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Regarding the rheological properties of fluids, certain nanoparticles can markedly modify the rheological behavior of low surface tension solutions by interacting with surfactant molecules. In this work, a low surface tension fluid with cetyltrimethylammonium chloride was prepared, and the silica nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed into it by ultrasonic dispersion. By adjusting the size, shape, and concentration of nanoparticles, the fluid behavior can be changed from Newtonian to non-Newtonian with finely tuned viscosity and characterized by a shear-thinning rheological behavior. In addition, this work explored how variations in environmental temperature and solution pH affect the rheological responses of the low surface tension suspension system. The experimental findings revealed that increasing the temperature substantially decreases the system's viscosity and induces a shear-thickening behavior. It is particularly significant that, under extreme pH conditions (either strongly acidic or alkaline), the viscosity of the nanoparticle suspensions was markedly enhanced at a particle concentration of 10 000 ppm. This interesting result coincided with a notable reduction in the zeta potential and an increase in the average particle size, suggesting an intensified aggregation of particles within the suspension system. A mechanism detailing the interaction between silica nanoparticles and surfactant micelles was proposed. This work indicates that the incorporation of nanoparticles into surfactant solutions offers a powerful approach to modulating fluid rheology across various conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tight sandstone has a tight structure and low natural production capacity, usually requiring the use of fracturing technology to achieve industrial production. Supercritical CO2 fracturing has attracted much attention due to its clean and efficient properties. In this paper, using the principles of damage mechanics, the crack propagation law during supercritical CO2 fracturing was studied by using numerical methods. The influence of different factors on the fracture propagation patterns is analyzed. Results indicate that supercritical CO2 fracturing can form complex fracture distribution patterns. This mode is divided into three different stages: slow fracture propagation, rapid fracture propagation, and rigid fracture propagation. In addition, highly heterogeneous formations generate more secondary fractures but limit their expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Pu'er tea market, the ubiquity of blending different varieties and the fraudulent representation of vintage years present a persistent challenge. Traditional sensory evaluation and experience are often inadequate for discerning the true variety and vintage of tea, highlighting the need for more sophisticated analytical methods to ensure authenticity and quality. Fourier transform near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy combined with radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) was applied for determination of the varieties and vintages of Pu'er tea. For vintage identification, the accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score of the RBFNN model for the prediction set were 99.2%, 98.2%, 98.0%, and 98.0%, respectively. For identification of varieties adulteration, the corresponding parameters were 98.9%, 97.2%, 96.7%, and 96.6%, respectively. These results illustrated the feasibility to identify the adulteration of varieties and misrepresentation of vintages of Pu'er tea with near infrared spectra and RBFNN model, proving an efficient alternative for Pu'er tea quality inspection, and offering a robust method for combating the pervasive issues within the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart pavement is composed of a monitor network, communication network, data center, and energy supply system, and it requires reliable and efficient energy sources to power sensors and devices. The mechanical energy is wasted and dissipated as heat in traditional pavement; this energy can be reused to power low-power devices and sensors for smart pavement. Mechanical energy harvesting systems typically perform through electromagnetic, piezoelectric, and triboelectric methods. Among the different methods, electromagnetic harvesters stand out for their higher output power. However, current electromagnetic harvesters face challenges such as bulky designs, low power density, and high input displacement requirements. This study proposed a green electromagnetic harvester (GEH) based on up-frequency and a unidirectional rotation mechanism to harvest mechanical energy from the pavement. A prototype was designed and prepared. The influence of different parameters on the electrical performance of the harvester was studied by using an MTS test instrument and simulation methods. The results demonstrate that increasing the frequency and optimizing the magnetic array significantly enhances electrical output. The open-circuit voltage in the N-S mode is 3.1 times higher than that in the N-N mode. At a frequency of 9 Hz and a displacement of 3.0 mm, the open-circuit voltage of the GEH is 6.73 V, the maximum power output is 171.14 mW, the peak power density is 1277.16 W/m3, and the voltage has almost no decay after 100,000 cycles. Further, the application of the GEH in charging sensors and capacitors was demonstrated, which indicates the potential of a GEH to power sensors for smart roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous evolution of microservice architecture and containerization technology, the challenge of efficiently and reliably scheduling large-scale cloud services has become increasingly prominent. In this paper, we present a cost-optimized scheduling approach with resource configuration for microservice workflows in container environments, taking into account deadline and reliability constraints. We introduce a graph deep learning model (DeepMCC) that automatically configures containers to meet various service quality (QoS) requirements. Additionally, we propose a reliability microservice workflow scheduling algorithm (RMWS), which incorporates heuristic leasing and deployment strategies to ensure reliability while reducing cloud resource leasing cost. Experiments on four scientific workflow datasets show that the proposed approach achieves an average cost reduction of 44.59% compared to existing reliability scheduling algorithms, with improvements of 26.63% in the worst case and 73.72% in the best case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the risk factors for urethral stricture (US) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and to construct a nomogram model with predictive features. Methods: Clinical data of 400 patients with BPH who underwent TURP between June 2020 and June 2023 at Chengdu University Hospital were retrospectively collected. The data were divided into US group and no US group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed sequentially to identify independent risk factors associated with US. Based on the results of the multivariate analysis, a nomogram model predicting the risk of US was constructed. We assessed the discriminatory power and calibration of the models using the C index, ROC curves, and calibration plots. In addition, we performed a decision curve analysis to validate the clinical utility of the model. Results: Data from a total of 400 patients were included in this study, and 35 (8.75%) were diagnosed with US. The results of univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that the following five factors age, prostate size, Preoperative indwelling catheter, Preoperative urethral dilation, Postoperative indwelling catheter time were independent influences on the risk of US. Nomogram model of US was constructed using these independent influences. The area under the curve (AUC) of the subject's operating characteristic was 0.916 (95% CI: 0.868–0.959), and after internal validation, the corrected C-index remained at 0.916. This further validates the accuracy and reliability of the predictive model. Calibration plots and decision curve analyses demonstrated the good clinical value of the column-line diagram model. Conclusions: The nomogram model we constructed can have some guidance in clinical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Potentilla L. and Dasiphora L. are predominantly perennial herbs, occasionally manifesting as annuals or shrubs, primarily found in the northern temperate zone. However, taxonomic classification within this group remains contentious, particularly regarding genus boundaries and species delineation. Therefore, this study sequenced and analyzed the complete plastid genomes of 19 species from Potentilla and Dasiphora, comparing them with five previously published plastid sequences. Our objectives included reconstructing phylogenetic relationships within Potentilla and Dasiphora and investigating cytonuclear discordance among them. Results: These plastid genomes were highly conserved in structure, GC content, and overall genome composition, comprising 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Notably, all Dasiphora plastid genomes lacked the unique intron for rpl2. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that variations in plastid genome size were due to differences in the lengths of the LSC, SSC, and IR regions. The IR region was predominantly conserved, while non-coding regions exhibited higher variability than coding regions. We screened SSR and identified seven highly variable loci that serve as potential molecular markers, offering valuable insights into the intergeneric relationships between Potentilla and Dasiphora. Phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear (ITS, ETS) and cytoplasmic (plastid, mitochondrial) genes confirmed the monophyly of Potentilla and Dasiphora, with results largely consistent with previous studies and supported by robust reliability metrics. We identified cytonuclear conflicts within Potentilla, which frequently disrupt its monophyly. We hypothesize that these conflicts may result from interspecific hybridization or incomplete lineage sorting events during the evolutionary history of the genus. Conclusions: This study offers a theoretical foundation for advancing molecular identification and phylogenetic research on Potentilla and Dasiphora species. However, future work could benefit from greater detail on the criteria for selecting mitochondrial gene sequences and nrDNA datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), the most abundant leukocytes circulating in human blood, are pivotal players in the innate immune system. In recent years, PMNs have gained increasing recognition for their significant involvement in the pathogenesis of a wide array of human diseases, including sepsis, pulmonary conditions, autoimmune disorders, and various cancers. Due to their terminally differentiated state, PMNs possess a short lifespan and exhibit limited proliferative potential, which makes continuous replenishment from the bone marrow essential for maintaining immune homeostasis. This demand underscores the need for efficient, reliable, and robust methods of PMN production. In this study, we evaluated three forward programming protocols and one directed differentiation protocol aimed at generating PMNs from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). We analyzed not only their differentiation efficiency but also the transcriptomic profiles and functional capabilities of the resulting PMNs. Our findings revealed that both the forward programming method and the directed differentiation approach can successfully generate functional PMNs. Furthermore, by fine-tuning the culture media at various stages during forward programming, we identified an optimal protocol that significantly enhances hematopoietic differentiation potential and promotes the functional maturity of the neutrophils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile application offloading is a critical issue in mobile edge computing environments. This study explores the concept of scheduling tasks based on containers in a Mobile Edge Computing, using container technology. In this paper, we introduce the Optimized Container Selection (OCS) algorithm, which integrates the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The OCS algorithm is based on a heuristic algorithm composed of two stages and leveraging linear programming techniques to tackle the computational complexity. The primary objective of the research is to develop strategies for selecting containers that are optimised for performance. By following a standardised platform for container management across cloud and edge servers, all mobile applications are deployed solely within containers. The task prioritisation process for tasks with imminent deadlines is determined by considering multiple factors, such as response time and task execution cost. This procedure entails assessing and choosing the best container to carry out the assigned activities. Adjusting the number of edge servers and tasks is necessary while conducting experimental assessments in a mobile edge cloud system. The outcomes show improvements in four baseline algorithms Quality of Service (QoS), penalty cost, and violation time.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform design is a powerful and robust experimental methodology that is particularly advantageous for multidimensional numerical integration and high-level experiments. As its applications expand across diverse disciplines, the theoretical foundation of uniform design continues to evolve. In real-world scenarios, experimental factors are often subject to one or more linear constraints, which pose challenges in constructing efficient designs within constrained high-dimensional experimental spaces. These challenges typically require sophisticated algorithms, which may compromise uniformity and robustness. Addressing these constraints is critical for reducing costs, improving model accuracy, and identifying global optima in optimization problems. However, existing research primarily focuses on unconstrained or minimally constrained hypercubes, leaving a gap in constructing designs tailored to arbitrary linear constraints. This study bridges this gap by extending the inverse Rosenblatt transformation framework to develop innovative methods for constructing uniform designs over arbitrary hyperplanes and hyperspheres within unit hypercubes. Explicit construction formulas for these constrained domains are derived, offering simplified calculations for practitioners and providing a practical solution applicable to a wide range of experimental scenarios. Numerical simulations demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of these methods, setting a new benchmark for uniform design in constrained experimental regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at increased risk of health issues. This study evaluated the efficacy, safety and optimal dose of PEGylated‐recombinant human growth hormone (PEG‐rhGH) in these children. Design: In this multicentre, randomised, open‐label, Phase 2 trial conducted at nine clinical sites in China, patients were randomised 1:1 to receive subcutaneous injections of PEG‐rhGH at 0.1 mg/kg/week (low dose) or 0.2 mg/kg/week (high dose) for 52 weeks. Patients: Ninety‐six children were born SGA. Measurements: The primary endpoint was the change in height standard deviation score (HT‐SDS) at Week 52. Results: At Week 52, the change in HT‐SDS in the high‐ and low‐dose groups was 0.923 ± 0.352 (p < 0.0001) and 0.511 ± 0.336 (p < 0.0001), respectively (least‐squares means difference, 0.410; 95% confidence interval 0.270–0.551; p < 0.0001). Height velocity (9.94 ± 1.55 vs. 8.37 ± 1.50 cm/year) was also significantly higher in the high‐dose than in the low‐dose group (p < 0.0001). Change in insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1 SDS was 1.867 ± 1.747 and 1.168 ± 1.193 in the high‐ and low‐dose groups, respectively (p = 0.0189). IGF‐1/IGF binding protein‐3 and bone maturity were improved in both groups at Week 52. Most treatment‐emergent adverse events were mild to moderate; the safety profile was similar in both groups. Conclusions: PEG‐rhGH at either dose for 52 weeks was effective and well tolerated in children born SGA. Patients in the high‐dose group achieved greater improvement in HT‐SDS than in the low‐dose group. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials. gov identifier: NCT02375620 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWith the application of new energy vehicles, lithium batteries generate a large amount of heat during operation, s-o batteries need effective thermal management. The traditional air cooling method has poor temperature control, which cannot meet the needs of thermal management. In this study, a new flexible composite phase change material (CPCM) is prepared. Experiments have shown that CPCM has good flexibility at 30 °C. The heat generation of the simulated battery is set according to the experimental heat generation. The thermal performance of CPCM with different thicknesses is analyzed by simulation comparison. The results show that the temperature control effect of air cooling with an air velocity of 3 m/s is comparable to that of the CPCM with a filling thickness of 4 mm. The maximum temperature of the lithium battery pack is 316.98 K. The combination of CPCM and air cooling has a good temperature control effect, which can control the temperature of the battery pack within 315.23 K. Meanwhile, the air cooling simulated in this study is the natural air cooling of the disturbed air during the operation of the electric vehicle. It has the advantages of no energy consumption, green and low carbon and efficient thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music therapy, known for its profound impact on human emotions and physiology, has gained increasing attention for its applications in medical settings, particularly in surgery. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of publications on the application of music therapy in surgery from 2009 to 2023, utilizing the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) as the primary database. A total of 479 publications were analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Microsoft Excel, and online bibliometric tools. Findings indicate a steady increase in annual publications since 2009, peaking in 2021. The USA leads global research efforts with 31.7% of publications, followed by China (17.7%) and Italy (10%). Harvard University was identified as the top contributing institution, while the Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing was the primary publishing journal, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was the highest co-cited journal. Cao Hua contributed the most publications, and Nilsson U was identified as the most co-cited author (n = 131). Keyword analysis highlighted anxiety, therapy, music therapy, and pain as primary research trends. This study provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of music therapy research in surgical contexts. Future efforts should focus on expanding interdisciplinary collaborations, exploring advanced technologies for personalized interventions, and investigating optimal implementation strategies to enhance the integration of music therapy into surgical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the existence of positive solution to boundary value problem of fractional differential equations with p$$ p $$‐Laplacian operator. By using Avery–Peterson theorem, some new existence results of three increasing positive solutions are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Starch is the most abundant carbohydrate in maize grains, serving as a primary energy source for both humans and animals, and playing a crucial role in various industrial applications. Increasing the starch content of maize grains is beneficial for improving the grain yield and quality. To gain insight into the genetic basis of starch content in maize kernels, a multiparent population (MPP) was constructed and evaluated for starch content in three different environments. Results: The integration of QTL mapping and genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) identified two SNPs, 8_166371888 and 8_178656036, which overlapped the QTL interval of qSC8-1, identified in the tropical maize line YML46. The phenotypic variance explained (PVE) by the QTL qSC8-1 was12.17%, while the SNPs 8_166371888 and 8_178656036 explained 10.19% and 5.72% of the phenotypic variance. Combined GWAS and QTL analyses led to the identification of two candidate genes, Zm00001d012005 and Zm00001d012687 located on chromosome 8. Conclusions: The candidate gene Zm00001d012005 encodes histidine kinase, which is known to play a role in starch accumulation in rice spikes. Related histidine kinases, such as AHK1, are involved in endosperm transfer cell development in barley, which affects grain quality. Zm00001d012687 encodes triacylglycerol lipase, which reduces seed oil content. Since oil content in cereal kernels is negatively correlated with starch content, this gene is likely involved in regulating the starch content in maize kernels. These findings provide insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying kernel starch content and establish a theoretical basis for breeding maize varieties with high starch content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcoholic pancreatitis is a progressive condition characterized by susceptibility to recurrence, progression to chronic pancreatitis, complications, and high morbidity. Summary: The main causes include long-term alcoholism, excessive drinking, the toxic effects of alcohol metabolites, interactions with biliary diseases, and genetic factors. Alcohol is the second leading cause of acute pancreatitis (AP) in the USA, accounting for one-third of all AP cases. A follow-up study on readmission revealed that the readmission rate of alcoholic acute pancreatitis (AAP) patients within 11 months was 43.1%, of which men dominated the admissions and readmissions of AAP. Among this population, 82.3% have alcohol use disorder, over half have tobacco use disorders, 6.7% have tobacco use disorder, 4.5% have opioid use disorder, and 18.5% of patients exhibit signs of potential alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. Numerous animal and clinical studies suggest that alcohol alone does not cause pancreatitis; rather, additional factors such as smoking, endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), genetic mutations, or other genetic predispositions – are necessary for the disease’s progression. Key Messages: Given the high rates of admission and readmission for alcoholic pancreatitis, it is essential to further investigate its pathogenesis and pathological processes to develop more effective treatment strategies. Therefore, this paper summarizes the current understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment status of alcoholic pancreatitis, drawing on recently published literature and data to provide insights and references for future research and treatment efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing adoption of hybrid clouds in organizations stems from their ability to bolster private cloud resources with additional public cloud capacity when required. However, scheduling distributed applications, such as workflow tasks, on hybrid cloud resources presents new and intricate challenges. A significant concern revolves around the potential exposure of private data and tasks within third-party, public cloud infrastructures, especially within sensitive domains like healthcare applications. The complexity escalates when considering the selection of resources from multiple cloud providers due to the fluctuating resource computation prices and data transmission costs. This paper presents the Spark Workflow Task Scheduling to Hybrid Cloud (SWSHC) framework, designed to schedule Spark workflows precisely while adhering to deadline and task privacy constraints within a hybrid cloud setting. Our innovative approach encompasses developing and implementing three pivotal components: deadline division, stage order optimization, and task scheduling mechanisms. We segregate the workflow deadline for each stage to bridge the gaps between stages effectively. Additionally, job prioritization is achieved using the maximum rank rule. The proposed solution considers diverse factors, including interval pricing variations, utilization of heterogeneous VM instances, intra- and inter-bandwidth considerations, and the efficient utilization of private cloud resources. Through meticulous calibration of our algorithm and comprehensive experimentation with various realistic workflows, our findings unequivocally demonstrate that SWSHC surpasses existing solutions in the current literature the cost by up to 40–70% in terms of cost efficiency and resource utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Multi-mode dynamic anti-counterfeiting materials can provide complex anti-counterfeiting performance and ensure the anti-counterfeiting strategy becomes more secure. Herein, a new type of multi-mode anti-counterfeiting encryption material of CaAl 12 O 19 :Eu, Er with different Er doping concentration was developed by sol–gel method. Interestingly, the CaAl 12 O 19 :Eu, Er phosphor and its composite have multi-mode anti-counterfeiting characteristics of multi-color down-conversion luminescence, up-conversion luminescence, dynamic luminescence, and photochromism. Effect of different Er doping concentration on the down-conversion luminescence, up-conversion luminescence, dynamic luminescence, and photochromism of CaAl 12 O 19 :Eu, Er was systematically investigated, and the relevant mechanisms were discussed. These anti-counterfeiting features can be simultaneously applied in both bright and dark fields, which can achieve high-level anti-counterfeiting in both spatial and temporal dimensions. The CaAl 12 O 19 :Eu, Er phosphors cannot be easily replaced by other materials with the same anti-counterfeiting properties. They display good application foreground in the field of anti-counterfeiting encryption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based wireless sensor networks (WSNs) hold great promise for supporting ground-based sensors due to the mobility of UAVs and the ease of establishing line-of-sight links. UAV-based WSNs equipped with mobile edge computing (MEC) servers effectively mitigate challenges associated with long-distance transmission and the limited coverage of edge base stations (BSs), emerging as a powerful paradigm for both communication and computing services. Furthermore, incorporating simultaneously transmitting and reflecting reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (STAR-RISs) as passive relays significantly enhances the propagation environment and service quality of UAV-based WSNs. However, most existing studies place STAR-RISs in fixed positions, ignoring the flexibility of STAR-RISs. Some other studies equip UAVs with STAR-RISs, and UAVs act as flight carriers, ignoring the computing and caching capabilities of UAVs. To address these limitations, we propose an energy-efficient aerial STAR-RIS-aided computing offloading and content caching framework, where we formulate an energy consumption minimization problem to jointly optimize content caching decisions, computing offloading decisions, UAV hovering positions, and STAR-RIS passive beamforming. Given the non-convex nature of this problem, we decompose it into a content caching decision subproblem, a computing offloading decision subproblem, a hovering position subproblem, and a STAR-RIS resource allocation subproblem. We propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)–successive convex approximation (SCA) combined algorithm to iteratively achieve near-optimal solutions with low complexity. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed framework effectively utilizes resources in UAV-based WSNs and significantly reduces overall system energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is one of the major pathogens responsible for severe foodborne infections, and the common serotypes include E. coli O157, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. Vaccination has the potential to prevent STEC infections, but no licensed vaccines are available to provide protection against multiple STEC infections. In this study, we constructed an engineered S. Typhimurium to rapidly produce the outer membrane vesicle (OMV) with low endotoxic activity to deliver the O-antigen of E. coli. S. Typhimurium OMV (STmOMV), which displays mixed heterologous O-antigens, was systematically investigated in mice for immunogenicity and the ability to prevent wild-type STEC infection. Animal experiments demonstrated that STmOMV displaying both E. coli O111 and O157 O-antigens by intraperitoneal injection not only induced robust humoral immunity but also provided effective protection against wild-type E. coli O111 and O157 infection in mice, as well as long-lasting immunity. Meanwhile, the O-antigen polysaccharides of E. coli O26 and O45, and O145 and O103 were also mixedly exhibited on STmOMV as O-antigens of the O111 and O157 did. Three mixed STmOMVs were inoculated intraperitoneally to mice, and confer effective protection against six E. coli infections. The STmOMV developed in this study to display mixed heterologous O-antigens provides an innovative and improved strategy for the prevention of multiple STEC infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the efficacy of early systematic postnatal corticosteroids (PCS) in reducing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and mortality among preterm infants, focusing on identifying the populations most likely to benefit. Although PCS has been extensively studied for its anti-inflammatory effects in preventing BPD, the ideal target population remains unclear. This meta-analysis included 26 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing exclusively on systemic intravenous PCS. Studies were stratified by baseline BPD or mortality rates in control groups (< 50%, 50–65%, and > 65%). Results indicated that PCS effectiveness in reducing BPD or mortality was significantly associated with baseline risk, with rate differences (RD) for BPD or mortality of − 0.03 (95% CI − 0.08, 0.01) in lower-risk groups (< 50%), − 0.07 (95% CI − 0.12, − 0.01) in moderate-risk groups (50–65%), and − 0.18 (95% CI − 0.32, − 0.04) in high-risk groups (> 65%). Linear logistic analysis demonstrated a significant trend, with higher baseline event rates in control groups associated with a more substantial RD (RD ~ rates in controls, R2 = 0.228, p = 0.014). Both dexamethasone and hydrocortisone showed similar trends. Conclusion: These findings underscore that the baseline event rates in the control group are potentially correlated with the efficacy of PCS in preventing BPD or mortality, offering more precise guidance beyond the general “high-risk” category and supporting baseline risk stratification for more targeted PCS therapy in clinical practice. What is known: • Early postnatal corticosteroids (PCS) have been widely studied for their anti-inflammatory effects in preventing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. • Determining the optimal target population for PCS remains challenging due to varying baseline risks and associated neurodevelopmental concerns. What is new: • Stratifying infants by baseline BPD or mortality rates reveals that PCS shows greater efficacy in high-risk groups, particularly those with baseline event rates above 50%. • Considering baseline risk stratification represents a key direction for future clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular composition of exhaled human breath can reflect various physiological and pathological conditions. Considerable progress has been achieved over the past decade in real‐time analysis of exhaled human breath using direct mass spectrometry methods, including selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry, proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry, extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, acetone‐assisted negative photoionization mass spectrometry, atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry, and low‐pressure photoionization mass spectrometry. Here, recent developments in direct mass spectrometry analysis of exhaled human breath are reviewed with regard to analytical performance (chemical sensitivity, selectivity, quantitative capabilities) and applications of the developed methods in disease diagnosis, targeted molecular detection, and real‐time metabolic monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), as a direct indicator of vegetation photosynthesis, offers a more accurate measure of plant photosynthetic dynamics than traditional vegetation indices. However, the current SIF satellite products have low spatial resolution, limiting their application in fine-scale agricultural research. To address this, we leveraged MODIS data at a 1 km resolution, including bands b1, b2, b3, and b4, alongside indices such as the NDVI, EVI, NIRv, OSAVI, SAVI, LAI, FPAR, and LST, covering October 2018 to May 2020 for Shandong Province, China. Using the Random Forest (RF) model, we downscaled SIF data from 0.05° to 1 km based on invariant spatial scaling theory, focusing on the winter wheat growth cycle. Various machine learning models, including CNN, Stacking, Extreme Random Trees, AdaBoost, and GBDT, were compared, with Random Forest yielding the best performance, achieving R2 = 0.931, RMSE = 0.052 mW/m2/nm/sr, and MAE = 0.031 mW/m2/nm/sr for 2018–2019 and R2 = 0.926, RMSE = 0.058 mW/m2/nm/sr, and MAE = 0.034 mW/m2/nm/sr for 2019–2020. The downscaled SIF products showed a strong correlation with TanSIF and GOSIF products (R2 > 0.8), and consistent trends with GPP further confirmed the reliability of the 1 km SIF product. Additionally, a time series analysis of Shandong Province's wheat-growing areas revealed a strong correlation (R2 > 0.8) between SIF and multiple vegetation indices, underscoring its utility for regional crop monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lily is a globally popular cut flower, and managing dormancy in lily bulblets is essential for continuous, year-round production. While nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to influence seed dormancy and germination, its role in dormancy release in lilies was previously unconfirmed. In this study, we investigated the effects of NO on dormancy release in lily bulblets using SNP and c-PTIO. Results showed that SNP treatment promoted dormancy release, while c-PTIO inhibited it. Measurement of endogenous NO levels in the bulbs, along with enzyme activities of NOS-like and NR and gene expression levels of LoNOS-IP and LoNR, confirmed that NO plays a role in promoting dormancy release in lilies. To further elucidate the physiological mechanisms involved, we analyzed H2O2 levels, antioxidant enzyme activities, endogenous hormone levels, and carbohydrate metabolism in the bulbs. Findings demonstrated that NO facilitated dormancy release by increasing H2O2, gibberellins (GAs), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), zeatin riboside (ZR), reducing sugars, and by accelerating the metabolism of abscisic acid (ABA) and starch. This study provides a foundation for deeper investigation into the mechanisms underlying dormancy release in lily bulbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the effect of financial development on carbon pollution has recently attracted growing interest due to the important role of finance in the overall economic and energy system. However, numerous studies explored the direct impact of financial performance from an aggregate perspective, which ignores the potential nonlinear and indirect effects. By generating a new financial development index covering banks, insurance, and securities, this paper introduces a partial linear additive panel model with data-driven features to simultaneously explore the direct and indirect impacts of China's financial development on CO2 emissions from nonlinear perspectives. Moreover, instead of the traditional linear marginal analysis, we perform a nonlinear marginal analysis and implement a spatial analysis to address the above objectives. The results manifest that the direct impact of financial development on CO2 discharges is a nonlinear "U-shaped"; In contrast, the moderation effect through economic growth suggests that financial development contributes to reducing CO2 concentrations. Marginal analysis shows that the effect of financial development on CO2 emissions not only exhibits individual differences but also reflects the characteristics of temporal transition. The results of spatial analysis verify that the development of finance has prominent spatial effects on CO2 discharges. The findings have important policy implications on how to effectively promote financial development to formulate more flexible investment policies and differentiated energy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FBXO8 has great potential as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for KIRC for the first time. • FBXO8 could be a biomarker of KIRC and regulated cells proliferation, migration and apoptosis. • 3.We had found for the first time that FBXO8 expression was decreased in KIRC and was associated with survival. The F-box protein 8 Gene (FBXO8) has been shown to suppress invasion and metastasis in various cancer types. Recurrence and drug resistance pose significant challenges in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Identifying novel biomarkers is crucial for addressing these issues. Data on RNA sequencing and patient survival for KIRC was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), UALCAN, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. We confirmed FBXO8 gene expression and its impact on survival. Clinical characteristics were classified, and FBXO8 expression differences among various categories were observed. We conducted biofunctional predictions and analyzed the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoints in relation to FBXO8 expression. FBXO8 was overexpressed using a plasmid, and we assessed Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis through CCK8, wound healing tests, and western blot analysis. Our findings revealed decreased FBXO8 expression in KIRC, with patients exhibiting low FBXO8 expression experiencing shorter survival times. The low expression group showed elevated TME immune and estimate scores. Biofunctional analyses indicated that FBXO8 expression was notably linked to drug metabolism cytochrome P450, nutrition disease, receptor-ligand activity, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. Furthermore, we discovered significant correlations between FBXO8 expression and immune cell infiltration, as well as checkpoints such as CD274. Overexpression (OE) of FBXO8 led to a marked reduction in cell proliferation and migration, along with increased apoptosis, as evidenced by apoptosis-related protein expression. This study demonstrates that FBXO8 serves as a biomarker for KIRC and plays a role in regulating cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Solar X-ray Detector (SXD) on-board the Macao Science Satellite-1B (MSS-1B) was successfully launched via the Chinese Long March-2C rocket on 21 May 2023, and commenced operations in early June of the same year. The MSS-1B/Soft X-ray Detection Units (SXDUs) employ two silicon drift detectors (SDDs), providing a wide range of energy spectra spanning from 0.7 to 24 keV. Notably, the SXDUs deliver a high-resolution capability of 0.14 keV@5.9 keV and operate with a time cadence of 1 second. Here, we perform thorough calibrations of the MSS-1B/SXDUs, employing a combination of ground experiments and simulations. In addition, quantitative analysis comparing the flux measurements obtained by the MSS-1B/SXDUs to the data collected by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), provides compelling evidence of their consistency. Furthermore, the preliminary spectral analysis results showcase the robustness and expected performance of the MSS-1B/SXDUs, unlocking their potential for facilitating the study of dynamic evolution of solar flares. Moreover, the innovative MSS-1B/Solar X-ray Detector facilitates concurrent observations of solar soft and hard X-rays, thereby making valuable contributions to the advancements in solar research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In emergency warning nursing, the prealert system significantly influences the biochemical markers and clinical outcomes of patients with Acute Stress Disorder. Therefore, this study applies hierarchical analysis to explore the impact of early warning nursing on crucial indicators such as C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and assess their clinical efficacy. Methods: The study selected patients with acute stress disorder who were hospitalized in Southwest Hospital of Chongqing from December 2021 to December 2022, and collected data from 250 patients. Through PSM score matching, 170 patients were finally scored and grouped, 85 patients in each group, which were divided into routine group and stratified analysis group. The changes in serum inflammatory markers, psychological resilience, and posttraumatic growth were compared between the two experimental groups on day 1 of admission and after 14 days of intervention. Result: After one day of admission, there was no significant difference in the serum factor levels, psychological resilience, and post-traumatic growth among the participants (p > 0.05). However, after 14 days of intervention, patients in the hierarchical analysis group showed better outcomes in serum inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6 compared to the conventional group (p < 0.05). The hierarchical analysis group had higher psychological resilience scores regarding strength, optimism, and resilience compared to the conventional group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the hierarchical analysis group showed higher post-traumatic growth scores regarding mental changes, personal strength, appreciation of life, interpersonal relationship, and new possibilities relative to the conventional group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)-based emergency warning nursing can help improve the serum inflammatory factor levels, strengthen psychological resilience, and enhance post-traumatic growth levels in patients with Acute Stress Disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the issue of adaptive fuzzy finite‐time command filtered control is discussed for nonlinear stochastic systems subject to unknown dead‐zone constraints and unmodeled dynamics. The packaged unknown nonlinearities are approximated by introducing fuzzy logic systems. An improved technique is introduced to cope with unknown functions with the structure of nonstrict‐feedback in the operation of controller design. Under the criterion of finite‐time stability, a novel fast convergent control scheme is developed. Additionally, the effect of filter errors bought by the command filters is diminished via applying corresponding error compensating signals and a measurable dynamic signal is adopted to handle unmodeled dynamics. The improved designed controller not only guarantees all the closed‐loop signals remain finite‐time bounded, but also makes the system output follows the given desirable trajectory under the bounded error. The usefulness of the designed strategy can be verified through the numerical and practical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paclitaxel (PTX) is a high value plant natural product derived from Taxus (yew) species. This plant specialized metabolite (PSM) and its derivatives constitute a cornerstone for the treatment of an increasing variety of cancers. New applications for PTX also continue to emerge, further promoting demand for this WHO-designated essential medicine. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of PTX biosynthesis and its cognate regulation, which have been enabled by the development of transcriptomic approaches and the recent sequencing and annotation of three Taxus genomes. Collectively, this has resulted in the elucidation of two functional gene sets for PTX biosynthesis, unlocking new potential for the use of heterologous hosts to produce PTX. Knowledge of the PTX pathway also provides a valuable resource for understanding the regulation of this key PSM. Epigenetic regulation of PSM in plant cell culture is a major concern for PTX production, given the loss of PSM production in long-term cell cultures. Recent developments aim to design tools for manipulating epigenetic regulation, potentially providing a means to reverse the silencing of PSM caused by DNA methylation. Exciting times clearly lie ahead for our understanding of this key PSM and improving its production potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a coupled hydro-mechanical field-enriched finite element method (HM-FE-FEM) is proposed to simulate hydraulic fracture propagation in poroelastic media. The governing equations of fluid flow and displacement are established based on the field variable and Biot's poroelastic theory. The unified field variable is introduced to characterize cracks and seepage channels in the poroelastic media. The coupled hydro-mechanical problems are solved by the staggered iterative scheme based on the Newton–Raphson iterative algorithm. The proposed method can be used to predict fluid pressure, fracture opening distribution, as well as crack initiation and propagation in hydraulic fracturing engineering. The accuracy and correctness of the proposed method HM-FE-FEM are validated by four benchmark examples. Subsequently, two classical hydraulic fracturing cases are investigated to showcase the potential and versatility of the proposed method. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is demonstrated by simulating hydraulically induced crack propagation in different types of complex natural networks. All the numerical results demonstrate the capability of HM-FE-FEM to predict and handle complex intersection behaviors in hydraulic fracturing engineering. Highlights: A coupled hydro-mechanical field-enriched finite element method is proposed to simulate the hydraulic fracture propagation in poroelastic media. The seepage channels and cracks in poroelastic media are characterized by the field variable. The accuracy and correctness of the proposed method are validated by four benchmark examples. The proposed method has the ability to simulate the complex coalescence behaviors in natural fracture networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delafossite semiconductor CuInO 2 has shown great potential in transparent electronics for its bipolar dopability. However, little is known about the limiting factors about its carrier mobility, which impedes its further development. Applying a b i n i t i o Boltzmann transport formalism, here we calculate the intrinsic, phonon-limited carrier mobility of CuInO 2 and study its carrier–phonon coupling mechanisms. The calculated room-temperature electron and hole mobilities along the in-plane direction are μ e = 97.6 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 and μ h = 1.4 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 , respectively. We find that the electron mobility is limited by the combination of acoustic phonons and polar longitudinal optical (LO) phonons, while the hole mobility is mainly limited by carrier–acoustic phonon scattering. We further show that the electron effective mass and bandgap of CuInO 2 can be tuned through strain engineering for improved carrier transport properties. Our work uncovers the underlying factors that govern the intrinsic carrier mobility of the transparent bipolar semiconductor CuInO 2 and sheds light on the design and exploration of bipolar conducting transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) based on delafossite semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More reinforced concrete supertall and megatall high-rise structures are being built due to the growing global demand for high-rise buildings, recent advancements in concrete technology, and improvements in construction techniques. When using concrete in these structures, additional care must be taken. Evaluating Super High-Rise Concrete Structures using various criteria is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) challenge. We propose an MCDM method with a set of criteria and alternatives. The Root Assessment Method (RAM) is applied in this study to rank the alternatives. The RAM method is integrated with plithogenic sets to handle uncertain information. Plithogenic operators are used to combine the plithogenic numbers into a single matrix. Seven criteria and nine alternatives are evaluated in this study. The results indicate that the Structural Strength and Stability criterion has the highest weight, while the Non-Structural Component Performance criterion has the lowest weight. Sensitivity analysis was conducted with different criteria weights to observe variations in the rankings of alternatives. The results demonstrate that the rankings of alternatives remain stable under varying weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphological and microstructural characteristics of gas hydrates within pores exert significant influence on the petrophysical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments; however, the evolution of these properties throughout hydrate formation and dissociation remains ambiguous. The dynamic pore-scale process of gas hydrate formation and dissociation in incompletely water-saturated sediments was visualized by X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray micro-CT). The shape factor, volume, surface area, Euler characteristics, and fractal dimensions of individual gas hydrate clusters were chosen to describe the evolution of microstructure and morphology during the formation and dissociation of the hydrates within the sediments. The results show that the topological parameters of individual hydrate clusters change obviously during the process of hydrate formation and dissociation. It is speculated that the isolated gas hydrate clusters in the pores decompose earlier in the initial stage of the experiment, and when the gas hydrate saturation is lower than the critical threshold, the dissociation of the interpore gas hydrate framework connected by the pore throat is dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disulfidotosis is a newly identified form of cell death associated with tumor response, patient outcomes, and cancer progression. This study aims to identify disulfidptosis‐related genes (DiRGs) and their role in osteosarcoma (OS) to predict prognosis and optimize drug therapy for better patient survival. Gene expression matrices and clinical information on OS were obtained from the TARGET and GEO databases. Unsupervised clustering analysis identified two DiRG molecular subgroups with significantly different intratumoral heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment cell infiltrating characteristics in OS. A robust disulfidptosis‐related prognostic model using five DiRGs was developed, demonstrating excellent predictive and prognostic power in OS with AUC values of 0.69, 0.78, and 0.85 for 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year periods, respectively. Investigations into the impact of disulfidoptosis on immune status in OS patients across different risk subgroups revealed that a low immune score and compromised immune status were associated with an unfavorable prognosis for OS patients. INF2 and MEGF10 genes are highly reliable predictors of metastasis among the hub DiRG genes. The validation results indicate a robust correlation between the expression of INF2 and MEGF10 and the severity of malignancy and metastasis in OS. Six drugs targeting osteosarcoma metastasis were identified, with INF2‐BP‐1‐102 and MEGF10‐AS703569 showing the best docking scores, indicating their potential to treat OS metastasis effectively. These findings provide valuable insight into improving treatment for OS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability of circular and annular sector plate structures under aerodynamic pressure in supersonic conditions is crucial for aircraft components. Conventional uniform materials lead to heavy structures, which are undesirable for aircraft. This study explores the use of functionally graded materials to enhance flutter stability. It employs a refined logarithmic shear deformation theory to describe plate displacement, classical elasticity theory for constitutive equations, and Hamilton's principle for equations of motion. Two methods, finite element, and Meshfree radial point interpolation, are used to solve these equations and verify the results. Parameter studies are conducted to assess the effects of grading index, Biot's coefficient, span angle, and geometrical aspect ratio, revealing unexpected adverse effects of grading material on stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the full compressible, viscous, non-resistive MHD system under the assumption that the fluids move on a plane while the magnetic field is oriented vertically. Within the framework of Besov spaces, by introducing several new unknown quantities and exploiting the intrinsic structure of the system, we prove the global well-posedness of strong solutions for initial data close to a constant equilibrium state. Furthermore, under some suitable additional conditions involving only the low-frequency part of the initial perturbation, we develop a Lyapunov-type energy argument, which yields the optimal time-decay rates of the global solution. To the best of our knowledge, our result is the first one on global-in-time solvability to the full compressible, viscous, non-resistive MHD system in multi-dimensional whole space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na4Fe3(PO4)2P2O7 cathode exhibits extensive potential for high‐power applications, owing to its large sodium ion diffusion channels, low cost, and suitable operating voltage. However, it suffers significant capacity degradation due to the inevitable NaFePO4 impurity. Herein, a synergistic strategy is proposed that integrates high entropy doping with Fe vacancy engineering, which not only preserves the phase purity but also provides additional active sites and further stabilizes its crystal structure. A novel Na4Fe2.61(Ni, Co, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mg)0.05(PO4)2P2O7 cathode has been successfully synthesized by a simple sol‐gel method, which exhibits an ultralong cycle life (over 15000 cycles at 5 A g−1) and outstanding rate capability (61.1 mAh g⁻¹ at 10A g−1). Additionally, a combined solid‐solution and biphasic reaction mechanism in sodium storage process is thoroughly confirmed. Notably, benefiting from the rational design of N/P ratio and well‐matched capacitive contributions, the full cells assembled with hard carbon anodes exhibit superior cycling durability, sustaining over 1000 cycles at a high current density of 1 A g⁻¹ without severe capacity deterioration. Such highly durable full cells with low N/P ratioand common ester‐based electrolytes have never been reported before. The present work offers new perspectives to expedite the commercialization of low‐cost, high‐power‐density sodium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yellow-green-emitting phosphors with good thermal stability when excited by ultraviolet (UV) light are relatively less common compared to blue and red phosphors. In this study, a serial of K 3 LaSi 2 O 7 : x Eu2+ (KLSO: x Eu2+) phosphors with hexagonal structure (P63/mcm space group) were successfully synthesized. Under 360 nm excitation, KLSO: x Eu2+ exhibits yellow-green luminescence peaked at 540 nm. Additionally, sharp emission peaks at 592 and 614 nm are observed when excited at 390 nm, indicating a small amount of Eu3+ ions still exist. The Eu2+ ions are found to occupy both La3+ and K+ sites in the KLSO host, resulting in two luminescent centers at 535 and 592 nm based on Gaussian fitting of the emission spectrum. The optimal Eu2+-doping concentration is verified at KLSO:0.05Eu2+. The thermal stability tests indicate that its luminescence intensity at 150 °C maintains 90.01 % of that at room-temperature. Meanwhile, the component substitution of Na+ ions for K+ ones is beneficial for the enhancement of luminescence, achieving a quantum efficiency of 40.62 %. Finally, this phosphor is applied to white LED, which shows a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4164 K, a color rendering index (CRI) of 86.6, and CIE color coordinate of (0.3604,0.3174). It indicates that K 3 LaSi 2 O 7 : x Eu2+ is a promising candidate for solid-state lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endowing conductive composites with thermoreversible properties is important for improving the stability and extending the service life of the material and are in line with today's concept of green chemistry. In this study, thermoreversible conductive XNBR-based composites with excellent mechanical, reprocessable and conductive properties were prepared via a simple and feasible emulsion blending technique. Carbon black was used as a conductive filler, and epoxy resin and zinc chloride (ZnCl2) were added as a crosslinking agent into carboxylated nitrile butadiene rubber (XNBR) through latex mixing. In particular, the –COOH group on the XNBR molecular chain forms β-hydroxy ester and ionic bonds with epoxy groups and Zn2+, respectively, constituting a dual dynamic network structure. The prepared rubber has a tensile strength of 10.81 MPa, an elongation at break of more than 300%, and a conductivity of up to 0.0102 S m−1. Moreover, the composite has a high gauge factor (18.4) under fairly large strain (100%) and can accurately detect human activities, thus showing great potential as strain sensors. In addition, the tensile strength and electrical conductivity of the repeatedly processed material can reach 101% and 60%, respectively, of the original sample. Furthermore, based on its stretchability and conductivity, the composite is sensitively capable of capturing variation in strain, which shows great potential for application in strain sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fly ash–cement composite backfill slurry, prepared by partially replacing cement with fly ash, has been demonstrated to effectively reduce the mine backfill costs and carbon emissions associated with cement production. However, the use of fly ash often results in insufficient early and medium-term strength of the backfill material. To address the demand for high medium-term strength in backfill materials under continuous mining and backfilling conditions, this study developed a silica fume–fly ash–cement composite backfill slurry. The effects of varying silica fume contents on the slurry's flowability, uniaxial compressive strength, microstructure, and pore characteristics were systematically investigated. The results showed that increasing the silica fume content significantly reduced the slurry's flowability. However, at a silica fume content of 5%, the slurry achieved optimal medium-term strength, with a 14-day uniaxial compressive strength of 3.98 MPa, representing a 25% improvement compared to the control group. A microstructural analysis revealed that a moderate silica fume content promoted the formation of calcium silicate hydrate gel, filled micropores, and optimized the pore structure, thereby enhancing the overall strength and durability of the material. Conversely, an excessive silica fume content above 5% led to a marked decrease in both flowability and strength. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of silica fume's effects on the flowability, strength, and microstructure, the optimal silica fume content was determined to be 5%. This study provides a theoretical basis and practical guidance for improving the efficiency of continuous mining and backfilling operations, and for designing high-performance backfill materials suitable for continuous mining and filling conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights In this paper, the mechanical properties of carbon/Kevlar hybrid fiber‐reinforced resin composites at different temperatures were studied. The hybrid composites were prepared by Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion (VARI). The sandwich structure of reinforcement consists of Kevlar plain weave fiber as a surface layer and carbon fiber plain weave fabric as a core layer, while the matrix consists of a curing agent and epoxy resin. The bending and tensile properties of the composite specimens were tested at different temperatures using the in situ testing method, separately. The fracture morphology was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the damage mechanism of the material properties at the micro‐scales. The results show that the sandwich composite material shows a positive hybrid effect. The carbon fibers increases effectively the strength and rigidity of the sample, while Kevlar fiber improves the toughness and brittle damage mode. The mechanical properties of hybrid composite laminates are strongly dependent on temperature. The tensile and bending properties of carbon/Kevlar hybrid composites decreased when the temperature increased from −30°C to 40°C. The effect of temperature on the bending properties was more pronounced for the carbon/Kevlar hybrid composites. This study consists of damage analysis and variation analysis of the mechanical behavior of carbon/Kevlar composite specimens, which will lay the foundation to provide basic data for the application of carbon/Kevlar hybrid composites. Advantages of carbon/Kevlar hybrid sandwiched structure on tensile and bending properties. Comprehensive mechanical property testing in multiple composite environments. Based on the hybrid effect and temperature effect, the damage mechanism of the sample was analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poverty alleviation relocation program (PAR) is a milestone project in breaking spatial poverty traps in ethnic mountainous regions and provides a key solution for eradicating global absolute poverty. As direct participants in the restructuring of environmental and livelihood systems, the livelihood adaptation of relocated households is fundamental to the sustainable development of human-land systems in resettlement sites and the consolidation of the success of poverty alleviation. This research constructs an adaptive integration analysis framework of "external disturbance-adaptation process-adaptation outcome", by utilizing questionnaire data from relocated households in the Liangshan Yi minority area of Southwest China, and employing a formative structural equation model to investigate the transmission mechanisms and heterogeneous effects of PAR on livelihood adaptation across different resettlement characteristics. The results indicate that: (1) External disturbance of PAR facilitates positive adaptation outcomes, with follow-up supportive policy as the most significant determinant, which contributes directly to adaptation outcomes and indirectly through improved learning and self-organization capacity. Conversely, risk perception has a negative impact on adaptation outcomes and further exacerbates adverse impacts by reducing buffering capacity. (2) The pathways influencing subjective and objective adaptation outcomes demonstrate heterogeneity. PAR has a positive impact on subjective adaptation, but a non-significant effect on objective adaptation, self-organization capacity and buffering capacity are the most important direct drivers and mediating variables affecting both, respectively. (3) Resettlement characteristics exert a moderating effect on livelihood adaptation. The positive effect of follow-up supportive policy on learning capacity and the marginal contribution of learning capacity to adaptative strategies being greater in mid-to-long-term resettlements. Buffering capacity of village resettlements and subjective adaptation of town resettlements are more beneficial from follow-up supportive policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, tea is a popular beverage; within the realm of Chinese tea, Sichuan tea holds particular significance for its role in the origin and composition of Chinese tea cultivars. Sichuan tea is noted for its rich content of free amino acids (FAAs) and tea polyphenols (TPs), which has made it an important subject for studying genetic diversity and the genes regulating these compounds. In this study, 139 varieties of tea were collected from areas in Sichuan Province, China, with similar geographical and climatic conditions. The FAA content was approximately 3% and the TP content was approximately 17%. Using RAD sequencing, 5,656,224 variant loci were identified, primarily comprising SNPs (94.17%) and indels (5.83%). Evolutionary analysis revealed that genetic divergence was not closely linked to the collection location. Population structure analysis confirmed a division into two main populations having a similar composition to the phylogenetic clusters. Screening for FAA-related SNPs identified significant loci associated with 33 genes that potentially regulate FAA content. Similarly, TP-related analysis pinpointed 8 SNPs significantly linked to 20 candidate genes. Notably, genetic associations hinted at the genes involved in the stress response and the accumulation of phenolic compounds, enhancing the understanding of determinants of tea quality. This research underscores the potential for molecular breeding based on genetic insights, suggesting pathways to improve the FAA and TP contents in tea. These findings not only provide a solid foundation for exploring gene–chemical interactions but also offer practical strategies for improving the nutritional and sensory attributes of tea cultivars through informed breeding practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The driving force of the fluid in passive phase-change devices is provided by the porous wick, and thus, the porous wick is one of the key factors determining the performance of these devices. In this work, the properties of sintered nickel powder porous wicks were systematically studied to give a comprehensive evaluation. Three particle sizes (average diameter 2–20 μm), pore-forming agent concentration (0%–30%wt), and two preparation methods [loose sintering (LS) and cold press sintering] were utilized to prepare 42 samples. The results showed that with the increase in particle size and pore-forming agent concentration and the decrease in preparation pressure, the capillary performance was enhanced due to the improvement in the connectivity of internal pores. However, the strength of the wick decreased. Additionally, an improved model for the capillary wick performance and permeability was proposed by combining the traditional Kozeny–Carman permeability formula with an enhanced permeability equation based on the research outcomes of Byon and Kin. The improved model was specifically optimized for scenarios involving the pore-forming agent. The predicted results agreed well with the experimental data, thoroughly validating the effectiveness of the developed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality development under environmental objective constraints represents a paradigm shift from perceiving environmental constraints as mere external pressures to embracing them as endogenous catalysts for progress. This shift, however, mandates considerable technological advancements, resource reallocations, and managerial overhauls, all requiring substantial capital investments. Chinese manufacturing SMEs, despite their efforts to adapt, often face challenges that hinder this transformation. To effectively facilitate this transition, it is crucial to pinpoint the barriers and craft tailored strategies to mitigate their inhibitory effects. Through a combination of theoretical deductions and on-the-ground research, this study not only identifies these barriers but also employs the ISM-MICMAC methodology to unpack their hierarchical and influential nature. Remarkably, the findings highlight that overcome technological and political barriers loom large, while the often-discussed economic and organizational barriers seem comparatively less formidable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus is an endocrine and metabolic disorder that appears for the first time during pregnancy and causes varying degrees of short- and/or long-term effects on the mother and child. The etiology of the disease is currently unknown and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation proteomics approach, the present study attempted to identify potential proteins in placental tissues that may be involved in the pathogenesis of GDM and adverse foetal pregnancy outcomes. Methods: Pregnant women with GDM hospitalised were selected as the experimental group, and pregnant women with normal glucose metabolism as the control group. The iTRAQ protein quantification technology was used to screen the differentially expressed proteins between the GDM group and the normal control group, and the differentially expressed proteins were analysed by GO, KEGG, PPI, etc., and the key proteins were subsequently verified by western blot. Results: Based on the proteomics of iTRAQ, we experimented with three different samples of placental tissues from GDM and normal pregnant women, and the total number of identified proteins were 5906, 5959, and 6017, respectively, which were similar in the three different samples, indicating that the results were reliable. Through the Wayne diagram, we found that the total number of proteins coexisting in the three groups was 4475, and 91 differential proteins that could meet the quantification criteria were strictly screened, of which 32 proteins were up-regulated and 59 proteins were down-regulated. By GO enrichment analysis, these differential proteins are widely distributed in extracellular membrane-bounded organelle, mainly in extracellular exosome, followed by intracellular vesicle, extracellular organelle. It not only undertakes protein binding, protein complex binding, macromolecular complex binding, but also involves molecular biological functions such as neutrophil degranulation, multicellular organismal process, developmental process, cellular component organization, secretion, regulated exocytosis. Through the analysis of the KEGG signaling pathway, it is found that these differential proteins are mainly involved in HIF-1 signaling pathway, Glycolysis/Gluconeogenesis, Central carbon metabolism in cancer, AMPK signaling pathway, Proteoglycans in cancer, Protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, Thyroid cancer, Alcoholism, Glucagon signaling pathway. Discussion: This preliminary study helps us to understand the changes in the placental proteome of GDM patients, and provides new insights into the pathophysiology of GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leakages are very prevalent in water distribution networks in China, particularly in urban areas. District metering areas (DMAs) provide a practical approach for monitoring the operation of water supply systems and a robust scientific basis for controlling leakages. Therefore, in this study, we assessed leakages in the water distribution network at the city scale using DMAs, with Wuhu, Anhui Province, China as an example. Residential districts in the urban area were divided into four DMA levels. The minimum night flow (MNF) method was used to investigate the extent of the leakages from the urban water distribution network in Wuhu. Finally, we summarize how DMAs could support the management of the urban water supply network during the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages. The results from this case study showed that DMAs and MNF could be integrated to assess the water network leakages in Wuhu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) has heightened the significance of secondary noise sources, such as buzz, squeak, and rattle (BSR), which can detract from vehicle quality and customer satisfaction. Among these, body squeaking noise, particularly during the electro-coating (e-coating) process, presents a notable challenge due to its impact on vehicle acoustic comfort. Despite advancements in automotive noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) control, the specific viscoelastic mechanisms contributing to squeaking noise under varying thermal and mechanical conditions remain inadequately understood. This study addresses these gaps by employing the Maxwell Viscoelastic Model to investigate the time-dependent mechanical behavior of body-in-white (BIW) coatings during the e-coating process. Key finding indicates that the glass transition temperature (Tg ) of the coating material plays a critical role in noise occurrence, particularly under high-temperature conditions and road-induced vibrations. This research contributes novel insights to the field by integrating theoretical analysis with empirical data to enhance the understanding of viscoelastic properties in automotive coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) directly using zinc metal anodes are promising candidates for grid‐scale energy storage systems due to their intrinsic high theoretical capacity, high safety, and environmental friendliness. However, the uncontrolled dendrite growth and water‐triggered side reactions seriously plague its practical application. Herein, a cost‐effective and green additive, maltodextrin (MD) is presented, to simultaneously guide the smooth Zn deposition and inhibit the occurrence of water‐related side reactions. Combing experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations shows that the MD molecules could reconstruct the Helmholtz plane, induces a preferential growth of zinc along the (002) plane, and the optimized regulation of the Zn2+ diffusion path and deposition location also results in the formation of fine‐grained Zn deposition layers, thereby inhibiting dendrite growth. In addition, MD molecules readily adsorb to the zinc anode surface, which isolates water molecules from direct contact with the zinc metal, reducing hydrogen precipitation reactions and inhibiting the formation of by‐products. Consequently, the Zn||Zn symmetric cell with MD achieves ultra‐long stable cycles of up to 5430 h at 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mA h cm−2, and the Cu||Zn asymmetric cell can stable cycle 1000 cycles with an average coulomb efficiency of 99.78%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]