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Accurate identification of structural displacements is important for structural state assessment and performance evaluation. This paper proposes a real-time structural displacement detection model based on computer vision and deep learning. The model consists of three stages: identification, tracking, and displacement resolution. First, the displacement target is identified and tracked by the improved YOLO v7 algorithm and the improved DeepSORT algorithm. Then, the Euclidean distance method based on inverse perspective mapping (IPM-ED) is proposed for the analytical conversion of the displacement. Next, the accuracy and effectiveness of this displacement detection model are evaluated through four groups of bamboo axial compression tests. A comparative analysis is conducted between the IPM-ED displacement analysis method and the commonly used ED displacement analysis method. Finally, the robustness of this method is tested by using a cable breakage test of a cable dome structure as an application case. The research results demonstrate that the maximum average error of the four groups of bamboo displacement tests is only 3.10 mm, and the maximum relative error of peak displacement is only 6.54 mm. The RMSE basically stays around 3.5 mm. The maximum displacement error in the application case is only 4.91 mm, with a maximum MAPE of 4.94%. In addition, the error percentage under the IPM-ED algorithm is basically within 5%, while the error percentage of the ED algorithm is more than 10%. The method in this paper achieves efficient and intelligent identification of structural displacements in a non-contact manner. The proposed method is suitable for environments where the contact displacement sensor is easily affected by vibration, the site is complex and requires additional displacement sensor fixing equipment, the displacement sensor with super-high structure is unsafe to deploy, and the contact displacement sensor in narrow space is inconvenient to deploy, so it has broad application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Link prediction aims to capture the evolution of network structure, especially in real social networks, which is conducive to friend recommendations, human contact trajectory simulation, and more. However, the challenge of the stochastic social behaviors and the unstable space-time distribution in such networks often leads to unexplainable and inaccurate link predictions. Therefore, taking inspiration from the success of imitation learning in simulating human driver behavior, we propose a dynamic network link prediction method based on inverse reinforcement learning (DN-IRL) to unravel the motivations behind social behaviors in social networks. Specifically, the historical social behaviors (link sequences) and a next behavior (a single link) are regarded as the current environmental state and the action taken by the agent, respectively. Subsequently, the reward function, which is designed to maximize the cumulative expected reward from expert behaviors in the raw data, is optimized and utilized to learn the agent's social policy. Furthermore, our approach incorporates the neighborhood structure based node embedding and the self-attention modules, enabling sensitivity to network structure and traceability to predicted links. Experimental results on real-world dynamic social networks demonstrate that DN-IRL achieves more accurate and explainable of prediction compared to the baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collision accidents of construction vehicles frequently occur during the construction of building projects. It is difficult to warn of collision risk efficiently by using the safety control methods of on-site inspection and viewing surveillance video. Therefore, a novel collision risk warning model for construction vehicles is proposed in this paper. The model comprises a state awareness module and a collision risk assessment module. In the state awareness module, the YOLOv7 algorithm is used to identify and locate construction vehicles. The DeepSORT algorithm is used for the real-time tracking of construction vehicles. Finally, the state awareness module obtains a wealth of sensing information and provides it to the collision risk assessment module. In the collision risk assessment module, the speed assessment method and the minimum safety distance assessment method of construction vehicles are innovatively proposed and compiled. In the speed assessment method, the speed of construction vehicles is calculated and speeding warnings are performed using the transformation matrix between latitude and longitude coordinates and image pixel coordinates. In the minimum safety distance assessment method, the original surveillance picture is converted into a bird's eye view (BEV) of the world coordinate system through inverse perspective mapping (IPM). Then the distance of all construction vehicles is traversed, and the visual warning of the minimum safe distance is provided. The effectiveness and robustness of this collision risk warning model were verified by taking three practical projects in different construction stages as examples. The research results show that the mean average precision (mAP@0.5:0.95) of the construction vehicles collision risk warning model can reach 89.10%, and it has a good tracking effect and an efficient collision risk warning strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a structural topological index, the number of subtrees has great significance for the analysis and design of hybrid locally reliable networks. In this paper, with generating function and introducing a novel two-forest dual transformation technique, we solve the subtree enumerating problems of two representatives of the self-similar networks, such as the hierarchical lattice and |$(u,v)$| -flower networks. Moreover, by means of the circle weight transfer technique, two linear time algorithms of computing the subtree generation functions of these two families of networks are also proposed. The subtree density of two special cases for these self-similar networks is briefly discussed as an application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the longitudinal vibration characteristics of the pipe pile in the liquid-saturated ground due to Rayleigh waves propagation with considering the influence of the nonisothermal condition on the wave motion. Firstly, the Rayleigh wavefield in the liquid-saturated thermoelastic ground is deduced theoretically with taking advantage of the Biot theory and the non-Fourier law of heat conduction. Secondly, the longitudinal frequency domain solution of the pipe pile under Rayleigh waves is derived analytically. Finally, the dependence of the pipe pile response on the physical parameter is illustrated by utilizing several numerical examples. The result reveals that increase in the thermal expansion coefficient of saturated soil significantly augments the longitudinal displacement and side friction of pile body. Increase in the permeability of saturated soil will reduce the pile head displacement. When the pile length is less than its effective length, the rise of the pile length will reduce the pile head displacement. Augment of both the outer radius and wall thickness of the pipe pile will help to reduce the pile head displacement. However, the lateral inertia effect of the pipe pile has slight influence on its longitudinal behavior under Rayleigh waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of electrodes on antiferroelectricity and fatigue endurance of 15 nm thick Hf0.2Zr0.8O2 thin films has been studied by a metal–antiferroelectric–metal capacitor structure using TiN and W as electrodes. The W|Hf0.2Zr0.8O2|W capacitor shows significantly enhanced antiferroelectricity and better endurance compared to the capacitor using TiN as the electrode. Assisted by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy, the different electrical properties are discussed based on the contents of different phases and the diffusion of oxygen from the thin film into electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The early allopolyploid Brassica napus was a hybrid of two Brassica species, that had undergone a whole genome duplication event followed by genome restructuring, including deletions and small scale duplications. A large number of homologous genes appeared functional divergence during species domestication. Due to the high conservation of de novo glycerolipid biosynthesis, multiple homologues of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPATs) have been found in B. napus. Moreover, the functional variances among these homologous GPAT-encoding genes are unclear. Results: In this study, four B. napus homologous genes encoding glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 9 (BnaGPAT9) were characterized. Although a bioinformatics analysis indicated high protein sequence similarity, the homologues demonstrated tissue-specific expression patterns and functional divergence. Yeast genetic complementation assays revealed that BnaGPAT9-A1/C1 homologues but not BnaGPAT9-A10/C9 homologues encoded functional GPAT enzymes. Furthermore, a single nucleotide polymorphism of BnaGPAT9-C1 that occurred during the domestication process was associated with enzyme activity and contributed to the fatty acid composition. The seed-specific expression of BnGPAT9-C11124A increased the erucic acid content in the transformant seeds. Conclusions: This study revealed that BnaGPAT9 gene homologues evolved into functionally divergent forms with important roles in erucic acid biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BiFeO3–SrTiO3 (BF–ST) ceramics have been considered a novel class of lead‐free dielectric materials exhibiting notable dielectric constants and remarkable thermal stability. In this work, we fabricated a series of (1 − x)BF–xST (0.32 ≤ x ≤ 0.44) ceramics near the morphotropic phase boundary and comprehensively investigated their microstructure and electrical properties, which seeks to optimize the piezoelectric performance. As the ST content increases, a gradual reduction in the rhombohedral phase fraction is observed alongside a corresponding increase in the cubic phase fraction. Although x = 0.38, the maximum grain size of 5.66 μm is obtained, accompanied by a distinctive heterogeneous core–shell microstructure, which demonstrates a high remanent polarization of 51.2 μC/cm2 and a maximum d33 value of 72 pC/N. Furthermore, impedance spectroscopy analysis reveals the formation of a conductive core and a nonconductive shell within the sample. These findings highlight the potential of optimized BF–ST ceramics as promising alternatives to lead‐based piezoelectric materials, offering exceptional ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional knowledge graph representation learn the representation of entities and relations by projecting triples in the knowledge graph to a continuous vector space. The vector representation increases the precision of link prediction and the efficiency of downstream tasks. However, these methods cannot process previously unseen entities during the knowledge graph evolution. In other words, the model trained on the source knowledge graph cannot be applied to the target knowledge graph containing new unseen entities. Recently, a few subgraph-based link prediction models obtained the inductive ability, but they all neglect semantic information. In this work, we propose an inductive representation learning model TGraiL which considers not only the topological structure but also semantic information. First, distance in the subgraph is used to encode the node's topological structure. Second, the projection matrix is used to encode the entity type information. Finally, both kinds of information are fused for training to acquire the ultimate vector representation of entities. The experimental results indicate that the model's performance has been significantly improved compared to the existing baseline models, demonstrating the method's effectiveness and superiority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analytical representation of kinematic interaction between pipe pile and unsaturated soil subjected to vertical SH-waves is revisited using three-dimension continuum modelling. The fractional-order standard line solid (FSLS) model is employed in the governing equation of unsaturated soil to refine the characterization of the flow-independent viscosity of the soil skeleton. The Timoshenko beam theory is utilized to describe the horizontal dynamic behavior of pipe pile. A closed series form solution of horizontal kinematic response for a pipe pile embedded in unsaturated soils under the action of vertical SH-waves is deduced theoretically with boundary conditions of pile-soil system. The solutions of the proposed model are compared with those captured from existing solutions. Finally, the effects of physical parameters in pile-soil system on the horizontal kinematic response of pipe pile under SH-waves are evaluated with analytical examples and parametric study. The results indicate that FSLS model parameters have significant impact on the horizontal kinematic response of the pipe pile, changes in the soil saturation have a relatively slight effect on the horizontal kinematic response of the pipe pile, and the length and radii of pipe pile should be moderate rather than too large or too small to make the pipe pile play a better seismic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual querying of location-based data assists users in expressing query requirements, investigating query results and making inferences. However, directly accessing data records exposes individual location information and may cause privacy issues. Conventional aggregation-based methods can preserve location-relevant privacy but may lead to the loss of detailed information and failure of analysis. Visualization aids users in gaining a deeper comprehension of the query process and the variation of information concerning privacy-preservation. In this paper, we present a privacy-aware visual query approach for location-based data. We propose a graph-based privacy-preserving scheme to protect location privacy in the visualization, and two visual metaphors to enhance understandings of information-variation in the privacy-preserving process. We design and implement a visual interface that supports a progressive process of query conditions specification and query results exploration. Experiments on real-world urban datasets demonstrate that our approach is capable of making a fair balance between location privacy and data analysis. [Display omitted] • Directly query location data may lead to privacy issues. • Anonymizing data preserves data privacy but limits data utility. • Graph-based anonymization sanitizes data privacy effectively and dynamically. • Interactive visual query interface enables a fair balance between privacy and utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn doped CaZrO3-NaNbO3 solid solutions were prepared by a conventional solid reaction method. Mn doping can reduce leakage current significantly and the optimized content is 3% (mole). For Mn doped CaZrO3-NaNbO3 solid solutions, the antiferroelectricity is stabilized when the content of CaZrO3 is less than 6% (mole) When the content of CaZrO3 is higher than 6% (mole), the polarization decreases, the polarization-electric hysteresis loop becomes slim, and the antiferroelectric-antiferroelectric related dielectric peak disappears, indicating antiferroelectric ordering is destroyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the identification of two novel variations in the ABO*B.01 allele that give rise to weak B and AB phenotypes. The variations, c.11_15dup and c.17G>A, were found in exon 1 of the ABO gene. The study involved a 35-year-old Chinese woman and her family, and serological and genetic testing was conducted to determine their ABO phenotypes and genotypes. The results showed that the proband had the Bvar/ABO*O.01.02 allele, while her children had the ABO*A1.02/Bvar allele. The novel B allele was altered at position 17 and had a duplication between bases 11 and 15. The authors suggest that these variations may decrease the activity of B transferase and weaken the expression of related antigens. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the weak B phenotype. [Extracted from the article]

• The vertical kinematic response of a pipe pile in unsaturated soil under P-waves is studied theoretically. • Introducing the fractional standard linear solid (FSLS) model describes the flow-independent viscosity of soil skeleton. • The effects of soil parameters on the seismic response of pipe pile are evaluated with parametric analysis. • The effects of slenderness and radius ratios for pipe pile on its seismic response are investigated in detail. • The physical mechanism behind the theoretical results is stated and discussed. This work investigates the kinematic response of a pipe pile embedded in a fractional-order viscoelastic unsaturated soil stratum over a rigid base subjected to vertically-propagating seismic P-waves based on a continuum model. The fractional standard line solid model is introduced to the governing equation of unsaturated soil to refine the frequency-dependent viscoelastic behavior of the soil skeleton. The Rayleigh-Love rod theory is utilized to characterize the vertical motion of the pipe pile. A rigorous series form solution for the vertical kinematic response of the end-bearing pipe pile under vertically incident P-waves is yielded theoretically with boundary conditions of pile-soil system. The proposed solution is then verified by comparing with the numerical result of the reported solution. Based on the given rigorous analyzed solution, the effects of physical parameters in pile-soil system on the vertical kinematic response of the end-bearing pipe pile under harmonic P-waves are studied in both the frequency and time domains through calculation example and parametric analysis. Finally, relevant meaningful conclusions are included and indicate that soil parameters and pipe pile dimensions have significant effect on the vertical kinematic response of the pipe pile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dopamine was used to modify polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in order to obtain functional polydopamine (PDA) surface-modified PTFE microporous film (PTFE@PDA). Ag was deposited on the surface of PTFE@PDA using electroless plating in order to obtain Ag-wrapped PTFE@PDA film (PTFE@Ag). A liquid-phase chemical reduction method was employed to prepare nickel nanochains. A Ni@PVDF cast film was obtained by mechanically blended nickel nanochains and polyimide (PVDF). The above two films were hot pressed to give a flexible, ultra-thin, and highly effective electromagnetic shielding composite film with a "3+2" layered structure. IR, XRD, and TEM results showed the PTFE@PDA film surface was coated by a tight plating layer of Ag particles with a particle size of 100~200 nm. PTFE@Ag+Ni@PVDF composite film exhibited excellent electromagnetic shielding effectiveness, with the conductivity of 7507.5 S/cm and the shielding effectiveness of 69.03 dB in the X-band range. After a 2000-cycle bending, this value still remained at 51.90 dB. Furthermore, the composite film presented excellent tensile strength of 62.1 MPa. It has great potential for applications in flexible and wearable intelligent devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sr 0.6 Ba 0.4 Nb 2 O 6 is an unfilled tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) with one empty A1/A2 site. In this work, Ca2+ doped Sr 0.6 Ba 0.4 Nb 2 O 6 , Ca x Sr 0.6-x Ba 0.4 Nb 2 O 6 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6) ceramics were designed to adjust A-site occupancy and then prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction method to study the influence of A-site occupancy on structure, phase transition, and electric properties of the ceramics. With increasing x , the ceramics vary from pure unfilled TTB to multiphase of the main TTB and a parasitic CaNb 2 O 6. Nevertheless, the properties of Ca x Sr 0.6-x Ba 0.4 Nb 2 O 6 are mainly decided by the TTB phase. Specifically, phase transition, dielectric permittivity, and polarization of the ceramics are closely related to the site occupancies of Sr2+ and Ba2+ at the A2 sites of the TTB phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper (Cu) contamination has become a severe problem in freshwater environments worldwide. The freshwater mussel Anodonta woodiana is used as a unique bioindicator to monitor Cu contamination in freshwater environments. However, Cu toxicity and response mechanisms in A. woodiana are still largely unknown. A sublethal acute exposure experiment (2.0 mg/L Cu exposure for 72 h) was conducted to investigate the effects of Cu bioaccumulation on ionoregulatory homeostasis, histological features, and transcriptome responses using A. woodiana gills as indicator tissue. The gill bioaccumulation capacity was up to 474. Cu bioaccumulation decreased Na+ and Mg2+ concentrations (p < 0.05) by 82% and 17%, respectively, and induced cilia loss, epithelial desquamation, and filament atrophy of the gills. Transcriptome analysis identified 3160 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 1870 upregulated and 1290 downregulated genes. GO enrichment analysis showed that cellular processes, metabolic processes, biological regulation, and responses to stimuli contained the most DEGs in the biological processes. KEGG pathway analysis showed that apoptosis, arginine and proline metabolism, the toll-like receptor signaling pathway, apoptosis-multiple species, histidine metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, and the p53 signaling pathway were significantly enriched. These findings provide comprehensive evidence for exploring Cu toxicity and response mechanisms in freshwater mussels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interlayer soil is common in southern Xinjiang, because interlayer can reduce the infiltration rate of soil water. To simulate the interlayer soil in heavy saline–alkali cotton fields, this paper adopted a vertical one-dimensional infiltration test. T1 (315 mm), T2 (270 mm), and T3 (225 mm) and different interlayer positions (T5, 315 mm) and thicknesses of the interlayer (T6, 315 mm) with the same irrigation volume, as well as one perforation and sand filling treatment (T4, 315 mm), were set. The influence of different irrigation amounts, locations, and thicknesses of the interlayer and sand injection on water infiltration was analyzed. The analysis results showed that with the increase in irrigation amount, the water infiltration rate and the migration distance of the wet front increased, but did not penetrate to the bottom soil (90 cm). Under the same irrigation volume, the increase in interlayer thickness (T6) compared with the increase in interlayer position (T5), the change in soil moisture content in the upper and lower layers of the interlayer was greater, and the advance time of wetting front migration and cumulative infiltration were slightly higher. After tunneling and sand filling (T4), the infiltration rate of water was increased, the migration time of the wet front was reduced, and the profile water content of each soil layer was improved. The Kostiakov model could better simulate the water infiltration characteristics of interlayer soil with different profile configurations in heavily saline–alkali land. The results showed that in all of the treatments, only the wet front of the soil moisture reached 100 cm in the T4 treatment, and the maximum was only 87.8 cm in the other treatments, indicating that too little irrigation water or the upward movement and thickening of the interlayer were not conducive to water infiltration. For the interlayer soil area in the heavy saline–alkali land in southern Xinjiang, the appropriate irrigation water should be more than 315 mm. The treatment of drilling first and then filling sand can be used as a simple but effective measure to increase the water infiltration rate of the interlayer soil, and can thus be applied to the layered soil structure in the interlayer position of 60–80 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, recycled high-density polyethylene (REHDPE)/black shale (B-shale) composites were prepared by a melt-blending method using a B-shale nucleating agent and polyolefin elastomer (POE) and acrylic impact modifier (ACR) as plasticizers. The melt index, microstructure, mechanical properties, and non-isothermal crystallization behavior of REHDPE were analyzed to determine the effects of the nucleating agent and plasticizer. Scanning electron microscopy and the melt index indicated that POE and ACR increased the melt flow rate of the composites and improved the interfacial properties of B-shale and REHDPE. The non-isothermal crystallization processes of the REHDPE and REHDPE composites were successfully described by Hoffmann–Lauritzen theory, demonstrating that B-shale, POE, and ACR can synergistically accelerate the crystallization process of REHDPE. The Friedman method revealed that B-shale, POE and ACR reduced the crystallization activation energy by heterogeneous nucleation and increasing the melt flow, respectively. The POE and ACR further enhanced the nucleation activity of B-shale and the nucleation activity is negatively correlated with the B-shale content according to the Dobreva and Gutzow's methods. The synergistic effect of nucleating agent and plasticizer improved the mechanical properties of REHDPE and solved the problem in relatively low mechanical properties of recycled plastics. And it will provide a new strategy for the practical production of REHDPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the energy storage density while maintaining low dielectric loss is crucial for the miniaturization of capacitors. In the present study, we proposed a ternary nanocomposite system comprised of polypropylene (PP), acrylic acid grafted PP (PP-g-AA), and nano-ZrO2. The PP-g-AA was firstly prepared by a free radical grafting with the proportion fixed to 50 wt%, and the content of nano-ZrO2 ranged from 0.5 wt% to 5 wt% to tailor the ternary composite. The transmission electron microscope observation showed that PP-g-AA could significantly benefit the dispersion of nanoparticles and the differential scanning calorimetry results indicated the superior compatibility of the ternary nanocomposites. Accordingly, with the optimum nano-ZrO2 content of 0.5 wt%, the ternary nanocomposites achieved the permittivity of 2.7 and DC breakdown strength of 456.2 kV mm−1, resulting in the enhanced energy density of 2.77 J cm−3 which was 60% higher than neat PP, while the dielectric loss was kept lower than 0.003. Moreover, even at the temperature of 120 °C, the ternary nanocomposites maintained a high-performance energy storage density of 2.28 J cm−3 (with energy storage efficiency above 90%), which was 670% of the neat PP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant frequency modes of pre-summer extreme precipitation events (EPEs) over South China (SC) between 1998 and 2018 were investigated. The 67 identified EPEs were all characterized by the 3–8-d (synoptic) frequency band. However, multiscale combined modes of the synoptic and three low-frequency bands [10–20-d (quasi-biweekly, QBW); 15–40-d (quasi-monthly, QM); and 20–60-d (intraseasonal)] accounted for the majority (63%) of the EPEs, and the precipitation intensity on the peak wet day was larger than that of the single synoptic mode. It was found that EPEs form within strong southwesterly anomalous flows characterized by either lower-level cyclonic circulation over SC or a deep trough over eastern China. Bandpass-filtered disturbances revealed the direct precipitating systems and their life cycles. Synoptic-scale disturbances are dominated by mid-high latitude troughs, and the cyclonic anomalies originate from downstream of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Given the warm and moist climate state, synoptic-scale northeasterly flows can even induce EPEs. At the QBW and QM scales, the disturbances originate from the tropical Pacific, downstream of the TP, or mid-high latitudes (QBW only). Each is characterized by cyclonic-anticyclonic wave trains and intense southwesterly flows between them within a region of large horizontal pressure gradient. The intraseasonal disturbances are confined to tropical regions and influence SC by marginal southwesterly flows. It is concluded that low-frequency disturbances provide favorable background conditions for EPEs over SC and synoptic-scale disturbances ultimately induce EPEs on the peak wet days. Both should be simultaneously considered for EPE predictions over SC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the flow‐independent viscosity of soil skeleton and the lateral inertia effect of pipe pile, the vertical dynamic behavior of a pipe pile embedded in unsaturated soil is investigated in this work when the pipe pile is subjected to the vertical dynamic loading. In order to model this problem, the fractional‐order standard linear solid (FSLS) model is introduced to characterize the flow‐independent viscosity of the soil skeleton, the Rayleigh‐Love rod model is employed to specify the lateral inertia effect of pipe pile, while both vertical and radial soil displacement are entirely considered. The analytical solution of the pipe pile complex impedance is obtained through the rigorous theoretical derivation. Numerical results with known analytical solution are finally presented to discuss the influence of the model parameters for the FSLS model, lateral inertia effect and geometrical characteristic for the pipe pile, and saturation degree and intrinsic permeability for the unsaturated soil on the vertical complex impedance of the pipe pile. The main results indicate that enlarging the fractional‐order index, raising the strain relaxation time, or shortening the stress relaxation time will reduce the oscillation amplitude and natural frequency for the dynamic stiffness and damping of the pipe pile but will improve their mean value. The lateral inertia effect of pipe pile has effect on its complex impedance only in the high‐frequency region. The outer and inner radii of pipe pile, pile length, soil saturation degree, and soil intrinsic permeability are highly correlated with the pipe pile complex impedance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amounts of septic tank sludges from sanitation facilities are either landfilled or illegally dumped into the natural environment, leading to environmental pollution and waste of resources. This issue calls for advanced methods to recycle septic tank sludges such as sustainable adsorbents to recycle phosphorus, e.g., in agriculture, in the context of the circular economy. Here, we hypothesized that alkaline septic tank sludge biochar could be an efficient adsorbent to recycle phosphate from wastewater. We first prepared raw biochar by pyrolysis of septic tank sludge at 500 °C. Then, we prepared alkaline biochar by pyrolysis at 800 °C of mixtures of potassium hydroxide (KOH) and raw biochar at 3/1, 4/1 and 5/1 mass ratios. We studied biochar properties by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and we quantified adsorption of phosphates by biochars. Results show that phosphate adsorption highly increases with KOH content, from 27.83 mg/g for the raw biochar to 42.51 mg/g for the 5/1 KOH-biochar. This trend is explained by the increase in biochar surface area from 64.214 m2/g for the raw biochar to 82.901 m2/g for the 5/1 KOH-biochar, and by the improvement of the structural properties and surface morphology of KOH-biochars. Overall, alkaline biochar appears as a promising adsorbent to recycle phosphates from wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal is a major resource in China both for chemicals production and power generation, but its impact on the environment demands attention. Solvent pretreatment is an effective method to realize cleaner utilization of coal. Shendong sub-bituminous coal was treated with three different deep eutectic solvents (DESs) – choline chloride (ChCl)-urea, ChCl-glycerol, and ChCl- ethylene glycol – at temperature as low as 120°C. Proximate/ultimate analyses, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to examine the physicochemical changes that occurred in coal after DESs treatment. Results showed that DES treatment led to coal fragmentation and decreased average particle size. Compared with raw coal (33.1%), DES-treated coal showed greater mass loss (35.2 − 37.7%), showing that the amount of low molecular mass species increased after treatment. This was confirmed by the observation that DES-treated coal had more volatile components and less minerals and functional groups that contained oxygen (especially C−O). The content of elemental sulfur also decreased from 0.26% to 0.10 − 0.15% after DES treatment, along with a reduction in aliphatic chain length and aromatic substitution degree, which were from 10.73 to 9.33−10.08 and 16.70% to 10.73−15.36%, respectively. The macromolecular structure of the coal was destroyed as a result of DES's interactions with the weak covalent bonds and hydrogen bonds in the coal. These results suggest that DES has the potential to be used as a pretreatment solvent for coal conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sucrose phosphate synthase B (SPSB) gene encoding an important rate-limiting enzyme for sucrose synthesis in sugarcane is mainly expressed on leaves, where its alleles control sucrose synthesis. In this study, genetic variation of SPSB gene represented by different haplotypes in sugarcane was investigated in hybrid clones with high and low sugar content and various accessory species. Results: A total of 39 haplotypes of SPSB gene with 2, 824 bp in size were identified from 18 sugarcane accessions. These haplotypes mainly distributed on Chr3B, Chr3C, and Chr3D according to the AP85-441 reference genome. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and insertion/deletion (InDels) were very dense (42 bp/sequence variation) including 44 transitional and 23 transversional SNPs among the 39 haplotypes. The sequence diversity related Hd, Eta, and Pi values were all lower in clones of high sucrose content (HS) than those in clones of low sucrose content (LS). The evolutionary network analysis showed that about half SPSB haplotypes (19 out of 39) were clustered into one group, including 6 (HAP4, HAP6, HAP7, HAP9, HAP17 and HAP20) haplotypes under positive selection in comparison to HAP26 identified in Badila (S. officinarum), an ancestry noble cane species and under purification selection (except HAP19 under neutral selection) in comparison to HAP18 identified from India1 (S. spontaneum), an ancestry species with low sugar content but high stress tolerance. The average number of haplotypes under positive selection in HS clones was twice as that in LS. Most of the SNPs and InDels sequence variation sites were positively correlated with sucrose and fiber content and negatively correlated with reducing sugar. Conclusions: A total of 39 haplotypes of SPSB gene were identified in this study. Haplotypes potentially associated with high sucrose synthesis efficiency were identified. The mutations of SPSB haplotypes in HS were favorable and tended to be selected and fixed. The results of this study are informative and beneficial to the molecular assisted breeding of sucrose synthesis in sugarcane in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiation therapy is the cornerstone of treatment for adult-type diffuse gliomas, but recurrences are inevitable. Our study assessed the prognosis and recurrence pattern of different radiotherapy volumes after temozolomide-based chemoradiation in our institution. Methods: The treatment plans were classified into two groups, the plan 1 intentionally involved the entire edema area while plan 2 did not. Retrospectively investigate the differences in outcomes of 118 adult-type diffuse gliomas patients between these two treatment plans. Then, patients who underwent relapse were selected to analyze their recurrence patterns. Continuous dynamic magnetic resonance images (MRI) were collected to categorized the recurrence patterns into central, in-field, marginal, distant, and cerebrospinal fluid dissemination (CSF-d) recurrence. Finally, the clinical and molecular characteristics which influenced progression were analyzed. Results: Plan 1 (n = 63) showed a median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 9.5 and 26.4 months while plan 2 (n = 55) showed a median PFS and OS of 9.4 and 36.5 months (p = 0.418; p = 0.388). Treatment target volume had no effect on the outcome in patients with adult-type diffuse gliomas. And there was no difference in radiation toxicity (p = 0.388). Among the 90 relapsed patients, a total of 58 (64.4%) patients had central recurrence, 10 (11.1%) patients had in-field recurrence, 3 (3.3%) patients had marginal recurrence, 11 (12.2.%) patients had distant recurrence, and 8 (8.9%) patients had CSF-d recurrence. By treatment plans, the recurrence patterns were similar and there was no significant difference in survival. Reclassifying the progression pattern into local and non-local groups, we observed that oligodendroglioma (n = 10) all relapsed in local and no difference in PFS and OS between the two groups (p > 0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that subventricular zone (SVZ) involvement was the independent risk factor for non-local recurrence in patients with GBM (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In our study, deliberately including or not the entire edema had no impact on prognosis and recurrence. Patients with varied recurrence patterns had diverse clinical and genetic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of tailings in concrete technology is not only conducive to the realization of the goal of reducing carbon emissions, but also conducive to the inhibition the occurrence of shortages of sand and gravel supplies. In this study, graphite tailings were used to replace sand in the range of 0~100%, and the mechanical mechanism of graphite tailings concrete was examined through compressive and flexural tests. The mechanical experimental results were evaluated and verified based on concrete macroscopic failure appearance, mesoscopic failure appearance, and physical characteristics of graphite tailings. The results revealed that the concrete strength increases first and then decreases with the increase of the graphite tailings content. Compared to GT00 (GT00 is a specimen with a graphite tailings content of 0%, and so on), GT10~GT60 exhibited better mechanical properties, of which 30% was recommended as the optimal replacement rate. The mechanical properties of GT10 and GT20 had an upward trend, and GT30 had low spalling, with aggregate fragmentation found on the fracture surface. GT30 showed the best resistance to bending and deformation. The mechanical properties of GT40~GT60 had a downward trend. When the graphite tailings content was higher than 70%, the interface defects of the aggregate matrix increased, thus making it easier for cracks to propagate along the interface. Furthermore, the mechanism of graphite tailings replacing sand verified the test results from different perspectives, which provides new analysis ideas for other tailings in environment-friendly concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline of fossil fuel availability is calling for alternative energy such as electricity produced by degradation of waste in microbial fuel cells. The performance of microbial fuel cells is controlled by the anode because microorganisms grow and attach on the anode. Here, we prepared carbon felt electrodes modified with manganese ore based on the hypothesis that manganese and silicon oxides would improve the cell performance to treat simulated black water. We compared properties of the manganese ore-modified electrodes with properties of classical carbon felt electrodes modified with magnetic ferroferric oxide. We also studied the removal of the chemical oxygen demand and the enrichment in ammonia nitrogen. Results show that the maximum voltage of the manganese ore-modified carbon felt electrode is 1.7 times higher than that of the magnetic ferroferric oxide-modified carbon felt electrode. The start-up time to reach the maximum voltage is reduced by 68%. The removal of chemical oxygen demand reached 91.2%. Up to 68.0% of ammonia nitrogen can be enriched at the cathode, implying that ammonia nitrogen can be highly reduced in the effluent. Overall, the manganese ore-modified carbon felt electrode showed excellent redox performance, excellent corrosion resistance and low electron transfer resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AgNbO3 based ceramics are commonly sintered with an O2 atmosphere. In this work, after synthesizing AgNbO3, Na-doped AgNbO3, and Ta-doped AgNbO3 powders by a hydrothermal method, the ceramics were sintered in the air atmosphere by using the synthesized powders. The novel process with the absence of an O2 atmosphere is practical and facile. The structural, dielectric, antiferroelectric, and electrical energy storage properties of fabricated ceramics were studied. Na doping has a weak influence on the structure but can significantly improve the electrical breakdown field. Ta doping induces a pure antiferroelectric phase and the electrical energy storage efficiency is improved greatly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is characterized by an immunosuppression environment and necessitates the development of new immunotherapy response predictors. The study aimed to build a prognosis-related competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network based on immune-related genes (IRGs) and analyze its immunological signatures. Differentially expressed IRGs were identified by bioinformatics analysis with Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and ImmPort databases. Finally, via upstream prognosis-related microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) prediction and co-expression analysis, we built an immune-related ceRNA network (LINC00052/hsa-miR-148a-3p/PLAU) related to HNSCC patient prognosis. CIBERSORT analysis demonstrated that there were substantial differences in 11 infiltrating immune cells in HNSCC, and PLAU was closely correlated with 10 type cells, including T cells CD8+ (R = − 0.329), T cells follicular helper (R = − 0.342) and macrophage M0 (R = 0.278). Methylation and Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) analyses revealed that PLAU upregulation was most likely caused by hypomethylation and that high PLAU expression may be associated with tumor immune evasion in HNSCC, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclophilins, a type of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, function as important molecular chaperones in a series of biological processes. However, the expression pattern and signal transduction pathway of cyclophilins are still unclear. Here, we showed that the promoter of OsCYP2 could function as a tissue-specific promoter by GUS staining. Moreover, we found that the promoter sequence contained not only core elements but also inducible elements. Then, the ABA-responsive element was used for cDNA library screening, and the transcription factor MYC2-like was identified by a yeast one-hybrid assay and confirmed through an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Furthermore, the relative expression showed that MYC2-like was induced by abscisic acid. In addition, MYC2-like overexpression enhanced salt tolerance in transformants and partially restored the cyp2-RNAi line. In summary, we explored a novel transcriptional signal mediated by MYC2-like, a potential regulator of salt stress-related physiological processes in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional structural health monitoring (SHM) based on contact sensors has drawbacks, such as high cost, susceptibility to interference, and narrow coverage. Digital twins (DTs) present an effective intelligent solution. However, the real-time monitoring of all structural components remains challenging due to high computational cost of high-order models in underlying framework. Additionally, the vast number of spatial structures globally and their long service time indicate the potential necessity of introducing SHM based on DT. In this context, this study proposed a reduced-order model-based DT framework for spatial structures. By compressing the experimental design samples, the multidimensional high-order physical models were reduced to several approximate low-order models for constructing a DT model, thereby achieving real-time calculation covering all components. The proposed framework was applied and validated through an experiment on a scale model of cable dome structure, and real-time interactive visualisation of monitoring data was displayed on a self-developed platform. The results demonstrate that the DT model enabled real-time presentation of calculation results (the calculation speed of <0.5 s/time), the mean relative error of cable tension monitoring was <3.85%, the strut stress monitoring could be controlled within 7.5%, and the mean absolute error of nodal displacement could be maintained at around 1 mm. • Proposes a spatial structure digital twin (DT) framework to establish a high-precision DT model based on offline data-driven and online data. • Studies the creation method of reduced-order model, that can preserve the results and features of high-order finite element simulations with extremely low errors and fast computing speed. • DT model is corrected by adaptive multiobjective algorithm to reduce the error between the results of the DT simulation and physical monitoring, validated through experiments. • Develop a visualisation platform enabling real-time interactive visual display for cable dome structure monitoring. • The framework enables comprehensive and accurate health monitoring of cable dome structures, offers a new approaches forfuture structural damage identification, safety diagnosis, and service life prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) employs river sand as its primary aggregate due to the absence of coarse aggregates, resulting in high production costs and significant ecological impacts, limiting its broader application. To mitigate these challenges, this research investigates the substitution of river sand with industrial waste graphite tailings (GT) in UHPC production. Experimental evaluations assessed changes in wet packing density, workability, mechanical properties, resistance to chloride ion penetration, and heavy metal leaching at various graphite tailings replacement rates (0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 %). The microstructural properties of UHPC were analyzed using techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results indicate that increasing the replacement rate of graphite tailings leads to a gradual decrease in UHPC workability. At a 50 % replacement rate, graphite tailings enhance the wet packing density, contributing to a 7.33 % increase in the 28-day compressive strength. Additionally, graphite tailings can decrease the carbon emissions associated with unit compressive strength by up to 6.96 % and reduce production costs by 20 %. The inclusion of graphite tailings also improves the resistance of UHPC to chloride ion penetration and reduces the leaching of heavy metal ions from the tailings. Microstructural analyses indicate that graphite tailings promote hydration reactions in UHPC without altering the types of hydration products. Additionally, these tailings improve the pore structure of the composite. This study investigates the feasibility of using graphite tailings as a substitute for river sand in the production of UHPC, providing foundational insights for subsequent studies focused on optimizing eco-friendly UHPC formulations that incorporate graphite tailings. • Introduces an eco-friendly and high-performance building material. • Investigates the application of graphite tailings (GT) in UHPC preparation. • Explores the macro and micro effects of GT content on UHPC performance. • Reduces technical costs and energy consumption in UHPC preparation. • Promotes the efficient utilization of GT resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mechanisms behind bisphenol mixtures and metal mixtures on T2DM still unclear. • Metabolomics techniques were used to provide clues. • Bisphenol mixtures were associated with an elevated T2DM risk. • 154 differential metabolites were screened between T2DM cases and controls. • Mediating effect of metabolites was found in the association of BPA and Zn with T2DM. Little is known about the combined effect of bisphenol mixtures and metal mixtures on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk, and the mediating roles of metabolites. The study included 606 pairs of T2DM cases and controls matched by age and sex, and information of participants was collected through questionnaires and laboratory tests. Serum bisphenol and plasma metal concentrations were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), respectively. Widely targeted metabolomics was employed to obtain the serum metabolomic profiles. Conditional logistic regression models were used to assess the single associations of bisphenols and metals with T2DM risk after multivariable adjustment. Additionally, the joint effects of bisphenol mixtures and metal mixtures were examined using quantile-based g-computation (QG-C) models. Furthermore, differential metabolites associated with T2DM were identified, and mediation analyses were performed to explore the role of metabolites in the associations of bisphenols and metals with T2DM risk. The results showed bisphenol mixtures were associated with an increased T2DM risk, with bisphenol A (BPA) identified as the primary contributor. While the association between metal mixtures and T2DM remained inconclusive, cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) showed the highest weight indices for T2DM risk. A total of 154 differential metabolites were screened between the T2DM cases and controls. Mediation analyses indicated that 9 metabolites mediated the association between BPA and T2DM, while L-valine mediated the association between Zn and T2DM risk. The study indicated that BPA, Co, Fe, and Zn were the primary contributors to increased T2DM risk, and metabolites played a mediating role in the associations of BPA and Zn with the risk of T2DM. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the associations of bisphenols and metals with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipe piles enhanced by cement-improved soil (hereinafter referred to as enhanced pipe piles) have excellent bearing capacity compared with traditional piles and are often used as the foundation of offshore wind turbines and coastal soft-soil embankment. This study aims to clarify and gain an insight into the lateral dynamic response of enhanced pipe piles in unsaturated soil by developing an analytical approach. In the proposed approach, the enhanced pipe pile divides into two parts: The first part is considered as a composite pile formed by a concrete pipe pile and a cement-soil mixing pile through high-strength bonding, and the second part formed by a concrete pipe pile and an unsaturated soil column. The lateral vibration behaviours of the enhanced pipe pile and the unsaturated soil resistance are deduced by the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory and the porous viscoelastic theory of three-phase mixture, respectively. The closed-form solutions for the horizontal, rocking and horizontal-rocking dynamic impedances at the pile head of enhanced pipe pile under horizontal dynamic loads have been determined and then validated by comparing with the existing results. Numerical discussions are finally conducted to analysis the influence of physical parameters of enhanced pipe pile and unsaturated soil on the three types of dynamic impedance at the pile head. The main findings can be summarized as: (a) For the cement-soil mixing pile, its length should not exceed half of the concrete pipe pile, its radius size should be moderate and its elastic modulus can be as large as possible; (b) the wall thickness and elastic modulus of the concrete pipe pile can be appropriately increased to make the enhanced pipe pile achieve better vibration resistance and (c) the increase of the soil saturation will reduce the anti-vibration ability of enhanced pipe piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In roof-structure integrated aluminum alloy latticed shell structures, the flange of H-shaped members is equipped with convex ribs (referred to as "tongue") to connect the roof panel with the members. The roof panel and flange tongue are connected by clamping the strip. The presence of the flange tongue and strip changes the cross-sectional characteristics of the member, affecting its mechanical properties. However, the influence of roof connection construction is often ignored in engineering design, and the members are only designed as biaxially symmetric H-shaped members. In this study, H-shaped aluminum members with roof-connection construction under two conditions, unsupported and effective lateral constraint, are subjected to compression tests to obtain the buckling mode and buckling strength. A numerical model of the members considering the roof-connection construction is proposed, and the influence of the presence or absence of constructions on the failure modes and buckling strength is investigated. Combined with experimental and finite element studies, the following conclusions are drawn. Regarding the failure modes, the presence of roof-connection constructions induces bending and additional twisting in freely buckling members. For members with lower slenderness ratios or larger plate thickness ratios, the construction exacerbates local buckling of the lower flange. Concerning buckling strength, the connection construction has an uplifting effect within the range of 10–20% for the unsupported members with large slenderness ratios. However, for the unsupported members with slenderness ratios and for those that are subjected to lateral constraints, the connection construction has a negative effect, with a minimum reduction of approximately 20%. The experimental and finite element results were further compared with those of the buckling calculation method under axial compression for biaxially symmetric H-bars in EC9, GB 50429, and AA, and the applicability of the calculation method was evaluated. • The failure mode, buckling strength and deformation of members with roof-connection construction were studied experimentally. • An accuracy numerical model of the members considering the roof-connection construction was proposed. • The influence of roof-connection construction on the mechanical properties of member and the influence mechanism were investigated. • The applicability of existing standard methods (EC9, GB 50429, and AA) was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the low level of gymnastics facilities monitoring and intelligent management of gymnastics venues, which cannot effectively manage gymnastics venues in real time, this paper proposes a method of gymnastics facilities monitoring and intelligent optimization distribution of gymnastics venues in the Internet of Things. This paper will build an information monitoring model, introduce a particle swarm optimization algorithm to participate in the location layout, and explore the actual effect of gymnastics and the Internet of Things. The research results show that (1) the system can measure the mechanical error of facilities and ensure that the controllable fault tolerance rate is less than 1%. (2) The quality of system monitoring is evaluated in accuracy, time, delay, and satisfaction, and the results are basically satisfactory, but the accuracy and time still need to be improved. (3) Using the evaluation system of sports facilities to test the temperature, humidity, facility pressure, and energy consumption suitable for gymnastics and to verify the injury tendency of athletes. When the damage tendency is between 70% and 100%, the actual damage rate is 1. (4) The speed of the PSO algorithm is faster than other methods, which is used to optimize the layout of gymnastics venues and has a certain role in promoting the construction of gymnastics venues. The system model designed in this paper performs well in gymnastics and needs to be further improved and optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rich Kids of Instagram (RKOI) portray luxury lifestyles on social media. The potential roles of travel and transport within these online displays of affluence have not yet been examined. This paper's purpose is to analyse how transport modes and luxury travel are depicted and interrelated through RKOI images. Co-occurrence analyses were conducted using a data set of Instagram posts with RKOI as a hashtag (2012–2018) to visualize the roles of transport modes and luxury travel in RKOI image construction. The findings demonstrate that both energy-intensive transport modes and luxury travel, whether through air/watercraft or luxury cars, play a vital role in signaling RKOI's self-image on Instagram, with gendered differences. The article contributes an original conceptual model of how RKOI construct their image using transport modes and luxury travel. Implications for the social normalization of carbon-intensive transport choices, coupled with luxury destinations as a backdrop, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estuarine tapertail anchovy, Coilia nasus, is a migratory fish with high economic value in China. We collected fish from the Changjiang River (the Yangtze River) estuary, the Qiantang River estuary, and the southern Yellow Sea, and studied their relationships using otolith elemental and stable isotopic microchemistry signatures to assess the population connectivity of C. nasus. Results show that, in addition to Ca, other elements were present in the otolith core. The δ18O, Na/Ca, Fe/Ca, and Cu/Ca values of the Qiantang population were significantly higher than those of the others, whereas its δ13C and Ba/Ca values were found to be significantly lower. Otolith multi-element composition and stable isotope ratios differed significantly between the Qiantang and Changjiang estuary groups (p < 0.05); however, no difference was observed between the latter and the Yellow Sea group. Cluster analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and a self-organizing map strongly suggest possible connectivity between the fish populations of the Changjiang estuary and Yellow Sea, while the population of the Qiantang River estuary appears to be independent. Notably, results suggest a much closer connectivity between the fish populations of the Changjiang River and the Yellow Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 1.6 billion tons of food are wasted worldwide annually, calling for advanced methods to recycle food waste into energy and materials. Anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste allows the efficient recovery of energy, and induces low-carbon emissions. Nonetheless, digestion stability and biogas production are variables, due to dietary habits and seasonal diet variations that modify the components of kitchen waste. Another challenge is the recycling of the digestate, which could be partly solved by more efficient reactors of anaerobic digestion. Here, we review the bottlenecks of anaerobic digestion treatment of kitchen waste, with focus on components inhibition, and energy recovery from biogas slurry and residue. We provide rules for the optimal treatment of the organic fraction of kitchen waste, and guidelines to upgrade the anaerobic digestion processes. We propose a strategy using an anaerobic dynamic membrane bioreactor to improve anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste, and a model for the complete transformation and recycling of kitchen waste, based on component properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first report on the use of a taste sensing system to quantitatively evaluate the taste attributes of two groups of native "June hairy crab" juveniles (commonly referred to as "Liu-Yue-Huang") of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir Sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1853) from a net enclosure culture area in Yangcheng Lake (lake culture) and aquaculture ponds near the lake (pond culture). We showed that umami was the predominant basic taste of steamed June hairy crabs, followed by bitterness and astringency. The intensity value of saltiness was aberrant and could not be determined using this system. The average values of aftertaste-U reached 8.7 and 10.7 in the male June hairy crabs from the lake and pond cultures, respectively, which was significantly higher than their respective aftertaste-B and aftertaste-A values (p < 0.01). Female crabs did not have aftertaste-B, while their aftertaste-U was significantly higher than aftertaste-A (p < 0.01). Although principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were not able to completely distinguish among crabs from different cultures, they could robustly distinguish between male and female crabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the mechanical properties and material characterisation of graphite tailings concrete, in which graphite tailings are replaced as sand were investigated. The results showed that the concentration of graphite tailings has influence on the comprehensive performance of concrete. Simultaneously, the graphite tailings have an important improvement on reducing the mesostructure distribution and micro-crack density of cement-based materials. However, high content of graphite tailings can result in the growth on defects and significantly reduces strength properties. How to solve the adverse effect of high content of graphite tailings on reduced mechanical strength of concrete or taking full advantage of this material property and characteristics of graphite tailings is an urgent problem to be solved in the future research for practical engineering applications such as road subgrades, coastal breakwaters and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar addition to anaerobic digestion systems generally improves the conversion of organic waste into methane, yet biogas residues are still unwanted byproducts that may pollute the environment. Therefore, we hypothesized that biogas residues could be recycled into new biochar. We produced biochar by heating at 500 °C the residue of anaerobic digestion of food waste. We measured methane production by adding either this residue biochar, or coconut shell biochar, or corn stalk biochar, in the anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste. Results show that the residue biochar produces the highest daily methane amount, of 432.2 mL per g of volatile solids, versus 377.7–386.3 mL for coconut and corn biochars. This finding is tentatively explained by the fact that the residue biochar has more basic groups, which neutralize fatty acids and, in turn, alleviates acidification. Another explanation is the higher abundance in sludge of electroactive Clostridia , Methanobacterium and Methanobrevibacter , which are known to accelerate methanation. Recyling biogas residues as biochar onsite would both decrease the amount of digestion byproducts and avoid long-distance transportation of biochar from remote biomass. [Display omitted] • Biochar was prepared from biogas residue in a new way. • A new recycling model was established coupling biochar with AD. • Biogas residue biochar increased methane yield of AD. • Biogas residue biochar improved enzyme activity and shortened the lag phase time. • Biogas residue biochar changed the methanogenic community structure of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessment of the damage to a structure is the key to structural health monitoring. Among them, one effective means to assess the real-time status of the structure is by establishing a finite element model (FEM) of the structure and updating it synchronously. Previous research mainly updates the FEM of the structure with a certain moment in time without considering the continuous changes of structural parameters over a longer time. In this paper, we propose a FEM updating method for steel truss structure based on knowledge-enhanced deep reinforcement learning, which introduces long short-term memory (LSTM) network based on a deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm and constructs a knowledge-enhanced noise function (NF) module based on parametric analysis. The NF-LSTM-DDPG algorithm can fit a continuous variation of structural parameters. The ablation experiments revealed that the LSTM network and the NF module facilitate the exploration and learning ability of the DDPG algorithm. The NF-LSTM-DDPG algorithm is used in an actual steel truss structure case, and the variation rules of the elastic modulus and support deviations obtained from the solution are consistent with the actual situation. The average relative error of the 34 strain measurement points after updating is 14.147 %, and the relative error is higher than 20 % in only 13 days out of 187 days of continuous monitoring. Five days were selected for the comparative study, and the experimental results show that the relative error of the NF-LSTM-DDPG algorithm is 13.206 %, which is higher than that of the particle swarm optimization algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm. The change of elastic modulus updated based on the NF-LSTM-DDPG algorithm is more reasonable than other algorithms. • Reinforcement learning model can fit the continuous variation of structural parameters in the finite element model. • Improved deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm by introducing long short-term memory and noise function module. • Constructing knowledge-enhanced noise function modules based on parameter correlations. • The NF-LSTM-DDPG algorithm is better than the particle swarm optimization algorithm and simulated annealing algorithm in terms of accuracy and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aluminium alloy beam string structures with two different joints are introduced. • Failure modes and bearing capacity of the structures are obtained from experiment. • An analytical model of the structure is presented with parametric analysis. • Calculation formulas for the bearing capacity of the structures are derived. Aluminium alloys are widely used in spatial structures because of their lightweight, high-strength, and favourable corrosion resistance characteristics. However, the low elastic modulus of this material results in reduced structural stability compared to that of other construction materials. Therefore, this study proposes incorporating prestress into aluminium alloy structures to improve their structural performance. In this study, two types of aluminium alloy beam string structures (ABSS) are presented along with their corresponding joints. Through static tests conducted on various ABSS joint configurations, this study assesses the in-plane bearing capacity and failure modes of the structures, revealing the mechanism by which prestressing enhances the in-plane performance of aluminium alloy beams. Specifically, this study investigates the influence mechanisms of various factors, such as the rise-span ratio, sag-span ratio, and initial cable force, on the in-plane bearing performance of an ABSS through numerical simulations. Finally, a method calculating the ultimate bearing capacity of aluminium alloy beam string structures is derived by employing the Ritz method, accompanied by design recommendations. The results demonstrate that introducing a prestress can significantly increase the load-bearing capacity by 5–6 times, and the flange-connected joint is determined as more suitable for being implemented in ABSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability properties of double-layer H-section aluminum alloy members were studied under eccentric compression loads in this paper. Firstly, six double-layer members were designed and tested under a set of eccentric compression loads with different eccentric distances; as a contrast, six single-layer members were also tested under the same loading conditions; based on the test results, it was compared that the ultimate bearing capacity and buckling modes of the single-layer and double-layer members with different load eccentricity ratios. The experimental results indicated that the stability properties of double-layer H-section aluminum alloy members were better than corresponding single-layer members, but the ultimate strengths of double-layer members were less than the twice of that of single-layer members. A numerical simulating method for single-layer and double-layer H-section aluminum alloy members was established and validated against the experimental results. • Double-layer H-section aluminum alloy members can reinforce the weak region in single-layer reticulated structures. • The failure mode of double-layer H-section aluminum alloy members is classical flexural buckling under centric compression. • The failure mode of double-layer H-section aluminum alloy members is flexural-torsional buckling under eccentric compression. • The mechanical properties of double-layer H-section aluminum alloy members are better than that of single-layer members. • Chinese code GB 50429-2007 is applicable to double-layer H-section aluminum alloy members under eccentric compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For structures that experience a fire event without collapse, determination of the residual capacity is required. The objective of this research is to determine the residual properties of glued laminated (glulam) timber after exposure to elevated temperature to enable post-fire structural evaluation. The residual compressive and shear properties of glulam were experimentally measured after exposure to a range of elevated temperatures (50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 ℃), considering also the effect of heating duration (30, 60 and 90 min) and cooling method (air cooling and water cooling). To account for transient temperature gradients, an effective temperature of the specimen was defined based on the dynamic time-temperature profile. For parallel-to-grain compressive strength, the reduction in residual strength remains within 20% of the initial strength as long as the effective temperature has not exceeded 170 ℃, but it drops severely to exceed 50% at 210 ℃. For shear strength, the permanent reduction is also within 20% after exposure to effective temperature lower than 190 ℃ and air cooling. Water-cooling leads to greater permanent reduction of mechanical properties compared with air-cooling. After first temperature exposure, additional cycles of heating-cooling (by air) do not further degrade the properties. Based on the test results, predictive formulae are proposed for the residual mechanical properties of glulam. • Test the post-fire performance of glulam with a total of 450 specimens. • Consider the variation of heating temperature, heating time and cooling method. • Assess the residual elastic modulus and strength under compression and shear. • Propose the concepts of air temperature, maximum and effective glulam temperature. • Establish and verify the equations to calculate post-fire properties of glulam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Nb‐doped 0.75SrTiO3‐0.25BiFeO3 (ST‐BF) lead‐free ceramics are designed and synthesized using a conventional solid‐state reaction method. The influence of Nb doping on the microstructure, dielectric, and electrical properties are systematically investigated. With the increase of Nb concentration, the crystal structure of ST‐BF remains pseudo‐cubic as exhibited in the X‐ray diffraction patterns. The grain size is found to increase from 0.33 to 6.23 μm, and then decrease to 1.88 μm by Nb doping, along with a clear heterogeneous core–shell microstructure. A relatively low dielectric loss (∼0.1, at 1 kHz) and a stable dielectric constant (∼700, at 1 kHz) are obtained for the 0.03 Nb‐doped ST‐BF composition at room temperature. Impedance spectroscopy analysis shows that Nb doping in ST‐BF increases the total resistivity, forming an electrically conductive core and a nonconductive shell, with enhanced activation energy. The results may provide a feasible approach to develop novel ST‐based lead‐free dielectric ceramics for capacitor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declining earth resources, rising ore cost and increasing pollution are calling for recycling of wastewater in the context of the circular economy. In particular, urine is a potential source of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), yet currently available methods for P and K recovery are limited in efficiency. Here, we designed an electrochemical crystallization system using sacrificial magnesium anodes to recover P and K in the form of K-struvite (MgKPO4·6H2O) from simulated urine at low (P/K = 0.25) and high (P/K = 0.6) phosphate levels, respectively. Results show optimal recoveries of 88.5% for P and 35.4% for K in the form of rod-shaped K-struvite at 3.5 mA/cm2, though higher current density reduced recovery due to side reactions and pH increase. Seeding prefabricated struvite crystals at 1.6 g/L into urine enhanced the recovery of K by 14.7% and of P by 23.7% compared to the control group. Overall, our findings show that electrochemical crystallization is promising to recover K-struvite fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]