICESat-2 altimetry, and lidar. For 6 rivers the estimated WSS showed the highest accuracy. The improvement was particularly significant for mountain rivers. The proposed approach allows an accurate, high-resolution WSS even for small and medium-sized rivers and can be applied to almost any river worldwide.

Alongside mean increases in poleward moisture transport (PMT) to the Arctic, most climate models also project a linear increase in the interannual variability (IAV) with future warming. It is still uncertain to what extent atmospheric rivers (ARs) contribute to both the mean and the IAV increase of PMT. We analyzed large-ensemble climate simulations to 1) explore the link between PMT and ARs in the present-day (PD) and in two warmer climates (+2°C and +3°C compared to pre-industrial global mean temperature), 2) assess the dynamic contribution to changes in future ARs, and 3) analyze the effect of ARs on Arctic climate on interannual timescales. We find that the share of AR-related PMT (ARPMT) to PMT increases from 42% in the PD to 53% in the +3°C climate. The increase in AR-frequency and intensity is almost exclusively caused by significantly higher atmospheric moisture levels, while dynamic changes can regionally amplify or dampen the moisture-induced increase in ARs. The amount of ARs reaching the Arctic in any given region and season strongly depends on the regional jet stream position and speed southwest of this region. Our results indicate that positive ARPMT anomalies are profoundly linked to increased surface air temperature and precipitation, especially in the colder seasons, and have a predominantly negative effect on sea ice. AR events are expected to strongly affect Arctic climate variability in the future, when any AR-induced temperature anomaly occurs in an already warmer Arctic and a larger share of precipitation falls as rain.

Mitochondria damage is an important cause of heart dysfunction after severe burn. However, the pathophysiological process remains unclear. This study aims to examine the mitochondrial dynamics in the heart after severe burn, and the role of μ-calpain, a cysteine protease, in this scenario. Rats were subjected to thermal injury treatment, and calpain inhibitor MDL28170 was given intravenously 1 h before burn injury. Compared with the sham group, the rats in the burn group displayed weakened heart performance and decreased mean arterial pressure, which was accompanied by a diminishment of mitochondria function. Furthermore, severe burn increased the level of calpain in mitochondria, reflected by immunofluorescence staining and activity test. In contrast, treatment with MDL28170 diminished these responses to a severe burn. Severe burn induced morphological defects of mitochondria, and decreased the abundance of mitochondria. Of note, severe burn increased the percentage of the mitochondria with bigger size, but decreased the smaller ones. Analysis of dynamic proteins revealed that severe burn caused an increase of fission protein DRP1 in the mitochondria and a decrease of inner membrane fusion protein OPA1. Similarly, these alterations were also blocked by MDL28170. Last but not the least, inhibition of calpain yielded the emergence of more elongated mitochondria along with membrane invagination in the middle of the longitude, an indicator of the fission process. Overall, these results for the first time provide evidence that mitochondria recruitment of calpain confers heart dysfunction after severe burn, which involves mitochondrial dynamics damage.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics of overweight/obese children with asthma and their influence on the degree of asthma control in outpatient clinics of Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. METHODS: Outpatient medical records of children with bronchial asthma attending the outpatient clinic of the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2021 to October 2022 were collected, and the clinical characteristics of overweight/obese children with asthma and their influence on the degree of asthma control were analyzed by the propensity score method. Results: A total of 496 children with bronchial asthma were included. 130 of the 496 children were overweight/obese, 302 of the total population were male (60.9%), and the ratio of male to female children was approximately 1.5:1. All children were from the southwest region of China. The mean age of the children in the total population was 6.10±0.20 years. The risk of poor asthma control was 1.30 times higher in the overweight/obese population compared to the non-obese/overweight population using traditional logistic regression, with a 95% CI of 0.82-2.05. Logistic regression models were constructed using propensity score methods to balance confounding factors, i.e. propensity score weighting and propensity score matching methods, all of which consistently concluded that overweight/obesity was positively associated with asthma control. Obesity was positively associated with asthma control, with the propensity score weighting method yielding an OR=1.2, 95% CI=0.92-1.57 and the propensity score matching method yielding an OR of 1.09, 95% CI=0.61-1.97. Conclusion: Being overweight/obese has an impact on the degree of control in children with asthma, and overweight/obese children are at higher risk of poor asthma control.

Background: E. coli O83 (Colinfant Newborn) is a Gram-negative (G-) probiotic bacterium used in the clinic. When administered orally, it reduces allergic sensitisation but not allergic asthma. Intranasal administration may be more effective as it reaches the lungs directly. G- bacteria release outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) to communicate with the environment. Here we investigate whether intranasally administered E. coli O83 OMVs (EcO83-OMVs) can reduce allergy in mice. Methods: EcO83-OMVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation and characterised with respect to their number, morphology (shape and size), composition (proteins and lipopolysaccharide; LPS), recognition by innate receptors (using transfected HEK293 cells) and immunomodulatory potential (in naïve splenocytes and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells; BMDCs). Their allergy-preventive effect was investigated in a mouse model of allergic airway inflammation. Results: EcO83-OMVs are spherical nanoparticles with a size of about 110 nm. They contain LPS and protein cargo. We identified a total of 1120 proteins, 136 of which were enriched in OMVs compared to parent bacteria. Proteins from the flagellum dominated. OMVs activated the pattern recognition receptors TLR2/4/5 as well as NOD1 and NOD2. EcO83-OMVs were internalised by epithelial cells and induced the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in splenocytes and BMDCs. Intranasal administration of EcO83-OMVs inhibited airway hyperresponsiveness, decreased airway eosinophilia, Th2 cytokine production and mucus secretion. Conclusion: We demonstrate for the first time that intranasally administered OMVs from probiotic G- bacteria have an anti-allergic effect. Our study highlights the advantages of OMVs as a safe platform for prophylactic treatment of allergy.

DNA methylation (DNAm) is a dynamic, age-dependent, epigenetic modification that can be used to study interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Environmental exposures during critical periods of growth and development may alter DNAm patterns, leading to increased susceptibility to diseases such as asthma and allergy. One method to study the role of DNAm is the epigenetic clock – an algorithm that uses DNAm levels at select age informative Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) dinucleotides to predict epigenetic age (EA). The difference between EA and calendar age (CA) is termed epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and reveals information about the biological capacity of an individual. Associations between EAA and disease susceptibility have been demonstrated for a variety of age-related conditions and, more recently, phenotypes such asthma and allergic diseases which often begin in childhood and progress throughout the lifespan. In this review, we explore different epigenetic clocks and how they have been applied, particularly as related to childhood asthma and in utero and early life exposures (e.g., smoking, diet, and drugs) that result in methylation changes.

This scientific paper discusses the origins and evolution of same-sex behavior (SSB) in non-human animals. The article offers an alternative perspective to Darwin’s theory of evolution and explains that SSB is a ‘Darwinian paradox’ since it does not lead to reproduction. The paper argues that SSB and different-sex behavior (DSB) evolved together and that heteronormativity, the understanding that male-female relationships are the norm, harms research on these animals and queer individuals. The paper discusses the various definitions of SSB and its relationship to biological sex and sexual behavior. It offers examples of animals that differ from the perceived norm of two distinct sexes. The article emphasizes the need to shift our perspective to view same-sex behavior as normal to prevent bias in future research.  

This work demonstrates protein aggregation and oligomerization can be evaluated by solid-state nanopore method. A silicon nitride nanopore sensor is used to characterize a model protein ß-lactoglobulin variant A (βLGa) amyloid formation and native-state oligomerization in close to biological solution condition at single molecule level. To verify the results obtained from nanopore measurements, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques are used to measure and calibrate the same βLGa protein samples incubated at different stages. Using the parameters measured by DLS, AFM, and by measuring linear and circular dsDNA molecules in the same nanopore, we estimate the length and diameter of amyloid fibrils, and the number of βLGa aggregation and the distribution of these species. Furthermore, as a demonstration of the nanopore technique, βLGa self-association and aggregation at pH 4.6 as a function of temperature are measured in 2M and 0.1M salt. Protein aggregation has been linked to many chronic and devastating neurodegenerative human diseases and is also strongly associated with aging. This study shows the advantages and limitations of evaluating protein aggregation by solid-state nanopore technology.

This study analysed the rates of burnout in zoo and aquarium employees to determine who experiences burnout. Previous research indicates that those who identify as women, LGBTQ+, and/or Black, Indigenous, and people of colour are more likely than peers to experience discrimination and mental health issues in the workplace - factors that trigger burnout. This study examined if burnout disproportionately affects people from historically marginalized groups. Researchers distributed a survey to recruit individuals currently working or who have previously worked at a zoo or aquarium. Out of 616 respondents, 91% reported that they had experienced burnout while working at a zoo or aquarium, and 60% stated that they had left a position because of burnout. Survey participants that identified as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of colour were significantly more likely than participants that identified as White to leave their positions because of burnout. Additionally, participants who experienced harassment and discrimination in their workplace were significantly more likely to experience burnout and leave their positions because of it. Zoos and aquariums should examine their employees’ experiences with burnout to create a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Stress has been shown to influence working memory (WM). However, little is known about the effects of acute stress on pilots’ WM with varying WM loads. The current study aims to shed more light on this issue. Forty-two pilots were randomly assigned to the stress or the control group. The stress group experienced acute stress induced by the modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), and the control group did not receive any stress induction. Then, all participants performed N-back tasks under varying levels of WM load (0-back, 1-back, and 2-back) to examine their WM. We measured their State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores and salivary cortisol concentrations repeatedly throughout the experiment to determine the effects of induced stress. The results showed that (1) the modified TSST effectively induced acute stress in the stress group; (2) as the WM load level increased, the reaction time increased, and the accuracy decreased; and (3) there were no significant differences in reaction time between the two groups at different WM load conditions. However, there was an interaction effect for accuracy, which showed that the accuracy of the stress group was higher than that of the control group at the medium WM load (1-back). These findings suggest that acute stress improves pilots’ WM accuracy during moderately difficult tasks. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for improving stress management and training pilots’ WM abilities.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of estradiol in the treatment of menopausal hot flushes in women, quantify its efficacy characteristics as well as the placebo effect, and explore the influencing factors to establish an efficacy scale for the development of drugs for the treatment of menopausal hot flushes. Data and methods: A literature search was conducted to include clinical studies on estradiol for the treatment of menopausal hot flushes. Data of demographics, dose, administration route and efficacy were extracted and used to construct an efficacy model. Model simulations were used to obtain the efficacy in different populations with different doses and administration routes. Results: Seventeen studies, including 17 groups of placebo (1698 subjects) and 29 groups of estradiol (3013 subjects) with daily doses of estradiol ranging from 0.01 to 2 mg, were included. There were significant effects of administration route (oral or transdermal), ethnicity (Caucasian or Asian) and duration of menopause on model parameters. The efficacy was higher in non-Asians than in Asians, and weaker in menopausal women with > 60 weeks of menopause than < 60 weeks. The placebo effect was higher for shorter menopause duration, with a time to ED50 of 3.15 weeks for Asian and 1.96 weeks for non-Asians. Conclusion: The standard longitudinal efficacy scales of estradiol on menopausal hot flushes were constructed, and no difference was found in the efficacy of estradiol in Asians and non-Asians. The standard efficacy of estradiol in this study could inform the efficacy evaluation in new drug development.

A document by Michelle Ragany. Click on the document to view its contents.

While the response of Arabidopsis thaliana to either drought, herbivory or fungal infection has been well-examined, the consequences of exposure to a series of such (a)biotic stresses are not well studied. This work reports on the genetic mechanisms underlying Arabidopsis response to single osmotic stress, and to combinatorial stress, either fungal infection using Botrytis cinerea or herbivory using Pieris rapae caterpillars followed by an osmotic stress treatment. Several small effect genetic loci associated with rosette dry weight (DW), rosette water content (WC), and the projected rosette leaf area (PLA) in response to combinatorial stress were mapped using univariate and multi-environment genome wide association approaches. A SNP associated with DROUGHT INDUCED 19 (DI19) was identified by both approaches, supporting its potential involvement in the response to combinatorial stress. Several SNPs were found to be in linkage disequilibrium with known stress-responsive genes such as PEROXIDASE 34 ( PRX34), BASIC LEUCINE ZIPPER 25 ( bZIP25), RESISTANCE METHYLATED GENE 1 ( RMG1), and WHITE RUST RESISTANCE 4 (WRR4). An antagonistic effect between biotic and osmotic stress was found for the prx34 and arf4 mutants, which suggests PRX34 and ARF4 to play an important role in the response to the combinatorial stress.

Seed production and dispersal are crucial ecological processes impacting plant demography, species distributions, and community assembly. Plant-animal interactions commonly mediate both seed production and seed dispersal, but current research often examines pollination and seed dispersal separately, which hinders our understanding of how pollination services affect downstream dispersal services. To fill this gap, we propose a conceptual framework exploring how pollen limitation can impact the effectiveness of seed dispersal for endozoochorous and myrmecochorous plant species. We summarize the quantitative and qualitative effects of pollen limitation on plant reproduction and use Optimal Foraging Theory to predict its impact on the foraging behavior of seed dispersers. In doing so, we offer a new framework that poses numerous hypotheses and empirical tests to investigate downstream effects of pollen limitation on seed dispersal effectiveness and, consequently, post-dispersal ecological processes occurring at different levels of biological organization. Finally, considering the importance of pollination and seed dispersal outcomes to plant eco-evolutionary dynamics, we discussed the implications of our framework for future studies exploring the demographic and evolutionary impacts of pollen limitation for animal-dispersed plants.

In the space atmosphere, plasma with two electron components is very common. The cold species of electron (\(T_{e}\sim 1\) eV) usually originate in the ionosphere, while the hot electron species (\(T_{e}\sim 100\) eV) appear from the magnetosphere. In addition to these two electron species, there may be a beam of electrons streaming along the magnetic field lines. These electrons are responsible for exciting various electrostatic wave modes. Several authors have investigated such a system in the recent past. In this article, we revisit the problem and provide some more beam energy-based systemic insights. 

Abiotic stresses as salinity, and boron toxicity, and deficiency are commonly found in arid and semi-arid areas were broccoli is abundantly grown. In this work, the physiological response of broccoli leaves (including growth, relative water content, stomatal conductance, and mineral concentration) was studied under salinity and boron stresses (deficiency and toxicity), individually or in combination. Also, the molecular study of PIP aquaporins were studied in relation to their presence in plasma membrane PIP presence and their membrane lipid environment. The results showed that only the combination of salinity and boron deficiency decreased plant biomass, suggesting good adaptation to the other treatments. Changes in stomatal conductance and mineral nutrients suggest that the adaptation was related to water and boron transport through leaves, involving aquaporins since avoidance strategy was observed. Furthermore, changes in aquaporins PIP expression revealed that each individual aquaporin is involved in each treatment, either alone or in combination. However, the discrepancy between the presence of aquaporins in the plasma membrane and microsomal fraction pointed towards the regulation of trafficking and membrane composition (lipids and proteins) should be highly present in this plant under stress.

With the vigorous development of power system, fault diagnosis of power transformers is very important to ensure the normal operation of the power system. However, the traditional transformer monitoring methods have blind spots, and the diagnosis results depend heavily on the experience of the managers. At present, it is urgent to develop new technologies to improve the accuracy of transformer fault diagnosis. How to diagnose transformer faults quickly, accurately, and effectively has become a difficult problem. Encouragingly, acoustic imaging, as a visual technology of sound field, promotes the development of transformer fault diagnosis. In this paper, the principles and technical status of acoustic imaging are summarized. Meanwhile, the covariance matrix fitting (CMF) beamforming algorithm is compared with the traditional beamforming algorithm, and the main factors affecting the performance of the array beamforming algorithm are simulated and analyzed. Finally, an acoustic imaging technology for transformer fault diagnosis based on CMF algorithm is proposed. This technology can accurately diagnose the transformer fault state according to the distribution of the internal sound field of the transformer, improve the efficiency of fault diagnosis, and promote the construction of smart grid. Through the analysis and processing of the acoustic test data of seven power transformers with different voltage levels and loads, including 500kV Yanshan, 220kV Tinghu and Laoshan transformers in Wenshan Power Supply Bureau, the test results prove that the acoustic imaging technology based on CMF algorithm can accurately and conveniently diagnose transformer faults.