In this study, a simple, easy and convenient fluorescent sensing system for detection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) based on VEGF aptamers, aptamer-complementary fluorescence-labeled probe and streptavidin magnetic beads was developed in only one single tube. The VEGF is the most important biomarker in cancer angiogenesis, and is investigated that serum VEGF level was various according to the different type and course of cancers. Hence, efficient quantification of VEGF is able to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnosis and precision of disease surveillance. In this research, the VEGF aptamer was designed to be able to bind with the VEGF by forming G-quadruplex secondary structures, and then the magnetic beads would capture the none-binding aptamers due to none steric interference, and finally, the fluorescence-labeled probes were hybridized with the aptamers captured by the magnetic beads. Therefore, the fluorescent intensity in the supernatant would specifically reflect the present of VEGF. After an overall optimization, the optimal conditions for detection of VEGF were as followed, KCl, 50 μM; pH 7.0; aptamer, 0.1 μM and magnetic beads, 10 μL (4 μg/μL). The VEGF could be well quantified within a range of 0.2-2.0 ng/ml in plasma, and the calibration curve possessed a good linearity (y = 1.0391x + 0.5471, r = 0.998). The detection limit (LOD) was calculated to be 0.0445 ng/mL according to the formula (LOD = 3.3×σ/S). The specificity of this method was also investigated under the appearance of many other serum proteins, and the data showed the good specificity in this aptasensor-based magnetic sensing system. This strategy provided a simple, sensitive and selective biosensing platform for detection of serum VEGF. Finally, it was expected that this detection technique can be promoted to more clinical applications.

The glycosaminoglycan, heparan sulphate (HS), orchestrates many developmental processes. Yet its biological role has not yet fully been elucidated. Small molecule chemical inhibitors can be used to perturb HS function and these compounds pro-vide cheap alternatives to genetic manipulation methods. However, existing chemical inhibition methods for HS also interfere with chondroitin sulphate (CS), complicating data interpretation of HS function. Herein, a simple method for the selective inhibition of HS biosynthesis is described. Using endogenous metabolic sugar pathways, Ac4GalNAz produces UDP-GlcNAz, which can target HS synthesis. Cell treatment with Ac4GalNAz resulted in defective chain elongation of the polymer and decreased HS expression. Conversely, no adverse effect on CS production was observed. The inhibition was transient and dose-dependent, affording rescue of HS expression after removal of the unnatural azido sugar. The utility of inhibition is demonstrated in cell culture and in whole or-ganisms, demonstrating that this small molecule can be used as a tool for HS inhibition in biological systems.

Emerging evidence demonstrated that using a new manufacturing technology to produce γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-fortified oolong (GO) tea could relieve human stress and exert versatile physiological benefits. The purpose of this human research aims to investigate therapeutic effects of daily GO tea consumption on the improvement of blood pressure, relaxation-related brain waves and quality of life (QOL) during a period of 28 consecutive days. Total polyphenols, major catechins and free amino acids were analyzed via HPLC assay. Changes of heart rate, blood pressure, α-brain wave (index of relaxation) and eight-item QOL score were investigated on day 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28, respectively. The chemical analysis results showed that GO tea contained the most abundant amino acids and GABA, contributing to the relaxation activity. Among all study participants, daily drinking GO tea could reduce systolic blood pressure on day 21 and diastolic blood pressure on day 28 (p < 0.05, respectively). For participants with pre-hypertension, GO tea could effectively reduce heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure on day 28 (p < 0.05). At the end of the study, incremental changes in alpha-brain wave and QOL scores were also demonstrated (p < 0.05, respectively). This study recommended that GO tea might potentially serve as a natural source of alternative therapy to benefit blood pressure, stress-relief and QOL.

Since the implementation of the Materials Genome Project by the Obama administration in the United States, the development of various computational materials databases has fundamentally expanded the choices of industries such as materials and energy. In the field of thermoelectric materials, the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT quantifies the performance of the material. From the viewpoint of calculations for vast materials, the ZT values are not easily obtained due to their computational complexity. Here, we show how to build a database of thermoelectric materials based on first-principles calculations for the electronic and heat transport of materials. Firstly, the initial structures are classified according to the values of bandgap and other basic properties using the clustering algorithm K-means in machine learning, and high-throughput first principles calculations are carried out for narrow-bandgap semiconductors which exhibiting potential thermoelectric application. The present framework of calculations mainly includes deformation potential module, electrical transport performance module, mechanical and thermodynamic properties module. We have also set up a search webpage for the calculated database of thermoelectric materials, providing searching and viewing the related physical properties of materials. Our work may inspire the construction of more computational databases of first-principle thermoelectric materials and accelerate research progress in the field of thermoelectrics.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is an active diterpenoid compound that is extracted from the leaves and stem of Cannabis sativa. Previous studies show that CBD is a non-psychotropic compound with significant anti-cancer effects. This study determines its cytotoxic effect on oral cancer cells and OECM1 cells and compares the outcomes with a chemotherapeutic drug, cisplatin. This study determines the effect of CBD on the viability, apoptosis, morphology and migration of OECM1 cells. Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) is used to measure the change in cell impedance for cells that are treated with a series concentration of CBD for 24 hours. AlamarBlue and annexin V/7-AAD staining assays show that CBD has a cytotoxic effect on cell viability and induces cell apoptosis. ECIS analysis shows that CBD decreases the overall resistance and morphological parameters at 4 kHz in a concentration-dependent manner. There is a significant reduction in the wound-healing recovery rate for cells that are treated with 30 μM CBD. This study demonstrates that ECIS can be used for in vitro screening of anticancer drugs and is more sensitive, functional and comprehensive than traditional biochemical assays. CBD also increases cytotoxicity on cell survival and the migration of oral cancer cells, so it may be a therapeutic drug for oral cancer

This paper aims to build up a preference function to evaluate the public benefits of the type of agricultural farming, biodiversity, water provisions, land use type, ecotourism modes, and a monetary attribute (environmental trust fund and willingness to contribute) associated with an ecosystem service and land use program in a forest park. This study used the choice experiments to build a random utility model, analyze the average preference for the above land use attributes based on the conditional logit and used a latent class model to test the resident’s heterogeneous preferences for land use planning in the forest park. We also estimated the welfare derived from various land use programs. The empirical result had shown that: (1) increasing organic farming area, maintaining the status quo of species biodiversity, increasing the surface water provision, increasing the area of custom flora, increasing the wetland area, and setting up an integrated framework for ecotourism increase the public’s preference for the land use program; (2) we found that farmer and non-farmer haven’t the same land use preferences; (3) the ecotourism development program incorporating biodiversity, organic farming, ethnobotany, and wetland area with integrated ecotourism are more preferred than other land use program scenarios.

Elevation has been a cornerstone of biodiversity research, and changes in the environmental factors behind it influence biodiversity and community patterns. Exploring the potential reasons behind liverwort community patterns has been a matter of multiplied interest for ecologists. In the present study, we assessed the liverwort plants of the Sygera Mountain from 3100 m to 4500 m decaying wood, tree, soil, and rock using complex field surveys in 2017 and 2019, and investigated the effects of altitude and various climatic factors on the diversity and community composition of the Sygera Mountain. Also, we used including ANOVA, mixed effects modeling, NMDS, ANOSIM, and CCA, which helped to critically assess the liverwort diversity with respect to environmental variables. The results of the study showed a bimodal variation in the richness of liverwort communities with altitude, with peaks occurring at 3500 m and 4100 m. The variation with altitude was significant, with communities at 4100 m and 4300 m being associated with arid environments, and those at 3100 m and 3300 m favoring areas of higher mean annual temperatures and precipitation. Among the climatic factors, the variation in mean diurnal rang, precipitation, and annual temperature was found to be the determinant of liverwort communities. The results suggest that elevation and daily temperature fluctuations play a crucial role in the distribution and community structure formation of mountain liverwort plants. This study deepens our understanding of liverwort ecology and emphasizes the importance of climatic variables in determining plant community composition.

Often, engineers with machining experience often judge machining state and tool life according to chips’ features. Engineers' experience is digitized in this study. During the cutting process, the cutting tool coming in contact with the workpiece produces a shear zone, which causes plastic deformation and shear slip. The chips closest to the shear zone can directly show the state of the tool and workpiece when the material is SKD61. This study used chip color, vibration, and current signal integration for prediction of machining state and cutting tool life. When the cutting tool wears increased, the chip surface color changed in the following way: purpleè purple blueè blue ècyan, or even green and yellow. When the cutting tool was in the accelerating wear phase, the color change was particularly obvious. The Back-Propagation Levenberg–Marquardt (BP-LM) predictive methodology was used to compare the predictive ability of voltage, vibration signal, and chip color. The Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) for the voltage signal was 12.28%, for the vibration signal it was 11.38%, and for the chip color combined with multi-sensor characteristics it was 7.85%. The MAPE of the chip color was the smallest. Using the General Regression Neural Network (GRNN) methodology, the MAPE for the voltage signal was 10.74%, for the vibration signal 7.96%, and for the chip color combined with multi-sensor characteristics was 6.59%. The MAPE of the chip color was the smallest. Obviously, the chip color combined with multi-sensor signals provided better predictive results than the vibration signal or voltage signal alone. There is currently no research on the usefulness of monitoring chip color for tool life prediction.

In wireless sensor networks (WSNs), each sensor node can estimate the global parameter from the local data in distributed manner. This paper proposed a robust diffusion estimation algorithm based on minimum error entropy criterion with self-adjusting step-size, which are referred to as diffusion MEE-SAS (DMEE-SAS) algorithm. The DMEE-SAS algorithm has fast speed of convergence and is robust against non-Gaussian noise in the measurements. The detailed performance analysis of the DMEE-SAS algorithm is performed. By combining the DMEE-SAS with diffusion minimum error entropy (DMEE) algorithms, an Improving DMEE-SAS algorithm is proposed, in non-stationary environment where tracking is very important. The Improving DMEE-SAS algorithm can avoid insensitivity of the DMEE-SAS algorithm due to the small effective step-size near the optimal estimator, and obtain a fast convergence speed. Numerical simulations are given to verify the effectiveness and advantages of these proposed algorithms.

The nucleation of voids in alpha iron and the influence of carbon were investigated through a combination of rate theory and nucleation theory calculations. The steady rates of void nucleation exhibit high sensitivity to carbon. Even a seemingly negligible carbon concentration, as low as a few atomic parts per million (appm), can dramatically reduce the nucleation rates and narrow the temperature window for nucleation. This study highlights the challenges in certifying and qualifying nuclear materials for use in reactor environments. It emphasizes the necessity for precise control of impurity levels during materials processing and stringent requirements for irradiation testing, which are susceptible to contamination. Furthermore, the study provides an explanation for the significant data scattering observed in void swelling behaviors as reported in the literature.

A special vibration damper is proposed for material property identification through a scratching process on a vibrating object. This paper presents the design and working principle of a scratching damper based on a scratch test device. A non-contact electromagnetic shaker is used to generate the shaking force for the vibration of the tested object. The required pressure on the scratched material during the scratching process is generated by a compression spring and adjusted by changing the amount of compression of the spring. The proposed damper is designed and tested on extruded aluminum samples for the determination of its Young’s modulus and hardness and validated by using the standard test instruments. Observations of physical dimensions of the scratching tracks are determined by microscope and were utilized to compute the scratching energy factor. Load curves are obtained at different pressure of the scratching process. The hysteresis loop energy during the scratching process of the tested object is measured and used for the determination of material properties of the object. Furthermore, energy conservation law, scratch energy release rate and loop energy release rate are used to determine the Young’s modulus and hardness of the sample. The measurement accuracy of the modulus and hardness of the tested sample is evaluated. The proposed method of material testing has several advantages over the traditional methods such as low cost and high repeatability, and may be used as an alternative to the standard modulus and hardness testers.

In this paper, the synthesis of two novel luminescent Eu3+ ion complexes [Eu(TFT)3(phen) (1) and Eu(TFT)3(bpy)•Hex (2)] based on the combination of 2-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-1-tetralone (TFT), containing n-donor ligands (1,10-phenanthroline or 2,2'-Bipyridine) and Eu3+ ion is reported herein, and their structural features are discussed on the basis of X-ray crystallographic and thermal analyses. We observed that the ligands transfer energy effectively to the metal center by fluorescence, IR and UV spectrograms studies. The structures and properties of complexes 1-2 were optimized by the DFT theoretical calculation, and the calculation results were consistent with the experimental X-ray structure data and spectral analysis.

In the mold machining process, the cutting tool is worn with machining time, thereby affecting the surface accuracy, leading to poor workpiece dimensions, even fracture. At present, many studies have used multiple sensors to detect the machining conditions of cutting tool and workpiece, including indirect measurement method and direct measurement method. The indirect measurement method, which has been studied widely, mainly uses sensors to capture signals for subsequent data analysis; the direct measurement method mainly analyzes the state of cutting shear zone. Due to the cut-in of cutting tool in the machining process, the workpiece is dislocated rapidly, generating considerable amount of heat, which is transferred to the chips, inducing color change on the surface of chips. Many engineers with machining experience often judge the machining state and tool life according to the chips. The engineers' experience is digitized in this study, and indirect measuring sensors are used to predict the tool life, so as to attain the objective for smart manufacturing, the average percentage error of MAPE using single vibration and voltage eigenvalues as input features is 10%, the voltage signal characteristic values and vibration signal characteristic values are combined. Finally, the chip surface chromaticity eigenvalue is combined with signal characteristic value. The average prediction error of BP-LM method is 7.85%, the average prediction error of GRNN method is 6.59%. Therefore, when the eigenvalue of chip surface chromaticity is added to the prediction result, it can enhance the accuracy of cutting tool wear value prediction more effectively than single sensor signal characteristic value.

This general review assesses the impact of physical exercise on oxidative and nitrosative stress and the counteractive role of antioxidants, drawing from a systematic literature search up to March 2024 in databases like PubMed and Web of Science. The review highlights studies on the effect of exercise on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and antioxidant responses in both human and animal models based on rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. Due to the variety of exercise types and participants' characteristics, a narrative synthesis approach was adopted. The findings indicate that moderate exercise boosts antioxidant defenses, known as hormesis, whereas excessive physical activity may increase oxidative and nitrosative damage. The review also explores the complex effects of antioxidant supplementation, revealing that while natural dietary antioxidants support health, high-dose supplements could potentially hinder positive adaptations to exercise. Recommendations for athletes and the general active population highlight the importance of balancing exercise and dietary intake to optimize health benefits. The review concludes with a call for more detailed research on tailored exercise and nutrition plans to dissect these intricate relationships further.

In recent decades, as eutrophication in inland and coastal waters (ICWs) has increased due to anthropogenic activities and global warming, so has the need for timely monitoring. Compared with traditional sampling and laboratory analysis methods, satellite remote sensing technology can provide macro-scale, low-cost, and near real-time water quality monitoring services. The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI), integrated onboard the Communication Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) from the Republic of Korea, was the first geostationary ocean color observation satellite and was operational from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2021. Over ten years, GOCI has observed oceans, coastal waters, and inland waters within its 2,500 km×2,500 km target area centered on the Korean Peninsula. The most attractive feature of GOCI, compared with other commonly used watercolor sensors, was its high temporal resolution (1h, eight times daily from 0 UTC to 7 UTC), providing the opportunity to monitor the quality of ICWs, where optical properties can change rapidly throughout the day. This systematic review aims to comprehensively review GOCI features and applications in ICWs, analyzing progress in atmospheric correction algorithms and water quality monitoring. Analyzing 123 articles from the Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) through a bibliometric quantitative approach, we examined GOCI’s strength and performance with different processing methods. These articles reveal that GOCI played an essential role in monitoring the ecological health of ICWs in its observation area in East Asia. GOCI has led the way to a new era of geostationary ocean satellites, providing new technical means for monitoring water quality in oceans, coastal zones, and inland lakes. We also discuss the challenges encountered by geostationary satellites in monitoring water quality and provide suggestions for improvements.

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) have emerged as a revolutionary material that holds the potential to change the design and construction methods of buildings and other structures. One of the most promising applications of SMAs in civil engineering is their use as reinforcements for steel structures. This paper presents the latest research progress, opportunities and challenges of SMA in the field of steel structural reinforcement, both in terms of basic components and applications. In terms of components, the construction forms and working mechanisms of Fe-SMA strips, SMA/CFRP composite patches and SMA dampers are introduced. On this basis, the application of SMA in steel structures reinforcement is introduced, and its effect is analyzed from three aspects: crack restoration, seismic retrofitting and structural strengthening. Finally, the results of the current research are summarized and the shortcomings are analyzed, hoping to provide a reference for the research of SMA in the field of steel structures reinforcement.

Energy resources are important sources of social and economic development, human survival and security. However, energy resources are objective and scarce, especially the fossil energy, such as coal, oil, natural gas, etc. Human survival environment is increasingly damaged, and the condition of energy is also gradually becoming deficient, so it is necessary to develop new energy resources to meet the increasing demand of material civilization. Solar energy can meet the needs of human development in the future as a kind of clean resource and it has been concerned by all countries in the world. We analyzed the effectiveness of subsidies to the PV industry of both the price and R&D by the spatial econometric model. In some region, the production capacity of photovoltaic industry has shown a significant spatial agglomeration situation in China since 2012. At the same time, benchmarking price and R&D subsidies played a positive incentive to the photovoltaic industry production capacity. It is a certain degree of inverse correlation between the scale of policy subsidies and the resource endowment of solar resources. Therefore, the countermeasures should be considered from the aspects of institutions, industry, technology and public financial policies.

Although good field emission from graphene has been demonstrated from a wide variety of different microfabricated structures, very few of them can be used to improve the design of cold field emitters for electron microscopy applications. Most of them consist of densely packed nano-emitters, which produce a large array of defocused overlapping electron beams, and therefore cannot be subsequently focused down to a single nanometer electron probe. This paper reviews the kind of single-tip cathode structures suitable in cold field emission guns for instruments such as scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope or scanning transmission electron microscopy, and reviews progress in fabricating them from graphene-based materials.

Consumer IoT (CIoT) manufacturers seek customer feedback to enhance their products and services, creating a smart ecosystem like a smart home. Due to security and privacy concerns, Blockchain-based federated learning (BCFL) ecosystems can let CIoT manufacturers update their Machine Learning (ML) model using end-user data. FL uses privacy-preserving ML techniques to forecast customers' needs and consumption habits, and blockchain replaces the centralised aggregator to safeguard the ecosystem. However, Blockchain technology (BCT) struggles with scalability and quick ledger expansion. In BCFL, local model generation and secure aggregation are other issues. This research contributes a novel architecture emphasising Gateway Peer (GWP) in blockchain network to resolve scalability, ledger optimisation and secure model transmission issues. In the architecture we replace the centralised aggregator by the blockchain network, while GWP restricts the number of local transactions to execute in BCN. Considering the security and privacy of FL processes, we have added differential privacy and advanced normalisation techniques to ML processes. The approaches strengthen end-users' cyber security and encourage the adoption of technological innovation standards by service providers. The proposed approach has been tested extensively using a well-respected Stanford Cars dataset. We experimentally demonstrate that the proposed architecture makes the network scalable and optimises the ledger significantly. In addition, the normalisation technique outperforms batch normalisation when features are under DP protection.

With the advances in industry and commerce, passengers have become more accepting of environmental sustainability issues; thus, more people now choose to travel by bus. Government administration constitutes an important part of bus transportation services as the government gives the right-of-way to transportation companies allowing them to provide services. When these services are of poor quality, passengers may lodge complaints. The increase in consumer awareness and developments in wireless communication technologies have made it possible for passengers to easily and immediately submit complaints about transportation companies to government institutions, which has brought drastic changes to the supply-demand chain comprised of the public sector, transportation companies, and passengers. This study proposed the use of big data analysis technology including systematized case assignment and data visualization to improve management processes in the public sector and optimize customer complaint services. Taichung City, Taiwan was selected as the research area. There, the customer complaint management process in public sector was improved, effectively solving such issues as station-skipping, allowing the public sector to fully grasp the service level of transportation companies, improving the sustainability of bus operations, and supporting the sustainable development of the public sector-transportation company-passenger supply chain.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play critical roles in the tumor microenvironment (TME), where they are recruited by signals released by cancer cells. Although they have great potential as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment, the dual roles of TAMs in promoting or inhibiting tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis make their function in cancer progression complex. In this review, we provide an overview of the current understanding of TAMs, including their phenotypic diversity, regulatory signaling pathways, and interactions with other cells in the TME. We also discuss the challenges related to the standard isolation protocols of TAMs, inconsistent research results, and translation of TAM knowledge into clinical applications. Additionally, we review the status of clinical trials involving TAMs and potential strategies to overcome the limitations. The future direction of TAM research should focus on developing more targeted therapies that specifically regulate TAM function and non-invasive methods for monitoring TAM activity in cancer patients. A comprehensive understanding of the complex role of TAMs in cancer may lead to the development of more effective treatments and improved outcomes for cancer patients.

Innovation is an essential key factor in the technology development history. Past research on innovation focused more on the innovation behavior of technology, but seldom described knowledge assets which also influence innovation behavior greatly. The effect of knowledge assets attribute and result on disruptive innovation is therefore regarded as the research topic in this study, where disruptive innovation is divided into outbound and inbound to combine combination-embeddednessandmajor business specificityof knowledge assets as the research model. Manufacturing enterprises in China are proceeded the questionnaire survey, and 173 valid copies are collected. The empirical analysis shows that combination-embeddedness of knowledge assets presents significantly positive effects on major business specificity and outbound innovationof an enterprise but reveals remarkably negative effects on inbound innovation. Enterprises are suggested to constantly accumulate knowledge assets with low major business specificity before disruptive innovation in order to reduce ineffective inbound innovation.

Paleopeat-forming environments have an important effect on the dispersion and enrichment of trace elements in coal. The C3 coal seam of the Xuanwei Formation in eastern Yunnan was used as a case study to reconstruct the paleopeat-forming environment based on the coal facies parameters and geochemical characteristics, and its influence on trace element (including rare earth elements and yttrium, REY) enrichment was investigated. The C3 coal was classified as medium rank coking coal with an ultra-low moisture content, medium-high-ash yield, and low-medium volatile content. Compared to the average values for Chinese coals, Cu and V were enriched and Co was slightly enriched in the C3 coal. Compared with the average values for world coals, Cu and V were enriched, while several other trace elements were slightly enriched, including Co, Hf, Nb, Sc, Ta, Zn, and Zr in the C3 coal. The C3 coal was deposited in a low peat mainly limno-telmatic swamp, with deep water, weak hydrodynamic conditions, brackish to salty water, and reducing conditions. Trace elements, including Cu, V, Hf, Nb, Sc, Ta, Zr, and REY, are typically enriched in a limno-telmatic environment with fresh water, and reducing and weak hydrodynamic conditions. Additionally, REY and V are also significantly enriched in brackish water limno-telmatic conditions with the same depositional environment.

Using the Yellow-River-Source National Park (YRSNP) as a study site, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing and line transect method was used to investigate the number of wild herbivorous animals and livestock, including the kiang (Equus kiang) and Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata). A downscaling algorithm was used to generate the forage yield data in YRSNP based on 30 m spatial resolution. On this basis, we estimated the forage–livestock balance, which included both wild animals and livestock, and analyzed the effects of functional zone planning in national parks on the forage–livestock balance in YRSNP. The results showed that the estimates of large herbivore population numbers in YRSNP based on population density in the aerial sample strips, which were compared and validated with statistical data and warm season survey results, indicated that the number of kiangs and Tibetan gazelles in the 2017 cold season was 12900 and 12100, respectively. The number of domestic yaks, Tibetan sheep, and horses was 53400, 76800, and 800, respectively, and the total number of sheep units was 353200. The ratio of the number of large wild herbivores and livestock sheep units was 1:5; Large wild herbivores have different preferences for functional zones, preferring ecological restoration areas consisting mainly of degraded grassland; The grazing pressure indices of the core reserve areas and ecological restoration areas were 0.168 and 0.276, respectively, indicating that these two regions still have high grazing potential. However, the grazing pressure index of the traditional utilization areas was 1.754, indicating that these grasslands are severely overloaded; After the planning and implementation of functional zones, the grazing pressure index of YRSNP was 1.967. Under this measure, the number of livestock was not reduced and the grazing pressure nearly doubled, indicating that forage–livestock conflict has become more severe.

JIS SUJ2 is most widely used in bearing steels. The advantages are good hardenability, excellent fatigue, wear resistance and comprehensive mechanical properties. For wear resistance and fatigue resistance of the steel are getting more and more attention, the residual stress state and its distribution on the surface of the heat affect zone are critical factors affecting the fatigue life and wear resistance of the parts. In this study, using the SUJ2 as the material to talk about the surface residual stress and retained austenite distribution. Doing the quenching and tempering treatment to obtain different microstructures, using the induction method to re-quench the case region. After the heat treatment, measuring the residual stress and retained austenite volume on the surface by X-ray diffraction, observing the microstructure and comparing the hardness. The results show that the microstructure after heat treatment contains unsolidified carbides, tempered martensite and retained austenite. The residual stress on the surface is the tensile state. In the re-hardened area after induction quenching, the residual stress is all compressive, and the values are more than -800 MPa. In conclusion, in the same output power condition can be observed that the microstructure of the specimens before induction hardening has a significant impact on the effective case depth. The surface residual stress has changed from a tensile to a compressive state. In the re-hardened area, the maximum of the residual compressive stress increased with the austenitized temperature increase.

The mechanical engineering requires heat treatment after rough machining to reach the mechanical strength, but the heat treatment can induce workpiece deformation, so that the workpiece cannot be reworked. In this study, the plasma was integrated with a lathe, and the on line heat treatment was performed to achieve the mechanical strength and hardness, so as to reduce the machining process and handling. However, for on line heat treatment, it is important to study the machine and plasma parameters of the lathe and plasma, and the research method is used eventually to optimize the process, reduce the machining cost and machining error. The variable factors in surface on line real-time heat treatment are revolution, feed rate and current, the objective function is the hardness of mechanical properties. In the screening experiment, the interaction of factors was discussed using full factorial experiment. The Central Composite Design was combined with the Lack-of-Fit test for optimization experiment, the R2 coefficient was used to determine whether the regression model is appropriate. The optimum parameters were derived from the contour diagram and response surface diagram. The experimental results show that the significant factors include revolution, feed rate and current, the optimum parameters include revolution 168rpm, feed rate 0.068mm/rev and current 86A. The experimental results of optimum parameters show that the surface hardness is increased from 306HLD to 806HLD, the surface hardening effect is enhanced by 163%, so the on line real-time heat treatment equipment has a best hardening effect.

Distributed deformation based on Fiber Bragg Grating sensors or other kinds of strain sensors can be used to evaluate safety in operating periods of bridges. However, most of the published researches about distributed deformation monitoring are focused on solid rectangular beam rather than box girder—a kind of typical hollow beam widely employed in actual bridges. Considering that the entire deformation of a single-cell box girder contains not only bending deflection but also two additional deformations respectively caused by shear lag and shearing action, this paper again revises the improved conjugated beam method (ICBM) based on the LFBG sensors to satisfy the requirements for monitoring two mentioned additional deformations. The best choice for the LFBG sensor placement in box gilder is also proposed in this paper due to strain fluctuation on flange caused by shear lag effect. Results from numerical simulations show that most of the theoretical monitoring errors of the revised ICBM are 0.3%~1.5%, and the maximum error is 2.4%. A loading experiment for a single-cell box gilder monitored by LFBG sensors show that most of the practical monitoring errors are 6%~8%, and the maximum error is 11%.

Many corporations have now revised their value statements to showcase their commitment to sustainable development and green business due to the pressing issues of climate and environmental damage. Despite the importance of value statements that can direct companies to achieve sustainable goals, what kind of values can be perceived as organizational orientations to sustainability remains unknown. This study explores how the general public views the inclusion of sustainable components in value statements from the listed companies in Hong Kong by using Q-sort methodology (n = 30). Analyzing the final sample of 40 value statements extracted from 27 listed companies, we identified three factors related to sustainability, namely, Empowering business process management, Empowering customer-centric excellence, and Empowering sustainable progress. This study provides an additional component to the traditional triple bottom line by suggesting that internal operation of a company is an emerging idea to understand corporate sustainability.

Intradermal injection of botulinum neurotoxin is a frequently performed procedure in aesthetic dermatology to improve facial skin tone, texture, fine wrinkles, and enlarged pores. In practice, botulinum neurotoxin type A is also used to reduce skin oiliness of the face. There is increasing evidence that acetylcholine plays specific roles in sebum production, suggesting that botulinum neurotoxin type A may reduce sebum production by interfering with cholinergic transmission between sebaceous glands and autonomic nerve terminals. Botulinum neurotoxins can also inhibit several pathogenetic components of acne development, suggesting that botulinum neurotoxins can be used as a safe and effective treatment modality for acne and other skin disorders related to the overactivity of sebaceous glands. This review aims to explore the current evidence behind the treatment of oily skin and acne with botulinum neurotoxin type A.

In this paper, the preparation methods of porous silicon nitride materials with controllable dielectric constant and pore structure were systematically studied. By using microwave sintering technology, porous silicon nitride materials with high closed pore ratio were prepared by adjusting the content of sintering additives and sintering process parameters, and controlling the grain boundary phase and pore structure and size. The effects of sintering conditions on the total porosity, closed porosity, pore structure and dielectric properties of materials were systematically studied.

This study examines the causal relationships between interest rates in the Korean financial market using a vector error correction model (VECM) and a Bayesian network. The Bayesian network, a novel approach in this context, identifies two distinct transmission channels: one led by call rates (reflecting monetary policy) and another by 10-year Treasury bond yields (reflecting fiscal policy). While the call rate channel aligns with traditional views, affecting bank lending rates, corporate bond spreads, and commercial paper rates, the 10-year Treasury yield channel highlights a separate fiscal policy transmission mechanism, influencing commercial paper rates indirectly through 30-year Treasury yields and directly impacting merchant bank lending rates. This finding suggests that fiscal intervention could potentially interfere with monetary policy, emphasizing the need for coordinated macroeconomic policy measures. The study also emphasizes the role of 10-year Treasury bonds as a benchmark in the Korean bond market, reflecting medium- to long-term economic outlooks and serving as the underlying asset for various derivatives.

Species richness is a widely used measure for assessing the diversity of a particular area. However, observed richness often underestimates the true richness due to resource limitations, particularly in the small-sized sample or highly heterogeneous assemblage. Estimating species richness in a large-scale region typically involves an integrated data set consisting of subsamples collected independently from different subregions. However, the pooled sample of integrated data is no longer a random sample from the entire region, and the use of different sampling schemes results in variations in data formats. Consequently, employing a single sampling distribution to model the pooled sample becomes impractical, rendering existing richness estimators inadequate. This study theoretically explains the applicability of Chao's lower bound estimators in estimating species richness for large-scale areas using the pooled sample. Additionally, a new nonparametric estimator is introduced, which adjusts the bias of Chao's lower bound estimator by leveraging the Good-Turing frequency formula. This proposed estimator only utilizes the pooled sample's singleton, doubleton, and tripleton richness. Simulated data sets across various models are employed to demonstrate the statistical performance of the estimator, showcasing its ability to reduce bias and provide accurate 95% confidence intervals. Real data sets are also utilized to illustrate the practical application of the proposed approach.

Oil-Gan, also known as emblica, is the fruit of the genus Phyllanthus emblica L. The fruits of these trees are high in nutrients and have excellent effects on health care and development values. There are many methods for the management of diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, there is a lack of effective drugs for treating DN from throughout the disease course. The primary aim of this study was to examine the protective effects (including urine analyses, the measurement of inflammatory cytokine levels, and histological examination) and mechanisms of action of an ethyl acetate extract of P. emblica (EPE) on db/db mice, an animal model of diabetic nephropathy, as well as a secondary aim of examining the expression levels of protein kinase Cα (PKCα) in the kidney and its downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibrosis gene transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) by Western blot analyses. Eight db/m C57BLKS/J mice were used as the control group. Forty db/db mice were randomly divided into five groups. Treatments included vehicle, EPE1, EPE2, EPE3 (at doses of 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg EPE), or the comparative drug aminoguanidine for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of treatment, blood samples were collected for analyses of blood glucose, insulin, and HbA1c levels, and pancreatic and kidney tissues were dissected for histological analyses. The present study indicated that the administration of EPE to db/db mice effectively controlled hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia by markedly lowering blood glucose, insulin, and glycosylated HbA1c levels. Administration of EPE to db/db mice decreased the levels of BUN and creatinine both in blood and urine and reduced urinary albumin excretion and the albumin creatine ratio (UACR) in urine. Moreover, EPE treatment decreased the blood levels of inflammatory cytokines, including kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), and NLR family pyrin domain containing (NLRP3). Our findings showed that EPE not only had antihyperglycemic effects but also improved renal function in db/db mice. Histological examination of the kidney by immunohistochemistry indicated that EPE can improve kidney function by ameliorating glomerular morphological damage following glomerular injury; alleviating proteinuria by upregulating the expression of nephrin, a biomarker of early glomerular damage; and inhibiting glomerular expansion and tubular fibrosis. Moreover, the administration of EPE to db/db mice increased the expression levels of p- PKCα/t-PKCα but decreased the expression levels of VEGF and renal fibrosis biomarkers (TGF-β1, collagen IV, p-Smad2, p-Smad3, and Smad4), as shown by Western blot analyses. These results implied that EPE as a supplement has a protective effect against renal dysfunction through the amelioration of insulin resistance as well as the suppression of nephritis and fibrosis in a DN model.

Silicon-based photodetectors, as low-cost and environmentally friendly optical sensors, are attractive. Also, their compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is advantageous for the development of silicon photonics systems. However, extending optical responsivity of silicon-based photodetectors to the mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength range remains challenging. In developing mid-IR infrared Schottky detectors, nanoscale metals are critical. Nonetheless, one key factor is the Fermi level pinning effect at the metal/silicon interface and the presence of metal-induced gap states (MIGS). Here, we demonstrate the utilization of the passivated surface layer on semiconductor materials as an insulating material in metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) contacts to mitigate the Fermi level pinning effect. The removal of Fermi level pinning effectively reduces the Schottky barrier height by 12.5% to 16%. The demonstrated devices exhibit a high responsivity of up to 234 μA/W at a wavelength of 2 μm, 48.2 μA/W at 3 μm, and 1.75 μA/W at 6 μm. The corresponding detectivities at 2 and 3 μm are 1.17×10^8 cm Hz^1/2 W^-1 and 2.41×10^7 cm Hz^1/2 W^-1, respectively. The expanded sensing wavelength range contributes to the application development of future silicon photonics integration platforms.

Weighted Student Funding (WSF) systems have been implemented in various countries to give schools more autonomy over how to allocate their funding. School principals use funding to maintain school operations and foster innovation for achieving educational goals. However, despite the importance of this process, scholarly research has largely overlooked how principals make decisions about their financial resources. Accordingly, this study seeks to provide practical insights into the strategies used by one school by highlighting their staff’s perceptions about using their WSF to maintain school operations and spur innovation. Using a case study approach, we investigated a principal who effectively used a school’s WSF to transform a failing school into an innovative one. The findings revealed that the principal strategically implemented financial management mechanisms in a way that inspired teachers to deeply consider how a school's WSF can help achieve educational goals. The principal fostered consensus on the school's direction, encouraged innovation through hands-on experiential learning and strategic planning, and facilitated funding for innovative teachers by guiding proposal development. Insights into the shifting cultural and practical landscape of financial resource utilization within schools are discussed.

In response to the growing need for efficient energy conversion technologies, this pa-per introduces an innovative Tubular Thermoelectric Generator (TTEG), specifically de-signed for high-efficiency conversion of waste heat into electrical energy. Unlike conven-tional flat plate thermoelectric generators (FTEGs), the TTEG incorporates full-ring ther-moelectric elements within a tubular layout, offering a novel approach to thermal energy recovery from fluid-based systems. This design significantly enhances the heat transfer capabilities, thereby improving the efficiency of energy conversion. Comprehensive simulations and analyses form the core of this study, where the per-formance of the TTEG is rigorously compared with traditional FTEGs. These comparisons highlight the advantages of the tubular design in terms of energy conversion efficiency and practical applicability in various scenarios. The findings reveal that the TTEG not only outperforms its flat plate counterparts but also presents a scalable and adaptable so-lution for waste heat recovery in a wide range of industrial and automotive applications. This research contributes to the field of energy science and technology by presenting a detailed experimental setup, complete with reproducible procedures and results. It opens new pathways for the development of more sustainable and efficient energy conversion systems, aligning with the goal of harnessing renewable and sustainable energy sources. The potential applications of this technology in enhancing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact are vast, making it a significant step forward in the quest for clean and sustainable energy solutions.

In this study, we used the natural and anthropogenic characteristics of a coastal region to generate risk maps showing vulnerability and potential hazards, and proposed design criteria for coastal defense and land use for the various kinds of risks faced. The Yunlin coast: a first-level protection area in mid-west Taiwan, was then used as an example to illustrate the proposed design criteria. The safety of the present coastal defenses and land use of the Yunlin coastal area was assessed, and coastal protection measures for hazard prevention were proposed based on the generated risk map. The results can be informative for future coastal management and the promotion of sustainable development of coastal zones.

A lightweight composite bridge deck system composed of steel orthotropic deck stiffened with thin Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) layer is developed to eliminate fatigue cracks in orthotropic steel decks. During the construction and operation period of the bridge, the debonding between the steel deck and the UHPC layer may introduce the several issues, such as crack-induced water invasion and distinct reduction of the shear resistance. In the study, an effective and novel non-destructive interface condition monitoring approach using piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based technologies is proposed to detect interfacial delamination between steel deck and UHPC layer. Experimental tests are performed on several steel-UHPC composite slabs and a conventional steel-concrete composite slab. The thin styrofoam sheets with different sizes and thicknesses are set on different locations of the steel deck as the artificial debondings. The PZT ceramic patches are bonded on the surfaces of the steel deck and UHPC layer as the actuators/sensors. An improved PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization)-K-means clustering algorithms is proposed to obtain the debonding patterns based on the feature data set. The laboratory tests demonstrate that the proposed approach provides an effective and accurate way to detect interfacial debonding of steel-UHPC composite slab.

Large quantities of clothing are routinely discarded, ending up in landfills that contribute to the environmental crisis; hence, it is worthwhile investigating how to dispose of this waste in a sustainable way. This study considered environmental values and prosocial behavior from a behaviorism theory. The aim was to set up an environmental protection model for the sustainable disposal of consumer clothing. A structural equation modeling analysis of 407 undergraduate and postgraduate consumer data in Taiwan revealed that consumers’ choice to donate clothing was influenced by environmental values and prosocial behaviors. Clothing resale was influenced by the factor of prosocial behavior. However, prosocial consumers used other disposal patterns instead of resale. Clothing reuse was not influenced by either environmental values or prosocial behavior. The results indicated that environmental values and prosocial behavior did in fact influence consumers’ choices regarding clothing donation. However, prosocial consumers used other disposal patterns instead of resale. Behaviorism theory model is effective in analyzing the factors influencing sustainable clothing disposal. To face clothing waste issues, one can intensify traditional values of industriousness and thriftiness, of compassion and sympathy to others, to accelerate the promotion of the sustainable disposal of clothing.

This article addresses the trajectory tracking between two non-identical systems with chaotic properties. We employ the Rossler chaotic and RCL-shunted Josephson junctions model in similar phase space to study trajectory tracking. In order to achieve the goal tracking, we afford two stages to approximate the target tracking. The first stage utilizes the active control technique to transfer the output signal from the RCLs-J system into the quasi-Rossler system. Then next, the RCLs-J system employs the proposed the iterative learning control scheme and the control signal from the drive system to trace the trajectory of Rossler system. The numerical results demonstrate the proposed method and the tracking system is asymptotically stable.

This research not only dedicated a less restrictive method of iteration-varying function for a learning control law to design a controller but also synchronize two nonlinear systems with free time-delay. In addition, the mathematical theory of system synchronization has proved rigorously and the theory verified through an example to demonstrate the behavior of each parameter in the theory. The design of a controller using the iterative learning control law is significant for robotic tracking. The controller in this research generates a feed-forward control input using the error dynamics among the drive-response systems. The error dynamics satisfies the Lyapunov function and the combination of output errors, which respectively represented relative estimated differences of the drive-response systems. The iterative learning control rule serves the function of a filter adding previous control error after the end of each iteration. The numerical example of a synchronous system is given a Lorenz system for driving and another with the iterative learning control law for response under different initial condition. The results verify and demonstrate the proposed mathematical theory. The simulation exhibits consistency in the behavior of each parameter to match mathematical theory.

The weight coefficients of the diaphragm spring depend on experiences in the traditional optimization. However, this method not only cannot guarantee the optimal solution but it is also not universal. Therefore, a new optimization target function is proposed. The new function takes the minimum of average compress force changing of the spring and the minimum force of the separation as total objectives. Based on the optimization function, the result of the clutch diaphragm spring in a car is analyzed by the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) and the solution set of Pareto is obtained. The results show that the pressing force of the diaphragm spring is improved by 4.09%by the new algorithmand the steering separation force is improved by 6.55%, which has better stability and steering portability. The problem of the weight coefficient in the traditional empirical design is solved. The pressing force of the optimized diaphragm spring varied slightly during the abrasion range of the friction film, and the manipulation became remarkably light.

This study explored the effects of cryogenic treatment on the microstructure, hardness, and wear-resistance of diamond-like carbon (DLC) by cryogenically treating NAK 80 mold steel coated with DLC. Raman spectroscopy analyzed the structure of the DLC film. Nanoindenter analyzed the hardness and Young’s modulus of the film, and their relationship determined the wear resistance. Wear test assessed the wear rate and friction coefficient of the DLC film. The results showed that cryogenic treatment increased the rate of carbide precipitation and refined the grain structure. Raman spectroscopy indicated that the Raman intensity rate (I_D/I_G) of treated DLC films was smaller than those without cryogenic treatment. When the sp3 bond increased, the hardness and wear-resistance of the DLC film also increased.

With the development of artificial intelligence, the ability of capturing the background characteristics of hyperspectral imagery (HSI) is improved and promising performance in hyperspectral anomaly detection (HAD) tasks is yielded. However, existing methods proposed in recent years still suffer from certain limitations: 1) constraints are lacking in the deep feature learning process in terms of the issue for absence of prior background and anomaly information. 2) hyperspectral anomaly detectors with traditional self-supervised deep learning methods fail to ensure prioritized reconstruction of the background. 3) architectures of fully connected deep network in hyperspectral anomaly detectors lead to low utilization of spatial information and destruction for original spatial relationship of hyperspectral imagery, and disregard spectral correlation between adjacent pixels. 4) hypotheses or assumptions for background and anomaly distributions restrict the performance of many hyperspectral anomaly detectors because the distributions of background land covers are usually complex and not assumable in real-world hyperspectral imagery. With the consideration of above problems, in this paper, we propose a novel fully convolutional auto-encoder based on dual clustering and latent feature adversarial consistency (FCAE-DCAC) for HAD which is carried out in a self-supervised learning-based processing. Firstly, the density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise algorithm and connected component analysis are utilized for successive spectral and spatial clustering to obtain more precise prior background and anomaly information, which facilitates the separation between background and anomaly samples during the training of our method. Subsequently, a novel fully convolutional auto-encoder (FCAE) integrated with spatial-spectral joint attention (SSJA) is proposed to enhance the utilization of spatial information and augment feature expression. In addition, a latent feature adversarial consistency network is proposed to achieve pure background reconstruction with the ability of learning actual background distribution in hyperspectral imagery. Finally, a triplet loss is introduced to enhance the separability between background and anomaly, and the reconstruction residual serves as the anomaly detection result. We evaluate the proposed method on seven groups of real-world hyperspectral datasets, and the experimental results confirmed the effectiveness and superior performance of the proposed method versus nine state-of-the-art methods.

This paper proposes to combat active eavesdropping by intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) backscatter techniques. To be specific, the source (Alice) sends the confidential information to the intended user (Bob), while the eavesdropper (Willie) transmits jamming signal to interrupt the transmission for more data interception. To enhance the secrecy, an IRS is deployed and connected with Alice through fiber to transform the jamming signal into the confidential signal by employing backscatter techniques. Based on the considered model, an optimization problem is formulated to maximize signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) at Bob under the constraints of the transmit power at Alice, the reflection vector at the IRS and the allowable maximum SINR at Willie. To address the optimization problem, an alternate optimization algorithm is developed. The simulation results verify the achievable secrecy gain of the proposed scheme.

Owing to the advantages of cost-effectiveness, compactness, and the avoidance of complicated camera synchronization, single-camera three-dimensional (3D) digital image correlation (DIC) techniques have gained increasing attention for deformation measurement of materials and structures. In the traditional single-camera 3D-DIC system, the left and right view images can be recorded by a single camera using a diffraction grating, a bi-prism or a set of planar mirrors. To further improve the measurement accuracy of single-camera 3D-DIC, this paper introduces a single-camera four-view imaging technique by installing a pyramidal prism in front of the camera. The 3D reconstruction of the measured points before and after deformation is realized with eight governing equations induced by four views, and the strong geometric constraints of four views can help to improve the measurement accuracy. A static experiment, a rigid body translation experiment and a four-point bending experiment show that the proposed single-camera 3D-DIC method can achieve higher measurement accuracy than the dual-view single-camera 3D-DIC techniques and has advantages in reducing both random error and systematic error.

Lymphoma diagnoses in the U.S. are substantial, with an estimated 89,380 new cases in 2023, necessitating innovative treatment approaches. Phase 1 clinical trials play a pivotal role in this context. We developed a binary predictive model to assess trial adherence to expected average durations, analyzing 1,089 completed Phase 1 lymphoma trials from clinicaltrials.gov. Using machine learning, the Random Forest model demonstrated high efficacy with an accuracy of 0.7248 and ROC-AUC of 0.7701 for lymphoma trials. Importantly, this model maintained an accuracy of 0.7405 when applied to lung cancer trials, showcasing its versatility. A key insight is the correlation between higher predicted probabilities and extended trial durations, offering nuanced insights beyond binary predictions. Our research contributes to enhanced clinical research planning and potential improvements in patient outcomes in oncology.

Excessive body fat is a major contributor to obesity, which is related to high blood, total cholesterol and triglycerides. Lemons (Citrus limon) are renowned for their antioxidant and lipid-lowering properties. First, Sugar-free fermentation demonstrated better results lower sugar content and was identified as the preferred fermentation method. Next, the effect of two doses of sugar-free fermented lemon peel juice (SF-FLPJ) on obesity was investigated. Sprague Dawley (male rats) were randomly divided into 4 groups and fed a standard feed or high-fat diet (HFD) to induce fatness for eight weeks. The two groups of rats fed an HFD were administered SF-FLPJ at 0.45 or 0.9 g/kg body weight daily for eight weeks. The obese rats administered 0.9 g/kg (body weight/day) of SF-FLPJ exhibited significant reductions in body fat mass and percentage; they also had lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels than the other groups. Additionally, the rats displayed diminished liver fat accumulation. The results suggest that SF-FLPJ can be a supplement in managing body fat, contributing positively to addressing obesity within the context of health management, and reduce obesity-associated issues.

This article presents, for the first time, the kinetics and the general conversion features of free radical polymerization (FRP) in a 3-component system (A/B/N), with [A] being the initiator, and [B] and [N] are additives, based on the proposed mechanism of Rahal et al. Higher FRP can be achieved by additives [B] and [N], via the dual function of (i) regeneration [A], and (ii) generation of extra radicals (R) via the radicals (S' and S) produced by N.The initiator (coumarin) shows a dual photo-oxidation and photo-reduction character for high efficacy. The FRP conversion efficacy (CE) depends not only on the property of the initiator [A], the additives [B] and [N}, but also the types of monomers. For example, when [A]=CoumC, [A]/NPG is more efficient than [A]/Iod, but revserse trend occurs in some monomers. However, 2-component systems (with CE=0% to 80%) are always less efficient than that of 3-component systems (with CE=70% to 86%, in TMPTA). Specific systems with [A]=coumarins, [B]=Iodonium salt, and N=NPG are analyzed. Analytical formulas for the role of each component concentration, light intensity and coupling rates on the conversion efficacy are derived.

This study has simulated the typical rainstorm on 20 July 2021 over central east China by using the first-generation Chinese Reanalysis datasets and Global Land Data Assimilation System datasets, and the Noah land surface model coupled with the advanced weather research and forecasting model. Based on this, the gridded planetary boundary layer (PBL) profiles and ensemble states within soil perturbations are collected to investigate the main land-atmosphere coupling characteristics during this modeled rainstorm by using various local coupling metrics and the introduced ensemble statistical metrics. Results have shown that (1) except for the stratospheric thermodynamics and surface thermal over mountain areas, the main characteristics of mid-low layers and surface have been well documented in this modeled rainstorm; (2) the typical coupling intensity is characterized by the dominant morning moistening, early noon weak PBL warming around 2, noontime buoyant mixing temperature deficit around 274 K, daytime PBL and surface latent flux contribution around 100 and 280 W/m2 respectively, and significant afternoon soil-surface latent flux coupling; (3) moist static energy is more significant than PBL height during the relation chains, which is consistent with the significance of surface moistening indicated by local coupling metrics. In general, wet soil contributes greatly to daytime moisture evaporation, which then increases the early noon PBL warming and enhances the noontime buoyant mixing within weak flux contribution. However, this has been suppressed by large-scale forcing such as the upper southwestern inflows of rainstorms, which has further significantly shaped the spatial distribution of statistical metrics in contrast. These quantitatively described local couplings have highlighted both the convection potential diagnoses usage for the local weather application and more applicable coupling threshold diagnoses within the finer spatial investigation.

A novel prediction model for crack development of reinforced concrete (RC) piles with localized chloride corrosion in marine environment is proposed. A discrete method is used to solve the corrosion pit radius model and a crack extension model is developed to investigate the initiation and extension of cracks. The maximum corrosion degree of reinforced concrete pile is predicted according to the limit crack criterion, and finally a sensitivity analysis is carried out on the important parameters of crack extension. The results show that the radius of corrosion pit, the depth corrosion pit and cross-sectional area loss of reinforcement gradually increase as the corrosion level increases. The loss of local reinforcement section at crack initiation decreases with the increase of the ratio of concrete cover to initial diameter, and increases with the increase of pitting factor. The required pit depth for reinforcement cracking increases with the increase of the ratio of concrete cover thickness to diameter. The loss of cross-sectional area of reinforcement and the radius of corrosion pit increase with the increase of initial diameter of reinforcement. Increasing the pitting factor will reduce the pit depth and make the crack width develop faster before reaching the limit crack width. Increasing the concrete cover thickness can provide an improvement in the propagation of cracks. A comparative analysis shows that the localized corrosion pattern is more in conformity with marine engineering practice.

In this paper, an adaptive technology and the interconnection and damping assignment passivity-based control method are combined to solve the stabilization problem for underactuated mechanical systems with uncertainties (including matched and unmatched). Uncertainties include unknown friction coefficients and unknown terms in kinetic energy and potential energy. A novel adaptive interconnection and damping assignment passivity-based control scheme is proposed and an adaptive stabilization controller is designed to make the closed-loop system locally stable. Verification is conducted on the ball and beam system, taking into account uncertainties of friction coefficients, kinetic energy, and potential energy. The locally asymptotic stability is demonstrated using the LaSalle’s invariance principle and approximate linearization. The effectiveness of the proposed control law is verified through numerical simulations.

The synergic features and enhancing strategies for various photopolymerization systems are reviewed by kinetic schemes and the associated measurements. The important topics include: (i) photo crosslinking of corneas for the treatmnet of corneal deseases using UVA-light (365 nm) light and riboflavin as the photosensitizer; (ii) synergic effects by a dual-function enhancer in a 3-initiator system; (iii) synergic effects by a 3-initiator C/B/A system, having an electron-transfer and oxygen-mediated energy-transfer pathways; (iv) copper-complex (G1) photoredox catalyst in G1/Iod/NVK systems for free radiical (FRP) and cationic photopolymeriation (CP); (v) radical-mediated thiol-ene (TE) photopolymerizations; (vi) superbase photogenerator based-catalyzed thiol−acrylate Michael (TM) addition reaction; and the combined system of TE and TM usinghual wavelength; (vii) dual-wavelength (UV and blue) controlled photopolymerization confinement (PC); (viii) dual-wavelength (UV and red) selectively controlled 3D printing; and (ix) 3-wavelength selectively controlled in 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM). With minimum mathematics, we present ( for the first time), the synergic features and enhancing strategies for various systems of multi-commponents, initiators, monomers, and under one- two- and there-wavelength light. Therefore, this Review provides not only the bridging between modeling and measurements, but also guidances for further experimantal stuides and new applications in 3D printings and additive manufacturing (AM), based on the innovative concepts (kinetics/schemes).

Caring for dolphins is a delicate process that requires experienced caretakers to pay close attention to their behavioral characteristics. However, caretakers may sometimes lack experience or not be able to give their full attention, which can lead to misjudgment or oversight. To address these issues, a dolphin behavior analysis system has been designed to assist caretakers in making accurate assessments. The study utilized image preprocessing techniques to reduce sunlight reflection in the pool and enhance the outline of dolphins, making it easier to analyze their movements. The dolphins were divided into 11 keypoints using an open-source tool called DeepLabCut, which helped accurately mark various body parts for skeletal detection. The AquaAI Dolphin Decoder (ADD) was then used to analyze six dolphin behaviors. To improve behavior recognition accuracy, the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network was introduced. The ADD and LSTM models were integrated to form the ADD-LSTM system. Several classification models, including unidirectional and bidirectional LSTM, GRU, and SVM, were compared. The results showed that the ADD module combined with a double-layer bidirectional LSTM method achieved high accuracy in dolphin behavior analysis. The accuracy rates for each behavior were over 90%.

To explore the relevant factors that affect the efficacy of consciousness-regaining therapy (CRT)for prolonged disorder of consciousness(pDOC),a retrospective analysis was conducted on the case data of 114 patients with pDOC admitted to department of functional neurosurgery of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from January 2019 to January 2022. Basic information on the cases,data on pDOC disease assessment, consciousness-regaining therapy methods, and efficacy evaluation were collected. A total of 114 patients were grouped and compared based on the efficacy at the end of treatment. Among them, there were 61 cases in the ineffective group and 53 cases in the effective group. There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) between the two groups in terms of gender, age, etiology, acute cerebral herniation, emergency craniotomy surgery, emergency decompressive craniectomy, time from onset to start of consciousness-regaining therapy , and duration of consciousness-regaining therapy(P>0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in terms of secondary hydrocephalus, , consciousness-regaining therapy methods, CRS-R grading before treatment, and GOSE score at 6 months after treatment. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the type of therapy (OR=0.169, 95% CI: 0.057-0.508) was a related factor affecting the efficacy of consciousness-regaining therapy (P<0.05).Compared with non-invasive therapy, personalized awakening therapy using various invasive consciousness-regaining therapy methods can help improve the efficacy of therapy for pDOC.

Logistics plays an important role in globalized companies and contributes to the development of foreign trade. A large number of external conditions, such as recession and inflation, affect logistics. Therefore, managers should find ways to improve operational performance, enabling them to increase efficiency while considering environmental sustainability due to the industry’s large scale of energy consumption. Based on data collected from the financial reports of top global logistics companies, this study uses a DEA model to calculate corporate efficiency by implementing a Grey forecasting approach to forecast future sustainability values. Consequently, the study addresses the problem of how to enhance operational performance while accounting for the impact of external conditions. This research can help logistics companies develop operation strategies in the future that will enhance their competitiveness vis-à-vis rivals in a time of global economic volatility.

By using various skill scores and spatial characteristics of spatial verification methods and tradi-tional techniques of the model evaluation tool (MET, V10.0.0), the gridded precipitation obser-vation CMPAV (V2.0) and three datasets that derived from local (LOC), Shanghai (SHA), and Grapes (GRA) model respectively are conducted to assess the 3 lead day rainfall forecast with 0.5-day intervals during summer of 2020 over central east China. Results have shown that LOC generally outperforms the other two for most skill scores but usually with relatively larger un-certainties than SHA, and it has the least displacement errors for moderate rainfall among the three datasets. However, the rainfall of GRA has been heavily underestimated and accompanied with large displacement error. Both LOC and SHA have shown almost equitable abilities in forecasting convection and rainstorms of the large area but with a slightly over-forecast of local convection, while LOC likely over-forecasts the local rainstorms. In addition, SHA slightly favors over-forecast on a broad scale range and a broad threshold range, and LOC slightly misses the rainfall exceeding 100 mm. Generally, for a broadly comparative evaluation on rainfall, the popular dichotomous methods should be recommended under considering reasonable classifi-cation of thresholds if the accuracy is highly demanded. And most spatial methods should be suggested to conduct with proper pre-handling of non-rainfall event cases. Especially, the veri-fications including spatial characteristic difference information could be recommended in a computationally sufficient environment.

A conventional 2D numerical model is improved by incorporating three submodels to consider different effects of secondary flow and a module for cohesive sediment transport. The model is applied to a meandering reach of Yangtze River to investigate secondary flow effects on cohesive sediment deposition, and a preferable submodel is selected based on the flow simulation results. Sediment simulation results indicate that the improved model predictions are in better agreement with the measurements in planar distribution of deposition as the increased sediment deposits caused by secondary current on the convex bank have been well predicted. Secondary flow effects on predicted amount of deposition become more obvious during the period when the sediment load is low and velocity redistribution induced by the bed topography is evident. Such effects vary with the settling velocity and critical shear stress for deposition of cohesive sediment. The bed topography effects can be reflected by the secondary flow submodels.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent and disabling mental disorders worldwide. Among the symptoms of MDD, sleep disturbance such as insomnia is prominent and the first reason patients may seek professional help. However, the underlying pathophysiology of this comorbidity is still elusive. Recently, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have begun to unveil the genetic background of several psychiatric disorders, including MDD and insomnia. Identifying the shared genomic risk loci between comorbid psychiatric disorders could be a valuable strategy to understand their comorbidity. This study seeks to identify the shared genes and biological pathways between MDD and insomnia based on their shared genetic variants. First, we performed a meta-analysis based on the GWAS summary statistics of MDD and insomnia obtained from Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and UK Biobank, respectively. Next, we associated shared genetic variants to genes using two gene mapping strategies: (a) positional mapping based on genomic proximity and (b) expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) mapping based on gene expression linkage across multiple tissues. As a result, a total of 719 shared genes were identified. Over half (51%) of them are protein-coding genes. Functional enrichment analysis shows that the most enriched biological pathways are related to epigenetic modification, sensory perception, and immunologic signatures. We also identified druggable targets using a network approach. Together these results may provide insights into understanding the genetic predisposition and underlying biological pathways of comorbid MDD and insomnia symptoms.

Due to wood’s susceptibility to fire, it is crucial to treat wood-based materials with flame retardants, especially in construction applications. This study investigated the effectiveness of various grooving types, including transverse, longitudinal, both transverse and longitudinal, and surface grooving, in enhancing larch's vacuum pressure impregnation process. The results revealed that transverse grooving provided a slightly greater impregnation advantage than longitudinal grooving. Moreover, exceptional impregnation performance was observed in larch samples subjected to both longitudinal and transverse grooving and surface grooving, exhibiting a remarkable improvement of 214,7 % compared to untreated larch.

In this study, Cu/Ni and Cu/Al multilayer thin films with individual layer thickness varying from 25 nm to 200 nm were deposited at room temperature and further annealed up to 300 ℃. The mechanical and microstructural properties of the multilayers were characterized by nanoindentation, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Both systems exhibited an increase in hardness with increasing annealing temperature. However, the Cu/Ni system showed a gradual and moderate (up to 30%) hardness increase from room temperature to 300 ℃, while the Cu/Al system showed a sharp increase (~150%) between 125℃ and 200℃. This distinct strengthening behavior is attributed to solid solution formation in Cu/Ni and diffusion-activated intermetallic formation in Cu/Al.

A common spinal condition, spondylolisthesis is the presence of a relative back or forth displacement between the upper and lower vertebra due to one vertebra being oriented away from the smooth curvature of a normal spine. Aging-related illnesses such as degenerative spondylolisthesis are especially burdensome on social welfare and health-care systems in an aging society, especially radiologists and clinical physicians. Therefore, we proposed a computer aided diagnosis algorithm, named LumbarNet, for vertebral slippage detection on clinical X-ray images. Collaborating with i) a P-grade, ii) a piecewise slope detection scheme, and iii) a dynamic shift detection routine, LumbarNet was thus specialized for analyzing complex structural patterns in lumbar spine X-ray images and outcompeted other U-Net based methods. Extensive experiments on lumbar spine X-ray images in standard clinical practices showed that LumbarNet achieved a mean intersection over union value of 0.88 in vertebral region detection and an accuracy of 88.83% in vertebral slippage detection.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant polyphenol in green tea. In this study, the effects of dietary EGCG on oxidative stress and the metabolism and toxicity of acetaminophen in liver were investigated. Rats were fed the diets with (0.54 %) or without EGCG supplementation for four weeks and were then intraperitoneally injected with acetaminophen (1g/kg). Results showed EGCG lowered hepatic oxidative stress and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, 2E1, and 3A, and UDP-glucurosyltransferase activities prior to acetaminophen injection. After acetaminophen challenge, the elevations in plasma alanine aminotransferase activity and histological changes in liver were ameliorated by EGCG treatment. EGCG reduced acetaminophen-induced apoptosis by increasing the Bax/Bcl2 ratio in liver. EGCG mildly increased autophagy by increasing the LC3B II/I ratio. Lower hepatic acetaminophen-glutathione and acetaminophen-protein adducts contents were observed after EGCG treatment. EGCG increased glutathione peroxidase and NAD(P)H quinone 1 oxidoreductase activities and reduced organic anion-transporting polypeptides 1a1 expression in liver after acetaminophen treatment. Our results indicate that EGCG may lower oxidative stress and reduce the metabolism and toxicity of acetaminophen. The reductions in CYP-mediated acetaminophen bioactivation and uptake transporter, as well as enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, may limit the accumulation of toxic products in liver and thus lower hepatotoxicity

To date, viral RNA detection is almost the only way to confirm SARS-CoV-2infectionin practice.However, variousreasons can cause low sensitivity for RNA detection, and thisposes aserious challenge to disease control. We tested the performance of detecting total antibody(Ab) and IgM levels in serum by the methods of chemiluminescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and colloidal golddetection. The datashowed that the sensitivity and specificity for detecting total Ab and IgM levels were high by all three methods, and the sensitivity was higher for detecting total Ab than for detecting IgM. Evidence from studieshas shown thatviral RNA testingcombinedwith serological testing could increase the diagnostic sensitivity while maintaining a high specificity. Specific serology testsfor SARS-CoV-2 havegreat value for clinical practice and public health.

Serine/threonine kinase (AKT) signaling regulates diverse cellular processes and is one of the most important aberrant cell survival mechanisms associated with tumorigenesis, metastasis, and chemoresistance. Targeting AKT has become an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of many cancers. AKT3 (PKBγ), the least studied isoform of the AKT family, has emerged as a major contributor to malignancy. AKT3 is frequently overexpressed in human cancers, and many regulatory oncogenic or tumor suppressor small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), have recently been identified to be involved in regulating AKT3 expression. Therefore, a better understanding of regulatory miRNA/AKT3 networks may reveal novel biomarkers for diagnosis of patients with cancer and provide invaluable information for developing more effective therapeutic strategies. The aim of this review is to summarize current research progress in the isoform-specific functions of AKT3 in human cancers and the roles of dysregulated miRNA/AKT3 in specific types of human cancers.

Optical and mechanical properties of multilayer coatings depend on the selected layer materials and the deposition technology; therefore, knowledge of the performances of thin films is essential. In the present work, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) thin films have been prepared by plasma ion-assisted deposition (PIAD). The optical, structural, and mechanical properties of thin films have been investigated using spectrometer/ellipsometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and laser interferometer. The results show that TiO2 film fabricated by PIAD induces a high refractive index, wide optical band gap, amorphous structure, smooth surface, and tensile stress. In the case of SiO2 film, high bias voltage leads to dense structure and compressive stress. As an application, a three-wavelength high reflectance at 632.8, 808, and 1550nm is optimized and deposited. The dependence of total stress in the multilayer on the substrate temperature is studied as well. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that PIAD is an effective method for the preparation of ultralow stress TiO2/SiO2 multilayer films. The achieved stress is as low as 1.4Mpa. The result could provide guidance to the stress optimization of most optical components without prefiguring, backside coating, and post-deposition treatments.

Emphasis on primary health care (PHC) is the most efficient and economical approach to achieving universal health coverage. The aim of the study is to examine PHC publications from 2011 to 2023 in the Asian Pacific region (APR) using the Web of Science (WoS) database. Academic papers in the WoS PHC subject category published in the APR from 2011 to 2023 were retrieved and analyzed. A total of 4,283 papers were published in the WoS PHC category from APR onwards. The annual number of published papers and their citations increased from 2011 to 2023. Australia led PHC publications in APR with 3,049 publications (71.19% of APR regional output). New Zealand had the highest number of citations per paper (13.76) and the highest mean impact factor (3.23±1.80). Publications in the WoS PHC category also covered a wide range of topics, including Medicine General Internal (64.77%), Health Care Sciences Services (21.88%), Health Policy Services and Public Environmental Occupational Health (21.36%), demonstrating the breadth of PHC research. Australia dominates the output of PHC publications in the APR. Australian Family Physician and Australian Journal of Primary Health are the leading journals publishing PHC papers in the APR.

In this study, a new type of temperature sensor device was developed. The circular electrode of the thermal sensitive sensor was modified with TMT and O₂ plasma to enhance the conductivity by forming a thin SnOxCy layer on the electrode surface. The Nano-Au particles were subjected to O₂ plasma pretreatment to form peroxide groups on the surface. The thermally sensitive sensor was made by mixing the above-treated Nano-Au particles with N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) to form solution and then UV-induced grafting polymerization of the NIPAAm-containing solution onto the electrode substrate. The composite hydrogels on the electrode introduce thermo-sensitive polymeric surface films for temperature sensing. Using ambient environment resistance test to measure the resistance, the LCST (lower critical solution temperature) of Nano-Au (MUA) mixed with NIPAAm hydrogel was found to be 32 °C. At ambient temperatures higher than LCST, the electrode resistance decreases linearly.

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is a commonly used technique for treating lumbar degenerative diseases. Here, we developed a fully computer-supported pipeline to predict the cage height and the degree of lumbar lordosis subtraction from the pelvic incidence (PI-LL) after TLIF surgery through preoperative X-ray images. The automated pipeline included two primary stages. First, a deep learning model was used to extract essential features from X-ray images. Second, five machine learning algorithms were trained to identify the optimal models to predict the interbody cage height and postoperative PI-LL. Lasso regression and support vector regression exhibited superior performance for predicting the interbody cage height and postoperative PI-LL, respectively. For cage height prediction, the root mean square error (RMSE) was calculated as 1.01, and the model achieved the highest accuracy at a height of 12 mm, with exact prediction achieved in 54.43% (43/79) of cases. In most of the remaining cases, the prediction error of the model was within 1 mm. In addition, the model demonstrated adequate performance for predicting PI-LL, with an RMSE of 5.19 and an accuracy of 0.81 for PI-LL stratification. In conclusion, the interbody cage height and postoperative PI-LL can be reliably predicted using artificial intelligence and ML models.

Despite the importance of influenza vaccination for healthcare workers (HCWs), their uptake remains challenging. This study aimed to measure influenza vaccine hesitancy among HCWs in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. A representative cross-sectional survey was conducted at six hospitals during August – September 2020 using a self-administered questionnaire. HCWs delaying getting influenza vaccines, accepting but unsure, or refusing with doubts were categorized as hesitant. Those accepting without any doubts were classified as non-hesitant. Vaccine hesitancy determinants were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. A total of 338 participants (97%) completed the questionnaires; most were female nurses working at district hospitals without pre-existing chronic medical conditions. Nearly 60% of participants (197/338) exhibited influenza vaccine hesitancy, and significant factors included age above 50 years adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.2, 95% CI 1.3-8.5), fair knowledge of influenza/vaccination (aOR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.8), and negative influence of other HCW (High level– aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1-4.8; Moderate level- aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1-4.4). Imparting updated information to the HCW combined with positive guidance from influential peers may help reduce this hesitancy.

Alternative fertilizations are essential to minimize the deteriorating effects of chemical fertilizers on soil and water quality/health. Accordingly, the present work investigated the effects of combined organic-inorganic fertilization (COIF) on wheat and rice yields, soil nutrients, and soil Cd accumulation. Hence, seven different treatments were set up: control (CK); conventional fertilization (CF); optimized fertilization (OF); organic fertilizer replacing 25% (T1) and 50% (T2) of OF; and organic nitrogen (N) replacing 25% (M1) and 50% (M2) of OF-N. Overall, significant increases occurred in the yields of COIF crops. Compared with the CF, the highest wheat and rice yields happened in M1 treatment (approximately by18.5%) (P < 0.05). COIF slightly alleviated soil acidification, and improved the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the study soils. Besides, COIF treatments significantly increased the contents of total phosphorus, total potassium, available phosphorus, and available potassium by 6.35 to 16.9 %, 3.17 to 10.9 %, 5.53 to 28.7 %, and 2.6 to 12 %, respectively (P <0.05). Nevertheless, negligible increases took place in Cd content of COIF soils compared with the CK. Altogether, our results concluded on 25% replacement of OF-N by organic N (M1) to effectively improve the fertility/ecological sustainability of the study soils.

Brushless Direct Current Motors are significantly improved for using many electrical applications. The design investigation is increased year by year and most of the motor design researchers find out the superior efficiency of the BLDC motor. The traditional motor consumed more electrical power than BLDC motor. The design of BLDC motors that are compact, small, easy to control, save energy and light weight. Due to this fact, the design of BLDC motor should be analyzed to improve the motor characteristics performance. The research focuses on the design of BLDC motor performance using Taguchi Method and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for Finite Element Method (FEM). Firstly, the Taguchi Method is applied to identify the optimization point of design parameters and consider using the reference model of actual BLDC electric fan motor with a rated power of 26Watts design. Based on the Taguchi Method to create the RSM is used to two-step optimization design performance using in FEM analysis. The performances of motor design proposed approach to provide the effeteness for motor design investigator. In this investigation aims the better structural performances in output power, torque, efficiency and torque ripple. The final design of proposed model achieved an energy efficiency is 10% higher than the reference design of prototype modes, the output power result is 10W higher this reference design. We can reduce the loss of the proposed motor design. Furthermore, the maximum torque can also increase the 0.032Nm of that design. The design simulation results were produced and studied by the FEM analysis of JMAG software. From the evaluation results, the configurations of reference model design are compared with the proposed design by using the three methods of motor design optimization showed the best characteristics for performance of motor investigation design.

The work presented in this paper makes multiple scientific contributions with a specific focus on the analysis of misinformation about COVID-19 on YouTube. First, the results of topic modeling performed on the video descriptions of YouTube videos containing misinformation about COVID-19 revealed four distinct themes or focus areas - Promotion and Outreach Efforts, Treatment for COVID-19, Conspiracy Theories regarding COVID-19, and COVID-19 and Politics. Second, the results of topic-specific sentiment analysis revealed the sentiment associated with each of these themes. For the videos belonging to the theme of Promotion and Outreach Efforts, 45.8% were neutral, 39.8% were positive, and 14.4% were negative, for the videos belonging to the theme of Treatment for COVID-19, 38.113% were positive, 31.343% were neutral, and 30.544% were negative, for the videos belonging to the theme of Conspiracy Theories regarding COVID-19, 46.9% were positive, 31.0% were neutral, and 22.1% were negative, and for the videos belonging to the theme of COVID-19 and Politics, 35.70% were positive, 32.86% were negative, and 31.44% were negative. Third, topic-specific language analysis was performed to detect the various languages in which the video descriptions per topic were published on YouTube. This analysis revealed multiple novel insights. For instance, for all the themes, English and Spanish were the most widely used and second-most widely used languages, respectively. Fourth, the patterns of sharing these videos on other social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter were also investigated. The results revealed that videos containing video descriptions in English were shared the highest number of times on Facebook and Twitter. Finally, correlation analysis was performed by taking into account multiple characteristics of these videos. The results revealed that the correlation between the length of the video title and the number of Tweets as well as the correlation between the length of the video title and the number of Facebook posts was statistically significant.

The proper regulation of RNA processing is critical for muscle development and the fine-tuning of contractile ability between muscle fiber-types. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) regulate the diverse steps in RNA processing including alternative splicing, which generates fiber-type specific isoforms of structural proteins that confer contractile sarcomeres with distinct biomechanical properties. Alternative splicing is disrupted in muscle diseases such as myotonic dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy, and is altered after intense exercise as well as with aging. It is therefore important to understand splicing and RBP function, but currently only a small fraction of the hundreds of annotated RBPs expressed in muscle have been characterized. Here we demonstrate the utility of Drosophila as a genetic model system to investigate basic developmental mechanisms of RBP function in myogenesis. We find that RBPs exhibit dynamic temporal and fiber-type specific expression patterns in mRNA-Seq data and display muscle-specific phenotypes. We performed knockdown with 105 RNAi hairpins targeting 35 RBPs and report associated lethality, flight, myofiber and sarcomere defects, including flight muscle phenotypes for Doa, Rm62, mub, mbl, sbr, and clu. Interestingly, knockdown phenotypes of spliceosome components, as highlighted by phenotypes for A-complex components SF1 and Hrb87F (hnRNPA1), revealed level- and temporal-dependent myofibril defects. We further show that splicing mediated by SF1 and Hrb87F is necessary for Z-disc stability and proper myofibril development, and strong knockdown of either gene results in impaired localization of Kettin to the Z-disc. Our results expand the number of RBPs with a described phenotype in muscle and underscore the diversity in myofibril and transcriptomic phenotypes associated with splicing defects. Drosophila is thus a useful model to gain disease-relevant insight into cellular and molecular phenotypes observed when expression levels of splicing factors, spliceosome components and splicing dynamics are altered.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the major cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and increases the risk of cardiovascular events. Hemodynamic, inflammatory and metabolic factors, which share the convergent pathway of fibrosis, are considered to involve in the pathogenesis of DKD. In spite of the emerging of angiotensin receptors blockers (ARBs)/ angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, and nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptors antagonists (NS-MRAs), current therapies still couldn’t arrest the progression of DKD. Glucagon like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are promising agents to play renoprotective roles in slowing the progression of DKD. Based on the treatment of heart failure, combined use of drugs is recommended for DKD rather than single use. Unearthing the mechanisms underlying DKD is urgent to investigate the management of DKD. Here, we elaborate on the potential mechanisms and the current therapies of DKD. We also discuss the additional value of the combined use of these drugs for DKD to establish novel concepts of treatment.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiovascular disorder affecting 1 in 500 people in the general population. Although characterized by asymmetric left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiomyocyte disarray and cardiac fibrosis, HCM is in fact a highly complex disease with heterogenous clinical presentation, onset and complications. While HCM is generally accepted as a disease of the sarcomere, variable penetrance in families with identical genetic mutations challenges the monogenic origin of HCM and instead implies a multifactorial cause. Furthermore, large scale genome sequencing studies revealed that many genes previously reported as causative of HCM in fact have little or no evidence of disease association. These findings thus call for a re-evaluation of the sarcomere-centered view of HCM pathogenesis. Here, we summarize our current understanding of sarcomere-independent mechanisms of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, highlight the role of extracellular signals in cardiac fibrosis, and propose an alternative but integrated model of HCM pathogenesis.

Polyurethane (PU) foam adhesives were prepared from castor oil as a polyol with isocyanate poly (4,4′-methylene diphenyl isocyanate) (PMDI) using a solvent-free process. The NCO/OH molar ratio used for the preparation of PU foams was 1.5. Water, organosiloxane and dibutyltin dilaurate were blowing agent, surfactant and catalyst, respectively. Effects of the ratio of blowing agent and catalyst were adjusted to optimize the properties. The results show that 4 wt% of castor oil of catalyst and blowing agent minimizes water absorption and maximizes volume expansion in the PU foams. FT-IR analysis shows that urethane bond was formed by hydroxyl group of castor oil and –NCO group of isocyanate PMDI. More blowing agent and catalyst could improve the volume expansion ratio and reduce water retention of PU foams. It was found that Moso bamboo charcoal (Phyllostachys pubescens) or/and China fir wood particle (Cunninghamia lanceolate) composites with setting densities of 500 and 600 kg/m³ can be prepared from optimized castor oil-based PU foam adhesive at 100 °C for 5 min under a pressure of 1.5 MPa. Increasing the amount of bamboo charcoal decreases the equilibrium moisture content, water absorption and internal bonding strength of the composite. Notably, bamboo charcoal composite exhibits excellent dimensional stability. The optimized density and bamboo charcoal percentages of the composite were 500 kg/m³ and 50 to 100%. The castor oil-based PU composites containing bamboo charcoal fulfilled the CNS 2215 standards for particleboard. This dimensionally stable, low-density bamboo charcoal composite has high potential to replace current indoor building materials.

Background: The clinical spectrum of fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (ILD) is highly heterogeneous. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of widely available baseline biomarkers for improvement of lung function in patients with fibrotic ILD. Methods: This registry-based study included 142 patients with fibrotic ILD as defined by presence of reticulation, traction bronchiectasis or honeycombing on initial high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Functional improvement at 1 year was defined as relative increase of 5% in forced vital capacity (FVC) or of 10% in diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO). The prognostic value of baseline biomarkers was evaluated for all patients and the subgroup with anti-inflammatory treatment. Results: At one year, 44 patients showed improvement while 73 progressed. Multivariate analyses found prognostic significance for age <60 years (OR 5.4; 95%CI 1.9-15.4; p=0.002), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) >250U/L (OR 2.5; 95%CI 1.1-5.8; p=0.043) and blood monocyte count <0.8G/L (OR 3.5; 95%CI 1.1-11.3; p=0.034). In 84 patients undergoing anti-inflammatory treatment, multivariate analysis revealed age <60 years (OR 8.5 (95%CI 2.1-33.4; p=0.002) as the only significant variable. Conclusion: Younger age, higher LDH and lower blood monocyte count predicted functional improvement in fibrotic ILD patients, while in those treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, only age had significant implications.

The onset of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the worldwide healthcare sector, including dentistry. The highly infectious nature of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus and risk of transmission through aerosol generating procedures has profoundly impacted the delivery of dental care services globally for months causing prioritization of critical dental needs and suspension of routine dental procedures. As dental practices with strengthened infection control strategies and preventive measures are re-opening in the “new normal” period, it is the responsibility of healthcare professionals to constantly analyze new data and limit the spread of COVID-19 in dental care settings. With the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 rapidly emerging in different geographic locations, a definite need to comply more than ever with the rigorous public health measures to mitigate COVID -19 transmission exists. The aim of this article is to provide dental clinicians with essential information regarding both the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus and protective measures against COVID-19 transmission in dental facilities. By compiling guidance and standard protocols recommended by credible national and international organizations, this article serves as an aid to navigating through this unprecedented time with ease. Much to learn about COVID-19 exists and because of constant ongoing research, we are not aware of all of the newly found information. However, in this paper, we reviewed the available literature recommended for the best current practices that must be taken for a dental office to function safely and successfully.

This article presents, for the first time, the kinetics and the general conversion features of a 3-initiator system (A/B/N), based on proposed mechanism of Mokbel et al, for both free radical polymerization (FRP) of acrylates and the free radical promoted cationic polymerization (CP) of epoxides using copper complex as the initiator. Higher FRP and CP conversion can be achieved by co-initiators concentration [B] and [N], via the dual function of (i) regeneration [A], and (ii) generation of extra radicals S' and S. The FRP and CP conversion is proportional to, respectively, the nonlinear and linear power of bI[A][B], where b and I are the absorption coefficient and the light intensity, respectively. System in air has lower conversion than in laminate due to the oxygen inhibition effects. For thick samples (with thickness z), there is an optimal concentration [A*] which is inverse proportional (bzI), in contrast with very thin sample, in which the conversion is an increasing function of [A] and [B]. The unique feature of dark polymerization in CP conversion enables the polymerization to continue in living mode, in contrasts with that of the radical-mediated pathway in most conventional FRP. The measured results of Mokbel et al are well analyzed and matching the predicted features of our modeling.

Ferruginol is a promising abietane-type antitumor diterpene able to induce apoptosis in SK-Mel-28 human malignant melanoma. We here aim to increase this activity by testing the effect of a small library of ferruginol analogues. After an screening of their antiproliferative activity (SRB staining) on SK-Mel-28 cells the analogue 18-aminoferruginol (GI50=10 µM) was further selected for mechanistic studies including effects on mitochondrial viability (MTT assay, IC50=10 µM p<0.0001), induction of apoptosis (DAPI staining, p<0.001), changes in cell morphology associated with the treatment (cell shrinkage and membrane blebbing), induction of caspase-3/7 activity (2.5x at 48h, 6.5x at 72h; p<0.0001), changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential (not significant), and effects on 2D cell migration and 3D cell invasion (modified Boyden assay, not significant). The results were compared to those of the parent molecule (ferruginol, GI50»50 µM) and paclitaxel (GI50=10 nM) as a reference drug. In conclusion, we demonstrate here that derivatization of ferruginol into 18-aminoferruginol increases its antiproliferative activity 5 times in SK-MEL-28 cells as well as changing the apoptotic mechanism of its parent molecule ferruginol from activation of caspases without depolarization of mitochondrial membrane.

With the increase of global human activities, a large number of technogenic magnetic particles (TMPs) generated by industrial activities such as coal combustion, traffic and so on enter sediments on continental shelves. However, there is currently a lack of understanding of the spatiotemporal distribution of TMPs on continental shelves, as well as the sedimentary effects they cause. This review work comprehensively analyzes the source, morphology, composition, and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of TMPs. Then it elucidates their magnetic contribution to sedimentary environments in continental shelf seas, as well as the influence of heavy metals and active iron. At the same time, the existing problems and future development directions of TMPs on continental shelves are summarized.

The impact of antecedent soil moisture content on soil erosion is a complicated phenomenon, which is still under argument with contradictions in research results. Hence, the objective of this study is to investigate the impact of antecedent soil moisture content to soil loss on clay soil by conducting two-year field experiments under natural rainfall on runoff plots with length of 10 meters, width of 3 meters, and uniform slope of 9%. Volumetric soil moisture sensors were used to log soil moisture changes, and soil moisture readings were used along with rainfall records to quantify the antecedent soil moisture conditions for each rainfall event. Results of this study show duration of the effective erosion event outranks the antecedent volumetric soil moisture content. Field study also suggests that accumulative rain falling within 48 hours (Pp48) prior to an effective erosion event strongly correlated with soil loss per Rainfall-Runoff Erosivity Index (Soil Loss / EI30), particularly when the duration of an effective erosion event is either between 3 ~ 7 hours or 10~ 30 hours. Hence, Pp48 can be considered as an alternative to replace antecedent soil moisture content in RUSLE 2’s cover and management factor.

In pursuit of sustainable human survival, the effective utilization of renewable energy has become critical to technological advancement. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology, which generates electricity by leveraging the temperature differential between surface and deep ocean waters, enables stable power generation around the clock. In this domain, the combination of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and heat exchangers has exhibited immense potential for ameliorating the deficiencies of conventional OTEC. This study uses numerical simulation to investigate the fluid dynamics characteristics of heat exchangers with flat fins and different types of longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs) under the same number of fins. The research encompasses heat exchangers with rectangular, triangular, and trapezoidal LVGs. Concurrently, the analysis examines how the vortices generated by the LVGs influence the thermoelectric performance of the TEGs. The results demonstrate that heat exchangers integrating flat fins and LVGs can enhance the power generation efficiency of TEGs. However, the pumping power required by the LVGs constrains the thermoelectric conversion efficiency. Compared to rectangular and triangular LVGs, trapezoidal LVGs achieve a superior balance between output and pumping power. Heat exchangers utilizing trapezoidal LVGs can attain the highest TEG thermoelectric conversion efficiency with a specific seawater flow velocity. Overall, these findings provide valuable reference information for applying TEGs and heat exchangers in OTEC design.

This study explores the advanced integration of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric systems in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) to optimize performance. OTEC, a promising renewable energy source, needs help in efficiency maximization. We address this by implementing Bi2Te3 thermoelectric generators (TEGs), known for their high thermoelectric efficiency at low-temperature differences. Our research encompasses a comprehensive simulation and analysis of these TEGs in OTEC systems, examining material properties, system design, and environmental impact. We present a novel approach to integrating these TEGs, optimizing their arrangement, and interfacing with the OTEC cycle to enhance overall efficiency. The study also investigates the durability and cost-effectiveness of Bi2Te3 TEGs in marine environments. Results demonstrate a significant improvement in energy conversion efficiency, highlighting the potential of Bi2Te3 TEGs in sustainable ocean energy exploitation. This work advances material science in renewable energy, providing valuable insights into the practical application of thermoelectric materials in large-scale energy systems. It paves the way for future research on material optimization and system integration, essential for developing efficient and sustainable OTEC systems.

This comprehensive study delves into the implementation and effectiveness of the flipped classroom model in engineering EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) courses in Taiwan. Situated within the strategic framework of Taiwan's Bilingual Nation 2023 policy, this research aims to enhance the global competitiveness of Taiwan's semiconducting manufacturing engineering sector. The study’s primary focus is on understanding the perceptions and learning outcomes of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students in engineering courses. Through a methodical approach using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, the study analyzes data from 33 junior engineering students specializing in mechanical and mechatronic fields. The findings highlight a significant positive influence of the flipped classroom model on various aspects of student learning, including increased engagement, heightened creativity, and enhanced problem-solving skills. Additionally, the study emphasizes the critical role of timely L1 support in facilitating effective learning in EMI settings. These outcomes not only demonstrate the flipped classroom's viability as a sustainable educational approach but also provide crucial insights for educators and policymakers. By aligning cutting-edge teaching methods with the evolving needs of engineering education, this study contributes to the discourse on educational innovation. It ultimately guides the development of future engineering programs that cater to diverse student needs and fosters the cultivation of skilled engineering professionals.

The thermoelectric generator (TEG) has much potential as a renewable energy technology that could be used in ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). This technique employs TEGs and heat exchangers as substitutes for the intricate elements found in conventional OTEC systems, including pressure valves, evaporators, condensers, and turbine generators. By harnessing the temperature difference between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater, it facilitates the conversion of this thermal gradient into electrical energy. This study used computer simulations to look at and compare three different types of heat exchangers: a cavity-type heat exchanger, a heat exchanger with flat fins, and a heat exchanger with longitudinal vortex generators (LVGs). The objective was to evaluate the influence of these designs on the thermoelectric conversion performance when implemented in OTEC systems. The study's findings indicate that using heat exchanger configurations featuring flat fins, or LVGs, enhances the efficiency of thermal energy transfer from warm seawater to TEGs, resulting in a notable enhancement in the output power of TEGs. Furthermore, the efficiency of TEG thermoelectric conversion is influenced by varying seawater flow rates in relation to the performance of flat fins and LVGs. In contrast to the cavity-type heat exchanger, the utilization of a heat exchanger equipped with flat fins has been found to yield a notable enhancement in the output power of TEGs by approximately 22.92%. Furthermore, this configuration demonstrates a substantial improvement in thermoelectric conversion efficiency, exhibiting an increase of around 40.01%. These improvements are observed under certain conditions pertaining to flow rates and fin heights. Utilizing heat exchangers equipped with LVGs has been found to enhance the output power of TEGs by 13.02% and improve the overall thermoelectric conversion efficiency by 17.72%. These improvements are observed under certain conditions, including specific flow rates, LVG tilt angles, and locations.

In this paper, we present an extended version of the Hadi-Vencheh model for multiple criteria ABC inventory classification. The proposed model is a nonlinear weighted product model (WPM) which determines a common set of weights for all the items. Our proposed nonlinear WPM incorporates multiple criteria with different measure units, without converting the performance of each inventory item in terms of each criterion into a normalized attribute value, thereby providing an improvement over the model proposed by Hadi-Vencheh. Our study mainly includes various criteria for ABC classification, and demonstrates an efficient algorithm for solving nonlinear programming problems in which the feasible solution set does not have to be convex. The algorithm presented in this study improves the solution efficiency of the Canonical Coordinates Method (CCM) algorithm substantially when applied to large scale, nonlinear programming problems. The modified algorithm was tested to compare our proposed model results to the results derived using the Hadi-Vencheh model and demonstrate the algorithm's efficacy. The practical implications of the study are to develop an efficient nonlinear optimization solver by optimizing the quality of existing solutions, thus improving time and space efficiency.

An antenna sensor is proposed to execute dual functions of antenna and sensor in the wireless sensor system, in order to reduce data loss and to increase transmission rate by omitting a certain interface. The as-made sensor was test at a center frequency of 46 MHz for measuring human finger postures using principle of dipole antenna. The antenna sensor was attached on a wearable glove. The results showed that the motion sensor can accurately identify finger angles at 0°, 20°, 40°, 60° and 80°.

Tough and antimicrobial dual-crosslinked poly((trimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate chloride)-phytic acid hydrogel (pTMAEMA-PA) has been synthesized by adding chemical crosslinker and docking physical crosslinker of multivalent phytic acid into a cationic polyelectrolyte network. By increasing the loading concentration of PA, the tough hydrogel exhibits compressive stress of >1 MPa, along with high elasticity and fatigue-resistant properties. The enhanced mechanical properties of pTMAEMA-PA were stem from multivalent ion effect of PA via the formation of ion bridges within polyelectrolytes. In addition, a comparative study for a series of pTMAEMA-counterion complexes was conducted to elaborate the relationship between swelling ratio and mechanical strength. The study also revealed secondary factors, such as ion valency, ion specificity and hydrogen bond formation, holding crucial roles in tuning mechanical properties of the polyelectrolyte hydrogel. Furthermore, in bacteria attachment and disk diffusion tests, pTMAEMA-PA exhibits superior fouling resistance and antibacterial capability. The results reflect the fact that PA enables chelating strongly with divalent metal ions, hence, disrupting the outer membrane of bacteria, as well as dysfunction of organelles, DNA and protein. Overall, the work demonstrated a novel strategy for preparation of tough polyelectrolyte with antibacterial capability via docking PA to open up the potential use of PA in medical application.

Endocannbinoids system (ECS) engrossed a considerable interest as potential therapeutic targets in various carcinomas and cancer related conditions alongside with neurodegenerative diseases. Cannabinoids are implemented in several physiological processes such as appetite stimulation, energy balance, pain modulation and the control of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). However, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics interactions could be perceived in drug combinations, so in this short review we tried to shed the light over the potential drug interactions of medicinal cannabis. Hitherto, few data have been provided to the healthcare practitioners about the drug-drug interactions of cannabinoids with other prescription medications. In general, cannabinoids are usually well tolerated, but the bidirectional effects may be expected with concomitant administered agents via affected membrane transporters (glycoprotein p, breast cancer resistance proteins) and metabolizing enzymes (Cytochrome P450 and UDP- glucuronosyltransferases). The caveats should be undertaken to closely monitor the responses of cannabis users with certain drugs to guard their safety, especially for the elderly and people with chronic diseases or kidney and liver conditions.

In this paper, modification of dual-Halbach permanent magnet (PM) array is investigated to improve performance of tubular linear machine, in terms of flux density and output power. Instead of a classical Halbach array with only radial and axial PMs, proposed model involves insertion of mig-magnets, which have magnetized angle shifted from the reference magnetized angles of axial and radial PMs. This structure leads to elimination of flux leakage and concentration of flux linkage in middle of the coil; therefore, the performance of machine is increased.

. This article presents, for the first time, the kinetics and the general conversion features of a 3-component system (A/B/N), based on proposed mechanism of Mau et al, for both free radical polymerization (FRP) of acrylates and the free radical promoted cationic polymerization (CP) of epoxides using various new copper complex (G2) as the initiator. Higher FRP and CP conversion can be achieved by co-additive of [B] and N, via the dual function of (i) regeneration [A], and (ii) generation of extra radicals. The FRP and CP conversion efficacy (CE) are proportional to the nonlinear power of bI[A][B], where b and I are the effective absorption coefficient and the light intensity, respectively. In the interpenetrated polymer network (IPN) capable of initiating both FRP and CP in a blend of TMPTA and EPOX, (as the monomer for FRP and CP, respectively), the synergic effects due to CP include:: (i) CP can increase viscosity limiting the diffusional oxygen replenishment, such that oxygen inhibition effects are reduced; (ii) the cationic monomer also acts as a diluting agent for the IPN network , and (iii) the exothermic property of the CP. Many new findings are explored via our analytical formuals include: (i) the CE of FRP is about twice of the CE of CP, due to the extra radicals involved in FRP; (ii) the catalytic cycle enhancing the efficacy is mainly due to the regenaration of the initiator, and (iii) the nonlinear dependence of light intensity of the CE (in both FRP and CP). For the first time, the catalytic cycle, synergic effects, and the oxygen inhibition are theoretically confirmed to support the experimental hypothesis. The measured results of Mau et al are well analyzed and matching the predicted features of our modeling. .

In the face of the current energy and environment problems, the full use of biomass resources instead of fossil energy to produce a series of high-value chemicals has great application prospects. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), which can be synthesized from lignocellulose as raw material, is an important biological platform molecule. Its preparation and catalytic oxidation of subsequent products have important research significance and practical value. In the actual production process, porous organic polymer (POPs) catalysts are highly suitable for biomass catalytic conversion due to its high efficiency, low cost, good designability, and environmentally friendly features. Here, we briefly described the application of various types of POPs (including COFs、PAFs、HCPs、CMPs) in the preparation and catalytic conversion of HMF from lignocellulosic biomass, and analyzed the influence of the structural properties of catalysts for the catalytic performance. Finally, we summarized some challenges that POPs catalysts will face in biomass catalytic conversion, and prospected the important research directions in future. This review would provide valuable references for the efficient conversion of biomass resources into high-value chemicals in practical applications.

The continuing development of industrialization and increasing population density has led to the emergence of noise as an increasingly common problem, requiring various types of sound absorption and insulation methods to address it. Meanwhile, the recycling of resources to ensure a sustainable future for the planet and mankind is also required. Therefore, this study investigates the potential of corrugated cardboard as a resource for noise reduction. The sound absorption and insulation performance of non-perforated corrugated cardboard (NPCC) were measured, and modified corrugated boards were fabricated by drilling holes either through the surface of the corrugated board alone or through the corrugated board in its entirety. The sound absorption/insulation performance both of perforated corrugated cardboard (PCC), and perforated corrugated cardboard with multi frequency resonators (PCCM) were measured using the transfer function method and the transmission matrix method. To determine the effectiveness of NPCC, PCC, and PCCM in noise reduction, the sound pressure level was analyzed by applying it to a home blender. The results showed PCCM’s sound absorption and insulation performance to be excellent. On the basis of these findings, we propose the use of PMMC as an eco-friendly noise reduction material.

Recent advancements in computer vision, especially deep learning models, have shown considerable promise in tasks related to plant image object detection. However, the efficiency of these deep learning models heavily relies on input image quality, with low-resolution images significantly hindering model performance. Therefore, reconstructing high-quality images through specific techniques will help extract features from plant images, thus improve model performance. In this study, we explored the value of super-resolution technology for improving object detection model performance on plant images. Firstly, we built a comprehensive dataset comprising 1030 high-resolution plant images, named the PlantSR dataset. Subsequently, we developed a super-resolution model using the PlantSR dataset and benchmarked it against several state-or-the-art models designed for general image super-resolution tasks. Our proposed model demonstrated superior performance on the PlantSR dataset, indicating its efficacy in enhancing the super-resolution of plant images. Furthermore, we explored the effect of super-resolution on two specific object detection tasks: apple counting and soybean seed counting. By incorporating super-resolution as a pre-processing step, we observed a significant reduction in mean absolute error. Specifically, on the YOLOv7 model employed for apple counting, the mean absolute error decreased from 13.085 to 5.71. Similarly, on the P2PNet-Soy model utilized for soybean seed counting, the mean absolute error decreased from 19.159 to 15.085. These findings underscore the substantial potential of super-resolution technology in improving the performance of object detection models for accurately detecting and counting specific plants from images. The source codes and associated datasets are available at https://github.com/SkyCol/PlantSR.

(1) In order to study the influence of chaotic system on wheat image encryption, a method to find the optimal chaotic system encryption based on wheat image is proposed. (2) 10 different chaotic system schemes are combined to encrypt wheat images by 13 common chaotic maps, respectively. The best chaotic system scheme is obtained by considering the anti-attack capability of these encryption schemes, which analyzes 8 commonly used image encryption performance evaluation indexes. (3) The experimental results show that the new four-dimensional chaotic system has the best encryption effect, which is suitable for wheat image encryption. (4) The proposed scheme of wheat image encryption based on chaotic system provides a reference for other crop image encryption.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Aerobic glycolysis precedes obtainment of oncogenic mutations and loss of tumor suppressors, promoting the progress of CRC. Although numerous biomarkers have been identified to be associated with prognosis and survival, a glycolysis-related gene signature in CRC has not been explored. Methods: mRNA expression profiling data in a group of CRC patients (n = 540) was extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Gene set enrichment analysis (GESA) was performed to identify gene sets that were significantly different between CRC tissues and normal tissues. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify genes significantly associated with overall survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to establish a prognostic risk parameter formula. Kaplan–Meier survival estimates and the log-rank test were used to validate the significance of risk parameters for prognosis prediction. Results: Five glycolysis-related genes (ENO3, GPC1, P4HA1, IDUA, ANKZF1) were identified to be significantly associated with overall survival (AUC=0.754). Based on the five‑gene signature, patients with CRC were divided into high and low‑risk subgroups. CRC patients with a low-risk score had better survival benefits than those with a high one (P &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: A five-gene signature associated with glycolysis for predicting the outcome of CRC patients was generated, serving as a valuable prognosis model with high efficiency and potential targeted therapy of CRC patients.

Based on previous research results, we propose a new preprocessing HSS iteration method (PHSS) for the generalized Lyapunov equation. At the same time, the corresponding inexact PHSS algorithm (IPHSS) is given from the angle of application. All the new methods presented in this paper have given the corresponding convergence proof. The numerical experiments are carried out to compare the new method with the existing methods, and the improvement effect is obvious. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are proved from two aspects of theory and calculation.

This study used a two-stage network data envelopment analysis model to measure the water use efficiency of 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt in the initial water use and wastewater treatment phases from 2009 to 2019. We used the Dagum Gini coefficient to decompose the urban water use efficiency of six major urban clusters in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. We also used σ convergence and β convergence types to test the convergence characteristics of urban water use efficiency of six major urban clusters in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. This study found that the overall low level of water use efficiency in cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone mainly stems from the low level of water use efficiency in the wastewater treatment stage. The 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone are divided into four types based on the average values of water use efficiency in the initial use and wastewater treatment phases; the highest number of cities are in the double-low category, with low average values of water use efficiency in the initial use and wastewater treatment phases. During the study period, spatial differences in urban water use efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Zone narrowed, with the differences stemming mainly from hyperdensity, followed by intra- and inter-regional differences. Meanwhile, there is convergence in urban water use efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt; significant β convergence in the urban agglomerations of the Yangtze River Delta, Jianghuai, middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Chengdu–Chongqing, and Central Yunnan; and insignificant β convergence in the Central Qian urban agglomeration. After considering control factors, such as industrial structure, financial development level, environmental regulation, economic development level, and science and education development level, the water use efficiency of the six major urban clusters in the Yangtze River Economic Belt converges faster, but the influence of these control factors on the water use efficiency of each urban cluster is heterogeneous. Research results have reference value for the development of improvement strategies on differentiated urban water use efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.