Rotary tillage is a main management tillage practices and widely applied in the North China Plain. However, the long term rotary tillage (depth of 20 cm) results in soil compaction and plow pan formation, which reduces water use efficiency and nutrient uptake, and then impedes the yield increase. In this study, a 3-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of different depths of tillage on soil bulk density, field capacity, water use, photosynthetic rate, nutrients and maize yields in the North China Plain. Three depths of tillage (D20, depth of 20 cm; D25, depth of 25 cm; D30, depth of 30 cm) were assessed. D25 and D30 significantly reduced soil bulk density and improved field capacity in 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil layer, compared to D20. Soil water consumption for D25 was significantly higher 10.12% and 6.61% than that for D20 and D30, respectively. Photosynthetic rate for D25 significantly improved than that for D20 and D30. Total nitrogen in 0-20cm soil layer decreased with the depths of tillage. The maize yields for D25 significantly increased by 20.92% and 21.56% compared to that for D20 and D30, respectively. Structural equation models showed that the total effects of tillage, total nitrogen, photosynthesis and soil water consumption on yields were 0.019, -0.628, 0.121, and 0.895 (path coefficients λ), respectively. The results demonstrated that D25 could improve maize yields, water use efficiency, photosynthetic rate by improving soil water consumption. Depth of 25 cm is optimal tillage practice for the maize production in the North China Plain.

In recent years, the rapid development of computer-aided planning and design technology has provided a new perspective for the study of complex problems such as the generation of architectural complex forms. This study focuses on how to apply parameterization technology to analyze and articulate traditional spatial form composition rules, aiming to minimize reliance on subjective human judgment in the protection and renewal design of the historical style of traditional villages. It aims to establish digital generative design tools to address the challenges of accurately inheriting and innovatively utilizing historical and cultural information in traditional settlements. It introduces how to rely on parameterization technology to analyze the spatial form composition rules, parameter extraction rules, and spatial reconstruction rules of traditional villages, facilitating the complete process from spatial features to parameterization rules, and then to the application of computational methods to deduce spatial features. It also includes case studies demonstrating the application of parameterization technology tools for village protection and explores the role of generative design tools in preserving the spatial style of these settlements.

The effect of current density of electrodeposition on the morphology, hardness, and corrosion resistance of the Ni coatings and Ni-Al2O3 coatings on Q345 steels were investigated. The surface of Ni coatings exhibited the cellular structure, while the surface of Ni-Al2O3 composite coatings showed the finer protrusions structure. The thickness of all coatings increased as the current density of electrodeposition increased from 1.5 A/dm2 to 3.0 A/dm2. After coating, the hardness and corrosion resistance of the Q345 steels were significantly enhanced. Furthermore, for the Ni coatings and Ni-Al2O3 coatings, the highest hardness and best anticorrosion property were obtained at 2.5 A/dm2 of electrodeposition current density. Compared with the Ni coatings, the co-deposition of Al2O3 nanoparticles improved the hardness of Ni-Al2O3 coating due to the second phase strengthen, but reduced the thickness and corrosion resistance due to more defects caused by the coelectrodeposition of the Al2O3 particles.

The twisted Wang transform distribution family, defined as the composition of parameter shifted inverse CDF function with an original CDF function, is found to be most suitable for matching low shape factor distributions, characterizing hard to fit or to simulate reinsurance portfolio losses for some perils from our previous study. Among them, the best form for matching a hard-to-fit empirical loss distribution for a specific peril, is the Exponential Fractional Extra Power 0 Distribution in (0,1) with CDF:.The simplest yet still a good form of this family is the Transformed Hyperbolic Tangent Distribution with CDF:,which has analytical formulas for the moments. The twisted Wang transform distribution family is compared and confirmed to be superior to all other well-known distribution families through extensive numerical optimization practice, distribution forms guesses, and computer-aided exploration experiments.

Temporal downscaling of gridded geophysical data is essential for improving climate models, weather forecasting, and environmental assessments. However, existing methods often could not accurately capture multi-scale temporal features, affecting their accuracy and reliability. To address this issue, we introduce an Enhanced Residual U-Net architecture for temporal downscaling. The architecture, which incorporates residual blocks, allows for deeper network structures without the risk of overfitting or vanishing gradients, thus capturing more complex temporal dependencies. The U-Net design inherently could capture multi-scale features, making it ideal for simulating various temporal dynamics. Moreover, we implement a flow regularization technique with advection loss to ensure that the model adheres to physical laws governing geophysical fields. Our experimental results across various variables within the ERA5 dataset demonstrate an improvement in downscaling accuracy, outperforming other methods.

Classical laws of friction suggest that friction force is proportional to the normal load and independent of the nominal contact area. As a great improvement in this subject, it is now widely accepted that friction force is proportional to the real area in contact, and much work has been conducted based on this hypothesis. In present study, this hypothesis will be carefully revisited by measuring the friction force and real contact area in-site and real-time at both normal loading and unloading stages. Our experiments reveal that the linear relation always holds between friction force and normal load. However, for the relation between friction force and real contact area, the linearity holds only at the loading stage while fails at the unloading stage. This study may improve our understanding of the origin of friction.

In order to study the crystallinity of different density polyethylenes, the experimental study on the transformation of the conductance mechanism under high electric field was carried out. The X-ray Diffraction(XRD), Different Scanning Calorimeter(DSC), Direct Current(DC) breakdown of Low-density polyethylene(LDPE), Linear low density polyethylene(LLDPE), Medium density polyethylene(MDPE) and High-density polyethylene(HDPE) and the electric field of 5-200kV/mm were tested. Conductivity characteristics experiments, in addition, using the mathematical formula of a variety of conductance mechanisms, the electric field-current density curves of the four kinds of polyethylene were fitted to analyze the conductance transition of the above four kinds of polyethylene in non-ohmic regions under different high field strengths. mechanism. The experimental results show that as the density of polyethylene increases, the crystallinity increases continuously, and the continuous increase of crystallinity causes the electric conduction flow under the same field strength to decrease significantly. The field strength corresponding to the two turning points in the conductance characteristic curve increases simultaneously. Large, the breakdown field strength increases; through analysis, it is found that in the high field, as the electric field increases, the conductance mechanism develops from the ohmic conductance of the low field strength region to the bulk effect of the high field strength region (Poole-Frenkel). Then the electrode effect to the high field strength (Schottky), and the threshold field strength of this conductance mechanism transition increases with the increase of crystallinity.

The performance of recycled aggregate concrete deteriorates due to the defects of adhesive mortar, pores and cracks on the surface of recycled aggregate. It is of great engineering significance to modify the reclaimed aggregate to improve its performance and adaptability. In this paper, the physical and chemical properties of waste concrete recycled aggregate are reviewed. Then, the existing modification methods and technologies of recycled aggregate, including physical, chemical and biological methods, are reviewed. Finally, the existing problems of the current modification technology are summarized, and the future research direction is proposed. It is expected to provide a new idea and method for the modification of waste concrete recycled aggregate.

Objective: To study the factors affecting the time of umbilical cord shedding in premature infants.Methods: A total of 151 premature infants who were born in the obstetrics department of a Class III hospital in Hefei from November 2020 to June 2021 were selected as subjects. All premature infants and their families met the complete inclusion criteria. A total of 33 related factors from 3 aspects, including the birth situation of premature infants, the condition of premature infants in hospital and the condition of pregnant mothers, were collected for univariate analysis and multiple Logistic regression analysis. The relevant factors affecting the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants were screened through the univariate analysis results, and the main factors affecting the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants were screened through the multiple Logistic regression analysis results.it was found that the weight, gestural age, admission age, whether the premature infants were combined with NRDS, the use of antibiotics, the duration in the warm box, the initial temperature in the warm box, the duration of light therapy, the degree of Apgar for 1 minute, the maternal education level had an effect on the time of umbilical cord shedding of premature infants (P < 0.05). Through Logistic multiple regression analysis, it was screened that the duration of premature infants in the incubator was the main factor affecting the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Factors such as premature infants' weight, gestural age, admission age, whether they are combined with NRDS, antibiotic use, duration in the incubator, initial temperature in the incubator, duration of phototherapy, Apgar level of 1 minute, and maternal education level will affect the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants. Among them, duration in the incubator is the main factor affecting the umbilical cord shedding time of premature infants.

The pursuit of sustainable wellbeing is one of the research objectives of positive experience design. Driven by this goal, the purpose of this paper is to provide an impact-centered sustainable positive experience design model. Firstly, the literature review method was used to define the research status and concept of impact-centered sustainable design. Secondly, an impact-centered sustainable positive experience design model was constructed, and relevant formulas for concept generation and concept evaluation were proposed. Thirdly, design verification was conducted through a workshop. Finally, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire was used to evaluate and discuss the design model. An impact-centered sustainable positive design model was proposed, which includes the important impact dimensions of sensory experience and meaningful experience on users’ quality of life at different levels: healthy living (pleasure index, health behavior), harmonious community (social connectivity, social contribution), and livable environment (living environment, environmental contribution). Based on positive experience related theory, this study takes long-term impacts as the starting point for sustainable positive experience design, which helps designers to generate design concepts from a systematic and long-term perspective.

This paper presents an optimized energy management strategy for Li-ion power batteries used on electric vehicles (EVs) at low temperatures. Under low-temperature environments, EVs suffer a sharp driving range loss resulted from the energy and power capability reduction of the battery. Simultaneously, because of Li plating, battery degradation becomes an increasing concern as temperature drops. All these factors could greatly increase the total vehicle operation cost. Prior to battery charging and vehicle operating, preheating battery to a battery-friendly temperature is an approach to promote energy utilization and reduce total cost. Based on the proposed LiFePO4 battery model, the total vehicle operation cost under certain driving cycles is quantified in the present paper. Then given a certain ambient temperature, a target temperature of preheating is optimized under the principle of minimizing total cost. As for the preheating method, a liquid heating system is also implemented on an electric bus. Simulation results show that the preheating process becomes increasingly necessary with a decreasing ambient temperature; however, the preheating demand declines as driving range grows. Vehicle tests verify that the preheating management strategy proposed in this paper is able to save total vehicle operation cost.

A low-cost bio-mass-derived carbon substrate has been employed to synthesize MoS₂@carbon composites through a hydrothermal method. Carbon fibers derived from natural cotton provide a three-dimensional and open framework for the uniform growth of MoS₂ nanosheets, thus constructing hierarchically coaxial architecture. The unique structure could synergistically benefit fast Li-ion and electron transport from the conductive carbon scaffold and porous MoS₂ nanostructures. As a result, the MoS₂@carbon composites, when served as anodes for Li-ion batteries, exhibit a high reversible specific capacity of 820 mAh g^-1, high-rate capability (457 mAh g^-1 at 2 A g^-1), and excellent cycling stability. The superior electrochemical performance makes the MoS₂@carbon composites to be low-cost and promising anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

In the process of oil and gas development and production, when the flow rate in the wellbore is large, the materials underground will be eroded, causing the operation to be unable to proceed smoothly and reducing the efficiency of oil and gas production. Therefore, optimizing the anti-erosion coating under high-speed flow conditions in wellbore is a very interesting thing. It can greatly improve operational efficiency. In this paper, laser cladding was used to prepare the new coating used in the PDC drill bit. Then, the effects of tungsten carbide and multi-layer graphene on the microstructure and properties of the tungsten carbide coating were studied. The research results indicate that, for new coatings, 60% tungsten carbide and 0.3% graphene are the optimal ratios. After adding WC, the hardness has significantly improved. However, when the WC content further increases more than 30%, the increase in hardness is relatively small. In addition, when the content of graphene is more than 0.3%, the branched structure became thicker, and not only the segregation of Cr, Si and W became very obvious again, but also the segregation of Fe occurred at the Ni enrichment site. The research results contribute to improving oil and gas production and operational efficiency under high-speed fluid flow conditions in the wellbore.

Trueperella pyogenes is a common opportunistic pathogen which is one of the main causes of postpartum endometritis in dairy cows. As a substitute for antibiotics, the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 has been used in a wide range of clinical treatments. Our experiments were designed to establish a model of anti-damage which LGR-1 was used to protect bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) from inflammatory damage and cell destruction caused by T. pyogenes. Increased expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes and cytokines was observed following T. pyogenes challenge, but this increase was relieved by LGR-1 pretreatment. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses revealed that T. pyogenes infection also results in the damage of tight junction proteins in BEECs. The expression levels of Claudin-1, Occludin, and ZO-1 were decreased in cells only infected with T. pyogenes but not in cells pretreated with LGR-1. Moreover, the detection of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and apoptotic proteins BAX, cytochrome c, as well as the activating effector caspase-3 revealed that T. pyogenes induced apoptosis of BEECs, which was also confirmed by DAPI staining to observe the morphological changes of the nuclei of cell apoptosis and by TUNEL staining to locate the cells undergoing apoptosis. Our data indicate that LGR-1 ameliorates the T. pyogenes–induced barrier dysfunction of BEECs and pre-application of LGR-1 could be an effective strategy for controlling T. pyogenes infection.

Sudden water pollution accident is a tough environmental challenge to solve due to its uncertainty, unpredictability and destructiveness. Therein, the dangerous goods transportation accidents on the cross-tributary bridges are increasing worldwide with the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization, posing threats to the water ecological environment and human health. To prevent and control the risk, this study evaluated the risk of sudden water pollution accidents associated with dangerous goods transportation on the cross-tributary bridges by using the expert judgment fuzzy language method and Bayesian network model. Baiyangdian lake as the largest freshwater shallow lake in North China was chosen as a study case. Different accident scenarios were simulated to put forward risk prevention and control measures. The results showed that the primary risk factors were divided into five categories: personnel factors, vehicle factors, tank factors, weather factors, and road environment factors. The probability of dangerous goods transportation accidents was a possible event (P=0.115), with a high risk level. Furthermore, the Baiyangdian lake would suffer from serious environmental pollution and water quality degradation without prevention and control measures by simulating the oil leakage accident. Therefore, emergency prevention and control measures are expected to be formulated and implemented before and after the occurrence of the sudden water pollution accidents. This study provides useful insights into risk prevention and control strategies for sudden water pollution accidents, and the framework can be made applicable to other rivers facing similar risk challenges worldwide.

In this study, ridgetail white prawns Exopalaemon carinicauda were infected per os with debris of Shrimp hemocyte iridescent virus (SHIV)-infected Penaeus vannamei and via intramuscular injection (im) with raw extracts of SHIV. The infected E. carinicauda showed obvious clinical symptoms, including weakness, empty gut and stomach, pale hepatopancreas, and partial death with cumulative mortality of (50.0±26.5)% and (76.7±18.3)%, respectively. Results of TaqMan probe based real-time quantitative PCR showed that the moribund and survival individuals with clinical signs of infected E. carinicauda were SHIV-positive. Histological examination showed that there were dark eosinophilic inclusions, of which some were surrounded with or contained tiny basophilic staining, and pyknosis in cytoplasm of hemocytes in the hepatopancreatic sinus, hematopoietic cells, and cuticular epithelium, etc. Positive hybridization signals were observed in stomach, hematopoietic tissue, cuticular epithelium, and hepatopancreatic sinus of infected prawns from both per os and im groups, according to the results of in situ DIG-labeling-loop-mediated DNA Amplification (ISDL). Transmission electron microscopy of ultrathin sections showed that icosahedral SHIV particles existed in hepatopancreatic sinus and gills of the infected E. carinicauda of the per os group. The viral particles were also observed in the hepatopancreatic sinus, gills, pereiopods, muscles, and uropods of the infected E. carinicauda from the im group. The assembled virions mostly distributed outside of the assembling area near cellular membrane of infected cells, which were with envelope and about 150 nm in diagonal diameter. The results of molecular biological tests, histopathological examination, ISDL, and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that E. carinicauda is one of the susceptible hosts of SHIV. This study also reminded that E. carinicauda showed some degree of tolerance to the infection with SHIV per os challenge mimicking natural pathway.

Rapid urbanization has dramatically spurred the economic development over the past three decades, especially in China, but has nevertheless had negative impacts on natural resources since it is an irreversible process. Thus, it is essential to timely monitor and quantitatively analysis the changes in land use over time and to identify the landscape pattern variation related to growth mode in different period. This study aims at inspecting spatiotemporal characteristics of landscape pattern respond to land use changes in Xuzhou city during the period from 1985 to 2015. In this connection, we proposed a new spectral index, named the Normalized Difference Enhanced Urban Index (NDEUI), which combines data from NTL (Nighttime light) from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Linescan System (DMSP/OLS) with annual maximum Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) to reduce the detection confusion between urban areas and barren land, as well as follows. NDEUI-assisted Random Forests algorithm was implemented to obtain the land use/land cover (LULC) maps of Xuzhou in 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015, respectively. Here, four different periods viz. 1985–1995, 1995–2005, 2005–2015 and 1985–2015 are chosen for the change analysis of land use and landscape pattern. The results indicated that the urban area has increased by about 30.65%, 10.54%, 68.77%, and 143.75% during the four periods mentioned above at the main expense of agricultural land, respectively. The spatial trend maps revealed that continuous transition from other land use types into urban land has appeared a dual-core development mode throughout the urbanization process, located at the new city region and the Jiawang district, mainly affected by the construction of new city region, freeway and the high railway station. Furthermore, we quantified the patch complexity, aggregation, connectivity and diversity of landscape employing a number of landscape metrics to represent the changes of landscape pattern at both class and landscape level, affected by urbanization during the study period. The results showed that with regard to the four aspects of landscape pattern, there were considerable differences among the four years, mainly owing to the increasing dominance of urbanized land. Spatiotemporal variation of landscape pattern was also conducted on the basis of subgrids in 900 m × 900 m. Combined with the land use changes and spatiotemporal variation of landscape pattern, it can be concluded that different urbanization modes and intensity result in variously the spatiotemporal evolution of landscape patterns. For Xuzhou city, the urban growth mainly appeared a leapfrog mode alone both sides of the roads during the period of 1985 to 1995, and then shifted into edge-expansion mode during the period from 1995 to 2005, whereas the edge-expansion and leapfrog modes coexisted for the period from 2005 to 2015. The high valuable spatiotemporal information generated utilizing RS and GIS in this study may give assistance to urban planners and policymakers to well understand urban dynamics and evaluate their spatiotemporal and environmental impacts at a local level for the sake of sustainable urban planning in the future.

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 &lt; 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 &lt;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.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area (QTPA) features a unique environment that has witnessed the selective breeding of diverse breeds of domestic livestock, exhibiting remarkable adaptability. Nevertheless, Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. represent tick-borne bacterial pathogens that pose a global threat and have substantial impacts on both human and animal health, as well as on the economy of animal husbandry within the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau area. In this study, a total of 428 samples were systematically collected from 20 distinct areas within the Qinghai plateau. The samples included 62 ticks and 366 blood samples obtained from diverse animal species, to detect the presence of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. The prevalence of infection in this study was determined as follows: Anaplasma bovis accounted for 16.4% (70/428), A. capra for 4.7% (20/428), A. ovis for 5.8% (25/428), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato for 6.3% (27/428), Coxiella burnetii for 0.7% (3/428), and Rickettsia spp. for 0.5% (2/428). Notably, no cases of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum infections were observed in this study. The findings revealed an elevated presence of these pathogens in Tibetan sheep and goats, with no infections detected in yaks, Bactrian camels, donkeys, and horses. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first investigation of tick-borne bacterial pathogens infecting goats, cattle, horses, and donkeys within the Qinghai plateau of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Area. Consequently, our findings contribute valuable insights into the distribution and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella spp., and Borrelia spp. within China.

The research aims to resolve water pollution generated by dye wastewater. In this paper, the aminated sodium lignosulfonate (AELS) was prepared through the Mannich reaction, and the synthesis conditions were optimized using orthogonal experiments to determine the best amination conditions. The successful preparation of AELS was demonstrated through the use of FT-IR, XRD, TG, SEM and XPS characterization techniques. Then, the adsorption capacity of Methyl blue (MB) by AELS was compared in a range of different circumstances, like pH, adsorbent dose, initial concentration, time, and temperature. Additionally, the kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamic properties of the AELS adsorption for MB were studied and discussed. The results indicated that the fitting results were consistent with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, in accordance with the mechanism of single-molecular-layer chemisorption. And the adsorption of MB by AELS was a spontaneous and endothermic process. Upon completion of five adsorption experiments, the adsorption capacity of MB by AELS was determined to be 107.95 mg g-1, which was 5.3% lower than the first experiment. This research promotes the effective use of natural resources and allows for the sustainable use of lignin and the advancement of new applications for it.

Concrete is more stable than filler as a false roof in a downward approach type infill quarry, but the mechanical model of a concrete false roof is not clear. As a result, there has been limited application. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the mechanical model of a concrete artificial false roof to enhance the stability of the downward approach infill quarry. This paper combines theoretical analysis, model derivation, finite element analysis and field application methods. Firstly, the basic assumptions of thin plate theory and elasticity mechanics are used as the premise to establish the differential equations of the deflection curve of the concrete thin plate false roof. Then, the three types of bending moment generation of the concrete thin plate false roof are explored. Secondly, the relationship between the location of dangerous surface and dangerous point in hard-supported weak-slab structure and soft-supported weak-slab structure is analyzed, and the type of uniform load and calculation model of concrete thin-slab false roof are improved. Finally, according to the established mechanical model of thin slab false roof, finite element analysis and field application were carried out. The results show that there are three types of deflection curve differential equations in the concrete thin slab false roof perpendicular to the strike, and three extreme points exist in the middle section of the thin slab and on both sides of the surrounding rock. The hazardous surface of the hard-supported weak-slab structure is present at the intersection of the encircling rock and the thin-slab fake ceiling, with the perilous point situated on the top of this surface. The hazardous surface of the soft-supported weak-slab structure can be found in the centre section of the thin-slab fake ceiling, with the perilous point being located at the bottom of this surface. Moreover, the damage mode for both structures is that of maximum tensile stress damage. Upon conducting a finite element analysis, the results indicate that the concrete's maximum tensile stress is significantly high.

Cellulose-based carbon (CBC) has been widely concerned with its porous structure, high specific surface area, and is liable to adsorb gas molecules and macromolecular pollutants. However, the application of CBC in gas sensing has been little studied. In this paper, ZnO/CBC heterojunction was formed by means of simple co-precipitation and high temperature carbonization. As a new ammonia sensor, the prepared ZnO/CBC sensor can detect ammonia compared with that of the previous pure ZnO ammonia sensor can not at room temperature. It has great gas sensing response, stability and selectivity to ammonia concentration at 200 ppm. This study provides a new idea for the design and synthesis of biomass carbon-metal oxide composites.

In this paper, in order to reduce the energy consumption and delay of data transmission, the non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and edge caching technologies are jointly considered. As for the cache-assisted vehicular NOMA-MEC networks, a problem of minimizing the energy consumed by vehicles (mobile devices, MDs) is formulated under the latency and resource constraints, which jointly optimizes the computing resource allocation, subchannel selection, device association, offloading and caching decisions. To solve the formulated problem, we develop an effective joint computation offloading and task caching algorithm based on the twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) algorithm. Such a TD3-based offloading (TD3O) algorithm includes a designed action transformation (AT) algorithm used for transforming continuous action space into a discrete one. In addition, to solve the formulated problem in a non-iterative manner, an effective heuristic algorithm (HA) is also designed. As for the designed algorithms, we provide some detailed analyses of computation complexity and convergence, and give some meaningful insights through simulation. Simulation results show that the TD3O algorithm may achieve lower local energy consumption than several benchmark algorithms, and HA may achieve a lower one than the completely offloading algorithm and local execution algorithm.

Currently, in some domestic and foreign mines, the backfill drilling pipeline experience a rupture phenomenon even when the wear degree is low. This results in a delay in production due to the filling becoming 'sick'. This paper presents, for the first time, the damage mechanism from a mechanical perspective and re-derives the anti-extrusion strength model of the backfill drilling pipeline. We investigate the influence of law on the anti-extrusion strength of pipelines from the perspective of stratum and cement ring. We then verify the theoretical and simulation results through engineering examples. The results demonstrate that the Mises stress criterion is a suitable modification principle for the anti-extrusion strength model of the backfill drilling pipeline. The anti-extrusion strength of the pipeline is related to the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of the stratum, and the thickness of the cement ring. It is negatively affected by the depth of the stratum. For hard strata, a cement ring with a smaller elastic modulus is suitable, while for soft stratum, a cement ring with a larger elastic modulus is recommended. When the missing angle of the cement ring is less than 60°, the stress concentration factor increases up to 2.2. The stress unloading capacity of the cement ring ranges from 32.7% to 37.8%, and optimal performance of the cement ring is achieved when it has high strength and low rigidity. The backfill filling pipeline of a copper mine abroad was destroyed due to external extrusion force exceeding its anti-extrusion strength value. The modified pipeline anti-extrusion strength model is 18.2% higher than the casing API strength value. This finding can inform the design of the backfill filling pipeline for China's kilometer-deep wells in the future.

To facilitate the computation of the uniaxial compressive strength value of the cemented paste backfill under the condition of high sand-cement ratio, and to analyze the size effect of the cemented paste backfill with high sand-cement ratio under varied aspect ratios, the cemented paste backfill specimens with sand-cement ratios of 8:1-24:1 and aspect ratios of 0.5, 1, and 2 were prepared. Through response surface experiments and finite element analysis, the influence of three aspect ratios on the cemented paste backfill strength was explored, and the failure characteristics and size effect mechanisms of cemented paste backfill with various aspect ratios were analyzed. The model of strength conversion between cemented paste backfill with different aspect ratios was established. The results show that the compressive strength of the cemented paste backfill decreases with the increase of the aspect ratio under the same mass concentration and sand-cement ratio. When the aspect ratio is 0.5 and 1, the splitting failure is the main factor; when the aspect ratio is 2, the shearing failure is the main factor. The three-dimensional stress caused by the end effect of the cemented paste backfill is the main reason for the high strength when the aspect ratio is 0.5. Due to the one-dimensional stress zone generated in the middle of the cemented paste backfill with an aspect ratio of 2 in the laboratory, its strength value is closer to the actual uniaxial compressive strength value of the cemented paste backfill. The strength values of the cemented paste backfill with aspect ratios of 0.5 and 1 were higher than the actual uniaxial compressive strength values in the laboratory. The rationality of the theoretical analysis was verified by the ABAQUS analysis results. According to the experimental results, a strength conversion model between different aspect ratios is established, which can provide a reference for the design of the uniaxial compressive strength of the cemented paste backfill.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic progressive disease caused by various factors, and causes various cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Reducing the plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary goal in preventing and treating AS. Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) plays a crucial role in regulating LDL-C metabolism. Panax notoginseng has potent lipid-reducing effects and protects against CVDs, and its saponins induce vascular dilatation, inhibit thrombus formation, and are used in treating CVDs. However, the anti-AS effect of the secondary metabolite, 20(S) -protopanaxatriol (20(S)-PPT), remains unclear. In this study, the anti-AS effect and molecular mechanism of 20(S)-PPT were investigated in vivo and in vitro by western blotting, real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence staining, and other assays. The in vitro experiments revealed that 20(S)-PPT reduced the levels of PCSK9 in the supernatant of HepG2 cells, upregulated low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) protein levels, promoted LDL uptake by HepG2 cells, and reduced PCSK9 mRNA transcription by upregulating the levels of FoxO3 protein and mRNA and decreasing the levels of HNF1α protein and mRNA. The in vivo experiments revealed that 20(S)-PPT upregulated aortic αSMA expression, increased the stability of atherosclerotic plaques, and reduced aortic plaque formation induced by a high-cholesterol fed in ApoE-/- mice (HCF group). Additionally, 20(S)-PPT reduced the aortic expression of CD68, reduced inflammation in the aortic root, and alleviated the hepatic lesions in the HCF group. The study revealed that 20(S)-PPT inhibited LDLR degradation via PCSK9 to alleviate AS.

The resource allocation for tasks in heterogeneous distributed system is a well known NP-hard problem. For the sake of making the makespan is minimized, it is hard to distribute the tasks to proper processors. The problem is even more complex and challenging when the processors have unavailable time and the tasks type are various. This paper investigates a resource allocation problem for hybrid tasks comprising both divisible and bag-of-tasks(BoT) in heterogeneous distributed system when the processors has unavailable time. First, the mathematical model, which minimizes the makespan of the hybrid tasks when the processors have unavailable time, is established. Second, we propose a scheduling algorithm referred to as bag-of-tasks allocate-pull and divisible task allocation (BoTAPDTA) algorithm for handling hybrid tasks on heterogeneous distributed systems. In addition, to solving the optimization model efficiently, a generic algorithm(GA) is proposed. For the sake of reducing the search space and solving the optimization model effectively, a two step scheduling algorithm(TSGA), which first allocate bag-of-tasks(BoT) using generic algorithm and then assign divisible task to processors like BoTAPDTA, is designed. Finally, numerical simulation experiments are conducted, and experimental results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm.

The carbonyl iron particles were dispersed in a polychloroprene rubber (CR) matrix under an external magnetic field for practical application as microwave absorption composites film. The film prepared under external magnetic field with a thickness of only 0.54 mm showed least reflection loss of -15.98 dB and the reflection loss value less than -10.0 dB over the frequency range of 11.4~14.8 GHz. In comparison with the microwave absorption properties of calculation by transmission line theory based on the tested relative complex permittivity and permeability and film prepared by general route without external magnetic field, the film made with external magnetic field exhibited more excellent microwave absorption properties, strongly depending on the increment of anisotropy and rearrangement of magnetic particles. The results indicated the composite film made under external magnetic field have excellent microwave absorption properties, which suggest that the composites thin film could be used as a thinner and lighter microwave absorber.

Research on the development of new lightweight Al-Li alloys using selective laser melting pro-cess has great potential for industrial applications. This paper reports on the development of novel aluminum-lithium alloys using selective laser melting technology. Al-Cu-Li-Mg-Ag-Sc-Zr pre-alloyed powders with lithium contents of 1 wt.%, 2 wt.% and 3 wt.%, respectively, were prepared by inert gas atomization. After SLM process optimization, the microstructure and me-chanical properties of the as-formed specimens were investigated. The densification of the three newly developed alloys are 99.51 %, 98.96 % and 92.01 %, respectively. They all have good form-ability, with the lithium loss rate about 15 %. The as-formed alloy with 1% Li content presents good comprehensive properties with a yield strength of 412.6 ± 16.0 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 461.1 ± 11.7 MPa, and an elongation of 13.6 ± 1.1%. The three alloys exhibit a layered molten pool stacking morphology and have a typical heterostructure. The columnar crystals and equiaxed fine grains are alternately arranged, and most of the precipitated phases are enriched at the grain boundaries. The change of Li content mainly affects the precipitation of Cu-containing phase. When the Li content is 1 wt.%, there are θ phase, T1 phase and TB phase. When Li increased to 2 wt.%, T1 and T2 phases precipitated together. When Li reaches 3 wt.%, δ' phase precipitates with T2 phase. This study provides useful guidance for the future SLM form-ing of new crack-free and high-strength Al-Li alloys.

The narrow parking space will result in difficulties in path planning and spot turning caused by sudden changes and discontinuities in path curvature. To address the problem, this paper investigates the performance of three path planning algorithms and proposes a path optimization algorithm. First, the narrow parking space is defined based on single-step parking of the arc-line combination parking algorithm. Second, to compare the arc-line combination algorithm, Hybrid A* algorithm, and particle swarm optimization parking algorithm under different narrow parking spaces, a multi-objective evaluation function is proposed, including three evaluation indicators, namely, the path length, the number of positive and negative conversions of vehicle speed, and the smoothness of the path. Their performance is compared by simulation conducted in MATLAB, the results show that the Hybrid A* algorithm is the better than others for narrow parking spaces. Third, to smooth the planning path, a path optimization algorithm based on the cubic B-spline curve and gradient descent is proposed. Finally, the simulation is conducted between the proposed algorithm and Hybrid A* algorithm, the result shows that the proposal can effectively eliminate the curvature mutation point and constrain the path curvature to meet the requirements of a smooth path.

As the largest carbon pool on Earth, forest ecosystems are essential to maintaining carbon sink balance. However, accurately estimating the carbon sequestration and carbon storage of forest resources remains an urgent issue to address. Plot investigation, model estimation, and machine learning are examples of current approaches. Nevertheless, because of variables such as regional characteristics and plot size, large-scale and extensive region estimates are comparatively scarce. This study, which focuses on Tianzhu County, aims to comprehensively analyze and estimate the Net Primary Productivity (NPP), carbon storage, and carbon density of the forest ecosystem in this area by integrating data from forest resource inventory and the CASA model. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The main vegetation types in Tianzhu County include coniferous forests, broad-leaved forests, mixed forests, and shrub forests; (2) Accordin g to the CASA model calculations, the annual cumulative NPP in Tianzhu County in 2020 ranges from a maximum of 249.63 gC/m² to a minimum of 3.40 gC/m², with the forest NPP amounting to 134,674.65 tons of carbon. Based on MODIS observation data, the forest’s NPP is 171,728.32 tons of carbon, with a maximum of 325.36 gC/m² and a minimum of 0.02 gC/m²; (3) At the pixel scale, the carbon storage of forests in Tianzhu County is 361,700 tons. Specifically, 46,500 tons of carbon are stored in coniferous forests, 1,100 tons in broad-leaved forests, 500 tons in mixed forests, and 313,600 tons in shrub forests.

A fast algorithm is established to transform points of the unit sphere into fundamental region symmetrically. With the resulting algorithm, a flexible form of invariant mappings is achieved to generate aesthetic patterns with symmetries of the regular polyhedra. This method avoids the order restriction of symmetry groups, which can be similarly extended to treat regular polytopes in n-dimensional space for n>=4.

Influenced by geological, climatic, and natural weathering factors, the Great Wall heritage is sus-ceptible to deformations, posing significant challenges to the comprehensive preservation of the Great Wall sites. To investigate techniques for monitoring deformations in extensive linear cultural heritage sites, such as the Great Wall, this study utilizes the SBAS-InSAR technique for deformation monitoring and analysis. A dataset comprising 161 Sentinel-1A images spanning from March 2017 to January 2022 was chosen for SBAS-InSAR processing, yielding a deformation velocity field. To verify result credibility, a typical mountainous segment spanning approximately 896.53 km within the Great Wall landscape corridor underwent analysis. The findings suggest that around 75.8% of the landscape corridor along the Shanxi section of the Ming Great Wall maintain relative stability, displaying deformation rates varying from -10 to 10 mm/year. The remaining 24.2% of the land-scape corridor experiences notable deformations, including a maximum subsidence rate of 33.1 mm/year and a maximum subsidence of 148.6 mm. This study illustrates the potential utility of the SBAS-InSAR technique for monitoring and evaluating surface deformations in extensive linear cultural heritage sites.

An undescribed diterpene, stellerterpenoid A (1) and two undescribed sesquiterpenoids, stellerterpenoids B and C (2-3), together with six known compounds, were isolated from the roots of Stellera chamaejasme L. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data (1D, 2D NMR, IR, UV and HR-ESI-MS). The absolute configuration of 1-3 were elucidated based on ECD calculation. Among of them, stellerterpenoid A was a rare 13, 14 - seco nortigliane diterpenoid and stellerterpenoid B was a guaiacane type sesquiterpenoid with an unusual 1, 2-diketone moiety. The known stelleraguaianone B (5) exhibited moderate activity to suppress NO production in LPS - simulated macrophages with an IC50 value of 24.76 ± 0.4 μM. None of the compounds showed inhibitory influenza virus and tumor activity.

Laminopathies are a spectrum of diseases caused by LMNA mutations. In familial partial lipodystrophy of Dunnigan (FPLD), LMNA plays role in the differentiation and development of adipocytes and lipid metabolism. Changes in LMNA predict not only the differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) but also the transformation of cancer cells. Hence, our in-depth study aimed to identify the molecular connection between disordered lipid metabolism and hepatic carcinogenesis. We first discovered significant positive correlations between pLMNA and two key rate-limiting enzymes in de novo fatty acid synthesis, acetyl-CoA-carboxylase 1 (ACC1) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), in the liver tissue but not in adipose tissue of obese model rats. Moreover, LMNA knockdown (KD) in rat AD-MSCs prevented the differentiation and maturation of adipocytes. To clarify the mechanistic relationship with lipogenesis, gain- and loss-of-function experiments in which functional changes and the related molecular pathways were investigated in a normal hepatocyte line (7701 cells). Adenosine 5'-monophosphate activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) was found to be activated by abnormalities in the LMNA structure under conditions of LMNA deletion, farnesyltransferase inhibitor (FTI) treatment and LMNA mutations associated with clinical FPLD pathogenic phenotype. Active AMPKα could directly phosphorylate ACC1 and thus inhibit lipid synthesis but induced glycolysis in both HCC cells and normal cells. The HCC cells could not survive with LMNA knockout (KO) or even KD. Lonafarnib (an FTI) combined with low-glucose conditions significantly decreased the proliferation of HepG2 and MHCC cells by inhibiting glycolysis and the maturation of prelamin A.

Lithium rich layered oxides (LRLO) are a wide class of innovative active materials for positive electrodes in lithium-ion (LIB) and lithium-metal secondary batteries (LMB). LRLOs are over-stoichiometric layered oxides rich in lithium and manganese, with general formula Li1+xTM1-xO2, where TM is a blend of transition metals comprising Mn (main constituent), Ni, Co, Fe and others. Due to the very variable composition and the extended defectivity their structural identity is still debated among researchers being likely an unresolved hybrid between a monoclinic (mC24) and a hexagonal lattice (hR12). Once casted in composite positive electrode films and assembled in LIBs or LMBs, LRLOs can delivery reversible specific capacities above 220-240 mAhg-1, thus beyond any other available intercalation cathode material for LIBs, with mean working potential above 3.3-3.4 V vs Li for hundreds of cycles in liquid aprotic commercial electrodes. In this review we critically outline the recent advancements in the fundamental understanding of the physico-chemical properties of LRLO as well as the most exciting innovations in their battery performance. We focus in particular on the elusive structural identity of these phases, on the complexity of the reaction mechanism in batteries as well as on practical strategies to minimize or remove cobalt from the lattice while preserving the outstanding performance upon cycling.

Meat serves as a vital component of the human diet, offering a rich source of protein and essential trace elements. China stands as both a significant producer and consumer of meat on a global scale, leading the world in terms of total meat production and consumption. As the standard of living within the country continues to rise, there is a growing emphasis on the nutritional value and safety of meat consumption. The tenderness of meat is a critical factor influencing its overall quality. Traditionally, tenderness has been assessed through shear force testing, a method that is inherently destructive, inefficient, and results in considerable sample wastage. In light of these drawbacks, non-destructive testing techniques have emerged as a preferred alternative, promising greater accuracy, efficiency, and convenience without compromising the integrity of the samples. This paper delves into the application of five advanced non-destructive testing technologies in the realm of meat tenderness assessment. These include near-infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, Raman spectroscopy, airflow optical fusion detection, and nuclear magnetic resonance detection. Each technology is scrutinized for its respective strengths and limitations, providing a comprehensive overview of their current utility and potential for future development. Moreover, the integration of these techniques with the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology is explored. The fusion of AI with non-destructive testing offers a promising avenue for the development of more sophisticated, rapid, and intelligent systems for meat tenderness evaluation. This integration is anticipated to significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of quality assessment in the meat industry, ensuring a higher standard of safety and nutritional value for consumers. The paper concludes with a set of technical recommendations aimed at guiding the future direction of non-destructive, AI-enhanced meat tenderness detection, thereby contributing to the ongoing improvement of the meat industry in China and beyond.

Studies report variable effects of sex hormones on serious diseases. Severe disease and mortality rates in COVID-19 show marked gender differences that may be related to sex hormones. Sex hormones regulate the expression of the viral receptors ACE2 and TMPRSS2, which affect the extent of viral infection and consequently cause variable outcomes. In addition, sex hormones have complex regulatory mechanisms that affect the immune response to viruses. These hormones also affect metabolism through obesity, and severe disease can result from complications such as thrombosis. This review presents the latest research on the regulatory functions of hormones in viral receptors, immune responses, complications as well as their role in COVID-19 progression. It also discusses the therapeutical possibilities of these hormones by reviewing the recent findings of clinical and assay studies.

The node position information is critical in the wireless sensor network (WSN). However, the existing positioning algorithms commonly have low positioning accuracy because of noise interferences in communication. To solve this problem, this paper presents an iterative positioning model based on distance correction to improve the positioning accuracy of the target node in WSN. First, the log-distance distribution model of received signal strength indication (RSSI) ranging is built and the noise impact factor is derived based on the model. Second, the initial position coordinates of the target node are obtained based on the triangle centroid localization algorithm, thereby calculating the distance deviation coefficient under the influence of noise. Then, the ratio of the distance measured by the log-normal distribution model to the median distance deviation coefficient is taken as the new distance between the anchor node and the target node. Based on the new distance, the triangular centroid positioning algorithm is used again to calculate the target node coordinates. Finally, the iterative positioning model is constructed, and the distance deviation coefficient is updated repeatedly to update the positioning result until the set number of iterations is reached. Experiment results show that the proposed iterative positioning model can improve positioning accuracy effectively.

Alginate extraction is from seaweed, and lignin separation is from by-product corn (stalks and leaves). Alginate/lignin is a synthetic polymer rich in biological activity of great interest. Antioxidant activities of alginate/lignin were evaluated, such as total antioxidant activity, reducing power activity, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, and α – glucosidase inhibition activity. The test of anticancer activity was on four cell lines (Hep G2, fibroblast, MCF-7, and NCI H460). Determination of physical-chemistry characteristics of alginate/lignin was through FTIR, DSC, SEM_EDS, SEM_EDS mapping, XRD, XRF, and 1H-NMR. A study of acute toxicity of alginate/lignin was on Swiss albino mice. The results showed alginate/lignin possessed antioxidant activity such as total antioxidant activity, reducing power activity, especially, α – glucosidase inhibition activity, and no free radical scavenging activity. Alginate/lignin did not be typical in cancer cell lines. Alginate/lignin existed in a thermally stable regular spherical shape in the investigated thermal region. Some specific functional groups of alginate and lignin did not exist in alginate/lignin crystal. Elements such as C, O, Na, and S were popular in the alginate/lignin structure. LD0 and LD100 of alginate/lignin in mice were 3.91 g/kg and 9.77 g/kg, respectively. Alginate/lignin is the potential for application as pharmaceutical materials, functional foods, and supporting diabetes treatment.

The tension cable-supported power transmission structure (TC-PTS) is a new type of power transmission structure suitable for mountainous terrain, which is sensitive to wind load. In this regard, a nonlinear finite element analysis model of wind-induced vibration is proposed for the TC-PTS, and the wind-induced vibration response of the structure is analyzed. Firstly, the tangent stiffness matrix of the three-dimensional truss element for the supporting suspension cable and transmission line, considering the geometric nonlinearity of structures, is derived through the relationship between the element elastic energy and its displacement. Subsequently, the element mass matrix and damping matrix of the supporting suspension cable and transmission line, as well as the element nodal load vector obtained from wind load equivalence are given. Then, based on the nonlinear finite element theory, the nonlinear dynamic equation of wind-induced vibration is established for the TC-PTS and solved by Newmark-β method combined with Newton-Raphson iterative method. Furthermore, the rain-flow counting method and Miner's linear fatigue cumulative damage theory were used for wind induced fatigue damage assessment. Finally, a two-span TC-PTS is selected as an example, and the wind-induced nonlinear vibration and fatigue damage assessment are analyzed through the proposed model. The results show that the proposed model has high computational accuracy and efficiency. With the increase of wind speed and wind direction angle, the maximum lateral displacement and tension of the supporting suspension cable and transmission line increase, and their degree of increase shows a nonlinear trend. In terms of the wind-induced fatigue analysis results of TC-PTS, the fatigue damage at the end of the supporting-conductor suspension cable is greater than the fatigue damage at its midpoint. Compared to the fatigue damage at the midpoint of the conductor, the fatigue damage at the end of the conductor is less affected by wind direction angle, and both are more significantly affected by the wind speed.

This study investigates the impact of specimen size on the mechanical properties of wood, specifically focusing on compression strength, elastic modulus, and Poisson's ratio. Compression tests were conducted using three different specimen sizes (20mm×20mm×30mm, 40mm×40mm×60mm, 60mm×90mm×90mm) in the longitudinal, radial, and tangential directions. Mechanical parameters, failure mechanisms, load-displacement curves, and stress-strain relationships were systematically analyzed for each size. The study also evaluated the influence of specimen size on the accuracy of finite element numerical simulations by utilizing the obtained mechanical parameters. The results reveal a significant correlation between compressive strength and specimen size, indicating a decrease in compressive strength with increasing specimen size. Conversely, elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio exhibit less sensitivity to variations in specimen size. Notably, parameters derived from small-sized specimens (20mm×20mm×30mm) exhibited substantial errors, while those obtained from medium-sized (40mm×40mm×60mm) and large-sized specimens (60mm×90mm×90mm) demonstrated greater reliability, providing precise results in finite element numerical simulations.

The AREB/ABF (ABA response element binding) proteins in plants are vital for plant stress responses, but the understanding of AREB/ABFs in orchid species, an important traditional medicinal and ornamental plants, is limited. Here, twelve AREB/ABF genes were identified within three orchids’ complete genome and classified into three groups (groups I, II, and III) via a phylogenetic analysis, which was further supported by the analysis of their conserved motifs and gene structures. The cis-elements analysis showed that hormone response elements followed by light and stress responses were widely rich in AREB/ABFs. A prediction analysis of orchid ABRE/ABF-mediated regulatory network was further constructed through cis-regulatory elements (CREs) analysis of their promoter regions and revealed that several transcriptional factor (TF) gene family were abundant as the potential regulators for orchid AREB/ABFs. Expression profile analysis based on public transcriptomic data showed that most AREB/ABF genes have distinct tissue-specific expression patterns in orchid plants. Additionally, DcaABI5 as the homolog of ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) from Arabidopsis was selected for further analysis. The results showed that Arabidopsis transgenic overexpressing DcaABI5 could rescue the ABA insensitive phenotype in the mutant abi5. Collectively, these findings will provide valuable information on AREB/ABF genes in orchids.

A new quinazolinone alkaloid, named peniquinazolinone A (1), as well as eleven known com-pounds, 2-(2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionamido)-N-methylbenzamide (2), viridicatin (3), viridicatol (4), (±)-cyclopeptin (5a/5b), dehydrocyclopeptin (6), cyclopenin (7), cyclopenol (8), methyl-indole-3-carboxylate (9), 2,5-dihydroxyphenyl acetate (10), methyl m-hydroxyphenylacetate (11), conidiogenone B (12), was isolated from the endophytic Penicillium sp. HJT-A-6. The chemical structures of all compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS. The absolute configuration at C-13 of peniquinazolinone A (1) was established by applying the modified Mosher’s method. Compounds 2, 3, and 7 exhibited an op-timal promoting effect on the seed germination of Rhodiola tibetica at a concentration of 0.01 mg/mL, while the optimal concentration for compounds 4 and 9 to promote Rhodiola tibetica seed germination was 0.001 mg/mL. Compound 12 showed optimal seed-germination-promoting activity at a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Compared with the positive drug 6-benzyladenine (6-BA), compounds 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 12 could extend the seed-germination period of Rhodiola tibetica up to the 11th day.

Extracts of Cordyceps militaris which possess the bioactive capacity such as antimicrobial activity and DPPH-free radical scavenging capacity, are applied to the serum product. This finished serum product has been evaluated the in vitro bioactivity and the stability with expect to find out a good extract with a suitable percentage used for serum product as natural materials on preservatives and antioxidation.

Changing climate conditions and rapidly increasing carbon dioxide emissions have severely affected the global ecosystem and world economy. Governments around the world have paid attention to these resulting challenges and enacted many policies to reduce environmental pollution and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This study aimed to determine and understand the relationship between innovation, foreign direct investment, economic growth, renewable consumption and CO2 emission in Vietnam. Information was collected annually based on the annual data of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam and World Bank from 2000 to 2022. Data processing was conducted using the STATA 17.0 software. The innovation affects Vietnam’s environmental pollution. Innovation positively affect environmental pollution in Vietnam; if Vietnam’s innovation were to increase by 1%, CO2 emissions would increase by 0.68%. The empirical research results of this study also show that renewable energy consumption has a negative effect on environmental pollution in Vietnam; if renewable energy were consumed at a 1% increase, CO2 emission would decrease by 0.51%. In addition, FDI inflows and economic growth have strongly positive affecting to environmental pollution; if Vietnam’s FDI inflows were to increase 1%, CO2 emissions would increase 1.39%; if Vietnam’s GDP increase 1% then CO2 emission would increase 1.26%. This paper also provides some recommendations that can assist Vietnam in developing a green and sustainable economy in the technology revolution 4.0 to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over a long-term period.

We study a two-echelon supply chain made up of a supplier and a manufacturer, both of which can reduce their component/product carbon emissions. With the vertical technology spillovers, we explore the optimal decisions of centralized and decentralized supply chains with price dependent demand and propose coordination strategy for the decentralized supply chain. Considering the cost contraction effectiveness of the technology spillovers, the centralized and decentralized game theoretic models of a two-echelon supply chain are developed to investigate optimal decisions of pricing and carbon emissions reduction. Through a systematic comparison and numerical analysis, we show that the profits of both players and the entire supply chain improve with the effect of technology spillovers increasing. Carbon emissions reduction will be taken by various protective measures so that the supplier and the manufacturer who do not innovate can hardly share the results of innovating via the “free-riding” methods when the technology spillover is relatively small. We also propose a revenue-cost sharing contract through bargaining to enhance the performance of the decentralized supply chain.

This paper addresses the problem of low accuracy of conventional channel estimation and signal detection in complex fields like mines; and the problem of replacing the deep receiver at the receiver side with a deep neural network requires a large amount of data for training and slow training time. Combining the receiver side with traditional communication knowledge, a channel estimation and signal detection method based on the joint ReEsNet and SDRNet under the mine is proposed. The detailed step is to use ReEsNet network for interpolation of conventional channel estimation. Then, on the basis of ReEsNet, the output data is channel equalized and pilots removed, and the previously processed data is input to SDRNet to perform signal recovery. In the complex mine environment, the MSE values are 2e-2 for LS, 6e-3 for MMSE, and 8.44e-5 for ReEsNet at the 1500th sample data for interpolation compared to the conventional channel estimation. the MSE of ReEsNet is the smallest and is closer to the real channel estimation. Compared with the proposed joint channel estimation and signal detection methods, fewer trainable parameters reduce 97% of the parameters compared to CCRNet and 84% of the parameters compared to CNNNet; their detection results, however, are not very different.

Dams have made great contributions to human society, facilitating flood control, power generation, shipping, agriculture and industry. However, the construction of dams greatly impacts downstream ecological environments and nearby marine areas. To summarize these impacts, this review used recent research to comprehensively analyze how dam construction has affected river hydrology, geomorphology, and ecosystem of downstream reaches globally. Effects of dams on ecosystems occur through reduced river flow, reduced sediment flux, altered water temperature, changed estuary delta, altered composition and distribution of nutrients, altered structure and distribution of phytoplankton populations, caused habitat fragmentation, and blocked migration routes in river sections and adjacent seas. Besides, exploring new reservoir management strategies (including targeted control of dam storage and flushing sediment operations), banning fishing activities, and removing unnecessary dams (obsolete or small dams) are becoming crucial tools for ecosystem restoration.

Apiaceae plants have been widely used as traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of removing dampness, relieving superficies, and dispelling cold, etc. In order to exploit the potential application and improve the yield and quality of Apiaceae medicinal plants (AMPs), The traditional use, phytochemistry, modern pharmacological use, effect of bolting and flowering (BF), and approaches for controlling the BF were summarized. Currently, about 228 AMPs have been recorded as TCMs with 6 medicinal parts, 72 traditional uses, 62 modern pharmacological uses, and 5 main kinds of metabolites. Three effect degrees (i.e., significantly affected, affected to some extent, and no significantly affected) could be classed based on the yield and quality. The BF of individual plants (e.g., Angelica sinensis) could be effectively controlled by the standard cultivation techniques, while the mechanism of BF has not been systemically revealed. This review will provide useful references for the reasonable exploration and high-quality production of AMPs.

Osteoporosis (OP), a prevalent skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength and increased susceptibility to fractures, poses a significant public health concern. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of research in the field, focusing on the application of proteomic techniques to elucidate diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for OP. The integration of cutting-edge proteomic technologies has enabled the identification and quantification of proteins associated with bone metabolism, leading to a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying OP. In this review, we systematically examine recent advancements in proteomic studies related to OP, emphasizing the identification of potential biomarkers for OP diagnosis and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and future directions in the field, highlighting the potential impact of proteomic research in transforming the landscape of OP diagnosis and treatment.

Three Dimensional Variational data assimilation or analysis (3DVAR) is one of most classical methods for providing the initial values for numerical models. In this method, the dimensions of the background error covariance and the observational error covariance matrices are large. Therefore, it is difficult to get the inverse of the covariance matrices and to reduce the orders of these matrices without information loss. With the use of the Sylvester Equation, on the basis of a new linear regression, a new cost function for 3DVAR was given. For the first-guess m×n field, there is an approximate 1−(m²+n²)/(mn×mn) reduction with m>1 & n>1 by using the cost function. The results of the numerical experiments show that the effect of this algorithm is no worse than that of the old cost function for 3DVAR.

In nonlinear self-consistent system, Lorenz system (Lorenz equations) is a classic case with chaos solutions which are sensitively dependent on the initial conditions. As it is difficult to get the analytical solution, the numerical methods and qualitative analytical methods are widely used in many studies. In these papers, Runge-Kutta method is the one most often used to solve these differential equations. However, this method is still a method based on explicit time scheme, which would be the main reason for the chaotic solutions to Lorenz system. In this work, numerical experiments based on implicit time scheme and explicit scheme are setup for comparison, the results show that: in implicit time scheme, the numerical solutions (counterexamples) are without chaos; for an original volume, the volume shrinks exponentially fast to 0 in common.

Analyzing horse behavior is crucial for assessing training quality, particularly in accurately identifying actions like standing, walking, and running. Research has been conducted both domestically and internationally in this regard; however, challenges persist, including reliance on single sensors, poor real-time performance, and low identification accuracy. In view of these challenges, this study investigated real-time identification of horse behavior based on wearable devices. The system, centered around a microcontroller and utilizing a 4G network as a carrier, employs multi-axis IMU sensors as input sources to perceive horse posture. The study proposed a behavior classification method based on analysis of acceleration thresholds. The method consists primarily of two sequential stages: first, the resultant acceleration interval counting method, which employs a nonlinear segmentation approach for initial behavior classification; and second, the statistical analysis of variance parameters between segments, which when coupled with multi-level threshold processing, achieves a refined classification. Experimental results indicated that the interval counting method alone achieved an accuracy of 87.55%, while for the variance analysis method alone the accuracy was 90.87%. The proposed method, comprising the two stages, reached a classification accuracy of 91.57%, underpinning its usefulness in supporting future equine research.

The two-phase flow of water and reactive gas in the channel of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) plays an important role in high-quality water management. In this study, the removal effect of 3D wave channel and 2D straight channel for liquid water was studied by volume of fluid method. The dynamic behavior of droplet emerge from the gas diffusion layer (GDL) into the channel under the influence of gas flow was investigated. The effects of droplet growth, deformation, detachment, force, pore size on water critical behavior and water content in the channel are discussed. The results show that the 3D wave channel is superior to the removal of liquid water than the 2D straight channel. The increase of velocity is conducive to the discharge liquid water. While infinite increase of velocity will cause more parasitic power loss. The larger pore size of GDL is not advantageous to the performance of PEMFC, but the appropriate increase of pore size is conducive to the discharge of liquid water. The basic knowledge obtained in this study will help to deepen the understanding of droplet dynamics in PEMFC gas channels, and help to optimize the design and working conditions of these channels.

Utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to facilitate wireless communication has emerged as a viable and promising strategy aimed at enhancing both current and prospective wireless systems. This approach offers many advantages by establishing line-of-sight connections, optimizing operational efficiency, and enabling flexible deployment capabilities in various terrains. Thus, in this paper, we investigate UAV communication in a relaying network in which a UAV helps communication between a source and two destination users while flying to a location. To have a complete view of our proposed system, we consider both orthogonal multiple access as OFDM and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scenarios. Moreover, we apply successive convex optimization (SCO) and the Block-coordinate gradient descent (BCGD) for the sum-rate optimization problems to improve the system performance under constraints of total bandwidth and total power at the ground base station and UAV. The experimental results validate that the achievable secrecy rates are notably enhanced by using our proposed algorithms and show optimal trends for critical parameters, such as transmit powers, the flight trajectory and speed of UAV, and resource allocation of OFDM and NOMA.

Due to the imbalance between the supply and demand of oxygen, the oxygen system of iron- and steel-making enterprises in China has problems with high oxygen emission and high pressure in the pipelines, resulting in the energy consumption of oxygen production being high. To relieve this problem, using a large-scale iron- and steel-making mill as a case study, the research on demand forecasting and optimal scheduling of the oxygen system was carried out. The ARIMA model and the GABP model are employed to forecast oxygen demand. Based on the forecast results, an optimal scheduling model for the oxygen system was developed to conduct optimal scheduling. The case study shows that based on the oxygen demand forecast and the optimal scheduling, the oxygen emission and the pipeline pressure in the studied iron- and steel-making enterprise can be significantly reduced, thereby achieving considerable energy-saving effects and economic benefits. Specifically, the following conclusions are obtained: (1) For the oxygen demand forecast, the prediction accuracy of the GABP model is better than that of the ARIMA model. The average MAPE of the 12 sets of data of the ARIMA and GABP models are 23.8% and 20.2%, respectively. (2) By comparing the scheduling results and the field data, it is found that after the scheduling, the amount of oxygen emission has decreased by 6.32%, the pipeline pressure has decreased by 0.61%, and the energy consumption of oxygen compression has decreased by 1.6%. Considering both the oxygen emission loss and the energy consumption of oxygen compression, the total power consumption of the oxygen system is reduced by 1.38%, which saves the electricity cost of about 9.03 million RMB per year.

In the end, this paper analyzed the economy from the investment in plant construction, raw material collection, product production and product sales. The resulting products include pyrolytic carbon, pyrolytic oil, pyrolysis gas. The results showed that when the treatment scale was 1 ton h−1, the pyrolysis plants with three loading modes will always be in a state of loss during the 20-year running time. When the processing scale was 9 ton h−1, the pyrolysis plant can be profitable in the first year. In the sensitivity analysis, the influence of three pyrolysis products on the total return on investment was explored. The results showed that the price change of pyrolysis oil has the greatest influence on the total return on investment (Total ROI) under the three loading methods, The price change of pyrolysis gas has minimal impact on the Total ROI. This study provides basic data and basis for the commercialization of coal-biomass co-pyrolysis technology and investment in plant construction.

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) play an significant role in financial inclusion and poverty alleviation activities. A critical challenge facing MFIs is how on all to build its own capacity for sustainable and healthy development. By using the data from the pilot survey of 65 microcredit companies in Zhejiang of China, this paper explores the factors affecting MFIs activities by principal component analysis and analyzes the key Influencing factors and sustainable development performance with the analysis of variance and multi-regression model.The results indicate that four key factors of operational technology, external environment, financial condition and institution size have a significant positive effect on the economic sustainability performance of MFIs, while the adjusted institution size is insignificant positive effect on operational sustainability performance,which means that key factors of MFIs sustainability have a greater impact on economic sustainability performance than operational sustainability performance.

Dislocation is one of the major challenges in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) image stitching. In this paper, we propose a new dynamic programming for seamlessly stitching UAV images using optical flow. Our solution consists of two steps: Firstly, an image-matching algorithm is used to correct the images so that they are in the same coordinate system. Secondly, a new dynamic programming algorithm is develop based on the concept of a stereo dual-channel energy accumulation using optical flow. A new energy aggregation and traversal strategy is adopted in our solution, which can find a more optimal seam line for adjacent image stitching. Our algorithm overcomes the theoretical limitation of the classical Duplaquet algorithm. Experiments show that the algorithm can effectively solve the dislocation problem in UAV image stitching. Beyond that, our solution is also direction-independent, which has more adaptability and robustness for UAV images.

We here investigate the dynamical behavior of a fractional-order predator-prey system with anti-predator behavior and Holling IV type functional response. First we study the non-negativity, existence, uniqueness, and boundedness of solutions to the system from a mathematical analysis perspective. Then, we analyze the stability of its equilibrium points and the possibility of bifurcations using stability analysis methods and bifurcation theory, and prove the existence of a supercritical Hopf bifurcation in the system. After providing numerical simulations to illustrate the conclusions theoretically derived, by summarizing those various analytical results obtained, we finally present three interesting conclusions that can contribute to better understanding and preservation of ecological systems.

Viruses can induce the fusion of infected and neighboring cells, leading to the formation of syncytia. Cell-cell fusion is mediated by viral fusion proteins on the plasma membrane of infected cells that interact with cellular receptors on neighboring cells. Viruses use this mechanism to spread rapidly to adjacent cells or escape host immunity. For some viruses, syncytium formation is a hallmark of infection and a known pathogenicity factor. For others, the role of syncytium formation in viral dissemination and pathogenicity remains poorly understood. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant patients and the leading cause of congenital infections. Clinical HCMV isolates have broad cell tropism but differ in their ability to induce cell-cell fusions, and little is known about the molecular determinants. We developed a system to analyze HCMV glycoprotein B (gB) variants in a defined genetic background. HCMV strains TB40/E and TR were used as vectors to compare the fusogenicity of six gB variants from congenitally infected fetuses with those from three laboratory strains. Five of them conferred the ability to induce fusion of MRC-5 human embryonic lung fibroblasts to one or both backbone strains, as determined by a split GFP-luciferase reporter system. The same gB variants were not sufficient to induce syncytia in infected ARPE-19 epithelial cells, suggesting that additional factors are involved. The system described here allows a systematic comparison of the fusogenicity of viral envelope glycoproteins and may help to clarify whether fusion-promoting variants are associated with increased pathogenicity.

The lengthy maturation period is the key cause of the reduced hot pepper market value. An experiment was performed to assess the effects of R/B/W light qualities on reducing the maturation period. The maturation period was shortened by 16 days under 4R:1B:5W compared to the control. The appearance of the first flower is a limiting factor affecting the maturation period. It exhibited a dark purple color and an abnormal petal under 4R:1B:5W compared to the control, which was associated with increased contents of flavonoids, total organic acids, and phenolics and decreased total amino acid and carbohydrate contents. Plant hormone, flavonoid, ABC transporters, key metabolites (such as amino acid, carbohydrate, organic acid) was associated with first flower development. Ethylene response factors (ERFs) mediated by light, especially ERF021, were identified as potential hub regulators during the development of the first flower due to their involvement in all the associated metabolic pathways.

With the development of organizational biology and forced from the EU Cosmetic Regulation (EU/1223/2009) with the complete ban of animal testing for cosmetic purposes, 3D skin models have been widely developed due to their similar physiological structure and metabolic function to native human tissue. 3D skin models for in vitro cosmetic evaluation are still promising alternative methods for evaluating phototoxicity, corrosivity and irritation. These models have been used for early screening and later validation of toxicity and efficacy evaluation by many well-known cosmetic companies. 3D skin models have become an important tool in cosmetic evaluation research. This article reviews the development of 3D skin models and their application in cosmetic evaluation. An outlook on the current application and future technological development directions in the cosmetic field is also presented.

Energy-efficient microprocessors are essential for a wide range of applications. While near-threshold computing is a promising technique to improve energy efficiency, optimal supply demands from logic core and on-chip memory are conflicting. In this paper, we perform static reliability analysis of 6T SRAM and discover the variance among different sizing configuration and asymmetric minimum voltage requirements between read and write operations. We leverage this asymmetric property in near-threshold processors equipped with voltage boosting capability by proposing an opportunistic dual-supply switching scheme with a write aggregation buffer. Our results show that proposed technique improves energy efficiency by more than 21.45% with approximate 10.19% performance speed-up.

The cast grains of the 7055 aluminum alloy were refined by adding Sm + Er, and the proper heat treatment procedure was utilized to further precipitate the rare earth phase in order to increase the alloy's strength and toughness. The grain size, microstructure and phase were characterized by optical microscopes (OM), Scanning electron microscopy - energy spectrum (SEM-EDS), XRD diffractometer (XRD). The macroscopic hardness, yield strength and tensile strength of alloy materials were measured by hardness meter and universal electronic tensile machine. The results shown that the as-cast sample and the heat treatment sample all exist Al10Cu7Sm2 and Al8Cu4Er rare earth phase; But after heat treatment, the volume percentage of the rare earth phase dramatically increased and the dispersion was more unified. When 0.3wt.%Sm and 0.1wt.%Er were added, the grain size could be refined to 53μm. With the increase of the total content of rare earth elements, the refining effect first increased and then decreased. Under 410 oC solid solution for 2h + 150oC aging for 12h, the macroscopic hardness, yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of 0.3wt.%Sm + 0.1wt.%Er+7055 as-cast sample were 155.8HV, 620.5Mpa, 658.1Mpa, and 11.90%, respectively.

This study investigated the spatial variability of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN) in Hongqipao reservoir dominated by different vegetation types and the possible relationships with other soil properties. Top 0–50cm soil samples were collected in sites dominated by different vegetation types within the reservoir littoral zone. There was high spatial variability for SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN in the Hongqipao reservoir. In addition, the SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN contents decreased with increasing soil depth. This could be attributed by the fact that when plants detritus decompose, most of their organic matter is mineralized and a new soil layer which contains a greater amount of organic carbon is formed at the top. According to Pearson's correlation values and redundancy analysis (RDA) results, SOC was significantly and positively correlated with TN likely because the vegetation organic matter and liter could be the main nitrogen sources. Similarly, soil moisture content (MC) was significant positive correlated with SOC and TN. Conversely, BD was significant negative correlated with SOC and TN contents in the 0-50 cm soil profiles. However, no significant correlations were observed between SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN contents and soil pH values. SMBN was significantly and positive correlated with C:N ratio and BD and negative related with MC. Multiple linear regression model revealed that all measures soil properties in this study could explain higher significant variability of the response variables (SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN contents). This implies that all the measured soil variables within the different vegetation types in the reservoir played a crucial role in determining the contents of SOC, TN, SMBC and SMBN. This study further suggests that vegetation types play a major role in determining the spatial characteristics of SOC and TN. Any changes in the vegetation types in the reservoir may influence the distribution of SOC and TN. This may affect the global carbon budget and the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration significantly.

Currently, Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) have been widely applied in various fields due to their substantial advantages in expressing and dealing with uncertainty. However, measuring the similarity and difference between PFSs effectively remains an unresolved issue. Inspired by Tanimoto similarity, we propose a novel set of similarity and distance measures for PFSs. We delve into the theoretical properties of the proposed measures and compare it with existing PFSs measures. Numerous numerical examples validate their rationality and effectiveness. Furthermore, our experimental findings suggest that in contrast to existing measures, the introduced measures successfully circumvent various counter-intuitive issues encountered by current measures, and yield more pronounced outcomes in the discrimination of different fuzzy sets. This enhances the uniqueness and superiority of our measures. Finally, we developed two decision models based on the proposed measures and validated their applicability in three applications.

This study focuses on the nuanced phenomenon of gendered parenting by exploring “how” and “when” maternal son preference associates with depressive symptoms among Chinese early adolescents. Focusing on 1,093 junior high school students from a relatively affluent city in western China, the research examined the mediating roles of mother-child attachment and father-child attachment, as well as the moderating role of school connectedness in the relationship between maternal son preference and depressive symptoms. The results revealed a noteworthy positive correlation between maternal son preference and depressive symptoms among female adolescents, with no significant association observed in males. In addition, mother-child attachment and father-child attachment mediated the relationship between maternal son preference and depressive symptoms, which supported the “spillover effect” and “crossover effect”. Moreover, moderation effect analysis indicated that higher level of school connectedness can buffer the effect of maternal son preference on girls’ depressive symptoms, while lower level of school connectedness can enhance the effect of maternal son preference on girls’ depressive symptoms. These insights help to enhance people's understanding of gendered parenting, emphasizing the enduring necessity of addressing son preference within the broader context of promoting gender equality.

The greatly diversified flowering plants (angiosperms) are the dominating and defining group in the current earth ecosystem. However, from which group by what way the flowers, especially their gynoecia (key characteristics of angiosperms), are derived have been the questions in botany unanswered over centuries. Such an embarrassing situation can be attributed to the lack of plants with partially enclosed ovules, which are supposed to be a post between gymnosperms and angi-osperms. Here we report a fossil plant that has an apparent coniferous vegetative and reproduc-tive morphologies but has a single seed partially wrapped by the subtending bract. Such a mor-phology suggests that the carpels in angiosperms may be equivalent to bracts enclosing their axil-lary seed(s). Such a non-traditional interpretation of the homology of angiosperm carpels is com-patible with various new progresses made in botany and is in line with Tomlinson’s recent hy-pothesis. Together with other fossil evidence reported recently, it appears that gynoecia in angio-sperms are derived in multiple ways.

In this analysis, we assess the performance of GSMaP-GNRT6 data in capturing precipitation climatology and climate variability across China from 2001 to 2020. The evaluation involves comparing four precipitation indices of accumulated precipitation, the number of rainy days, rainstorm days, and precipitation maximum with the daily precipitation data from 2419 stations in China. The findings reveal that the GSMaP data effectively captures the overall spatial distribution of annual, summer, and monthly precipitation. However, it exhibits minor limitations in accurately depicting the spatial distribution of the number of rainy days from July to September and the precipitation maximum during wintertime in eastern China. While the GSMaP data depicts a coherent annual cycle consistent with the station observations, a general underestimation is observed. Notably, the GSMaP data presents a much smoother annual cycle in precipitation maximum. Regarding accumulated precipitation, the number of rainstorm days, and precipitation maximum, the GSMaP data shows an almost consistent interannual variation and increasing trends, aligning with station observations. However, it is noteworthy that the magnitude of the increasing trend based on the GSMaP data is greater, especially entering the early 21st century. Conversely, a significant discrepancy in the annual variation and an almost opposite changing trend are noticed in the number of rainy days between the GSMaP data and station observations.

Co-free Li-rich oxide is a promising cathode for low cost high energy density Li-ion battery but presents poor cyclic stability. To address this issue, CeO2 is coated on Co-free Li-rich oxide through a low-temperature aged process, resulting in a novel CeO2-coated Li-rich oxide compo-site. Due to the low-temperature aged process, a uniform CeO2 coating layer of 6 nm in thickness is successfully coated on Co-free Li-rich oxide. With this uniform coating, the resulting CeO2-coated Li-rich oxide composite presents improved cyclic stability as well as rate capability as the cathode of Li-ion battery. The capacity retention of the resulting CeO2-coated Li-rich oxide is enhanced from 67% to 85% after 100 cycles and its capacity retention of 5C/0.05C is enhanced from 10% to 23%, compared with the uncoated sample. Such significant improvements enable this low-temperature aged process to be helpful for the practical application of Li-rich oxide materials, not limited to Co-free Li-rich oxide.

Orbitrap mass spectrometers have been widely used in environmental component analysis . This paper presents an enhanced data acquisition system for in-situ detection of Orbitrap mass spectrometry, which enables in-suit real-time signal processing and analysis for atmospheric molecules with small mass numbers.During previous space atmospheric explorations, quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) was usually utilized for analyzing isotopic compositions and complicated compounds in the mixture. However, the inevitable ion scattering and drift during mass transfer, as well as the QMS attenuator loss, result in a relatively lower signal-to-noise ratio of the produced mass spectrum. In recent years, a novel mass spectrometer, called an Orbitrap mass spectrometer, has been gradually accepted and used because of its non-destructive detection ability, high mass resolution, and accuracy. Nevertheless, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) is preferred over the Orbitrap mass spectrometry for ground applications, especially for detecting low-mass components (e.g. below 50 atomic mass units) due to the former’s superior resolution. As the mass number decreases, the detection system demands a higher sampling and processing rate. Additionally, in ground-based scenarios, mass spectrometry analysis software on computers is often employed to analyze the signals. Therefore, in order to achieve in-situ detection of the space atmospheric environment using the Orbitrap mass spectrometer, this paper proposes a real-time signal acquisition and processing system for mass spectrometry analysis. The system comprises of signal conditioning circuits, analog-to-digital conversion circuits, programmable logic circuits, and related software. These components perform spectrum analysis and process the signal in real-time on hardware components, allowing for high-speed acquisition and analysis of the signals produced by the Orbitrap mass spectrometer.

The size of seeds is particularly important for agricultural development, as it is a key trait that determines yield. It is controlled by the coordinated development of the integument, endosperm, and embryo. Large seeds are one of the important ways to improve the ultimate “sink strength” of crops, providing more nutrients for early plant growth and showing certain tolerance to abiotic stresses. There are several pathways for regulating plant seed size, including the HAIKU (IKU) pathway, ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, G (Guanosine triphosphate) protein regulatory pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, transcriptional regulators pathway, phytohormone regulatory pathways including auxin, brassinosteroid (BR), gibberellin (GA), jasmonic acid (JA), cytokinin (CK), Abscisic acid (ABA), and MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulatory pathway. This article summarized the seed size regulatory network and prospected ways to improve yield. We expect to provide valuable reference to researcher in the related field.

Semen Allii Fistulosi is the seed of Allium fistulosum L. of the Liliaceae family. The purpose of this study was to extract, characterize, and evaluate the antioxidant activity in vitro of proteins from Semen Allii Fistulosi (PSAF). Using single factor and orthogonal design, the optimum conditions of extraction were determined to be as follows: extraction time 150 min, pH 8.5, temperature 60℃, and ratio (v/w, mL/g) of extraction solvent to raw material 35. The isoelectric point of the pH was determined to be about 4.4 and 10.2, by measuring the protein content of PSAF solutions at different pH. The amino acid composition of PSAF was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the results suggested that the species of amino acids contained in the PSAF was complete. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) analysis showed the molecular weight was mainly between 40 and 55 kDa, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterized prevalent protein absorption peaks. PSAF exhibited potent scavenging activities against DPPH assays, via targeting of hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, while chelating Fe2+ activity, and demonstrating weak reducing power. This work revealed that PSAF possessed potential antioxidant activity in vitro, suggesting potential for use of PSAF as a natural antioxidant.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of Cyclosporine A (CsA) on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokine production in the genital tract of female rabbits. Twelve sexually mature and healthy female rabbits were randomly divided into four groups (n = 3 each). The rabbits in the LPS group were given an intrauterine infusion of Escherichia coli LPS (4 mg/kg body weight (BW)). Rabbits in the CsA group were given CsA (20 mg/kg BW). Rabbits in the LPS + CsA group were given LPS (4 mg/kg BW) and CsA (20 mg/kg BW). The control group received only LPS and CsA carrier. The gene expression and protein levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were observed using qRT-PCR and immuno-histochemical (IHC) assay, respectively. Our study showed that IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, and TGF-β were expressed in female genital organs. The LPS challenge increased the mRNA expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in the uterine body and IL-1β in the uterotubal junction compared to the control group. CsA increased the basal mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., IL-4 in the uterine body, uterotubal junction, and oviductal ampulla; IL-10 in the cervix, oviductal isthmus, and ampulla; and TGF-β in the uterotubal junction and oviductal ampulla) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e., IL-6 and IL-8 in the cervix; IL-1β in the oviductal isthmus; TNF-α in the oviductal ampulla; and IFN-γ in the uterine body compared to the control group). In addition, CsA inhibited the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 in the uterine body, uterotubal junction, and oviductal isthmus; TNF-α in the uterine body; and IFN-γ in the uterotubal junction and oviductal isthmus induced by the LPS challenge. The IHC assay showed the LPS-induced increase in protein production of IL-6 in the uterine body and oviductal isthmus. CsA increased the protein production of IL-10 in the cervix, uterine body, oviductal ampulla, and isthmus. Moreover, CsA decreased the protein production of IL-6 in the uterine body and oviductal isthmus induced by LPS.

Reasonable allocation of production plans and saving the overall electricity cost are crucial for large manufacturing conglomerates, which is an effective way for conglomerates to realize open-source and cost-saving. This paper develops an optimization model of off-site industrial production scheduling for enterprises in response to the problems of high electricity costs due to the irrational allocation of production schedules on the demand side of China's electric power and the difficulty of promoting industrial and commercial distributed photovoltaic (PV) projects in China. The model makes full use of the conditions of different PV resources and different electricity prices in different places to optimize the scheduling of industrial production in different places. The model is embedded with two sub-models of the electricity price prediction model and distributed photovoltaic kWh cost model to complete the model parameters, in which the electricity price prediction model utilizes the LSTM neural network. The integrated model is then solved by the particle swarm algorithm. To verify the effectiveness of the model in solving the problem of off-site production scheduling on the demand side of electricity, the research team researched two off-site pharmaceutical factories belonging to the same large pharmaceutical company. Finally, the research data were substituted into the model for solving, and it was concluded that the optimization model could significantly reduce the cost of electricity consumption of the enterprise by about 7.9 %.

Background: Pediatric ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is a common urinary tract issue. Accurate assessment of postoperative kidney function is crucial for prognosis. Previous studies mainly focused on postoperative renal function and individual factors. Radionuclide imaging was costly and unsuitable for long-term follow-up. For aligning closely with clinical needs, we emphasizing renal morphology enhancement, and comprehensively analyzed factors influencing UPJO surgery outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively studied 150 pediatric UPJO patients (July 2012-July 2022) with severe anteroposterior renal pelvis dilation (APD grades 4-5) who underwent laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty. Demographics, symptoms, preoperative findings, and postoperative renal ultrasounds were assessed. We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify significant predictors of prognosis and construct a regression model. Results: Among the 150 pediatric patients, 78 (52%) showed improvement in renal morphology after surgery. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, age at surgery, duration of hydronephrosis, body weight, and preoperative creatinine were identified as significant prognostic factors for postoperative outcomes. The nomogram (AUC: 0.92) was constructed based on these factors and could serve as a useful tool for clinicians in evaluating the surgical prognosis of children with UPJO. Conclusions: This study reveals that among pediatric patients with severe hydronephrosis resulting from UPJO, those who are younger, have a shorter duration of illness, normal serum creatinine levels, and a healthy body weight tend to experience better postoperative recovery. This finding emphasizes the importance of adopting more proactive clinical interventions when managing such cases, with the goal of achieving enhanced recovery outcomes for affected children.

The fluid seepage in local-saturated zone of subgrade promotes the migration of fine particles in the filler, resulting in the change of pore structure and morphology of the filler and the deformation of solid skeleton, which affects the fluid seepage characteristics. Repeatedly, the muddy interlayer, mud pumping and other diseases are finally formed. Based on the theory of two-phase seepage, the theory of porous media seepage, and the principle of effective stress in porous media, a two-phase fluid-solid coupling mathematical model in local-saturated zone of subgrade considering the effect of fine particles migration is established. The mathematical model is numerically calculated with the software COMSOL Multiphysics○R, the two-phase seepage characteristics and the deformation characteristics of the solid skeleton in local-saturated zone of the subgrade are studied. The research results show that due to the continuous erosion and migration of fine particles in local-saturated zone of the subgrade, the volume fraction of fine particles first increases then decreases and finally becomes stable with the increase of time. And the volume fraction of fine particles for the upper part of the subgrade is larger than that for the lower part of the subgrade. The porosity, the velocity of fluid, the velocity of fine particles, and the permeability show a trend of increasing first and then stabilizing with time; the pore water pressure has no significant changes with time. The vertical displacement increase first and then decrease slightly with the increase of time, and finally tend to be stable. For a filler with a larger initial volume fraction of fine particles, the maximum value of the volume fraction of fine particles caused by fluid seepage is larger, and the time required to reach the maximum value is shorter. It can be concluded that in actual engineering, the volume fraction of fine particles in the subgrade filler should be minimized on the premise that the filler gradation meets the requirements of the specification.

Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of merging behavior is crucial for the ad-vancement of autonomous driving technology. This study aims to analyze on-ramp vehicle merg-ing patterns, and investigate how various factors, such as merging scenarios and vehicle types, in-fluence driving behavior. Initially, a framework based on High-Definition (HD) Map is devel-oped to extract trajectory information in a meticulous manner. Subsequently, eight distinct merg-ing patterns (Pattern A to H) are identified, with a thorough examination of their behavioral characteristics from both temporal and spatial perspectives. Merging behaviors are examined temporally, encompassing the sequence of events from approaching the on-ramp to completing the merge. This study specifically analyzes the target lane's spatial characteristics, evaluates the merging distance (ratio), investigates merging speed distributions, compares merging patterns and identifying high-risk situations. Our novel findings reveal that Patterns C and F, with Time-to-Collision (TTC) values less than 2.5 seconds, pose a significantly higher risk than other patterns. In traffic simulations, Patterns B and E can be integrated, as they show negligible differences in speed, distance traveled, and duration. Additionally, the practice of truck platooning has a signif-icant impact on vehicle merging behavior. This study enhances the understanding of merging be-havior, facilitating autonomous vehicles' ability to comprehend and adapt to merging scenarios. Furthermore, this research is significant in improving driving safety, optimizing traffic manage-ment, and enabling the effective integration of autonomous driving systems with human drivers.

In order to solve the interference of narrowband communication system to ultra-wideband (UWB) system and meet the design requirements of high isolation of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna, two MIMO antennas with double notch structures are designed. Firstly, a two-element antenna was placed symmetrically in parallel, and two rectangular branches were loaded to improve the isolation. U-shaped slots and inverted U-shaped slots are etched on the radiating patch and feeder to achieve notch characteristics in WIMAX and ITU band, respectively. Then, in order to meet more application scenarios, a four-element MIMO antenna is designed, where each element is placed orthogonally to each other, and the isolation is improved by loading a cross-shaped branches in the middle of elements. Both antenna samples are tested to verify the design. Measured results show that the working bandwidth of the two-element UWB MIMO antenna is 2.45-14.88 GHz, the isolation is greater than 17 dB, the peak gain is 5.7 dB, the maximum radiation efficiency can reach 96%, the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC)is less than 0.02. Meanwhile, the working bandwidth of the four-element antenna is 2.14-14.95 GHz, the isolation is greater than 20 dB, the peak gain is 5.9 dB, the maximum radiation efficiency can reach 95%, the ECC is lower than 0.05. They both are with very good omnidirectional characteristic, and meet the requirements of the UWB application.

Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy has high specific strength, good corrosion resistance, fracture toughness and fatigue resistance. It is one of the most important structural materials in the fields of aviation, aerospace, weapons, transportation and so on, which plays a huge role in the field of aerospace.In order to optimize the strength, toughness and corrosion properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy, alloying has always been the focus of research on Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy. The effects of main alloying elements, trace alloying elements and rare earth elements on the microstructure and properties of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu aluminum alloy were briefly introduced in the paper, and the future research directions were prospected.

Trichothecene mycotoxin T-2 toxin is an important environmental pollutant and poses a global threat to human and animal health. T-2 toxin could induce nephrotoxicity, however, the precise molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the mice were intraperitoneally administrated with a single dose of 2 mg/kg T-2 toxin. The kidney function and ultrastructural observation were also assessed and found T-2 toxin exposure could cause kidney damage. Transmission electron microscopy showed a significant swelling and vacuolization of the mitochondria of renal cell. A total of 1122, 58, and 391 differential expression genes (DEGs) that were predominantly expressed in kidney tissues at 1 d, 3 d, and 7 d after T-2 toxin exposure, respectively. Early transcriptomic changes at 1 d after exposure were down-regulation of DEGs involved in the cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway, and cellular senescence, while up-regulation of DEGs referred to the ribosome pathway. The temporal variations in gene expression pattern in T-2 toxin exposure in mice kidney were presented and cellular metabolism was disturbed at the exposure recovery period with 7 d. In conclusion, this study, for the first time, provided a comprehensive comparative transcriptomic analysis of gene regulation in T-2 toxin exposure-induced nephrotoxicity at different temporal periods and explored the nephrotoxicity mechanism of T-2 toxin at the mRNA level.

In this paper, the research progress on dynamic behaviors of RC structural members is reviewed from experimental, theoretical and numerical perspectives. Firstly, the basic overview, measurement methods, main conclusions and current limitations of available dynamic loading tests are presented. Then the theoretical studies on the dynamic constitutive models of RC materials, the dynamic increase factor (DIF) model for concrete and reinforcing steel and the proposed modified models of dynamic behavior parameter at the structural member level are summarized. Finally, the available modelling approach and the method for incorporating the dynamic effect in numerical simulation of RC structures are reviewed. Moreover, a brief introduction is made to the dynamic hysteretic model established on the experimental data, which provides an alternative approach to consider the dynamic effect beside the commonly used DIF method. This paper provides valuable reference for experimental studies and numerical simulations on the dynamic behaviors of RC structures, and also puts forward some issues that need to be solved in the future research works..

Today, more than 70 million tons of lignin are produced by the pulp and paper industry every year. However, the utilization of lignin as a source for chemical synthesis is still limited due to the complex and heterogeneous lignin structure. The purpose of this study was a selective photodegradation of industrially available kraft lignin in order to obtain appropriate fragments and building block chemicals for further utilization, e.g. polymerization. Thus, kraft lignin obtained from soft wood black liquor by acidification was dissolved in sodium hydroxide and irradiated at a wavelength of 254 nm with and without the presence of titanium dioxide in various concentrations. Analyses of the irradiated products via SEC showed decreasing molar masses and decreasing polydispersity indices over time. At the end of the irradiation period the lignin was depolymerised to form fragments as small as the lignin monomers. TOC analyses showed minimal mineralisation due to the depolymerisation process.

An energy model that correlates fan airflow, head, speed, and system power input is essential to detect device faults and optimize control strategies in fan systems. Since the application of variable frequency drives (VFDs) makes the motor efficiency data published by manufacturers inapplicable, the fan efficiency and drive (belt-motor-VFD) efficiency must be identified for each individual system to obtain accurate energy models. The objectives of this paper are to identify an energy model of existing VFD-motor-fan systems using available experimental data and demonstrate its applications in loose belt fault detection and virtual airflow meter development for optimal control. First, an approach is developed to identify the fan head, fan efficiency and drive efficiency curves using available fan head, speed, and system power input as well as temporarily measured airflow rate without measuring shaft power. Then the energy model is identified for an existing VFD-motor-fan system. Finally, the identified model is applied to detect the slipped belt faults and develop the virtual airflow meter. The experiment results reveal that the developed approach can effectively obtain the energy model of VFD-motor-fan systems and the model can be applied to effectively detect slipped belt faults and accurately calculate the fan airflow rate.

Management of chronic inflammation and wounds has always been a key issue in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. Curcumin (CCM) is an active ingredient extracted from turmeric rhizomes that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities, thus showing significant effectiveness toward wound healing. However, its shortcomings such as poor water solubility, poor chemical stability and fast metabolic rate limit its bioavailability and long-term use. In this context, hydrogels appear to be a versatile matrix for carrying and stabilizing drugs due to the biomimetic structure, soft porous microarchitecture, and pleasant biomechanical properties. The drug loading/releasing efficiencies can also be controlled by use of highly crystalline and porous metal organic frameworks (MOFs). Here, a flexible hydrogel composed of sodium alginate (SA) matrix and CCM-loaded MOFs was constructed for long-term drug release and antibacterial activity. The morphology and physicochemical properties of composite hydrogels were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Raman spectroscopy and mechanical property tests. The results showed that the composite hydrogel was highly twistable and bendable to mechanically comply with human skin. The as-prepared hydrogel could capture efficient CCM for slow drug release as well as effective killing of bacteria. Therefore, such composite hydrogel is expected to provide a new management system for chronic wound dressings.

Practical applications of CsPbX3 nanocrystals (NCs) are limited by their poor stability. The formation of heterojunction between CsPbX3 NCs and oxides is an effective means to protect perovskite from polar solvents and other external factors. Significantly improving the stability and photocatalytic properties of the core/shell perovskite is very important for its application in photoelectric and photocatalytic technology. Here, we report the synthesis of asymmetrical CsPbBr3/TiO2 core-shell heterostructure NCs at single particle level by hot injection liquid phase synthesis and sol-gel method, where each CsPbBr3 NCs is partially covered by titanium dioxide. It is shown that the type II arrangement is generated at the heterogeneous interface, which greatly facilitates the separation of electron-hole pairs and increases the carrier transport efficiency. More crucial, due to the protection of titanium dioxide shell, the product has higher long-term stability in humid air compared with bare CsPbBr3 NCs. The asymmetrical core-shell heterostructure prepared in this study not only improves the stability of CsPbX3 NCs, but also provides some ideas for optoelectronic device applications and TiO2-based photocatalysts.

RNA, as an important substance for regulating biological growth and development, has significant implications for visualization research. However, many spontaneously fluorescent substances in plants greatly interfere with the effectiveness of plant bioimaging. Aggregetion- induced emission luminogens (AIEgens), due to their luminescent properties, tunable molecular size, high fluorescence intensity, good photostability, and low cell toxicity, have been widely applied in the animal and medical fields. We have found that AIEgens have great potential as RNA fluorescent probes for efficient imaging in plants. In this review, we first introduce several common RNA labeling forms and point out their pros and cons. We briefly describe the development of AIEgens and the AIE mechanism, and then present various practical applications of AIEgens, including detailed examples of their use as biological markers. To further promote the application of AIE in the field of RNA, we suggest the use of AIEgens to modify target RNA via techniques such as click chemistry or CRISPR/Cas, to achieve RNA visualization in plants. highly possible to modify target RNA with AIEgens in vivo for RNA visualization.

The excellent properties of nanomaterials have been confirmed in many fields, but the effects on plants are still unclear. In this study, we have found that bismuth vanadium promoted the growth of taproots and the development of lateral roots, increased the roots activity by regulating the expression of polyamine or hormone-related genes and reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in Arabisdopsis thaliana. Meantime, BV had higher antimicrobial effect than that of graphene oxide (GO). These results showed us a new perspective possibility of nanomaterials assisting the development of plants and crops, which is expected to become one of the ways to solve the problem of controlling and promoting the development of plants and crops.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common type of cancer, and is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths each year. It involves a multi-step progression and is strongly associated with chronic inflammation induced by the intake of environmental toxins and/or viral infections (i.e., hepatitis B and C viruses). Although several genetic dysregulations are considered to be involved in disease progression, the detailed regulatory mechanisms are not well defined. Homeobox (Hox) genes that encode transcription factors with homeodomains control cell growth, differentiation, and morphogenesis in embryonic development. Recently, more aberrant expressions of Hox genes were found in a wide variety of human cancer, including HCC. In this review, we summarize the currently available evidence related to the role of Hox genes in the development of HCC. The objective is to determine the roles of this conserved transcription factor family and its potential use as a therapeutic target in future investigations.

Intelligent systems are increasingly present in various areas of society, gaining special relevance in healthcare environments. In this work, grounded on previous developments proposed by the authors, the evolution and improvement of a novel intelligent system focused on the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is addressed. To do this, starting from two packages of information of a heterogeneous nature, and deploying a set of Machine Learning classification algorithms, focused each of them on different levels of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), as well as a set of cascaded expert systems, it is possible to obtain a series of risk metric pairs (Statistical Risk, Symbolic Risk) for each AHI level, understood as a warning forecast associated with the early detection of the pathology. The risk indicators of each pair are subsequently aggregated by means of a symbolic inference system, whose knowledge base was determined using the automatic rule generation approach proposed by Wang and Mendel. At the output of each inference system, a risk indicator is obtained for each AHI level, the Apnea Risk, whose interpretation makes it possible to discriminate between patients who could suffer OSA and those who do not, as well as to generate the appropriate recommendations. For the initial tests of the system, the design and development of a specific software artifact was carried out using data from 4,400 patients from the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital in Vigo, obtaining when applied to the test set AUC values within the range 0.74–0.88, which invites optimism and points to the benefits expected from the architecture of the proposed intelligent system.

Plants of the genus Monochoria have long been utilized in food, cosmetics, and traditional herbal treatment. Thailand has the highest species diversity of this genus and a new member, Monochoria angustifolia (G. X. Wang) Boonkerd & Tungmunnithum has been recently described. This plant is called “Siam Violet Pearl” as a common name or “ไข่มุกสีม่วงแห่งสยาม” as its vernacular name in the same meaning in Thai language. Despite their importance, few researches on Monochoria species have been conducted. This study, thus, provided the results to fill in this gap by: i) determining flavonoids phytochemical profiles of 25 natural populations of M. angustifolia covering the whole floristic regions in Thailand, and ii) determining antioxidant activity using various antioxidant assays to investigate the probable mechanism. The results revealed that M. angustifolia presented a higher flavonoid content than the outgroup, M. hastata. Our results also revealed that flavonoids might be used to investigate Monochoria evolutionary connections and for botanical authentication. The various antioxidant assays revealed that M. angustifolia extracts preferentially act through a hydrogen atom transfer antioxidant mechanism. Pearson correlation analysis indicated significant correlations emphasizing that the antioxidant capacity is most probably the result of a complex phytochemical combinations rather than of a single molecule. Altogether, these results showed that this new species provide an attractive alternative starting material with phytochemical variety and antioxidant potential for the phytopharmaceutical industry.

This paper proposed three-dimensional numerical simulation method by coupling of electrostatic and fluid fields to evaluating the performance of electrical sensor in the concentration measurement of gas/solid two-phase flow. Compared with the static numerical simulation, this real-time dynamic 3-D simulation method can research on a designed capacitance sensor combining the dynamic characteristics of the two-phase flows for concentration measurement. Several fluid-electrostatic models of transmission pipes with different sensor structures are built. Under different test positions and different particle concentrations, the flow characteristics and the corresponding electric signals can be obtained, and the correlation coefficient between the concentration values and the capacitance values are used for performance evaluation of the sensors. The effects of flow regimes on concentration measurement are also been investigated in this paper. To validate the results of simulation, an experimental platform with horizontal straight pipe for phase volume concentration measurement of solid/air two-phase flow is built, and the experimental results agree well with simulation conclusions. The simulation and test results show that the coupling models can give constructive reference opinions for the sensor design and collection of installation position in different transmission pipelines, which are very important for the practical process of pneumatic conveying system.

Wearable technology has been proposed as a potential tool to change the way of human life, such as the smart bracelet and the Google Glass. In the wearable technology, the inertial sensor has great significance in tracking the object movements. The paper focused on detecting the movements of user’s finger based on the inertial sensor to give the control signals. Firstly, the attitude matrix, which represented the transformation relation of carrier coordinate system and the navigation coordinate system, was obtained. Secondly, the attitude matrix was expressed based on the quaternions. Thirdly, the finger gesture was processed by the attitude matrix to get the attitude angle. Finally, the robot was controlled by attitude angle to make the moving action. The experimental results showed the detection of the finger movement is effective.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being endorsed as the uppermost successor to fuel-powered cars, with timetables for banning the sale of petrol-fueled vehicles announced in many countries. However, the range and charging times of EVs are still considerable concerns. Fast charging could be a solution to consumers' range anxiety and the acceptance of EVs. Nevertheless, it is a complicated and systematized challenge to realize the fast charging of EVs because it includes the coordinated development of battery cells, including electrode materials, EV battery power systems, charging piles, electric grids, etc. This paper aims to serve as an analysis for the development of fast-charging technology, with a discussion of the current situation, constraints and development direction of EV fast-charging technologies from the macroscale and microscale perspectives of fast-charging challenges. It is emphasized that to essentially solve the problem of fast charging, the development of new battery materials, especially anode materials with improved lithium ion diffusion coefficients, is the key. It is highlighted that red phosphorus is the most promising anode that can simultaneously satisfy the double standards of high-energy density and fast-charging performance to a maximum degree.

: The stability of semiconductor catalysts is a very important property in the field of catalytic reactions. Materials necessitate resistance to mechanical abrasion and chemical erosion for better overall performance. In this work, high crystallinity BiOCl nanosheets were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The photocatalysts demonstrate full UV light absorption ability and excellent photocatalytic norfloxacin degradation performance. 84 % of highly toxic norfloxacin were photocatalytically eliminated within 180 min. The internal structure and surface chemical state of BiOCl were analyzed by SEM, TEM, Raman, FTIR, UV-vis, XPS, and other techniques. Such high crystallinity makes BiOCl molecules closely arranged and the molecular chains strongly connected, thus exhibiting a high level of photocatalytic stability and recyclability.

Red mud (RM), a bauxite residue, contains hazardous radioactive wastes and alkaline material and poses severe surface water and groundwater contamination risks, necessitating recycling. Pretreated RM can be used to make adsorbents for water treatment. However, its performance is affected by many factors, resulting in a nonlinear correlation and coupling relationship. This study aimed to identify the best formula for an RM adsorbent using a mathematical model that examines the relationship between 11 formulation types (e.g., pore-assisting agent, component modifier, and external binder) and nine properties (e.g., specific surface area, wetting angle, and Zeta potential, among others). This model was built using a back-propagation neural networks(BP) based on single-factor experimental data and orthogonal test data. The model trained and predicted the established network structure to obtain the optimal adsorbent formula. The RM particle adsorbents had a pH of 10.16, specific surface area(BET) of 48.92 m2·g−1, pore volume of 2.10 cm3·g−1, compressive strength(ST)) of 1.12 KPa, and 24-h immersion pulverization rate(η_m) of 3.72%. In the removal of total phosphorus in flotation tailings backwater, it exhibited a good adsorption capacity (Q)and total phosphorous removal rate(η) of 48.63 mg·g−1 and 95.13%, respectively.

Lewis acid zeolites play an important role in industrially important green reactions closely related to fine chemicals and biomass conversion. Titanium-doped TS-1 zeolite is a milestone Lewis acid zeolite, which widely uses in industrially significant green oxidation processes with hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant under mild conditions. TS-1 Zeolites are normally synthesized in basic condition under hydrothermal treatment. Up to now, it is still not successful to synthesize active TS-1 Lewis acid zeolite by using inorganic alkali, e.g. NaOH or KOH as base, which are cheaper and more stable compared with quaternary ammonium hydroxide or organic amines used in the traditional synthesis. Here, inorganic base of NaOH was firstly employed in synthesizing active TS-1 zeolites. The crucial factor was the control of adverse effects of sodium cations on the incorporation of active titanium cations. A higher catalytic activity could be achieved by further reducing the size of the TS-1 crystal by seed-added strategy, which could approach the catalytic activity of commercial catalyst while the production cost was much lower than the commercial TS-1 catalysts, indicating great commercial potential and the possibility of preparing other cheap Lewis acid catalysts by using inorganic alkali.

Thirty-six healthy 21-day-old weaned ternary piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly divided into 2 treatments with 18 replicates per treatment and 1 pig per replicate. The control group was fed with basal diet and the test group was fed with diets supplemented with 1 kg/t tea residue. The test period was 28 days. The results are as follows: The addition of tea residue in the diet has no significant effect on the growth performance of weaned piglets (P > 0.05), but it could significantly reduce the diarrhea rate of piglets from 1 to 7 days and 1 to 28 days (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the dietary supplementation of tea residue had no significant effect on nutrient apparent digestibility, plasma biochemical indexes and plasma immune indexes (P > 0.05), but increased the content of glutathione in plasma (P < 0.05). Tea residue had no significant effect on the morphology of jejunum and ileum of piglets (P > 0.05), but it could significantly reduce the content of chloride ion in feces (P < 0.05). Compared with the basal diet group, there was no significant difference in the relative expression of TMEM16A and CFTR mRNA in the colon of weaned piglets (P > 0.05). The whole-cell patch clamp recording showed that the TMEM16A and CFTR ion channels could be activated by ionomycin and forskolin, respectively. However, when the HT-29 cells transfected with TMEM16A and CFTR channels were treated with tea residue extract, it could significantly inhibit the chloride current of the TMEM16A and CFTR ion channels (P < 0.05).