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Water resource shortage and unreasonable application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer have been problems in wheat production of northern China. However, the interaction effects of water regimes and N practices on wheat root growth, grain yield, soil water, and inorganic N changes as well as water-N use efficiency are still unclear under drip irrigation. A field experiment was conducted during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) growing seasons. In this study, three irrigation schedules (i.e., irrigation was applied up to 80% [D1], 75% [D2], and 70% [D3] as soon as the soil water content decreased to 65%, 60% or 55% of field capacity) and two N practices (i.e., N applied at the base, jointing, booting stages were 90, 72, 48 kg ha−1 [N1], and the base, jointing, booting, filling stages were 90, 40, 40, 40 kg ha−1 [N2], respectively) were considered. The decease in irrigation water amount was offset by the increase in soil water consumption. In addition, N practices significantly interacted with irrigation on soil NO3−–N accumulation (2021–2022), NH4+–N accumulation, SPAD value (2020–2021), N content in stems and grains at maturity, and average root length and weight density at the flowering stage. Irrigation, rather than N practices, significantly affected grain yield, total N uptake, crop N transformations (NT), the contribution of NT to grain (NTPC), water and N productivity, in which, for the value of these two seasons, D2 increased total N uptake by 18.1% (p < 0.05), and NT by 39.4% (p < 0.05) under N1 as compared to D3. Additionally, the highest WUE and ANUE were found in D2 during 2021–2022. Heavy irrigation water amount caused high a LAI; further analysis proved that the LAI was the key factor affecting grain yield, and positively and significantly correlated to yield. However, no significant difference in the LAI between D1 and D2 was found. N1 was beneficial to prevent N leaching and increase water and N use efficiency, biomass, and N transformation amount. This study recommends that D2 + N1 might be a promising system for manipulating irrigation and fertilization practices under sub-surface drip irrigation systems to improve water and N use efficiency and grain yields in semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymph node metastasis is associated with a poorer prognosis in endometrial cancer. Objective: The objective was to synthesize and critically appraise existing predictive models for lymph node metastasis risk stratification in endometrial cancer. Design: This study is a systematic review. Data Sources and Methods: We searched the Web of Science for articles reporting models predicting lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer, with a systematic review and bibliometric analysis conducted based upon which. Risk of bias was assessed by the Prediction model Risk Of BiAS assessment Tool (PROBAST). Results: A total of 64 articles were included in the systematic review, published between 2010 and 2023. The most common articles were "development only." Traditional clinicopathological parameters remained the mainstream in models, for example, serum tumor marker, myometrial invasion and tumor grade. Also, models based upon gene-signatures, radiomics and digital histopathological images exhibited an acceptable self-reported performance. The most frequently validated models were the Mayo criteria, which reached a negative predictive value of 97.1%–98.2%. Substantial variability and inconsistency were observed through PROBAST, indicating significant between-study heterogeneity. A further bibliometric analysis revealed a relatively weak link between authors and organizations on models predicting lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer. Conclusion: A number of predictive models for lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer have been developed. Although some exhibited promising performance as they demonstrated adequate to good discrimination, few models can currently be recommended for clinical practice due to lack of independent validation, high risk of bias and low consistency in measured predictors. Collaborations between authors, organizations and countries were weak. Model updating, external validation and collaborative research are urgently needed. Registration: None. Plain language summary: Introduction to predictive models for lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer Lymph node metastasis of endometrial cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. There are currently many predictive models. We summarized and evaluated them in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Ankle brachial index (ABI) is a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality, but it is unclear whether ABI is associated with cardiovascular mortality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The current study aimed to evaluate the association between ABI with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in patients with NAFLD. Methods: We performed a cohort study using the data of the1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data of adults. Mortality data were followed up to December 2015. NAFLD was defined by the hepatic steatosis index or the US fatty liver index. ABI was classified into three groups: ABI ≤ 0.9 (low value); 0.9 < ABI ≤ 1.1 (borderline value); ABI greater than 1.1 (normal value). Results: We found that low ABI was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with NAFLD (HR: 2.42, 95% CI 1.10–5.33 for low value ABI vs normal value ABI, P for trend = 0.04), and the relationship was linearly and negatively correlated in the range of ABI < 1.4. However, low ABI was not associated with all-cause mortality in patients with NAFLD. Stratified by cardiovascular disease, ABI remains inversely correlated with cardiovascular mortality in NAFLD patients without cardiovascular disease. Stratified by diabetes, ABI is inversely correlated with cardiovascular mortality in NAFLD patients regardless of diabetes status. Conclusions: Low ABI is independently associated with higher cardiovascular mortality in NAFLD cases. This correlation remains significant even in the absence of pre-existing cardiovascular disease or diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite-Drone Image Cross-View Geolocalization has wide applications. Due to the pronounced variations in the visual features of 3D objects under different angles, Satellite-Drone cross-view image geolocalization remains an unresolved challenge. The key to successful cross-view geolocalization lies in extracting crucial spatial structure information across different scales in the image. Recent studies improve image matching accuracy by introducing an attention mechanism to establish global associations among local features. However, existing methods primarily focus on using single-scale features and employ a single-channel attention mechanism to correlate local convolutional features from different locations. This approach inadequately explores and utilizes multi-scale spatial structure information within the image, particularly lacking in the extraction and utilization of locally valuable information. In this paper, we propose a cross-view image geolocalization method based on multi-scale information and a dual-channel attention mechanism. The multi-scale information includes features extracted from different scales using various convolutional slices, and it extensively utilizes shallow network features. The dual-channel attention mechanism, through successive local and global feature associations, effectively learns depth discriminative features across different scales. Experimental results were conducted using existing satellite and drone image datasets, with additional validation performed on an independent self-made dataset. The findings indicate that our approach exhibits superior performance compared to existing methods. The methodology presented in this paper exhibits enhanced capabilities, especially in the exploitation of multi-scale spatial structure information and the extraction of locally valuable information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(diethyl fumarate-co-methoxyethyl acrylate-co-vinyl chloroacetate) (PDEFMV), a novel bio-based elastomer with a saturated structure, was synthesized via redox emulsion polymerization. The glass-transition temperatures of PDEFMV, adjusted through the variation of the diethyl fumarate-to-methoxyethyl acrylate feeding ratio, ranged from −36.1 to −14.8 °C. The number-average molecular weights of PDEFMV ranged from 384,000 to 46,000 g/mol. In designing the molecular structure, vinyl chloroacetate was used to provide active sites for subsequent vulcanization and crosslinking. The active chlorine groups within the PDEFMV chain reacted with the crosslinking agent trithiocyanuric acid under high temperature and pressure to form a nonsulfur crosslinked three-dimensional network structure. To achieve the desired properties, carbon black (CB, N330) was incorporated to reinforce PDEFMV, leading to the formation of PDEFMV/CB composites. A comprehensive study was conducted on the high-temperature oil resistance of PDEFMV/CB composites. Following immersion in IRM903 oil at temperatures of 150 and 200 °C for 72 h, the mass and volume changes in PDEFMV/CB were lower than those observed in commercially available acrylate rubber (AR)/CB, indicating that PDEFMV exhibited superior oil resistance. Furthermore, the aging characteristics and mechanisms of oil resistance in the PDEFMV/CB and AR/CB composites were investigated at different temperatures (150, 200, and 250 °C). The results provide insights into the operational temperature ranges suitable for PDEFMV/CB and offer valuable guidance for potential industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cladophora qinghaiensis, an endemic species of Cladophora in saltwater lakes, was scientifically named in 2021 (hereafter referred to as Cladophora). Cladophora exists in different morphologies, including attached submerged Cladophora (AC), grown floating Cladophora (GFC), and death floating Cladophora (DFC). Previous satellite remote sensing has mainly focused on identifying floating algae. In this study, Qinghai Lake served as a case study, and a classification decision tree model (CDTM) was proposed. The model employed the chlorophyll spectral index (CSI) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to differentiate AC, Floating Cladophora (FC), and water. Additionally, the floating Cladophora index (FCI) was introduced to further distinguish GFC and DFC within FC. The method was applicable to Sentinel-2 images from 2016–2023. Visual interpretation methods were used for Landsat series images from the summer months (July to September) to obtain the AC and FC. The results demonstrate that over the past 30 years, the areas inhabited by AC and FC have increased gradually. The three morphologies of Cladophora also exhibited seasonal variations, with growth observed annually in May–June, reaching peaks in August–September, and gradually declining in October. In addition, by combining factors such as water surface area and climatic factors, we analyzed the driving forces influencing the changes in Cladophora. In this research, AC and FC showed significant correlations with the water surface area, with correlation coefficients (r) of approximately 0.9 and 0.7, respectively. These new findings provide valuable insights regarding the spatiotemporal changes and underlying causes for different morphologies of Cladophora in global saline lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a machining method commonly used to produce complex shapes and deep holes by eroding hard metals with an electric arc. There is a growing demand for process simulation using finite element models in order to improve the quality and efficiency of EDM, to reduce costs, to improve resource efficiency, and to facilitate its application in critical areas such as aerospace and mechanical engineering. Finite element models have greatly improved the prediction accuracy of EDM processes, simulated complex hybrid machining processes, and provided important guidance for the optimization of EDM processes. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of finite element modeling for EDM. Finite element method modeling is evaluated mainly in terms of four indicators: material removal rate, surface roughness, tool wear ratio, and recast layer thickness. Firstly, the importance and application of EDM are described, and the EDM finite element method modeling and its advantages are summarized. Then, the single-spark simulation model and the multi-spark simulation model of EDM are compared and discussed. Among the mainstream finite element models, the prediction error of the material removal rate for single-spark simulation ranges from 8.2% to 14.75%, while the prediction error of the recast layer thickness for multi-spark simulation can be as low as 1.98%. Finally, the applications of finite element modeling in EDM hybrid machining processes' performance prediction and new material machining are summarized, and future research directions and trends in EDM finite element modeling are predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of zinc amino acid complexes on growth performance, tissue zinc concentration, and muscle development in broilers. A total of 504 day-old male arbor acres broilers were randomly divided into seven treatments (fed with a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 120 mg kg−1 Zn as ZnSO4, 30, 60, 90 or 120 mg kg−1 Zn as ZnN, or 30 mg kg−1 Zn as ZnA separately). Each group had six replicates, with 12 birds per replicate. The results showed that the addition of 60 mg kg−1 ZnN significantly increased (P < 0.05) the average daily gain (ADG) and breast muscle percentage of broilers. Zinc concentration of ZnN and ZnA added groups were higher than (P < 0.05) that in the Zn sulfate group under the same addition dose. Except for the 30 mg kg−1 ZnN group, the muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area (CSA) were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the ZnN addition groups. Compared with the basal diet group, adding ZnN significantly increased (P < 0.05) the expression of MTOR, MYOD, and MYOG at day 21 and decreased (P < 0.05) the expression of Atrogin-1. The expression levels of AKT, MTOR, P70S6K, and MYOD were increased at day 42, while the expression levels of MuRF1 and Atrogin-1 were decreased. Adhesion, backbone regulation of actin, MAPK, mTOR, and AMPK were significantly enriched as indicated by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. In conclusion, zinc amino acid complexes could improve growth performance, tissue zinc concentration, and regulate breast muscle development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high exciton binding energy and lack of a positive oxidation band potential restrict the photocatalytic CO2 reduction efficiency of lead-free Bi-based halide perovskites Cs3Bi2X9 (X = Br, I). In this study, a sequential growth method is presented to prepare a visible-light-driven (λ > 420 nm) Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst composed of BiVO4 nanocrystals decorated on a Cs3Bi2I9 nanosheet for photocatalytic CO2 reduction coupled with water oxidation. The Cs3Bi2I9/BiVO4 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst is stable in the gas–solid photocatalytic CO2 reduction system, demonstrating a high visible-light-driven photocatalytic CO2-to-CO production rate of 17.5 μmol/(g·h), which is approximately three times that of pristine Cs3Bi2I9. The high efficiency of the Cs3Bi2I9/BiVO4 heterojunction was attributed to the improved charge separation in Cs3Bi2I9. Moreover, the Z-scheme charge-transfer pathway preserves the negative reduction potential of Cs3Bi2I9 and the positive oxidation potential of BiVO4. This study offers solid evidence of constructing Z-scheme heterojunctions to improve the photocatalytic performance of lead-free halide perovskites and would inspire more ideas for developing lead-free halide perovskite photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly contagious and deadly virus that leads to high mortality rates in domestic swine populations. Although the envelope protein CD2v of ASFV has been implicated in immunomodulation, the molecular mechanisms underlying CD2v-mediated immunoregulation remain unclear. In this study, we generated a stable CD2v-expressing porcine macrophage (PAM-CD2v) line and investigated the CD2v-dependent transcriptomic landscape using RNA-seq. GO terms enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis revealed that CD2v predominantly affected the organization and assembly process of the extracellular matrix. Wound healing and Transwell assays showed that CD2v inhibited swine macrophage migration. Further investigation revealed a significant decrease in the expression of transcription factor early growth response 1 (EGR1) through inhibiting the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Notably, EGR1 knockout in swine macrophages restricted cell migration, whereas EGR1 overexpression in PAM-CD2v restored the ability of macrophage migration, suggesting that CD2v inhibits swine macrophage motility by downregulating EGR1 expression. Furthermore, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing for EGR1 and the histone mark H3K27 acetylation (H3K27ac), and we found that EGR1 co-localized with the activated histone modification H3K27ac neighboring the transcriptional start sites. Further analysis indicated that EGR1 and H3K27ac co-occupy the promoter regions of cell locomotion-related genes. Finally, by treating various derivatives of swine macrophages with lipopolysaccharides, we showed that depletion of EGR1 decreased the expression of inflammatory cytokines including TNFα, IL1α, IL1β, IL6, and IL8, which play essential roles in inflammation and host immune response. Collectively, our results provide new insights into the immunomodulatory mechanism of ASFV CD2v. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metallic glass offers several advantages, including high strength, corrosion resistance, and low coercivity. In precision machining fields like optical devices, medical devices, and micro-electromechanical systems, Ti-based metallic glass offers more advantages than Fe- and Zr-based metallic glass. However, its current machinability poses a challenge in meeting the requirements of precision metallic glass parts. To obtain the best machining performance, a thermophysical model of the EDM drilling process was established to simulate the temperature distribution on the surface of metal glass workpiece during EDM drilling. In addition, a new systematic method is utilized to calculate the characteristics of important machining holes, such as inlet and outlet overcut and inlet and outlet edge deviation. In this investigation, the maximum relative overcut and edge deviation are 8.59% and 7.23%, respectively, relative to the electrode radius. To improve the machining quality and machining stability, the slit width should be kept at an ideal value. Therefore, the recommended discharge current is 4–5 A, pulse duration is 50 μ s, and pulse duty ratio is 0.2 - 0.3 when EDM drilling of amorphous alloy. Based on this, the EDM drilling analysis method by numerical and experimental investigation for titanium-based metallic glass is put forward, which provides scientific theoretical guidance for the EDM of drilling it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yield and quality of sweet potatoes are significantly influenced by the transplantation posture of sweet potato seedlings. The performance of the sweet potato seedling transplanting opener directly affects the transplantation posture of sweet potato seedlings. In order to improve the yield and quality of sweet potatoes, this study proposes a joint simulation method based on discrete element and flexible multi body dynamics (DEM-FMBD), which optimizes the structure of a self-covering soil opener. By exploring the influence of self-covering soil trenchers on the planting depth and posture of sweet potato seedlings during horizontal transplantation, it was determined that the influencing factors of the experiment were wing spacing, soil reflux height, and soil reflux length. Based on the DEM-FMBD coupling simulation platform, single factor, and quadratic rotation orthogonal experiments were carried out. According to the results of the simulation test, the effect of the interaction of test factors on planting depth and planting attitude was analyzed by the response surface method. Finally, the optimal structural parameter combination was obtained by a multi-objective optimization method: the spacing of the wings was 58 mm, the height of the soil backflow port was 71 mm, and the length of the soil backflow port was 163 mm; thus, the quality of transplanting is improved effectively. This study provides the method and theory reference for the study of sweet potato transplanting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between immunohistochemical characteristics and recurrence after complete remission (CR) with fertility preservation treatment in patients with endometrial cancer (EC) and endometrial atypical hyperplasia (AH). Methods: The clinical data and immunohistochemical results of 53 patients with EC and 68 patients with AH admitted to Peking University People's Hospital from January 2010 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether recurrence after complete remission (CR): group 1: recurrence after CR; group 2: no recurrence after CR, for statistical analysis. Results: (1) The expression rate of ER in group 1 was lower than that in group 2, (P < 0.05). The expression rate of Ki-67 in group 1 was significantly higher than that in group 2, (P < 0.01). The expression rates of PR, P16, P53, and PTEN were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05); (2) combination index ER/ Ki-67 row ROC curve analysis, there was a significant difference (P < 0.01), the best cut-off value was 3.55, sensitivity 0.730, specificity 1.000, Youden index 0.730. The 3-year RFS of high rate patients was 100%, and that of low rate patients was 42.3%, P < 0.01. Conclusions: The expression rate of Ki-67 is of great significance in predicting the recurrence of EC after fertility preservation therapy. The best cut-off value of combination index ER/ Ki-67 (3.55) was better than a single immunohistochemical marker in predicting recurrence of EC after fertility preservation treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-rise building areas (HRBs) provide significant social and environmental services and play a crucial role in modern urbanization. The large-scale and long-term spatial distribution of HRBs is of great interest to many fields, such as urban planning and local climate analysis. While previous studies have confirmed the value of Sentinel-2 images in extracting HRBs and their changes, current work is limited to relatively local areas and short-term analysis. One reason is due to the fact that the earliest Sentinel-2 image can only date back to 2015. To address this research gap, this paper proposes an efficient procedure to intelligently extract HRBs and their changes from multitemporal Landsat-7 and Sentinel-2 images, using a specifically designed fully convolutional network. To validate the proposed method, we selected four typical cities in China, namely, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Zhengzhou, as study areas. We utilized Landsat-7 images acquired in 2000 and 2010, along with Sentinel-2 images acquired in 2020, as experimental data. We extracted and analyzed three periods of HRBs and their changes in the four cities, along with urban rail terminal data and gross domestic product (GDP) data in the same period. The results show that the proposed method can efficiently extract HRBs and their changes in the four cities over the past 20 years, with an overall accuracy of more than 90%. HRBs changes are primarily driven by urban planning policies and geographical factors. There is a strong positive correlation between the increase in HRBs and the increase in rail terminals, both in terms of quantity and spatial distribution. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between HRBs increase and GDP increase in terms of quantity, but the trend varies in different cities due to their diverse developing modes. Overall, the results indicate that the proposed method can be a potential operational tool to extract large-scale and long-term HRBs and their changes in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wolfberry is believed to improve eyesight in traditional Chinese medicine. Soaking wolfberry in thermos cups has become a common health‐preserving practice. The object of this paper was to research the protective effects of wolfberry water extract (WWE) on oxidative injury induced by blue light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) in ARPE‐19 cells and C57BL/6J mice. Wolfberry water extract significantly increased cell viability, reduced ROS production, stabilized mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibited apoptosis in blue LED‐induced cells (P < 0.05). The protective effects of WWE against blue LED‐induced cytotoxicity and ROS accumulation in cells were abolished by transfection with Nrf2 siRNA. In blue LED‐exposed C57BL/6J mice, WWE treatment markedly increased the amplitudes of electroretinogram (ERG) waves a and b, increased the thickness of retinal outer nuclear layer (ONL), activated endogenous antioxidant enzymes, and decreased MDA levels in the retina and lens. WWE also promoted NRF2 translocation and the expression of the downstream genes Ho‐1, Nqo1, Gclc, and Gclm in the retina. The protection of WWE in ERG a and b wave amplitudes and ROS levels were abrogated in Nrf2 knockout mice. These results suggested that WWE has beneficial effects on retinal injury induced by blue LED, and mechanisms of action at least partly via the NRF2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important energy storage device, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been widely used in various fields due to their remarkable advantages. The high level of precision in estimating the battery's state of health greatly enhances the safety and dependability of the application process. In contrast to traditional model-based prediction methods that are complex and have limited accuracy, data-driven prediction methods, which are considered mainstream, rely on direct data analysis and offer higher accuracy. Therefore, this paper reviews how to use the latest data-driven algorithms to predict the SOH of LIBs, and proposes a general prediction process, including the acquisition of datasets for the charging and discharging process of LIBs, the processing of data and features, and the selection of algorithms. The advantages and limitations of various processing methods and cutting-edge data-driven algorithms are summarized and compared, and methods with potential applications are proposed. Effort was also made to point out their application methods and application scenarios, providing guidance for researchers in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: What are the main findings? Rapid acquisition technology of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. EIS was used to quickly and effectively estimate the SOH of LIBs. Machine learning method and equivalent circuit method to estimate battery health state. What is the implication of the main finding? EIS were found to be better SOH estimation method. The technology based on EIS has the characteristics of high precision advantages. The method based on EIS of LIBs SOH estimation has been applied to the BMS. Lithium-ion batteries stand out from other clean energy sources because of their high energy density and small size. With the increasing application scope and scale of lithium-ion batteries, real-time and accurate monitoring of its state of health plays an important role in ensuring the healthy and stable operation of an energy storage system. Due to the interaction of various aging reactions in the aging process of lithium-ion batteries, the capacity attenuation shows no regularity. However, the traditional monitoring method is mainly based on voltage and current, which cannot reflect the internal mechanism, so the accuracy is greatly reduced. Recently, with the development of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, it has been possible to estimate the state of health quickly and accurately online. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy can measure battery impedance in a wide frequency range, so it can reflect the internal aging state of lithium-ion batteries. In this paper, the latest impedance spectroscopy measurement technology and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy based on lithium-ion battery health state estimation technology are summarized, along with the advantages and disadvantages of the summary and prospects. This fills the gap in this aspect and is conducive to the further development of this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For equine-assisted therapy, a bionic horse configuration is presented. A bionic horse's single leg system has two degrees of freedom (DOFs), which is driven by a cam-linkage mechanism and can adjust the leg's endpoint trajectory. Based on analyzing the motion law of the bionic horse and the foot trajectory's requirements of the leg system, a multi-objective optimization model is established based on the foot trajectory performance index. To determine the objective function, the errors between the ideal foot trajectory and the mechanism motion model's foot trajectory, and the errors between the actual adjustable values and the target values for the motion range are taken as the optimization objective. In terms of the constraint conditions, the structural constraints, kinematic feasible region conditions, pressure angle requirements, et al., are considered. The ideal mechanism parameters are obtained by the intelligent optimization method. The results are verified by simulation modeling and experimental prototype, and the relevant ideas can provide a reference for the research of similar problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2018, the outbreak and prevalence of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) in China have caused huge economic losses. Less virulent ASFVs emerged in 2020, which led to difficulties and challenges for early diagnosis and control of African swine fever (ASF) in China. An effective method of monitoring ASFV antibodies and specific antibodies against ASFV to promote the development of prevention techniques are urgently needed. In the present study, ASFV p17 was successfully expressed in CHO cells using a suspension culture system. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on purified p17 was established and optimized. The monoclonal antibody (mAb) against p17 recognized a conservative linear epitope (3TETSPLLSH11) and exhibited specific reactivity, which was conducive to the identification of recombinant porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) expressing p17. The ELISA method efficiently detected clinical ASFV infection and effectively monitored the antibody levels in vivo after recombinant PRRSV live vector virus expressing p17 vaccination. Overall, the determination of the conserved linear epitope of p17 would contribute to the in-depth exploration of the biological function of the ASFV antigen protein. The indirect ELISA method and mAb against ASFV p17 revealed efficient detection and promising application prospects, making them ideal for epidemiological surveillance and vaccine research on ASF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle emissions have become a significant source of air pollution in urban cities, especially in China. Mobile sources account for 45% of local fine particle emissions in the Chinese capital Beijing. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) area, one of China's most representative urban clusters, is suffering from severe air pollution. With the rapid growth of vehicle ownership in the past two decades, vehicle emissions in China have also undergone great changes under various management measures. The BTH region is also a place where mobile source emission management was carried out earlier. It is of important research value to understand the evolution trend of the vehicle ownerships in the BTH region and the actual effects of various management measures for the control of vehicle emissions. Due to the imperfect evaluation of the current vehicle emission limitation measures from 2000 to 2019, the vehicle emission inventory of the BTH region was established, and the major control measures in the BTH region were evaluated. Results showed that the vehicle ownership has been increasing year by year over the past 20 years, from 2.39 million in 2000 to 25.32 million in 2019, with an average annual growth rate of 13.24%. However, the pollutants discharged by motor vehicles showed a trend of first rising and then falling due to various measures except CO2. The unsynchronized control measures have resulted in huge differences in vehicle growth trends and emissions among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. The emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and particulate matter (PM10) in Beijing showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. The changes in these pollutants in Tianjin were similar to those in Beijing, but there was a secondary increase for NOX and PM10 in the later period. The discharge of all pollutants in Hebei Province showed a growing trend except sulfur dioxide (SO2). The major emission source of CO and VOCs in BTH was PCs, and the contribution rate of PCs to VOCs, reached 86.0–89.6% in 2019. Heavy-duty trucks (HDTs) and buses were the main sources of NOX emissions, contributing 78.2–85.4% of NOX in 2019. Eliminating high emission vehicles was the best control measure in the BTH Region, which had a good emission reduction effect on all pollutants. For sustainable development of the BTH region, it is suggested that Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province implement vehicle control policies simultaneously and establish a joint management mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of their small size and large specific surface area, nanoparticles (NPs) have special properties that are different from bulk materials. In particular, Au/Ag NPs have been intensively studied for a long time, especially for biomedical applications. Thereafter, they played a significant role in the fields of biology, medical testing, optical imaging, energy and catalysis, MRI contrast agents, tumor diagnosis and treatment, environmental protection, and so on. When synthesizing Au/Ag NPs, the laser ablation and biosynthesis methods are very promising green processes. Therefore, this review focuses on the progress in the laser ablation and biological synthesis processes for Au/Ag NP generation, especially in their fabrication fundamentals and potential applications. First, the fundamentals of the laser ablation method are critically reviewed, including the laser ablation mechanism for Au/Ag NPs and the controlling of their size and shape during fabrication using laser ablation. Second, the fundamentals of the biological method are comprehensively discussed, involving the synthesis principle and the process of controlling the size and shape and preparing Au/Ag NPs using biological methods. Third, the applications in biology, tumor diagnosis and treatment, and other fields are reviewed to demonstrate the potential value of Au/Ag NPs. Finally, a discussion surrounding three aspects (similarity, individuality, and complementarity) of the two green synthesis processes is presented, and the necessary outlook, including the current limitations and challenges, is suggested, which provides a reference for the low-cost and sustainable production of Au/Ag NPs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an important viral disease, causing significant economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Atypical cases caused by highly pathogenic PRRS virus (HP-PRRSV) emerged in 2006 in China. The vaccine strain HuN4-F112 has been developed from the wild-type HP-PRRSV HuN4 through repeated passages on MARC-145 cells. However, the mechanisms of attenuation have yet to be defined. Previous studies have shown that the vaccine strain HuN4-F112 could not effectively replicate in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs). In the present study, a series of chimeric and mutant PRRSVs were constructed to investigate regions associated with the virus attenuation. Firstly, the corresponding genome regions (ORF1a, ORF1b and ORFs 2-7) were exchanged between two infectious clones of HuN4 and HuN4-F112, and then the influence of small regions in ORF1a and ORF2-7 was evaluated, then influence of specific amino acids on NSP2 was tested. NSP2 was determined to be the key gene that regulated infection efficiency on PAMs, and amino acids at 893 and 979 of NSP2 were the key amino acids. The results of in vivo study indicated that NSP2 was not only important for infection efficiency in vitro, but also influenced the virulence, which was indicated by the results of survival rate, temperature, viremia, lung score and tissue score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to its attractive optical and electronic properties, silicon carbide is an emerging platform for integrated photonics. However an integral component of the platform is missing—an electro-optic modulator, a device which encodes electrical signals onto light. As a non-centrosymmetric crystal, silicon carbide exhibits the Pockels effect, yet a modulator has not been realized since the discovery of this effect more than three decades ago. Here we design, fabricate, and demonstrate a Pockels modulator in silicon carbide. Specifically, we realize a waveguide-integrated, small form-factor, gigahertz-bandwidth modulator that operates using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-level voltages on a thin film of silicon carbide on insulator. Our device is fabricated using a CMOS foundry compatible fabrication process and features no signal degradation, no presence of photorefractive effects, and stable operation at high optical intensities (913 kW/mm2), allowing for high optical signal-to-noise ratios for modern communications. Our work unites Pockels electro-optics with a CMOS foundry compatible platform in silicon carbide. Electro-optic modulator is used to encode electrical signals onto light. Here the authors demonstrate an electro-optic modulator, based on Silicon Carbide, which can be useful for quantum and optical communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: EIS was used to estimate the SOH of LIBs found to be fast and effective. It is more convenient to use CNN to extract features of EIS data automatically. The improved ECM method and IPSO-CNN-BiLSTM method are proposed in this paper. IPSO algorithm was first proposed to applied to the problem of optimizing the initial parameters of the neural networks. The state of health (SOH) is critical to the efficient and reliable use of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Recently, the SOH estimation method based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been proven effective. In response to different practical applications, two models for SOH estimation are proposed in this paper. Aiming at based on the equivalent circuit model (ECM) method, a variety of ECMs are proposed. Used EIS to predict the ECM, the results show that the improved method ensures the correctness of the ECM and improves the estimation results of SOH. Aiming at a data-driven algorithm, proposes a convolution neural network (CNN) to process EIS data which can not only extract the key points but also simplifies the complexity of manual feature extraction. The bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) model was used for serial regression prediction. Moreover, the improved Particle Swarm Optimization (IPSO) algorithm is proposed to optimize the model. Comparing the improved model (IPSO-CNN-BiLSTM) with the traditional PSO-CNN-BiLSTM, CNN-BiLSTM and LSTM models, the prediction results are improved by 13.6%, 93.75% and 94.8%, respectively. Besides that, the two proposed methods are 27% and 35% better than the existing gaussion process regression (GPR) model, which indicates that the proposed improved methods are more flexible for SOH estimation with higher precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene has recently attracted a wide range of research interests due to its rigorous two-dimensional structure and extraordinary electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. As a conductive agent, an activated carbon supercapacitor can obtain better performance. This paper summarizes the latest research progress, mainly from two aspects: (1) the preparation of an activated carbon base for a supercapacitor based on waste sugar solution and the relationship between pore structure and activation parameters, and (2) the application of the two-dimensional materials graphene and its composite materials in electric double-layer capacitors, graphene–polymer composite tantalum capacitors, graphene–transition metal oxide composite tantalum capacitors, and asymmetric super capacitors. The studies found that graphene and its composite materials have obvious advantages in improving the cycle efficiency, conversion rate, and energy density of supercapacitors, the overall energy efficiency of mechanical systems, and the chemical properties of nanoelectronics. Therefore, it is urgent to summarize these works in order to promote the next development. Graphene is expected to be effectively and environmentally quantified in the near future, and its application in supercapacitors will be further expanded and matured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: African swine fever (ASF) is the most serious animal disease that endangers the pig industry in China, causing the heaviest economic loss so far. Effective prevention and control of ASF is necessary for China's pig industry, and also the focus and hotspot of global swine industry disease prevention and control research. In view of this, rapid, specific and sensitive diagnosis of ASF is of great significance. In this study, ASF virus (ASFV) E248R gene was selected to be the target for establishing a real-time PCR method which did not cross-react with other porcine viruses that could cause similar symptoms. The detection methods can be used for the efficient detection of ASFV infection and the recombinant live-vectored virus-expressing antigen protein of ASFV. ASF has caused huge economic losses to China's swine industry. As clinical symptoms of ASF were difficult to distinguish from classical swine fever and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), rapid and effective differential diagnosis of ASFV seems very important to control the spread of the disease. In this study, the ASFV E248R gene was selected to be the target for establishing a real-time PCR method. TaqMan real-time PCR for the detection of ASFV E248R gene did not cross-react with other porcine viruses that could cause similar symptoms. The results of the repeatability test showed that the coefficients of variation between and within groups were lower than 1.977%. This method can be used for the rapid detection and early diagnosis of ASF. Meanwhile, the recombinant PRRS virus (PRRSV)-expressing E248R gene of ASFV was constructed and rescued by using the reverse genetic platform of live-attenuated PRRSV vaccine. The ASFV E248R gene can be detected by using this real-time PCR detection method, confirming that the ASFV E248R gene could be stably amplified in PRRSV genome at least 20 cell passages. The detection methods can be used for the efficient detection of the ASFV infection and recombinant PRRSV live vector virus-expressing ASFV antigen protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone (O3) is an important secondary substance that plays a significant role in atmospheric chemistry and climate change. Although O3 is essential in the stratosphere, it is harmful to human health in the troposphere, where this study was conducted. In recent years, O3 pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), and Pearl River Delta (PRD) regions has deteriorated, which has become an important environmental problem. The generation of O3 is closely related to meteorological factors. In this study, the weather classification method was adopted to study the effect of meteorological conditions on O3 concentration. In the BTH region, Tianjin was selected as the representative city for the research. The real-time pollutants data, meteorological re-analysis data, and meteorological data in 2019 were combined for the analysis. The subjective weather classification method was adopted to investigate the effects of different weather types on O3 concentration. The backward trajectory tracking model was used to explore the characteristics and changes of O3 pollution under two extreme weather types. The results indicate there is a good correlation between O3 concentration and ambient temperature. Under the control of low pressure on the ground and the influence of southwest airflow in the upper air for Tianjin, heavy O3 pollution occurred frequently. The addition of external transport and local generation will cause high O3 values when the weather system is weak. The O3 concentration is closely related to ambient temperature. Continuous high-temperature weather is conducive to the photochemical reaction. The multi-day O3 pollution process would occur when the weather system is robust. The first and second types of extreme weather are more likely to cause persistent O3 pollution processes. Under the premise of stable emission sources, the change in weather patterns was the main reason affecting the O3 concentration. This study aims to improve O3 pollution control and air quality prediction in the BTH region and large cities in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senecavirus A (SVA), an important emerging porcine virus, has outbreaks in different regions and countries each year, becoming a virus with global prevalence. SVA infection has been reported to induce macroautophagy/autophagy; however, the molecular mechanisms of autophagy induction and the effect of SVA on autophagy remain unknown. This study showed that SVA infection induced the autophagy process in the early stage of SVA infection, and the rapamycin-induced autophagy inhibited SVA replication by degrading virus 3 C protein. To counteract this, SVA utilized 2AB protein inhibiting the autophagy process from promoting viral replication in the late stage of SVA infection. Further study showed that SVA 2AB protein interacted with MARCHF8/MARCH8 and LC3 to degrade the latter and inhibit the autophagy process. In addition, we found that MARCHF8 was a positive regulator of type I IFN (IFN-I) signaling. During the autophagy process, the SVA 2AB protein targeted MARCHF8 and MAVS forming a large complex for degradation to deactivate IFN-I signaling. Together, our study reveals the molecular mechanisms of selective autophagy in the host against viruses and reveals potential viral strategies to evade the autophagic process and IFN-I signaling for successful pathogenesis. Abbreviations: Baf A1: bafilomycin A1; Co-IP: co-immunoprecipitation; CQ: chloroquine; DAPI: 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; hpi: hours post-infection; IFN: interferon; ISG: IFN-stimulated gene; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MARCHF8/MARCH8: membrane associated ring-CH-type finger 8; MAVS: mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein; MOI: multiplicity of infection; Rapa: rapamycin; RT: room temperature; siRNA: small interfering RNA; SVA: Senecavirus A; TCID50: 50% tissue culture infectious doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship emissions are one of the main sources of air pollution in port cities. The prosperous maritime trade has brought great harm to the air quality of port cities while promoting the development of the world economy. During the berthing process, ship auxiliary machines emit a large amount of air pollutants, which have a great impact on air quality and public health. Alternative marine fuels are being studied and used frequently to reduce ship emissions. This research was carried out to investigate the gaseous and particles emission characteristics of a marine diesel engine during the application of experimental biodiesel fuels. To study the influence of mixed fuels on engine performance, measurements were made at different engine loads and speeds. Different diesel fuels were tested using various ratios between biodiesel and BD0 (ultra-low sulfur diesel) of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90%, and 100%. The results indicated the use of biodiesel has little influence on the combustion performance but has a certain impact on exhaust emissions. The octane number and laminar flame speed of biodiesel are higher than those of BD0, so the combustion time of the test diesel engine is shortened under the mixed mode of biodiesel. In addition, a high ratio of biodiesel leads to a decrease of the instantaneous peak heat release rate, causing the crank angle to advance. As the biodiesel blending ratio increased, most of the gaseous pollutants decreased, especially for CO, but it led to an increase of particle numbers. The particle size distribution exhibits a unimodal distribution under various conditions, with the peak value appearing at 30–75 nm. The use of biodiesel has no effect on this phenomenon. The peak positions strongly depend on fuel types and engine conditions. The particulate matter (PM) emitted from the test engine included large amounts of organic carbon (OC), which accounted for between 30% and 40% of PM. Whereas the elemental carbon (EC) accounted for between 10% and 20%, the water-soluble ions components accounted for 6–15%. Elemental components, which accounted for 3–8% of PM emissions, mainly consisted of Si, Fe, Sn, Ba, Al, Zn, V, and Ni. Generally, biodiesel could be a reliable alternative fuel to reduce ship auxiliary engine emissions at berth and improve port air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under seismic loading, the coupling beam not only connects the wall stems together, but also plays a role in energy dissipation and shock absorption. On the basis of a literature review, this paper presents a new type of prefabricated concrete arch coupling beam with steel connectors. The structure of the prefabricated beam and its connection with the wall stems are introduced. The seismic performance of the beam-wall joint is analyzed through experimental research and finite element analysis. The results show that the arch beam effectively improves the shear bearing capacity of the beam-wall connection, thus improves the overall seismic performance of the coupled wall structures. This research provides a useful reference for developing design codes for prefabricated coupling beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of information explosion, smartphones have become a necessary device in our daily life. In order to select a better smartphone, most users try to collect more attributes to help them purchase their own smartphones, including the brand image from the advertisements, features from the specifications, word-of-mouth from their peers, and the average sales from some secondary data webs. In order to assist the users to evaluate the brand performance from the market attributes, in this paper, we selected nine smartphone brands and used multi-criteria decision-making methods to rank the smartphones' functions. We first use TOPSIS to evaluate word-of-mouth, together with average sales collected from the website of each brand, and the brand image obtained by the use of questionnaires. Finally, we summarize the final rankings of these smartphone brands. The brand performance analysis shows that our proposed hybrid method can significantly derive the overall rankings of smartphone brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remaining useful life shows extraordinary function in guiding the timely replacement of supercapacitors that reach the service life limit, which has great significance to the security and stability of the energy storage system. In order to more accurately predict the remaining useful life of supercapacitors so as to ensure the reliability of the whole supercapacitor bank, a temporal convolutional network is used. Among them, a residual block can solve the problems of gradient explosion and gradient disappearance, which are widespread in the recurrent neural network. Early stopping technology is used to avoid overfitting, and the Adam algorithm was used to optimize the process of parameter adjustment of the temporal convolutional network. The stability and accuracy of the model prediction were verified by using the capacity attenuation dataset of supercapacitors under different experimental conditions. Meanwhile, to verify the generalization ability of the model, the datasets of supercapacitors at different working conditions without training are input into the temporal convolutional network model. Simulation shows that the temporal convolutional network model exhibits strong robustness and high accuracy in predicting the remaining useful life of supercapacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the advantageous effects of purple sweet potato anthocyanin extract (PSPAE) on redox state in obese mice. The normal chow diet (NCD) group, high‐fat/cholesterol diet (HCD) group, and three groups based on HCD and added with low, middle, and high dose of PSPAE (PAL, PAM, and PAH) were raised for 12 weeks. High dose of PSPAE treatment decreased the elevations of the body weight by 24.7%, serum total cholesterol by 48.3%, serum triglyceride by 42.4%, and elevated serum activities of glutathione peroxidase by 53.3%, superoxide dismutase by 57.8%, catalase by 75.4%, decreased serum contents of malondialdehyde by 27.1% and lipopolysaccharides by 40.5%, as well as increased caecal total short‐chain fatty acid by 2.05‐fold. Additionally, PSPAE depressed toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR‐4), nuclear factor kappa‐B (NF‐κB), interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor α, and preserved nuclear factor erythroid‐2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) gene expression. Similarly, the protein expression of Nrf2 was enhanced, while TLR‐4 and p‐NF‐κB/NF‐κB were depressed by PSPAE treatment. Moreover, PSPAE administration promoted the protection of intestinal barrier function and rebuilt gut microbiota homeostasis by blooming g_Akkermansia, g_Bifidobacterium, and g_Lactobacillus. Furthermore, antibiotic interference experiments showed that the gut microbiota was indispensable for preserving the redox state of PSPAE. These results suggested that PSPAE administration could be an opportunity for improving HCD‐induced obesity and the redox state related to gut dysbiosis. Practical Application: Purple sweet potato anthocyanin has diverse pharmacological properties. It is applicable for individuals to consume extracts (as pills or other forms) from raw purple sweet potato if they want to improve obesity or redox state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent nano-ceramics have an important high-transmittance, material-integrating structure and function and a variety of potential applications, such as use in infrared windows, optical isolators, composite armors, intelligent terminal screens, and key materials of solid-state lasers. Transparent ceramics were originally developed to replace single crystals because of their low fabricating cost, controllable shape, and variable composition. Therefore, this study reviews and summarizes the development trends in transparent nano-ceramics and their potential applications. First, we review the research progress and application of laser nano-ceramic materials, focusing on the influence of controllable doping of rare earth ions on thermal conductivity and the realization of large-scale fabrication technology. Second, the latest research progress on magneto-optical transparent nano-ceramics, mainly including terbium gallium garnet (Tb3Ga5O12, TGG) ceramics and terbium aluminum garnet (Tb3Al5O12, TAG) ceramics, are summarized, and their performance is compared. Third, the research progress of transparent armor nano-ceramic materials, represented by MgAl2O3 and Aluminum oxynitride (AlON), are reviewed. Lastly, the progress in electro-optical transparent nano-ceramics and scintillation transparent nano-ceramics is reported, and the influence of the material-fabrication process on electro-optic effect or luminous intensity is compared. Moreover, the effect of particle diameter on fabrication, the relationship between nano powder and performance, and different sintering methods are discussed. In summary, this study provides a meaningful reference for low-cost and sustainable production in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to its attractive optical and electronic properties, silicon carbide is an emerging platform for integrated photonics. However an integral component of the platform is missing—an electro-optic modulator, a device which encodes electrical signals onto light. As a non-centrosymmetric crystal, silicon carbide exhibits the Pockels effect, yet a modulator has not been realized since the discovery of this effect more than three decades ago. Here we design, fabricate, and demonstrate a Pockels modulator in silicon carbide. Specifically, we realize a waveguide-integrated, small form-factor, gigahertz-bandwidth modulator that operates using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-level voltages on a thin film of silicon carbide on insulator. Our device is fabricated using a CMOS foundry compatible fabrication process and features no signal degradation, no presence of photorefractive effects, and stable operation at high optical intensities (913 kW/mm2), allowing for high optical signal-to-noise ratios for modern communications. Our work unites Pockels electro-optics with a CMOS foundry compatible platform in silicon carbide. Electro-optic modulator is used to encode electrical signals onto light. Here the authors demonstrate an electro-optic modulator, based on Silicon Carbide, which can be useful for quantum and optical communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over 100 mutations in the SRD5A2 gene have been identified in subjects with 46,XY disorder of sex development (DSD). Exploration of SRD5A2 mutations and elucidation of the molecular mechanisms behind their effects should reveal the functions of the domains of the 5α-reductase 2 enzyme and identify the cause of 46,XY DSD. Previously, we reported a novel compound heterozygous p.Q6X/p.H232R mutation of the SRD5A2 gene in a case with 46,XY DSD. Whether the compound heterozygous p.Q6X/p.H232R mutation in this gene causes 46,XY DSD requires further exploration. Methods: The two 46,XY DSD cases were identified and sequenced. In order to identify the source of the compound heterozygous p.Q6X/p.H232R mutation, the parents, maternal grandparents, and maternal uncle were sequenced. Since p.Q6X mutation is a nonsense mutation, p.H232R mutation was transfected into HEK293 cells and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) production were analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) for 5α-reductase 2 enzyme activities test. Apparent michaelis constant (Km) were measured of p.H232R mutation to analyze the binding ability change of 5α-reductase 2 enzyme with testosterone (T) or NADPH. Results: The sequence results showed that the two 46,XY DSD cases were the compound heterozygous p.Q6X/p.H232R mutation, of which the heterozygous p.Q6X mutation originating from maternal family and heterozygous p.H232R mutation originating from the paternal family. The function analysis confirmed that p.H232R variant decreased the DHT production by LC–MS test. The Km analysis demonstrated that p.H232R mutation affected the binding of SRD5A2 with T or NADPH. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed that the compound heterozygous p.Q6X/p.H232R mutation in the SRD5A2 gene is the cause of 46,XY DSD. p.H232R mutation reduced DHT production while attenuating the catalytic efficiency of the 5α-reductase 2 enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reliable and reproducible model in vitro for swine enteric coronaviruses infection would be intestinal models that support virus replication and can be long-term cultured and manipulated experimentally. Here, we designed a robust long-term culture system for porcine intestinal organoids from the intestinal crypt or single LGR5+ stem cell by combining previously defined insights into the growth requirements of the intestinal epithelium of humans. We showed that long-term cultured swine intestinal organoids were expanded in vitro for more than 6 months and maintained the potential to differentiate into different types of cells. These organoids were successfully infected with porcine enteric coronavirus, including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), and were capable of supporting virus replication and progeny release. RNA-seq analysis showed robust induction of transcripts associated with antiviral signaling in response to enteric coronavirus infection, including hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes and cytokines. Moreover, gene set enrichment analysis indicated that PEDV infection could suppress the immune response in organoids. This 3D intestinal organoid model offers a long-term, renewable resource for investigating porcine intestinal infections with various pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epoxy resin E51 was modified by PA and DEOA, and polar groups such as hydroxyl, tertiary amine and amide bond were introduced into the epoxy resin molecular structure through ring-opening addition reaction, presenting ideal hydrophilcity. The modified epoxy resin system does not need an external thixotropic agent. After mixing with water, the hydrogen bond interaction between the resin particles can endow the system with excellent thixotropy. The effects of the reaction temperature, type and molar ratio of reactants on the properties of the filler -free waterborne epoxy resin with high thixotropyare discussed and the optimal preparation conditions are obtained. The test results show that after mixing with the curing agent, the waterborne epoxy adhesive has excellent anti-sagging performance, good mechanical properties of the cured product, and high practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new technique to self-mitigate the RF power variations in microwave photonic phase shifters (MPPS) based on microring resonators by exploiting the root problem of varying optical intensities at different optical phase shifts to harness a varying and opposing optical equalization gain. Whilst optical gain mediums are commonly present in microwave photonic systems to overcome optical loss, choosing an appropriate equalization gain point to strike a balance between the optical gain transformation of weak and preservation of strong signals allows the proposed system to effectively achieve minimal radio frequency (RF) power variation across all signals without interfering with the RF phase shifting operation. Simulation results show an inline MPPS based on the phase and amplitude of conventional resonant structures with a capability to successfully minimize the RF power variations by 80% for up to 25 dB of phase-dependent power variations throughout the full 360° phase tuning range. Experimental results verify the MPPS operation based on a single microring resonator by significantly reducing the large RF power variations from 9 dB to less than ±1.25 dB, while maintaining the same RF phase shifting operation. We then verify the use of the proposed inline MPPS to adaptively minimize the self-interference by optimizing the phase compensation in a self-interference cancellation system. We demonstrate a cancellation bandwidth of 100 MHz with peak in-band cancellation of up to 40 dB while exhibiting the capability to recover weak signals of interest at operating center frequencies ranging from 5 – 20 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recombinant bivalent live vectored vaccine rPRRSV-E2 has been proved to be a favorable genetic engineering vaccine against classical swine fever (CSF) and highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (HP-PRRS). NADC30-like strains have recently emerged in China and caused severe disease, and it is necessary to evaluate the vaccine candidate for the currently circulating viruses. This study established a good challenge model to evaluate the candidate rPRRSV-E2 vaccine in preventing infection with a representative NADC30-like strain (ZJqz21). It was shown that the challenge control piglets displayed clinical signs typical of PRRSV, including a persistent fever, dyspnea, moderate interstitial pneumonia, lymph node congestion, and viremia. In contrast, the rPRRSV-E2 vaccination significantly alleviated the clinical signs, yielded a high level of antibodies, provided adequate protection against challenge with ZJqz21, and inhibited viral shedding and the viral load in target tissues. Our results demonstrated that the recombinant bivalent live vectored vaccine strain rPRRSV-E2 can provide efficient protection against the challenge of heterologous circulating NADC30-like strain and could be a promising vaccine candidate for the swine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new microwave photonic (MWP) sensor based on cascaded silicon-on-insulator microring resonators (MRRs) with the incorporation of a seamless auto-corrective MWP sideband processing scheme to achieve multi-parameter sensing with high sensitivity and high-resolution. By using two MRRs with different waveguide widths, we take advantage of the resulted dual resonances which are not only distinct, but also exhibit different sensitivities. A multi-parameter sensing model can thus be established by deriving the difference in the sensitivity slope of the resonance notch shifts. The technique enables dynamic MWP sideband processing to actively compensate for variations in the optical resonances where limited extinction ratios in the optical domain are mapped instantaneously into ultra-high rejection ratios in the RF spectrum. We then demonstrate the cascaded optical MRR based auto-correction assisted MWP sensor for the environmental sensing of both humidity and temperature variations. Besides negligible hysteresis effect, the humidity sensitivity of the sensor reached over 291 MHz/%RH for both MRRs, which is over 3.5 times that of the microdisk-based humidity sensor. With the aid of the seamless auto-correction mechanism, the dual RF notches with albeit different but very high sensitivities are well maintained over 50 dB of rejection ratio, thus preserving a consistently high resolution throughout the whole sensing range. Additionally, a complete sensing model for measuring both parameters is also established and verified experimentally. Results show the capability of the proposed high-resolution sensor scheme for independent measurand detection for multi-parameter sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This paper provides an innovative design of prefabricated shear wall that is suitable for industrialized construction. A restoring force model that reflects the hysteretic performance of the prefabricated shear walls with built-in steel sections is developed and a calculation method for cracking stiffness for prefabricated shear walls based on test fitting, mechanical calculation, and test modifications is proposed and evaluated. A calculation method of the ultimate load for prefabricated shear walls based on an ultimate equilibrium equation is developed. The results of this paper can be applied in developing design codes for prefabricated shear walls and serve as a reference for practical applications. Prefabricated shear walls have been widely used in engineering structures. Vertical connection joints of the walls are the key to ensure the safety of the structures. Steel–concrete composite structures have been proved to have a good bearing capacity and ductility. In this paper, a new type of prefabricated structure is proposed, in which vertical wall members are connected together through built-in steel sections and cast-in-place concrete. This paper studies the seismic performance of the proposed prefabricated concrete shear wall structure. Hysteretic curves and skeleton curves of the shear wall are obtained based on experimental analyses. A dimensionless skeleton curve model is developed using the theory of material mechanics and the method of regression analysis. A stiffness calculation method for different loading stages is obtained and a restoring force model is proposed. The proposed innovative prefabricated shear wall structure provides good resistance to seismic performance and the related analysis provides a fundamental reference for studies of prefabricated shear wall structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pseudorabies virus (PRV) gene encoding thymidine kinase (tk) is an important virulence-associated factor. Attenuation of PRV in susceptible animals is a frequent result of tk deletion. The aim of the study was to assess the pathogenicity of tk-deleted PRV in rats. Sprague Dawley rats were infected with the tk-deleted PRV strain SuHV-1 ΔTK:247via intranasal or intramuscular inoculation. PRV loads in ten tissues from dead and euthanised rats were determined using real-time PCR. Infection with SuHV-1 ΔTK:247 could cause death in rats. The 50% lethal dose (LD50) of SuHV-1 ΔTK:247 via intranasal inoculation was 103.16 TCID50 in rats. Intramuscular inoculation required a higher dose of SuHV-1 ΔTK:247 (105.0 TCID50). A high SuHV-1 ΔTK:247 titre was observed in the trigeminal ganglia or spinal cord of dead rats. The results of this study show that rats are highly susceptible to PRV infection, and tk deletion did not completely diminish the pathogenicity of PRV in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel workflow for forecasting production in unconventional reservoirs using reduced-order models and machine-learning. Our physics-informed machine-learning workflow addresses the challenges to real-time reservoir management in unconventionals, namely the lack of data (i.e., the time-frame for which the wells have been producing), and the significant computational expense of high-fidelity modeling. We do this by applying the machine-learning paradigm of transfer learning, where we combine fast, but less accurate reduced-order models with slow, but accurate high-fidelity models. We use the Patzek model (Proc Natl Acad Sci 11:19731–19736, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1313380110, 2013) as the reduced-order model to generate synthetic production data and supplement this data with synthetic production data obtained from high-fidelity discrete fracture network simulations of the site of interest. Our results demonstrate that training with low-fidelity models is not sufficient for accurate forecasting, but transfer learning is able to augment the knowledge and perform well once trained with the small set of results from the high-fidelity model. Such a physics-informed machine-learning (PIML) workflow, grounded in physics, is a viable candidate for real-time history matching and production forecasting in a fractured shale gas reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared small-target detection under heterogeneous background, as a challenging task, plays an important role in many applications. In practice, there are not only bright targets but also dim targets, e.g., rescue aircraft and vehicles in the forest fire scene. Considering that most existing infrared small-target detection methods are merely aimed at bright targets, a novel method using multiple morphological profiles (MMP) is proposed, which can detect various types of targets whose brightness varies greatly. In the designed morphological feature extraction, different attributes, i.e., area attribute and height attribute, are applied to extract spatial size and contrast information of small-target in the max-tree and min-tree, respectively. Furthermore, discontinuous pruning values are further utilized for different attributes, and a designed fusion strategy of different pruning values results in more robust detection performance. Experimental results validated on two synthetic data and six real data sets demonstrate that the proposed MMP can not only detect a variety of brightness of targets and different types of targets and kinds of spatial sizes of targets but also further improve the contrast between targets and background, and the background clutter is significantly suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has reached a pandemic level. Cardiac injury is not uncommon among COVID‐19 patients. We sought to describe the electrocardiographic characteristics and to identify the prognostic significance of electrocardiography (ECG) findings of patients with COVID‐19. Hypothesis: ECG abnormality was associated with higher risk of death. Methods: Consecutive patients with laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 and definite in‐hospital outcome were retrospectively included. Demographic characteristics and clinical data were extracted from medical record. Initial ECGs at admission or during hospitalization were reviewed. A point‐based scoring system of abnormal ECG findings was formed, in which 1 point each was assigned for the presence of axis deviation, arrhythmias, atrioventricular block, conduction tissue disease, QTc interval prolongation, pathological Q wave, ST‐segment change, and T‐wave change. The association between abnormal ECG scores and in‐hospital mortality was assessed in multivariable Cox regression models. Results: A total of 306 patients (mean 62.84 ± 14.69 years old, 48.0% male) were included. T‐wave change (31.7%), QTc interval prolongation (30.1%), and arrhythmias (16.3%) were three most common found ECG abnormalities. 30 (9.80%) patients died during hospitalization. Abnormal ECG scores were significantly higher among non‐survivors (median 2 points vs 1 point, p < 0.001). The risk of in‐hospital death increased by a factor of 1.478 (HR 1.478, 95% CI 1.131–1.933, p = 0.004) after adjusted by age, comorbidities, cardiac injury and treatments. Conclusions: ECG abnormality was common in patients admitted for COVID‐19 and was associated with adverse in‐hospital outcome. In‐hospital mortality risk increased with increasing abnormal ECG scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Co–Cr–O spinel catalysts with different stoichiometry were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, N2 physisorption and temperature-programmed reduction in H2. Excess Co in Co1.5Cr1.5O4 existed as Co3+ that substituted for Cr3+ in the octahedral sites of the spinel lattice. High temperature treatment of the spinel catalysts in H2 resulted in stepwise reduction of Co3+ to Co2+ and eventually to Co metal. Both CoCr2O4 and Co1.5Cr1.5O4 catalysts were active and structurally stable in ethylene steam reforming under differential reaction conditions at 873 K, with the areal reforming rate over Co1.5Cr1.5O4 being one order-of-magnitude greater than that over CoCr2O4. The steady state reforming rate after oxidation was comparable to that over the fresh catalyst for both CoCr2O4 and Co1.5Cr1.5O4, indicating the stability of the spinel structure against reduction under steam reforming conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the state of charge (SOC) estimation of supercapacitors and lithium batteries in the hybrid energy storage system of electric vehicles. According to the energy storage principle of the electric vehicle composite energy storage system, the circuit models of supercapacitors and lithium batteries were established, respectively, and the model parameters were identified online using the recursive least square (RLS) method and Kalman filtering (KF) algorithm. Then, the online estimation of SOC was completed based on the Kalman filtering algorithm and unscented Kalman filtering algorithm. Finally, the experimental platform for SOC estimation was built and Matlab was used for calculation and analysis. The experimental results showed that the SOC estimation results reached a high accuracy, and the variation range of estimation error was [−0.94%, 0.34%]. For lithium batteries, the recursive least square method is combined with the 2RC model to obtain the optimal result, and the estimation error is within the range of [−1.16%, 0.85%] in the case of comprehensive weighing accuracy and calculation amount. Moreover, the system has excellent robustness and high reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]