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The swift recuperation of communities following natural hazards heavily relies on the efficiency of transportation systems, facilitating the timely delivery of vital resources and manpower to reconstruction sites. This paper delves into the pivotal role of transportation systems in aiding the recovery of built environments, proposing an evaluative metric that correlates transportation capacity with the speed of post-earthquake recovery. Focusing on optimizing urban population capacity in the aftermath of earthquakes, the study comprehensively examines the impact of pre-earthquake measures such as enhancing building or bridge seismic performance on post-earthquake urban population capacity. The methodology is demonstrated through an analysis of Beijing’s transportation system, elucidating how enhancements to transportation infrastructure fortify the resilience of built environments. Additionally, the concept of a resource supply rate is introduced to gauge the level of logistical support available after an earthquake. This rate tends to decrease when transportation damage is significant or when the demands for repairs overwhelm available resources, indicating a need for retrofitting. Through sensitivity analysis, this study explores how investments in the built environment or logistical systems can increase the resource supply rate, thereby contributing to more resilient urban areas in the face of seismic challenges.

The time-dependent resilience of an in-service aging structure provides quantitative measure of the structural ability to prepare for, adapt to, withstand and recover from disruptive events. Resilience models have been proposed in the literature to evaluate the resilience of aging structures subjected to discrete load processes, which are, however, not applicable to handle resilience problems considering continuous load processes. In this paper, a new method is developed to evaluate the time-dependent resilience of aging structures subjected to a continuous load process. The proposed method serves as the complement of the existing resilience models addressing discrete load processes, and takes into account the aging effects of the structural resistance/capacity and the nonstationarity in loads as a result of climate change. A structure suffers from a damage state upon the occurrence of an upcrossing of the load effect with respect to the resistance/capacity, leading to the reduction of the performance function, followed by a recovery process that restores the performance. The proposed method enables the time-dependent resilience to be evaluated via a closed form solution. It is also revealed that, the proposed resilience model takes an extended form of the existing formula for upcrossing-based time-dependent reliability, thus establishing a unified framework for the two quantities. The applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated through examining the time-dependent resilience of a residential building subjected to wind load. The effects of key factors on resilience, including the nonstationarity and correlation structure of the load process, as well as the resistance/capacity deterioration scenario, are investigated through an example. In particular, the structural resilience would be overestimated if ignoring the potential impacts of climate change, which is a relatively non-conservative evaluation.

Background Congenital absence of the pericardium (CAP) is a rare cardiac abnormality. As pericardial defects are usually asymptomatic, most cases are diagnosed during surgery or on autopsy. The patient in this case was found to have CAP during thoracoscope. Case We present the unusual case of a 69-year-old patient with CAP who experienced sudden ventricular arrhythmia and developed ventricular fibrillation during left upper lobectomy. Surgical operations, the lateral decubitus position, and other external stimuli may be important risk factors for ventricular fibrillation. The patient regained sinus rhythm soon after intrathoracic cardiac compression and pharmacological treatment, including lidocaine spray (2%, 10 ml) administered to the heart surface. The surgery was then completed without any additional instances of ventricular arrhythmia. Conclusions Patients with CAP are more susceptible to cardiac-related adverse events during thoracotomy or thoracoscopy. Treatment of ventricular arrhythmias that occur during lung resection in patients with CAP should be emphasized.

Abstract The lining structures of tunnels are typically constructed using sprayed or cast concrete materials, and their performance and quality during tunnel excavation and blasting are crucial for the stability and safety of tunnels. Therefore, the safe distance between the lining structure and blasting source should be determined to avoid concrete damage caused by blasting vibrations. In this study, taking the subway tunnel of Danshan Station in Qingdao as an example, the JH-2 model is introduced as the constitutive model of the tunnel blasting simulation, and the JH-2 model parameters of the local surrounding rock are obtained by experiments, and finally the numerical simulation and theoretical verification are carried out to study the safety distance of shotcrete under various safety judgment standards. The results indicate that the JH-2 model can effectively simulate the propagation of stress waves under different media conditions, and the closer the strength parameters and pressure constant of the lining structure are to those of the surrounding rock, the safer the concrete–rock bonding interface. During tunnel blasting construction using the ring blasting method, the peak particle velocity (PPV) of the lining structure increases with an increase in the arch angle. Based on the numerical simulation results, we recommend that concrete lining be constructed at a distance of at least 62 m from the blasting source to avoid damage caused by vibrations. The effect of concrete tensile failure caused by longitudinal stress is much smaller than the damage to the bonding interface caused by the PPV and can be neglected.

Aiming at the shortcomings of a traditional centralized control in an active distribution network (AND), this paper proposes a leader-follower distributed group cooperative control strategy to realize multiple operation and control tasks for an ADN. The distributed information exchange protocols of the distributed generation (DG) group devoted to node voltage regulation or exchange power control are developed using a DG power utilization ratio as the consensus variable. On these bases, this study further investigates the leader optimal selection method for a DG group to improve the response speed of the distributed control system. Furthermore, a single or multiple leader selection model is established to minimize the constraints of the one-step convergence factor and the number of leaders to improve the response speed of the distributed control system. The simulation results of the IEEE 33 bus standard test system show the effectiveness of the proposed distributed control strategy. In addition, the response speed of a DG control group can be improved effectively when the single or multiple leaders are selected optimally.

Abstract Resilience assessment of civil structures and infrastructure systems plays a vital role in quantitatively measuring the object's ability to withstand and recover from disruptive events (e.g., natural hazards). The performance of the object (structure or system) may degrade with time, and the external loads often display nonstationary characteristics with time‐varying occurrence rate and/or magnitude. In this context, the resilience would be dependent on the duration of the reference period of interest, known as time‐dependent resilience. This article investigates the effect of recovery profile dependency on the time‐dependent resilience of structures and systems. The term “recovery profile dependency” refers to the association of the post‐hazard recovery processes in the aftermath of different load events within the object's service life, and is reflected through the following three aspects: (1) the temporal correlation between the remaining functionalities associated with different load events; (2) the load–recovery interaction (i.e., the scenario that a load event occurs before the full recovery of the degraded functionality due to the previous load event), and (3) the resource allocation strategy in the presence of limited resources, which affects the expeditiousness of each recovery process. In particular, for (2), the concept of average ratio of interaction is proposed to measure the frequency of load‐recovery interaction. The evaluation of time‐dependent resilience is demonstrated through two examples. It is shown that, the time‐dependent resilience is sensitive to the impact of load–recovery interaction and the selection of resource allocation strategy, but is insensitive to the temporal correlation of the remaining functionalities.

Abstract We synthesized a novel, structured lipid containing caprylic acid at its sn‐1,3 position and docosahexaenoic acid at its sn‐2 position (1,3C‐2D‐TAG) by using a two‐step enzymatic method and then investigated the relationship between the types of fatty acids in the structured lipid and their physiological functions. Furthermore, we compared the effects of similarly structured lipids on postprandial lipid metabolism and obesity protection. The results revealed that the novel structured lipid synthesized using the enzymatic method not only exhibited better physical properties than traditional oils but also had high oxidation stability and crystallization degree. In terms of physiological function, the low‐dose 1,3C‐2D‐TAG group exhibited higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lower kidney weight or body weight, and higher serum aspartate aminotransferase and blood urea nitrogen levels than control group, whereas the high‐dose 1,3C‐2D‐TAG group exhibited higher triglyceride levels. Moreover, the medium‐dose 1,3C‐2D‐TAG group had remarkably higher high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and lower low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than the high‐lipid, control, and 1,2,3C‐TAG groups; however, the cholesterol and triglyceride levels and kidney and liver functions did not differ significantly among these groups. The study results suggest that 1,3C‐2D‐TAG can not only facilitate the effective utilization of the energy supplied by medium‐chain fatty acids but also help overcome difficulties in the absorption of long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

IntroductionTo investigate the therapeutic effect of clitoris exposure + episioplasty + dermabrasion + platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection + chemexfoliation on vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS).MethodsTwenty children with VLS (under 14 years old) at our hospital from July 2020 to November 2022 were enrolled and treated with clitoris exposure + episioplasty + dermabrasion + PRP injection + chemexfoliation. Additionally, symptomatic changes and improvements in signs were recorded.ResultsSignificant therapeutic effects were achieved in all children enrolled in this study. The Cattanco score was 8.02 ± 1.22 points before surgery, 2.21 ± 0.70 points 3 months after surgery, and 2.61 ± 0.59 points 6 months after surgery, demonstrating that the score after surgery was significantly lower than that before surgery (p < 0.05). Mild complications (one case of mild vulvar swelling, one case of minor bleeding, and one case of superficial ulcer) were observed in three children after surgery, with an overall complication incidence of 15%; all complications were improved after the intervention, and no severe adverse reactions were observed. Recurrence was observed in one child (5%) 6 months after surgery.ConclusionClitoris exposure + episioplasty + dermabrasion + PRP injection + chemexfoliation is an effective approach for the treatment of VLS.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.chictr.org.cn/searchproj.html, identifier: ChiCTR2100054787.

The resilience index based on the integral of functionality/performance function within a time interval of interest has been widely used in the literature. However, it cannot fully reflect the sensitivity of the resilience of the object (e.g., structure or system) to the variation of functionality. In this paper, a generalized index is proposed to measure the resilience of structures and systems that is sensitive to the instantaneous functionality, as reflected by a generating function involved in the proposed resilience index. The mathematical properties of the proposed resilience model are discussed. It is proven that, the proposed index varies within [0,1], and is a monotone measure. If the generating function is a power function with α being the exponent (called α-fairness function), the additivity property (i.e., superadditivity, additivity, and subadditivity) of the resilience index is dependent on the value of α. It is also observed that the existing resilience index is a special case of the proposed one. A byproduct is that, with a properly selected generating function, the time-dependent reliability problem of an aging structure can also be described by the proposed resilience index. The applicability of the proposed resilience model is demonstrated through four examples.

Myocardial substrate metabolism in cardiac hypertrophy or heart failure shifts from fatty acid oxidation to a greater reliance on glycolysis. Here, the authors show that KLF7 can simultaneously regulate key enzymes in glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation to mitigate metabolic imbalance during cardiac hypertrophy.

Abstract Background Krüppel-like factor 7 (klf7), a transcription factor in the nervous system to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation, has been recently identified as a causal gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the mechanism behind remains unknown. Result To uncover this mechanism, in this study we characterized the involvement of klf7 in circadian rhythm by knocking down klf7 in N2A cells and examining the rhythmic expression of circadian genes, especially Clock gene. We constructed klf7−/− mice and then investigated into klf7 regulation on the expression of rhythm genes in vivo as well as the use of melatonin to rescue the autism behavior. Our results illustrated that circadian rhythm was disrupted in klf7 knockdown cells and that klf7−/− mice showed autism-like behavior. Also, we found that Clock gene was downregulated in the brain of these klf7−/− mice and that the downstream rhythm genes of Clock were disturbed. Melatonin, as a circadian regulation drug, could regulate the expression level and amplitude of rhythm genes in klf7 knockout cells and further rescue the autistic behavior of klf7−/− mice. Conclusion Klf7 deficiency causes ASD by disrupting circadian rhythm related genes to trigger rhythm oscillations. To treat ASD, maintaining circadian homeostasis is promising with the use of melatonin.

Engineering structures are often subjected to the influences of performance deterioration and multiple hazards during their service lives, and consequently may suffer from damage/failure as a result of external loads. Structural reliability and resilience assessment is a powerful tool for quantifying the structural ability to withstand these environmental or operational attacks. This paper proposes new formulas for structural time-dependent reliability and resilience analyses in the presence of multiple hazards, which are functions of the duration of the reference period of interest. The joint impacts of nonstationarities in multiple hazards due to a changing environment, as well as the deterioration of structural performance, are explicitly incorporated. The correlation between the structural resistances/capacities associated with different hazard types is modeled by employing a copula function. It is observed that, under the context of multiple hazards and aging effects, the time-dependent resilience takes a generalized form of time-dependent reliability. The proposed formulas can be used to guide the adaptive design of structures, where adaptive strategies are identified across a range of possible future service conditions. An example is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method for structural reliability and resilience analyses.

Abstract Prevention and early intervention are the current focus of treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). An increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a feature of the early stages of AD, thus suggesting that the removal of excess ROS can be a viable method of improving AD. Natural polyphenols are able to scavenge ROS and thus promising for treating AD. However, some issues need to be addressed. Among them, important are that most polyphenols are hydrophobic, have low bioavailability in the body, are easily degraded, and that single polyphenols have insufficient antioxidant capacity. In this study, we employed two polyphenols, resveratrol (RES) and oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC), and creatively grafted them with hyaluronic acid (HA) to form nanoparticles to address the aforementioned issues. Meanwhile, we strategically grafted the nanoparticles with the B6 peptide, enabling the nanoparticles to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and enter the brain for AD treatment. Our results illustrate that B6‐RES‐OPC‐HA nanoparticles can significantly scavenge ROS, reduce brain inflammation, and improve learning and memory ability in AD mice. B6‐RES‐OPC‐HA nanoparticles have the potential to prevent and alleviate early AD.

BackgroundCongenital Morgagni hernia (CMH) is a rare midline defect involving herniation of abdominal viscera into the thoracic cavity through triangular parasternal gaps in the diaphragm.MethodsThe medical records of three patients with CMH admitted to the Department of Pediatric Surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University between 2018 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Pre-operative diagnosis was based on chest x-ray, chest computerized tomography, and barium enema. All patients were treated with single-site laparoscopic ligation of the hernia sac.ResultsHernia repair was successful in all patients (males; age: 14 months, 30 months, 48 months). The average operative time for repair of a unilateral hernia was 20 ± 5 min. Volume of surgical blood loss was 2–3 ml. There was no damage to organs such as the liver or intestines, or to tissues such as the pericardium or the phrenic nerve. Patients were allowed a fluid diet 6–8 h after surgery, and remained on bed rest until 16 h after surgery. No postoperative complications occurred, and patients were discharged on postoperative Day 2 or 3. No symptoms or complications were noted during the 1–48 months of follow-up. Aesthetic outcomes were satisfactory.ConclusionsSingle-site laparoscopic ligation of the hernia sac provides pediatric surgeons a safe and effective technique for repair of CMH in infants and children. The procedure is straightforward, operative time and surgical blood loss are minimal, recurrence is unlikely, and aesthetic outcomes are satisfactory.

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship among information processing, risk/benefit perception and the COVID-19 vaccination intention of OHCs users with the heuristic-systematic model (HSM).MethodsThis study conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire via an online survey among Chinese adults. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to examine the research hypotheses.ResultsSystematic information processing positively influenced benefit perception, and heuristic information processing positively influenced risk perception. Benefit perception had a significant positive effect on users' vaccination intention. Risk perception had a negative impact on vaccination intention. Findings revealed that differences in information processing methods affect users' perceptions of risk and benefit, which decide their vaccination intention.ConclusionOnline health communities can provide more systematic cues and users should process information systematically to increase their perceived benefits, consequently increase their willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine.

Subway stations are important components of subway system planning and urban rail transit where passengers can board, alight, transfer, or wait. With an increase in urban passenger flow, subway stations must meet greater transfer‐space demands commensurate with growing station structure sizes. In this study, the field‐monitoring and analysis method was adopted to investigate the Huaxing Street Station of the Chengdu Metro Line 19 project and explore the temperature‐variation rule in the process of mass‐concrete pouring in the station floor. Based on an ABAQUS large‐finite‐element calculation programme and secondary development of damage and failure research methods, a mechanical model of mass‐concrete pouring in subway‐station floor construction was established. The pouring temperature effect, damage, and failure mechanism of mass‐concrete pouring in subway stations were comprehensively studied. The main results were as follows: (1) the maximum temperature difference between the upper and middle layers of the floor was dominant and reached a peak within 1–3 d after the completion of pouring, and the temperature difference gradually decreased with a decrease in the hydration‐heat reaction. (2) At 0–10 d, the damage ratio of the floor increased by 1.8%, predominantly in the form of longitudinal damage. Within 10–30 d, the damage and failure ratio of the floor increased by 1.86%, primarily in the form of transverse damage and failure. Within 30–40 d, the temperature of the floor stabilized and gradually approached the ambient temperature. The damage and failure ratio of the floor increased by 0.32% at this time. (3) The lower the ambient temperature, the greater was the damage sustained by the floor at different ages, and the ambient temperature had a significant influence on floor damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common chronic multifactorial diseases, which is associated with the increased concentration of glucose in the blood. Therefore, the utilization of blood lowering agents is clearly a promising approach which can lead to a suppression of the evaluated blood glucose, and thus curing T2DM and other complication. In this study, we evaluated the glucose lowering effect of a varieties of amino acids (alanine and histidine), dipeptides (carnosine and α-alanine-L-histidine), and tripeptide (glutathione) by reacting with glucose, fructose, and sucrose under 37°C and pH 7.4 to mimic their reaction in physiological condition. By measuring the reduction of reactants and the formation of Maillard reaction products over the course of 21 days’ storage, we found that the glucose lowering effect of carnosine was better than the counterparts. The histidine residue in carnosine may contribute to its glucose lowing effect while β-amino acid β-alanine residue could facilitate the glucose lowering effect of carnosine by maintaining its chemical stability during the storage. These results may open up new avenues for the applications of bioactive peptide carnosine as a natural blood sugar lowering agent to control T2DM.

Automobile exhaust-derived particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) can cause spermatogenic cell damage, potentially resulting in male infertility. This study uses male prepubertal Sprague Dawley (SD) rats to explore the molecular mechanisms by which automobile exhaust-derived PM2.5 causes spermatogenic cell damage and induces spermatogenesis dysfunction during sexual maturity by disrupting the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) in spermatogenic cells. Male prepubertal SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (intratracheal instillation of normal saline), low-dose PM2.5 (5 mg/kg), high-dose PM2.5 (10 mg/kg), and PM2.5 10 mg/kg +Vit (100 mg/kg of vitamin C and 50 mg/kg of vitamin E). The rats were treated for four weeks, with five consecutive treatment days and two non-treatment days, followed by cohabitation. Testicular and epididymal tissues were harvested for analysis. The mitochondria in spermatogenic cells were observed under an electron microscope. UPRmt-, oxidative stress-, and apoptosis-related markers in spermatogenic cells were examined. Spermatogenic cell numbers and conception rate declined significantly with increasing PM2.5 dose, with their mitochondria becoming vacuolated, swollen, and degenerated to varying degrees. The apoptosis of spermatogenic cells was abnormally enhanced in PM2.5 exposed groups compared to the control group. Spermatogenic cell numbers of conception rate gradually recovered, mitochondrial damage in spermatogenic cells was alleviated, and spermatogenic cell apoptosis was significantly reduced after vitamin intervention. In addition, protein levels of superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were significantly lower, while those of Bcl2-associated X apoptosis regulator (Bax), cleaved caspase 3 (Casp3), and cytochrome c (Cyt-c) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly higher in the high-dose PM2.5 group than in the control group. The levels of UPRmt-related proteins C/EBP homologous protein (Chop), heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60), and activating transcription factors 4 (Atf4) and 5 (Atf5) were higher in the low-dose PM2.5 group, lower in the high-dose PM2.5 group, and gradually recovered in PM2.5 10 mg/kg +Vit group. Our results show that exposure to automobile exhaust-derived PM2.5 induces oxidative stress responses, leads to post-sexual maturation UPRmt dysfunction and mitochondrial impairment, and abnormally enhances spermatogenic cell apoptosis in prepubertal rats, resulting in male infertility.

Tissue-resident innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) play a vital role in the frontline defense of various tissues, including the lung. The development of type 2 ILCs (ILC2s) depends on transcription factors such as GATA3, RORα, GFI1, and Bcl11b; however, the factors regulating lung-resident ILC2s remain unclear. Through fate mapping analysis of the paralog transcription factors GFI1 and GFI1B, we show that GFI1 is consistently expressed during the transition from progenitor to mature ILC2s. In contrast, GFI1B expression is limited to specific subsets of bone marrow progenitors and lung-resident ILC progenitors. We found that GFI1B+ lung ILC progenitors represent a multi-lineage subset with tissue-resident characteristics and the potential to form lung-derived ILC subsets and liver-resident ILC1s. Loss of GFI1B in bone marrow progenitors led to the selective loss of lung-resident IL-18R+ ILCs and mature ILC2, subsequently preventing the emergence of effector ILCs that could protect the lung against inflammatory or tumor challenge. Editor's summary: Most innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) develop from lineage-restricted ILC progenitors in the bone marrow, but certain tissues such as the lungs are believed to harbor local ILC progenitor populations. How these local ILC progenitor pools are maintained remains unclear. Using dual reporter mice, Huang et al. mapped expression of the paralog transcription factors GFI1 and GFI1B in ILCs and their progenitors. GFI1B expression alone identified bone marrow and lung ILC progenitors that retained potential to differentiate into multiple ILC lineages. Loss of GFI1B-dependent ILCs impaired type 2 ILC development in the lungs, leading to reduced papain-induced inflammation but impaired protection against establishment of lung tumors. Together, these findings identify GFI1B expression as hallmark of lung-resident ILCs that retain multilineage developmental potential. —Claire Olingy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) construct microanatomical niches that support lymph node (LN) homeostasis and coordination of immune responses. Transcription factors regulating the functionality of FRCs remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of the transcription factor SpiB that is expressed in LN FRCs. Conditional ablation of SpiB in FRCs impaired the FRC network in the T‐cell zone of LNs, leading to reduced numbers of FRCs and altered homeostatic functions including reduced CCL21 and interleukin‐7 expression. The size and cellularity of LNs remained intact in the absence of SpiB but the space between the reticular network increased, indicating that although FRCs were reduced in number they stretched to maintain network integrity. Following virus infection, antiviral CD8+ T‐cell responses were impaired, suggesting a role for SpiB expression in FRCs in orchestrating immune responses. Together, our findings reveal a new role for SpiB as an important regulator of FRC functions and immunity in LNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pb39Bi25Sn36 alloy was directionally solidified at varied withdrawal rates followed by quenching. From metallographic observation, composition analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, the solidification sequence of Pb39Bi25Sn36 alloy was characterized. The Sn-dendrite is observed as the primary phase during solidification, followed by the β(Pb7 Bi3 )/Sn divorced eutectic. At lower temperatures, the β(Pb7Bi3 )/Sn binary eutectic is formed in the interdendritic region. However, the quasi-peritectic reaction [L+α-Pb→β(Pb7 Bi3 )+Sn] does not occur as the prediction based on ternary phase diagram analysis, which can be attributed to the unequilibrium solidfication condition. Moreover, the as-cast microstructure is significantly refined with the increasing withdrawal rates. The quenched sample only exhibits the lamellar structure of Sn, β(Pb7Bi3) and Bi phases. The results can provide instructions to optimize the as-cast microstructure of ternary alloys with quasi-peritectic reaction.

Samarium, gadolinium, and yttrium co-doped ceria (Ce0.8Sm0.16Y0.03Gd0.01O1.9, CSYG) and BaIn0.3Ti0.7O2.85 (BIT07) powders were prepared by sol-gel and solid-state reaction methods, respectively. CSYG-BIT07 composite materials were obtained by mechanically mixing the two powders in different ratios and calcining at 1300 °C for 5 h. Samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as electrical properties and thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) measurements. A series of CSYG-BIT07 composite materials with relative densities higher than 95% were fabricated by sintering at 1300 °C for 5 h. The performance of the CSYG-BIT07 composite electrolyte was found to be related to the content of BIT07. The CSYG-15% BIT07 composite exhibited high oxide ion conductivity (σ800°C = 0.0126 S·cm−1 at 800 °C), moderate thermal expansion (TEC = 9.13 × 10−6/K between room temperature and 800 °C), and low electrical activation energy (Ea = 0.89 eV). These preliminary results indicate that the CSYG-BIT07 material is a promising electrolyte for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs).

The projected increase in sea surface temperature due to climate change is expected to substantially intensify future hurricanes. Wooden light-frame residential buildings are particularly vulnerable to hurricane damage, and their risk is expected to increase due to heightened exposure and intensifying hurricanes. Therefore, adaptation strategies need to be planned to reduce damage to such buildings while considering the impact of climate change on hurricanes. This study investigates the effectiveness of various climate change adaptation strategies for coastal wood-frame single-story residential buildings and demonstrates how these strategies can be planned. The study considers the four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) proposed by the IPCC to investigate the impact of climate change on wind hazard and losses. Additionally, three locations in the coastal United States of varying sizes, exposure, and hurricane hazard levels are considered: Harris County, Texas; Mobile County, Alabama; and Miami-Dade County, Florida. The results show that the increase in wind speeds and losses will be non-linear with time. All considered adaptation strategies decreased losses, with some able to completely counter the increasing losses even under high emission scenarios. Investigating the effectiveness of adaptive measures can guide stakeholders in allocating funds and efforts for hurricane risk management and enhancing community resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present a numerical investigation into the phenomenon of rising droplets in immiscible fluids, focusing on the Marangoni effect induced by both solute and a combination of solute and soluble surfactants. We meticulously examine the interfacial behaviors of pure solute droplets and mixed droplets, with a particular interest on the intricate interplay among interfacial concentration, interfacial tension, Marangoni stress, and Marangoni convection. Our investigation provides insight into the influence of key physicochemical parameters, such as viscosity, diffusion coefficient, partition coefficient, and interfacial tension gradient, on the Marangoni instability. Furthermore, we conduct a comprehensive parametric exploration of the impact of dimensionless numbers such as the Langmuir number (La), the Damkohler number (Da), the Peclet number (Pe), and the elasticity number β on the stabilizing efficacy of surfactants. The research findings underscore the effectiveness of our numerical method in capturing the distinctive two-step acceleration characteristics of pure solute droplets and the stabilizing effect of surfactants on mixed droplets. Notably, our study reveals that the Marangoni instability may manifest even when the viscosity and diffusivity ratios of the two-phase fluids are closely matched. Partition coefficients below unity exhibit only a marginal influence on the re-acceleration time of the droplets. Systems characterized by extremely low interfacial tension gradients tend to exhibit no Marangoni instability. Moreover, an increase in La enhances the stability of mixed droplets, while a significant threshold is identified for Da to affect the stability of mixed droplets. The ascent speed of mixed droplets displays pronounced variation across varying Pe magnitudes. Finally, in scenarios involving a wide-ranging variation in β, mixed droplets transition between the states of pure solute droplets and rigid spheres, revealing a distinct-state transition point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have synthesized a new series of layered oxyselenides Bi2LnO4Cu2Se2 (Ln=Nd, Sm, Eu, Dy, Er, Yb). Their crystal structures and physical properties were studied through X-ray diffraction, electric transport measurements, bulk magnetization and first-principle calculation. All these compounds have a tetragonal structure with space group I4/mmm. They exhibit hole-type metallic behaviours which is also verified by the DFT calculation. The new Bi2LnO4-type block in these compounds may give people some enlightenment in synthesizing new iron-based superconductors or other layered compounds.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disease. To date, more than 1000 genes have been shown to be associated with ASD, and only a few of these genes account for more than 1% of autism cases. Klf7 is an important transcription factor of cell proliferation and differentiation in the nervous system, but whether klf7 is involved in autism is unclear. Methods: We first performed ChIP-seq analysis of klf7 in N2A cells, then performed behavioral tests and RNA-seq in klf7+/− mice, and finally restored mice with adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression of klf7 in klf7+/− mice. Results: Klf7 targeted genes are enriched with ASD genes, and 631 ASD risk genes are also differentially expressed in klf7+/− mice which exhibited the core symptoms of ASD. When klf7 levels were increased in the central nervous system (CNS) in klf7+/− adult mice, deficits in social interaction, repetitive behavior and majority of dysregulated ASD genes were rescued in the adults, suggesting transcriptional regulation. Moreover, knockdown of klf7 in human brain organoids caused dysregulation of 517 ASD risk genes, 344 of which were shared with klf7+/− mice, including some high-confidence ASD genes. Conclusions: Our findings highlight a klf7 regulation of ASD genes and provide new insights into the pathogenesis of ASD and promising targets for further research on mechanisms and treatments.