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Abstract Background The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, defined as Ln [fasting triglyceride (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2], provides insights into overall metabolic status. However, the association between the TyG index and gout has not been investigated. Therefore, this study explored the correlation between the TyG index and gout. Methods Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was conducted from 2007 to 2018, this study investigated the relationship between the TyG index and gout. Demographic data and potential risk factors were analyzed and compared using t tests for continuous data and chi-square tests for categorical data. Logistic regression and subgroup analysis were performed to examine the association between the TyG index and gout. Results A total of 14,924 participants were enrolled, among whom 726 (4.86%) were diagnosed with gout. Without controlling for any covariates, a significant positive correlation was observed between an elevated TyG index and increased risk of gout, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.07 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) ranging from 1.76 to 2.43. After full adjustment, this association remained statistically significant, with an adjusted OR of 1.43 and a 95% CI from 1.14 to 1.80. Subgroup analyses revealed significant interactions, particularly for females (OR = 2.55; 95% CI: 2.00-3.26), individuals with no military service history (OR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.66–2.43), and those without diabetes (OR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.64–2.43). Conclusion A positive correlation was observed between the TyG index and gout. Consequently, further large-scale prospective studies are warranted for a comprehensive analysis of the role of the TyG index in gout.

Abstract Background This study explores the factors contributing to the occurrence of delirium following cardiac surgery and devises nursing strategies rooted in behavior change theory. Methods A cohort of 320 cardiac surgery patients was selected, categorized into two groups: 93 cases where postoperative delirium (POD) was anticipated, and 227 cases where it was not. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors of POD were scrutinized using single-factor analysis, while binary logistic regression analysis was employed to pinpoint risk factors. Results Among the 320 patients, 93 displayed POD symptoms post-surgery, yielding an incidence of 29.06%. Preoperative univariate analysis disclosed significant differences in gender, age, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes (P

Abstract This study aimed to analyze spatio-temporal changes in habitat quality in Chang-Zhu-Tan Urban Agglomeration during the 2000–2020 period and explore its topographic gradient effects. Using land use data from this period, the InVEST model was employed to assess the spatio-temporal variations in habitat quality. The bivariate spatial autocorrelation model was used to analyze the spatial correlation characteristics between habitat quality and various topographical factors. Additionally, terrain factor analysis was utilized to study the terrain gradient effects on habitat quality in the study area. The results reveal that: (1) The primary land use changes in the study area from 2000 to 2020 predominantly involve substantial arable land and forest conversions into urban development. (2) The average habitat quality indices for 2000, 2010, and 2020 in the Chang-Zhu-Tan Urban Agglomeration stand at 0.651, 0.622, and 0.606, respectively, indicating a consistent declining trend in habitat quality. The distribution of habitat quality grades demonstrates a spatial pattern of “lower in the central surroundings, higher in the surroundings.” (3) The Chang-Zhu-Tan Urban Agglomeration shows significant positive correlations between habitat quality and topographical gradients. Spatial aggregation tendencies between habitat quality and topographical gradients primarily exhibit “high-high” and “low-low” clustering. (4) The habitat quality of the Chang-Zhu-Tan urban agglomeration exhibits a significant topographic gradient effect, primarily characterized by an increase in habitat quality with the rise of the topographic gradient. The study outcomes contribute to unveiling the spatiotemporal variations in habitat quality within the Chang-Zhu-Tan Urban Agglomeration. Moreover, leveraging different habitat types’ distinctive terrain distribution characteristics, it proposes targeted habitat conservation measures, thereby offering theoretical support for biodiversity conservation and territorial spatial planning in the study area.

Abstract Background Although the “obesity paradox” is comprehensively elucidated in heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), the role of body composition in left ventricular (LV) remodeling, LV reverse remodeling (LVRR), and clinical outcomes is still unclear for HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). Methods Our study is a single-centre, prospective, and echocardiography-based study. Consecutive HFmrEF patients, defined as HF patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between 40 and 49%, between January 2016 to December 2021 were included. Echocardiography was re-examined at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up to assess the LVRR dynamically. Body mass index (BMI), fat mass, fat-free mass, percent body fat (PBF), CUN-BAE index, and lean mass index (LMI) were adopted as anthropometric parameters in our study to assess body composition. The primary outcome was LVRR, defined as: (1) a reduction higher than 10% in LV end-diastolic diameter index (LVEDDI), or a LVEDDI

Abstract The rheological parameters of oil testing fluids play a crucial role in safely conducting oil testing operations, protecting reservoirs, and maintaining wellbore integrity, which are greatly influenced by temperature and pressure. This article conducted rheological experiments on commonly used potassium salt polymer systems and organic salt systems for oil testing fluids in the Bohai Bay Oilfield under 4–200 °C and 30–150 MPa. The experiments revealed the variation of rheological parameters with temperature and pressure. Nine commonly used rheological models were evaluated for their applicability to the two types of oil testing fluids. It was found that the Ross model was suitable for the potassium salt polymer system, while the power-law model was suitable for organic salt oil testing fluids. A new rheological parameter prediction model suitable for wide range of temperature and pressure and different testing fluid systems was proposed based on the optimized results. The average error for the potassium salt polymer system for oil testing fluids was 0.101%, and the error for the organic salt system for oil testing fluids was 0.113%. Both were superior to known rheological models and can meet the requirements of oil testing operations within the wide temperature and pressure range in the Bohai Bay Oilfield.

Abstract There are no targeted rehabilitation training modalities and assessment tools for patients after transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA). Herein, we develop a new assessment questionnaire and rehabilitation training modality and evaluate its safety and effectiveness. The THYCA-QoL-TOETVA questionnaire was compiled, and reliability and validity analyses were performed. Patients were divided into the new rehabilitation training group (N) or the conventional rehabilitation training group (C), and 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed after administering questionnaires to patients in both groups. Cervical range of motion (CROM) data were also measured and collected for statistical analysis. The questionnaire used in this study showed good expert authority, coordination, internal consistency, and questionnaire reliability. A total of 476 patients were included after PSM, and the questionnaire results showed that recovery and quality of life were better in the N group than in the C group (124.55 ± 8.171 vs. 122.94 ± 8.366, p = 0.026). Analysis of cervical spine mobility showed that rehabilitation was better in the N group compared to the C group at postoperative one month (flexion: 1.762°, extension: 4.720°, left lateral bending: 3.912°, right lateral bending: 4.061°, left axial rotation: 5.180°, right axial rotation: 5.199°, p value all of these

Abstract Compounding functional nanoparticles with highly conductive and porous carbon scaffolds is a basic pathway for engineering many important functional devices. However, enabling uniform spatial distribution of functional particles within a massively conjugated, monolithic and mesoporous structure remains challenging, as the high processing temperature for graphitization can arouse nanoparticle ripening, agglomerations and compositional changes. Herein, we report a unique “popcorn-making-mimic” strategy for preparing a highly conjugated and uniformly compounded graphene@NiFe2O4 composite film through a laser-assisted instantaneous compounding method in ambient condition. It can successfully inhibit the unwanted structural disintegration and mass loss during the laser treatment by avoiding oxidation, bursting, and inhomogeneous heat accumulations, thus achieving a highly integrated composite structure with superior electrical conductivity and high saturated magnetization. Such a single-sided film exhibits an absolute shielding effectiveness of up to 20906 dB cm2 g−1 with 75% absorption rate, superior mechanical flexibility and excellent temperature/humidity aging reliability. These performance indexes signify a substantial advance in EMI absorption capability, fabrication universality, small form-factor and device reliability toward commercial applications. Our method provides a paradigm for fabricating sophisticated composite materials for versatile applications.

Abstract Active artificial bone substitutes are crucial in bone repair and reconstruction. Calcium phosphate bone cement (CPC) is known for its biocompatibility, degradability, and ability to fill various shaped bone defects. However, its low osteoinductive capacity limits bone regeneration applications. Effectively integrating osteoinductive magnesium ions with CPC remains a challenge. Herein, we developed magnesium malate-modified CPC (MCPC). Incorporating 5% magnesium malate significantly enhances the compressive strength of CPC to (6.18 ± 0.49) MPa, reduces setting time and improves disintegration resistance. In vitro, MCPC steadily releases magnesium ions, promoting the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells without causing significant apoptosis, proving its biocompatibility. Molecularly, magnesium malate prompts macrophages to release prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and synergistically stimulates dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons to synthesize and release calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). The CGRP released by DRG neurons enhances the expression of the key osteogenic transcription factor Runt-related transcription factor-2 (RUNX2) in MC3T3-E1 cells, promoting osteogenesis. In vivo experiments using minipig vertebral bone defect model showed MCPC significantly increases the bone volume fraction, bone density, new bone formation, and proportion of mature bone in the defect area compared to CPC. Additionally, MCPC group exhibited significantly higher levels of osteogenesis and angiogenesis markers compared to CPC group, with no inflammation or necrosis observed in the hearts, livers, or kidneys, indicating its good biocompatibility. In conclusion, MCPC participates in the repair of bone defects in the complex post-fracture microenvironment through interactions among macrophages, DRG neurons, and osteoblasts. This demonstrates its significant potential for clinical application in bone defect repair.

Abstract Collagen, known for its excellent biocompatibility and biological properties, has limited in vivo maintenance duration after implantation, while hyaluronic acid faces challenges such as various complications and insufficient support for cell proliferation. In this study, an injectable hyaluronic acid/collagen (HCol) hydrogel was developed to achieve enhanced cell-material interactions and accelerated skin regeneration. Physical and chemical characterizations demonstrated that the HCol hydrogel was injectable and stable after the implantation. In vitro cell culture results illustrated that the hydrogel promoted the proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts, extracellular matrix expression and angiogenesis. The subcutaneous implantation in rats showed the superior biocompatibility of HCol hydrogel and enhanced secretion and deposition of extracellular matrix, compared with commercial hyaluronic acid dermal filler. MRI analysis showed that the hydrogel stably remained in vivo for at least three months. The histological examination and SHG signals further demonstrated that the hydrogel modulated fibroblast phenotype and stimulated vascular ingrowth and collagen synthesis, without inducing significant inflammation, swelling or erythema in vivo. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Enabling pressure sensors with high resolution and a broad detection range is of paramount importance yet challenging due to the limitations of each known sensing method. Overlying different sensing mechanisms to achieve complementary functions is a promising approach, but it often leads to increased device thickness, crosstalk signals and complex signal channel management. Herein, we present a dual‐functional conformable pressure sensor that adopts a Janus thin film layout, enabling simultaneous piezoelectric and triboelectric signal detection capabilities between just one electrode pair, showing a most compact device configuration. Notably, despite its thin thickness (~80 μm for a packaged device), it exhibits a broad‐range detection capability with high signal resolution and fast response time, demonstrating a distinct signal‐relay characteristic corresponding to piezoelectricity and triboelectricity. Despite the slimness and simple structure, it shows an impressive signal resolution of 0.93 V·kPa−1 in the range of 0.1–140 kPa and 0.05 V·kPa−1 in the range of 140–380 kPa. Moreover, the device fabrication can be combined with the kirigami method to improve fitting to joint surfaces. This work introduces an innovative paradigm for designing advanced pressure sensing mechanisms, enabling a single device that can meet diverse application scenarios through its simplicity, slim layout, conformable, and self‐powered characteristics to adapt to multiple scenarios.

Gastric cancer, a common and severe malignancy, is associated with unfavorable outcomes and limited therapeutic options. The exploration of the potential link between plasma histone-modifying enzymes and gastric cancer through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis offers an opportunity to identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. In this study, data on plasma histone-modifying enzymes were obtained from the International Working Unit Open genome-wide association studies project, and summary statistics of gastric cancer from the FinnGen study were analyzed. Forward and inverse MR were performed to determine the causal relationship between plasma histone-modifying enzymes and gastric cancer. The principal methodology for MR is the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the robustness of the findings. Finally, bioinformatics was used for the preliminary functional analysis. Our forward MR analysis revealed that the plasma Set1/Ash2 histone methyltransferase complex subunit ASH2 (ASH2L) was positively associated with gastric cancer risk, and the histone-lysine N-methyltransferase SETMAR (SETMAR) was negatively associated. Inverse MR analysis revealed that gastric cancer incidence was negatively correlated with the expression of plasma histone acetyltransferase KAT6A (KAT6A). These findings were consistent across different statistical methods and were deemed unlikely to have been distorted by horizontal pleiotropy. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis indicated that ASH2L, SETMAR, and KAT6A are differentially expressed in various tumors and are significantly correlated with both the prognosis of gastric cancer and the infiltration of various immune cells. Thus, plasma histone-modifying enzymes may be causally linked to gastric cancer, and ASH2L, SETMAR, and KAT6A could play crucial roles as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in managing gastric cancer.

Abstract Lung cancer, specifically the histological subtype lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), has the highest global occurrence and fatality rate. Extensive research has indicated that RNA alterations encompassing m6A, m5C, and m1A contribute actively to tumorigenesis, drug resistance, and immunotherapy responses in LUAD. Nevertheless, the absence of a dependable predictive model based on m6A/m5C/m1A-associated genes hinders accurately predicting the prognosis of patients diagnosed with LUAD. In this study, we collected patient data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and identified genes related to m6A/m5C/m1A modifications using the GeneCards database. The “ConsensusClusterPlus” R package was used to produce molecular subtypes by utilizing genes relevant to m6A/m5C/m1A identified through differential expression and univariate Cox analyses. An independent prognostic factor was identified by constructing a prognostic signature comprising six genes (SNHG12, PABPC1, IGF2BP1, FOXM1, CBFA2T3, and CASC8). Poor overall survival and elevated expression of human leukocyte antigens and immune checkpoints were correlated with higher risk scores. We examined the associations between the sets of genes regulated by m6A/m5C/m1A and the risk model, as well as the immune cell infiltration, using algorithms such as ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, TIMER, ssGSEA, and exclusion (TIDE). Moreover, we compared tumor stemness indices (TSIs) by considering the molecular subtypes related to m6A/m5C/m1A and risk signatures. Analyses were performed based on the risk signature, including stratification, somatic mutation analysis, nomogram construction, chemotherapeutic response prediction, and small-molecule drug prediction. In summary, we developed a prognostic signature consisting of six genes that have the potential for prognostication in patients with LUAD and the design of personalized treatments that could provide new versions of personalized management for these patients.

Abstract Thanks to high performance above room temperature, antimonide laser diodes have shown great potential for broad application in the mid-infrared spectral region. However, the laser`s performance noticeably deteriorates due to the reduction of carrier confinement with increased emission wavelength. In this paper, a novel active region with higher carrier confinements both of electron and hole, by the usage of an indirect bandgap material of Al0.5GaAs0.04Sb as the quantum barrier, was put up to address the poor carrier confinement of GaSb-based type-I multi-quantum-well (MQW) diode lasers emission wavelength above 2.5 µm. The carrier confinement and the differential gain in the designed active region are enhanced as a result of the first proposed usage of an indirect-gap semiconductor as the quantum barrier with larger band offsets in conduction and valence bands, leading to high internal quantum efficiency and low threshold current density of our lasers. More importantly, the watt-level output optical power is obtained at a low injection current compared to the state of the art. Our work demonstrates a direct and cost-effective solution to address the poor carrier confinement of the GaSb-based MQW lasers, thereby achieving high-power mid-infrared lasers.

Abstract Understanding user behavior via IP addresses is a crucial measure towards numerous pragmatic IP-based applications, including online content delivery, fraud prevention, marketing intelligence, and others. While profiling IP addresses through methods like IP geolocation and anomaly detection has been thoroughly studied, the function of an IP address—e.g., whether it pertains to a private enterprise network or a home broadband—remains underexplored. In this work, we initiate the first attempt to address the IP usage scenario classification problem. We collect data consisting of IP addresses from four large-scale regions. A novel continuous neural tree-based ensemble model is proposed to learn IP assignment rules and complex feature interactions. We conduct extensive experiments to evaluate our model in terms of classification accuracy and generalizability. Our results demonstrate that the proposed model is capable of efficiently uncovering significant higher-order feature interactions that enhance IP usage scenario classification, while also possessing the ability to generalize from the source region to the target one.

A production technique with the high yield and environmentally friendly process need be developed for ε-Caprolactam (CPL) in the chemical industry. This technology is highly desired to design and synthesize high−performance catalysts for liquid phase Beckmann rearrangement of cyclohexanone oxime (CHO) to CPL. In this work, 3-methyl-1-(propyl-4-sulfonyl) imidazolium methanesulfonate ([PHSO3MIM][MSA]) with highly efficient and excellent yield is synthesized successfully. When the optimum molar ratio of ZnCl2 over [PHSO3MIM][MSA] was 0.02, it exhibits the high selectivity (94%) of CPL at 90 °C for 1 h. Interestingly, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) investigations show that the functional Brønsted−Lewis acidic types of ionic liquids (ILs) are formed by the uniformly distributed ZnCl2 and [PHSO3MIM][MSA]. In addition, the hydrogen bond (H-bond) is formed between CHO and ILs. After ten reaction cycles, no significant structure changes are observed in the recovered [PHSO3MIM][MSA]·ZnCl2. The solubilities of ILs are predicted by using COSMO-RS model, the results show that [PHSO3MIM][MSA] is a promising candidate for the liquid phase Beckmann rearrangement of CHO into CPL. Finally, a theoretical model of the H-bond interactions between ILs and CHO is further confirmed to support the advance of reaction mechanism. A feasible way is provided for the CPL production technique in the liquid phase Beckmann rearrangement reaction.

ObjectiveThis study focuses on the deposition characteristics of oil mist on metal and fabric surfaces in ship cabin. MethodsOil mist is released in an experimental cabin and allowed to deposit on the target surfaces. The mass difference before and after deposition on the surfaces is weighed to determine the deposition mass, and the oil mist deposition characteristics of surfaces with different orientations and materials are compared. The deposition on the horizontal downward surface is reasonably assumed to be gas phase deposition. Its contribution is then estimated and the particle phase deposition velocity is calculated. ResultsThe deposition mass on the horizontal upward surface of the metal is 3.98 times and 4.66 times greater than that on the vertical surface and horizontal downward surface. For fabric surfaces, the deposition mass on the horizontal upward surface is 1.08 times and 1.20 times greater than that of the vertical surface and horizontal downward surface. For material comparison, the deposition mass on the horizontal upward, vertical and horizontal downward surfaces of the fabric is 49.1 times, 169.8 times and 155.5 times greater than that of the metal surface facing in the same direction respectively. Estimates show that the contribution of phase deposition to the metal horizontal and vertical surfaces are 21.5% and 79.2% respectively. The contribution of phase deposition to the fabric surfaces is about 90%. ConclusionsThe oil mist deposition on fabric surfaces is much stronger than that on metal surfaces. The deposition on the metal horizontal upward surface is much greater than that on the vertical surface and horizontal downward surface. The deposition differences between the fabric surfaces in the three orientations are not significant. Regardless of orientation or material, gas phase deposition cannot be ignored as it plays a dominant role in ship cabin environments.

ABSTRACTHydraulic excitation causes abnormal head-cover vibration in some pump-turbines, particularly as design heads continue to rise. Pump-turbines with heads exceeding 600 m have reported such vibrations in pump mode, and it is urgent to reveal the reasons. A study was conducted on a head-cover of a pump-turbine with a maximum head of 660 m by 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element method (FEM) numerical simulations to investigate the hydraulic excitation source and vibration mechanism. Results show that the intensive vibration is related to the coincidence of frequency and mode between abnormal pressure pulsations with frequency 6–8fn and the low-order wet mode of the head-cover. A new flow pattern termed the rolling vortex was discovered in the vaneless space under high-head pumping conditions. The 6–8fn pressure pulsations result from the interaction between rolling vortices and guide-vanes, similar to the rotor-stator interaction. The flow mechanism of the rolling vortices is that the outflow velocity near the hub at the runner outlet is higher than that near the shroud, due to the positive blade lean angle and the X-shape distorted blades. Suppressing rolling vortices may help eliminate the abnormal head-cover vibration, which will be attempted in further study.

The bond between fiber-reinforced composites and concrete plays a critical role in reinforcing concrete structures and composite constructions. The study conducts a comprehensive investigation on the uniaxial tensile behavior of steel-reinforced engineered cementitious composites (ECC) and the bond behavior of reinforced ECC-concrete interface. Fifteen steel reinforced ECC specimens were tested under uniaxial load to experimentally evaluate the effect of reinforcement ratio on tensile behavior. Twenty-seven specimens were tested under double-shear conditions to experimentally evaluate the bond behavior of the reinforced ECC-concrete interface. The experimental results demonstrated that the steel reinforcement can significantly improve the ultimate tensile load of ECC and effectively inhibit the generation and propagation of cracks. Furthermore, a simplified model was proposed to predict the uniaxial tensile behavior of steel reinforced ECC. As the reinforcement ratio, width and thickness increased, the bond strength increased, in which the width and thickness serve as the main contributor to the bond strength. Based on the experimental results, a simplified bond-slip constitutive model for the reinforced ECC-concrete interface was proposed by modifying the existing bond-slip constitutive model, which is shown to be able to accurately describe the bond-slip relationship between reinforced ECC and concrete in ascending stage.

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disease mainly characterized by cartilage damage and synovial inflammation. Si Miao Powder, an herbal formula, was recorded in ancient Chinese medicine prescription with excellent anti-inflammatory properties. Based on the classical formula, the modified Si Miao Powder (MSMP) was developed with the addition of two commonly Chinese orthopedic herbs, which had the efficacy of strengthening the therapeutic effect for OA.MethodsIn the in vivo experiments, thirty-six 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into six groups: sham group, OA group, celecoxib group, low-MSMP group, middle-MSMP group, and high-MSMP group. OA mice were constructed by destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM) and treated with MSMP granules or celecoxib by gavage. The effects of MSMP on cartilage, synovitis and inflammatory factor of serum were tested. For in vitro experiments, control serum and MSMP-containing serum were prepared from twenty-five C57BL/6 mice. Macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and then treated with MSMP-containing serum. The expression of inflammatory factors and the change of the NF-κB pathway were tested.ResultsIn vivo, celecoxib and MSMP alleviated OA progression in the treated groups compared with OA group. The damage was partly recovered in cartilage, the synovial inflammatory were reduced in synovium, and the concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced and the expression of IL-10 was increased in serum. The function of the middle MSMP was most effective for OA treatment. The results of in vitro experiments showed that compared with the LPS group, the MSMP-containing serum significantly reduced the expression levels of pro-inflammatory (M1-type) factors, such as CD86, iNOS, TNF-α and IL-6, and promoted the expression levels of anti-inflammatory (M2-type) factors, such as Arg1 and IL-10. The MSMP-containing serum further inhibited NF-κB signaling pathway after LPS induction.ConclusionThe study demonstrated that MSMP alleviated OA progression in mice and MSMP-containing serum modulated macrophage M1/M2 phenotype by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. Our study provided experimental evidence and therapeutic targets of MSMP for OA treatment.

Background The incidence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) continues to rise all over the world, 10–15% of the patients have a poor prognosis. Although immunotherapy has been applied in clinical practice, its therapeutic efficacy remains far from satisfactory, necessitating further investigation of the mechanism of PTC immune remodeling and exploration of novel treatment targets.Methods This study conducted a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis using 18 surgical tissue specimens procured from 14 patients diagnosed with adjacent tissues, non-progressive PTC or progressive PTC. Key findings were authenticated through spatial transcriptomics RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry, multiplex immunohistochemistry, and an independent bulk RNA-seq data set containing 502 samples.Results A total of 151,238 individual cells derived from 18 adjacent tissues, non-progressive PTC and progressive PTC specimens underwent scRNA-seq analysis. We found that progressive PTC exhibits the following characteristics: a significant decrease in overall immune cells, enhanced immune evasion of tumor cells, and disrupted antigen presentation function. Moreover, we identified a subpopulation of lysosomal associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3+) dendritic cells (DCs) exhibiting heightened infiltration in progressive PTC and associated with advanced T stage and poor prognosis of PTC. LAMP3+ DCs promote CD8+ T cells exhaustion (mediated by NECTIN2-TIGIT) and increase infiltration abundance of regulatory T cells (mediated by chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 17 (CCL17)-chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 4 (CCR4)) establishing an immune-suppressive microenvironment. Ultimately, we unveiled that progressive PTC tumor cells facilitate the retention of LAMP3+ DCs within the tumor microenvironment through NECTIN3-NECTIN2 interactions, thereby rendering tumor cells more susceptible to immune evasion.Conclusion Our findings expound valuable insights into the role of the interaction between LAMP3+ DCs and T-cell subpopulations and offer new and effective ideas and strategies for immunotherapy in patients with progressive PTC.

Water pollution caused by antibiotics is a growing problem and photodegradation by efficient catalysts is an environmentally friendly technology that can effectively degrade organic pollutants in water. Here, a novel method was innovatively used to synthesize niobium oxyfluoride (Nb3O7F) nanosheets decorated with Au nanoparticles, which is the first report for the composites of Au and Nb3O7F. We prepared the Nb3O7F nanosheets via hydrothermal synthesis followed by deposition of Au nanoparticles on their surface using HAuCl4. The prepared samples were characterized by XRD, HRTEM, XPS, and UV–Vis. The diameters of most Au NPs are ranging from 5 to 25 nm with an average size of about 16.9 nm, as well as the Nb3O7F nanosheets in size ranging from 200 nm to 700 nm. The chemical composition of the Au-Nb3O7F showed a Au/Nb atomic ratio of 1/10, as well as a Nb/O/F ratio of 3/7/1. UV–Vis spectrum reveals a largest absorption peak at 520 nm for the Au-Nb3O7F nanosheets. The prepared Au-Nb3O7F nanomaterials were applied to the visible-light photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride, with the photocatalytic degradation rate reached more than 50% under the optimal conditions within 1 h. Capture experiments indicated that h+ and •O2- are the main active substances involved during the course of the photodegradation. Furthermore, the proposed mechanism for the photodegradation of the novel Au-Nb3O7F nanosheets was given.

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) has become a common disease-causing cognitive deficit in humans, second only to Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Chuanzhitongluo capsule (CZTL) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) preparation known for its effective protection against cerebral ischemia. However, its potential to ameliorate VCI remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the cognitive improvement effects of CZTL in a mouse model of VCI. Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) was induced in mice by bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) to simulate the pathological changes associated with VCI. Spatial learning and memory abilities were assessed using the Morris Water Maze (MWM). RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was employed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the hippocampus. Levels of inflammatory factors were measured through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while immunofluorescence (IF) determined the expression intensity of target proteins. Western Blot (WB) confirmed the final action pathway. Results indicated that CZTL significantly improved the spatial learning and memory abilities of CCH mice, along with alterations in gene expression profiles in the hippocampus. It also reduced neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and upregulated the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and α7 subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), which are in synaptic plasticity and neuronal development. Moreover, CZTL inhibited the NF-κB signaling pathway. In conclusion, CZTL may alleviate neuroinflammation induced by CCH and improve cognitive impairment in CCH mice by regulating the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAIP) involving ChAT/α7nAChR/NF-κB.

As the penetration of global new energy into power systems increases, the impact of carbon trading on energy systems continues to grow. Therefore, it is crucial to study the effects of carbon trading mechanisms on the operational characteristics of power systems that include new energy sources. This paper focuses on China, the world’s largest energy-consuming economy, and proposes a multi-time-scale optimization scheduling method for a Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power (CCHP) system that considers a reward-penalty tiered carbon trading mechanism. This method effectively enhances the economic, environmental, and stability performance of the CCHP system. Firstly, the relationship between different carbon trading mechanisms and carbon trading volumes is analyzed to identify the carbon trading mechanism with the highest correlation to economic efficiency. Based on this analysis, a carbon trading model is introduced into the system’s economic dispatch strategy, constructing an economic model for the CCHP system under the influence of the carbon trading mechanism. While considering economic efficiency, this study also aims to improve system stability by proposing a multi-time multi-layer rolling optimization scheduling method. This method adjusts equipment output to respond to random fluctuations caused by uncertainties in energy sources and loads. The optimization results of the case study show that the introduction of the reward-penalty tiered carbon trading mechanism can reduce the carbon emissions of the park and improve economic performance. Additionally, the multi-time multi-layer rolling optimization scheduling effectively mitigates random fluctuations in supply and demand, ensuring stable system operation.

Abstract Bivalent histone modifications, including functionally opposite H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 marks simultaneously on the same nucleosome, control various cellular processes by fine-tuning the gene expression in eukaryotes. However, the role of bivalent histone modifications in fungal virulence remains elusive. By mapping the genome-wide landscape of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 dynamic modifications in Fusarium graminearum (Fg) during invasion, we identify the infection-related bivalent chromatin-marked genes (BCGs). BCG1 gene, which encodes a secreted Fusarium-specific xylanase containing a G/Q-rich motif, displays the highest increase of bivalent modification during Fg infection. We report that the G/Q-rich motif of BCG1 is a stimulator of its xylanase activity and is essential for the full virulence of Fg. Intriguingly, this G/Q-rich motif is recognized by pattern-recognition receptors to trigger plant immunity. We discover that Fg employs H3K4me3 modification to induce BCG1 expression required for host cell wall degradation. After breaching the cell wall barrier, this active chromatin state is reset to bivalency by co-modifying with H3K27me3, which enables epigenetic silencing of BCG1 to escape from host immune surveillance. Collectively, our study highlights how fungal pathogens deploy bivalent epigenetic modification to achieve temporally-coordinated activation and suppression of a critical fungal gene, thereby facilitating successful infection and host immune evasion.

The advent of autonomous vehicles (AVs) poses challenges to parking guidance in mixed driving scenarios involving human-driven vehicles (HVs) and AVs. This study introduced a dynamic and coordinated strategy (DCS) to optimize parking space allocation and path guidance within a mixed driving parking lot, aiming to enhance parking-cruising efficiency. DCS considers the distinctive characteristics of HVs and AVs and dynamically formulates parking guiding schemes based on real-time conditions. The strategy encompasses four main steps: Triggering scheme formulation, identifying preoccupied parking spaces, updating the parking lot traffic network and optimizing the vehicle-path-space matching scheme. A programming model was established to minimize the total remaining cruising time, and iterative optimization was conducted with vehicle loading test based on timing. To elevate computational efficiency, the concept of parking-cruising path tree (PCPT) and its updating method were introduced based on the dynamic shortest path tree algorithm. Comparative analysis of cases and simulations demonstrated the efficacy of DCS in mitigating parking-cruising duration of different types of vehicles and minimizing forced delays arising from lane blocking. Notably, the optimization effect is particularly significant for vehicles with extended cruising durations or in parking lots with low AV penetration rates and high saturation, with an achievable optimization rate reaching up to 18%. This study addressed challenges related to drivers' noncompliance with guidance and lane blocking, thereby improving overall operational efficiency in mixed driving parking lots.

Abstract Background Observational epidemiological studies revealed that multiple serum biomarkers can be associated with the risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC). However, the causal relationship between them remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between potential serum biomarkers and (OC/OPC). Methods A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was performed to assess the causal association of 10 serum biomarkers with the risk of OC / OPC. Summary data on OC/OPC were obtained from a GWAS meta-analysis that included 2497 cases and 2928 controls. The TwoSampleMR package in R was used to perform MR analyzes. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW), Weighted median and MR-Egger methods were used to assess causal effects. Results Suggestive associations with increased risk of C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.02), using the IVW method. MR-Egger regression suggested that directional pleiotropy was unlikely to bias the result (P = 0.19). The findings were robust to sensitivity analyzes. The risk of OC/OPC was not associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, adiponectin, leptin, HbA1C and Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF 1). Conclusions This study supports that CRP was causally associated with an increased risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancer.

Interbasin water-transfer schemes provide an engineering solution for reconciling the conflict between water demand and availability. In the context of climate change, which brings great uncertainties to water resource distribution, interbasin water transfer plays an increasingly important role in the global water–food–energy nexus. However, the transfer of water resources simultaneously changes the hydrological regime and the characteristics of local water bodies, affecting biotic communities accordingly. Compared with high economic and technical inputs water-transfer projects require, the environmental and ecological implications of water-transfer schemes have been inadequately addressed. This work selects the largest water-transfer project in China, the South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD) Project, to critically review its eco-environmental impacts on donor and recipient basins, as well as on regions along the diversion route. The two operated routes of the SNWD Project represent two typical water diversion approaches: The Middle Route uses an excavated canal, while the East Route connects existent river channels. An overview of the eco-environmental implications of these two routes is valuable for the design and optimization of future water-transfer megaprojects.

Abstract Background This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the treat-repair-treat (TRT) strategy in the treatment of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension with congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD). Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane and Web of Science online databases were searched by two independent investigators for studies that used the TRT strategy for PAH-CHD, and the retrieved studies were reviewed by a third investigator. The main outcomes were pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and transcutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2). The changes were compared between follow-up and baseline. Stata version 14.0 was used for data analysis. A random-effects model was selected for meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to find the source of heterogeneity. Results A total of 335 patients from 9 single-arm studies were included. Meta-analysis showed significant reductions in PAP and PVR and improvements in 6MWD and SpO2 (PAP: SMD -2.73 95% CI -2.97, − 2.50 p =

Sugarcane smut caused by Sporisorium scitamineum represents the most destructive disease in the sugarcane industry, causing host hormone disruption and producing a black whip-like sorus in the apex of the stalk. In this study, the gibberellin metabolic pathway was found to respond to S. scitamineum infection, and the contents of bioactive gibberellins were significantly reduced in the leaves of diseased plants. The gibberellin receptor gene ScGID1 was identified and significantly downregulated. ScGID1 localized in both the nucleus and cytoplasm and had the highest expression level in the leaves. Eight proteins that interact with ScGID1 were screened out using a yeast two-hybrid assay. Novel DELLA proteins named ScGAI1a and ScGA20ox2, key enzymes in GA biosynthesis, were both found to interact with ScGID1 in a gibberellin-independent manner. Transcription factor trapping with a yeast one-hybrid system identified 50 proteins that interacted with the promoter of ScGID1, among which ScS1FA and ScPLATZ inhibited ScGID1 transcription, while ScGDSL promoted transcription. Overexpression of ScGID1 in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants could increase plant height and promote flowering. These results not only contribute to improving our understanding of the metabolic regulatory network of sugarcane gibberellin but also expand our knowledge of the interaction between sugarcane and pathogens.

Detecting small objects in images poses significant challenges due to their limited pixel representation and the difficulty in extracting sufficient features, often leading to missed or false detections. To address these challenges and enhance detection accuracy, this paper presents an improved small object detection algorithm, CRL-YOLOv5. The proposed approach integrates the Convolutional Block Attention Module (CBAM) attention mechanism into the C3 module of the backbone network, which enhances the localization accuracy of small objects. Additionally, the Receptive Field Block (RFB) module is introduced to expand the model’s receptive field, thereby fully leveraging contextual information. Furthermore, the network architecture is restructured to include an additional detection layer specifically for small objects, allowing for deeper feature extraction from shallow layers. When tested on the VisDrone2019 small object dataset, CRL-YOLOv5 achieved an mAP50 of 39.2%, representing a 5.4% improvement over the original YOLOv5, effectively boosting the detection precision for small objects in images.

The permeability, heat conductivity, and reaction rate will be varied with the change of natural gas hydrate saturation when thermal fluid is injected into the natural gas hydrate reservoirs. In order to characterize the variation of the physical field parameters with hydrate saturation, DDF-LBM was applied to simulate the hydrate dissociation process by thermal fluid injection under pore-scale modelling. Based on the forced conjugate heat transfer case, the relaxation frequency of the thermal lattice in the pores is corrected. Based on the P-T phase equilibrium relationship of hydrates and considering the heat absorbed by the hydrate reaction, the solid–liquid state of the hydrate lattice is judged in real time, and the dynamic simulation of the heat flow solidification multi-physics field is realized. The simulation results show that the dissociation rate of the hydrates by thermal fluid injection was higher than that by heating the hydrate surface alone and was positively correlated with the hydrate saturation. On the basis of the above results, this paper provided exponential fitting equations between different hydrate saturations and average permeability, effective thermal conductivity, and inherent reaction rate. The fitting results show that saturation has a negative correlation with relative permeability and effective thermal conductivity, and a positive correlation with the inherent reaction rate. The above results can provide a reference basis for accurately describing the heat and mass transfer of natural gas hydrate under the macroscale.

To improve exercise performance, the supplement of nutrients has become a common practice before prolonged exercise. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) has been shown to ameliorate oxidative stress damage, which may be beneficial in improving exercise capacity. Here, we assessed the effects of TMAO on mice with exhaustive swimming, analyzed the metabolic changes, and identified significantly altered metabolic pathways of skeletal muscle using a nuclear magnetic resonance-based (NMR-based) metabolomics approach to uncover the effects of TMAO improving exercise performance of mice. We found that TMAO pre-administration markedly prolonged the exhaustive time in mice. Further investigation showed that TMAO pre-administration increased levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate, isocitrate, anserine, TMA, taurine, glycine, and glutathione and disturbed the three metabolic pathways related to oxidative stress and protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. Our results provide a metabolic mechanistic understanding of the effects of TMAO supplements on the exercise performance of skeletal muscle in mice. This work may be beneficial in exploring the potential of TMAO to be applied in nutritional supplementation to improve exercise performance. This work will lay a scientific foundation and be beneficial to exploring the potential of TMAO to apply in nutritional supplementation.

Infusion systems are widely used in clinical medicine. Intravenous infusion therapy must be monitored to ensure patient safety. We proposed a compact flow rate sensor device based on the time-of-flight method. This device included one ceramic heater and two infrared sensors. Practical sensor prototypes were fabricated and characterized. The response time was 30 s. The sensor range was estimated to be 33 dB from μL/min to tens of mL/min, covering almost the entire usage range This flow rate sensor can be applied to common infusion tubes. Through the use of a mobile phone app, detailed information can be presented in real time.

Natural gas hydrate is a kind of low-carbon and clean new energy, so research on its efficient extraction in terms of theory and technology is particularly important. Combined thermal injection and depressurization is an effective method for extracting natural gas hydrate. In this study, the classical local heat equilibrium model was modified, and a pore-scale fully coupled unsteady heat transfer model for hydrate reservoirs was set up by considering multiple forms of heat flow accompanying hydrate’s decomposition and gas–liquid flow. Based on this model and the basic geological information of the X2 hydrate reservoir in the western Pacific Ocean, a numerical model of gas hydrate extraction using combined heat injection and depressurization was constructed to simulate the production performance of the hydrate reservoir. The results were fully compared with the results obtained by the depressurization method alone. The results indicated the hydrate extraction via a combined heat injection and depressurization would have a cumulative gas production of 31.609 million m3 and a cumulative water production of 1.5219 million m3, which are 72.57% higher and 31.75% lower than those obtained by depressurization alone, respectively. These study results can provide theoretical support for the industrial extraction of gas hydrate in seas.

This study investigates the size effect on the compressive strength of foamed concrete at the mesoscale level combining X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) and a discrete lattice model. Image segmentation techniques and X-CT were employed to obtain virtual specimens comprising hydrated cement paste and air voids. The lineal-path function and pore size distribution was used to characterise the air void structure. A two-dimensional lattice fracture model of foamed concrete considering different wet densities was established. The model was verified experimentally at a wet density of 700 kg/m3 and then used to predict the strengths of specimens with wet densities of 600 and 800 kg/m3. Square and rectangular specimens (slenderness ratio = 2) with widths of 10, 20, 40, 70.7, and 100 mm were investigated. Results show that the air void structure significantly influences the observed size effect on the compressive strength in the investigated size range. A random forest regressor was used to predict the compressive strength of the foamed concrete; the regressor yielded satisfactory results. Finally, existing analytical size effect models were used to fit the simulated strength. Although good fitting was achieved, special attention should be given to the applicable range and physical meaning of fitted empirical parameters.

The dietary rumen-degradable starch (RDS) to rumen-degradable protein (RDP) ratio, denoted as the RDS-to-RDP ratio (SPR), has been proven to enhance in vitro rumen fermentation. However, the effects of dietary SPR in vivo remain largely unexplored. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary SPR on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation patterns, blood indicators, and nitrogen (N) partitioning in mid-lactating Holstein cows. Seventy-two Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to three groups (24 head/group), balanced for (mean ± standard deviation) days in milk (116 ± 21.5), parity (2.1 ± 0.8), milk production (42 ± 2.1 kg/d), and body weight (705 ± 52.5 kg). The cows were fed diets with low (2.1, control), medium (2.3), or high (2.5) SPR, formulated to be isoenergetic, isonitrogenous, and iso-starch. The study consisted of a one-week adaptation phase followed by an eight-week experimental period. The results indicated that the high SPR group had a lower dry matter intake compared to the other groups (p

Background Saccharum spp. is the primary source of sugar and plays a significant role in global renewable bioenergy. Sugarcane bacilliform virus (SCBV) is one of the most important viruses infecting sugarcane, causing severe yield losses and quality degradation. It is of great significance to reveal the pathogenesis of SCBV and resistance breeding. However, little is known about the viral virulence factors or RNA silencing suppressors and the molecular mechanism of pathogenesis. Methods To systematically investigate the functions of the unknown protein P2 encoded by SCBV ORF2. Phylogenetic analysis was implemented to infer the evolutionary relationship between the P2 of SCBV and other badnaviruses. The precise subcellular localization of P2 was verified in the transient infiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal mesophyll cells and protoplasts using the Laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). The post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) and transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) RNA silencing suppressor activity of P2 was analyzed, respectively. Furthermore, restriction digestion and RT-qPCR assays were conducted to verify the probable mechanism of P2 on repressing DNA methylation. To explore the pathogenicity of P2, a potato virus X-based viral vector was used to heterologously express SCBV P2 and the consequent H2O2 accumulation was detected by the 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining method. Results Phylogenetic analysis shows that SCBV has no obvious sequence similarity and low genetic relatedness to Badnavirus and Tungrovirus representatives. LSCM studies show that P2 is localized in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Moreover, P2 is shown to be a suppressor of PTGS and TGS, which can not only repress ssRNA-induced gene silencing but also disrupt the host RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway. In addition, P2 can trigger an oxidative burst and cause typical hypersensitive-like response (HLR) necrosis in systemic leaves of N. benthamiana when expressed by PVX. Overall, our results laid a foundation for deciphering the molecular mechanism of SCBV pathogenesis and made progress for resistance breeding.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) infection causes highly contagious and immunosuppressive disease in poultry. The thymus, serving as the primary organ for T cell maturation and differentiation, plays an important role in the pathogenicity of IBDV in the infected chickens. However, there are no reports on the molecular pathogenesis of IBDV in the thymus currently. The aim of the study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of a field very virulent (vv) IBDV strain NN1172 in the thymus of SPF chickens using integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Our results showed that a total of 4,972 Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the thymus of NN1172-infected chickens by transcriptomic analysis, with 2,796 up-regulated and 2,176 down-regulated. Meanwhile, the proteomic analysis identified 726 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the infected thymus, with 289 up-regulated and 437 down-regulated. Overall, a total of 359 genes exhibited differentially expression at both mRNA and protein levels, with 134 consistently up-regulated and 198 genes consistently down-regulated, as confirmed through a comparison of the RNA-seq and the proteomic datasets. The gene ontology (GO) analysis unveiled the involvement of both DEGs and DEPs in diverse categories encompassing cellular components, biological processes, and molecular functions in the pathological changes in IBDV-infected thymus. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that the host mainly displayed severely disruption of cell survival/repair, proliferation and metabolism pathway, meanwhile, the infection triggers antiviral immune activation with a potential emphasis on the MDA5 pathway. Network inference analysis identified seven core hub genes, which include CDK1, TYMS, MCM5, KIF11, CCNB2, MAD2L1, and MCM4. These genes are all associated with cell-cycle regulating pathway and are likely key mediators in the pathogenesis induced by NN1172 infection in the thymus. This study discovered dominant pathways and genes which enhanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying IBDV pathogenesis in the thymus.

In this paper, classical molecular dynamics simulations were used to explore the impact of deposition temperature and bias voltage on the growth of Al2O3 thin films through magnetron sputtering. Ion energy distributions were derived from plasma mass spectrometer measurements. The fluxes of deposited particles (Ar+, Al+, and O−) were categorized into low, medium, and high energies, and the results show that the films are dominated by amorphous Al2O3 at low incident energies without applying bias. As the deposition temperature increased, the crystallinity of the films also increased, with the crystals predominantly consisting of γ-Al2O3. The crystal content of the deposited films increased when biased with −20 V compared to when no bias was applied. Crystalline films were successfully obtained at a deposition temperature of 773 K with a −20 V bias. When biased with −40 V, crystals could be obtained at a lower deposition temperature of 573 K. Increasing the bias enables the particles to have higher energy to overcome the nucleation barrier of the crystallization process, leading to a greater degree of film crystallization. At this stage, the average bond length between Al-O is measured to be approximately 1.89 Å to 1.91 Å, closely resembling that of the crystal.

To investigate the shear performance of assembled bamboo scrimber (BS)-lightweight concrete (LC) connection systems, three groups of nine BS-LC shear connections were fabricated in this work using BS, LC, dowels, and grout. The experimental parameters included the dowel diameter and fabrication process (cast-in-place vs. assembly). Push-out tests were conducted on the specimens, and traditional linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT) measurements and the advanced digital image correlation (DIC) technique were employed to determine performance indicators such as the cross-section slip of composite members. Subsequently, the method for calculating the shear capacity of assembled BS-LC connection systems was theoretically analyzed. The research results showed that the load-slip curves measured by DIC were highly correlated with those measured by LVDT, thus, validating the reliability of the DIC data. According to the DIC data, the variations in slip of the shear connection over the interface height were further analyzed. An equation for calculating the shear capacity of dowel shear connectors was proposed based on theoretical analysis with comprehensive consideration of the experimental indicators such as the failure mode, load-slip curve, shear stiffness, and shear capacity of the specimens. The theoretical calculation values were in good agreement with the experimental results.

Interest in improving plant nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in conjunction with reduced usage of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in forestry management is growing. Although biochar amendment is widely applied to increase soil nutrient availability and NUE, the mechanism underlying their positive effects remains little understood. We treated the economically important eucalypt species with biochar (BC), N-enriched fertilizer with 15N isotope labeling (NF), and biochar plus 15N-labeled fertilizer (NFB). Moreover, we determined plant N absorption and soil N availability, soil bacterial community composition and its putative keystone taxa, and plant NUE and competition index under different treatments. Our results indicated that NF and NFB significantly increased plant atom % 15N in both eucalypt stem, root, and foliar, as well as the competition index of eucalypt to forbs for acquiring N. NF and BC increased the network complexity of keystone taxa by shifting putative keystone taxa, including phylum Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Firmicutes. Piecewise structural equation modeling indicated that variations in plant performance were best directly and positively predicted by soil Proteobacteria. This study highlights the importance of interactive effects between biochar and N fertilizer on plant performance mediated by soil microbial community. The change in soil putative keystone taxa has the potential to be a suitable predictor for plant performance in terms of biochar. Our findings may provide important implications for improving fertilization and afforestation management.

This study presents a method to support ship trajectory prediction at waterway confluences using historical Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. The method is meant to improve the recognition accuracy of ship behavior trajectory, assist in the proactive avoidance of collisions, and clarify ship collision responsibility, to ensure the safety of waterway transportation systems in the event of ship encounters induced by waterway confluence or channel limitation. In this study, the ship trajectory based on AIS data is considered from five aspects: time, location, heading, speed, and trajectory by using the piecewise cubic Hermite interpolation method and then quickly clustered by regional navigation rules. Then, an improved K-Nearest Neighbor Algorithm considering the sensitivity of data characteristics (SKNN) is proposed to predict the trajectory of ships, which considers the influence weights of various parameters on ship trajectory prediction. The method is trained and verified using the AIS data of the Yangtze River and Han River intersection in Wuhan. The results show that the accuracy of SKNN is better than that of conventional KNN and Naive Bayes (NB) in the same test case. The accuracy of the ship trajectory prediction method is above 99% and the performance metrics of the SKNN surpass those of both the conventional KNN and NB classifiers, which is helpful for early warning of collision encounters to ensure avoidance.

The use of green manure can substantially increase the microbial diversity and multifunctionality of soil. Green manuring practices are becoming popular for tobacco production in China. However, the influence of different green manures in tobacco fields has not yet been clarified. Here, smooth vetch (SV), hairy vetch (HV), broad bean (BB), common vetch (CV), rapeseed (RS), and radish (RD) were selected as green manures to investigate their impact on soil multifunctionality and evaluate their effects on enhancing soil quality for tobacco cultivation in southwest China. The biomass of tobacco was highest in the SV treatment. Soil pH declined, and soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content in CV and BB and activity of extracellular enzymes in SV and CV treatments were higher than those in other treatments. Fungal diversity declined in SV and CV but did not affect soil multifunctionality, indicating that bacterial communities contributed more to soil multifunctionality than fungal communities. The abundance of Firmicutes, Rhizobiales, and Micrococcales in SV and CV treatments increased and was negatively correlated with soil pH but positively correlated with soil multifunctionality, suggesting that the decrease in soil pH contributed to increases in the abundance of functional bacteria. In the bacteria–fungi co-occurrence network, the relative abundance of key ecological modules negatively correlated with soil multifunctionality and was low in SV, CV, BB, and RS treatments, and this was associated with reductions in soil pH and increases in the content of SOM and nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N). Overall, we found that SV and CV are more beneficial for soil multifunctionality, and this was driven by the decrease in soil pH and the increase in SOM, TN, NO3−-N, and C- and N-cycling functional bacteria.

A method to generate fractures with rough surfaces was proposed according to the fractal interpolation theory. Considering the particle-particle, particle-wall and particle-fluid interactions, a proppant-fracturing fluid two-phase flow model based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-discrete element method (DEM) coupling was established. The simulation results were verified with relevant experimental data. It was proved that the model can match transport and accumulation of proppants in rough fractures well. Several cases of numerical simulations were carried out. Compared with proppant transport in smooth flat fractures, bulge on the rough fracture wall affects transport and settlement of proppants significantly in proppant transportation in rough fractures. The higher the roughness of fracture, the faster the settlement of proppant particles near the fracture inlet, the shorter the horizontal transport distance, and the more likely to accumulate near the fracture inlet to form a sand plugging in a short time. Fracture wall roughness could control the migration path of fracturing fluid to a certain degree and change the path of proppant filling in the fracture. On the one hand, the rough wall bulge raises the proppant transport path and the proppants flow out of the fracture, reducing the proppant sweep area. On the other hand, the sand-carrying fluid is prone to change flow direction near the contact point of bulge, thus expanding the proppant sweep area.

Waste foundry sand (WFS), a by-product of the casting industry, is a potential material that may be employed as a substitute for fine aggregate in concrete. In the present study, gene expression programming (GEP) and multi-expression programming (MEP) are used to generate predictive models for the split tensile strength (STS) and elastic modulus (E) of waste foundry sand concrete (WFSC). Therefore, a comprehensive database was collected that contains 146 and 242 values of E and STS, respectively. Seven different variables were chosen as input for the development of the ML-based models. The reliability and accuracy of the proposed model were evaluated by using various statistical indicators. Given the performance assessment, both GEP and MEP accurately predict the E with a correlation of 0.994 and 0.996, respectively. However, GEP performance was much superior in predicting STS (R = 0.987) as compared to the MEP model (R = 0.892). The integrated statistical performance (ρ, OF) of both models approaches zero, indicating the excellent performance and generalization potential of the developed models. For the interpretation of machine learning (ML) models, Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) was used to know about the input variables' importance and influence on the output parameter. The SHAP analysis revealed that a higher ratio of FA/TA results in the enhancement of the elastic modulus, whereas CA/C higher ratio is favorably influencing the split tensile strength up to some extent, however, this trend changes when the ratio is further increased. These soft computing prediction techniques can incentivize the use of WFS in sustainable concrete, reducing waste disposal and promoting environment-friendly construction. Furthermore, it is recommended that the findings of this study be validated with more extensive data sets and that other ML techniques be investigated.

Power scaling in conventional broad-area (BA) lasers often leads to the operation of higher-order lateral modes, resulting in a multiple-lobe far-field profile with large divergence. Here, we report an advanced sawtooth waveguide (ASW) structure integrated onto a wide ridge waveguide. It strategically enhances the loss difference between higher-order modes and the fundamental mode, thereby facilitating high-power narrow-beam emission. Both optical simulations and experimental results illustrate the significant increase in additional scattering loss of the higher-order modes. The optimized ASW lasers achieve an impressive output power of 1.1 W at 4.6 A at room temperature, accompanied by a minimal full width at half maximum lateral divergence angle of 4.91°. Notably, the far-field divergence is reduced from 19.61° to 11.39° at the saturation current, showcasing a remarkable 42% improvement compared to conventional BA lasers. Moreover, the current dependence of divergence has been effectively improved by 38%, further confirming the consistent and effective lateral mode control capability offered by our design.