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Abstract Background Chylothorax is a postoperative complication in patients with lung cancer. Diet-control approaches have been the mainstay for managing this condition. However, a surgical intervention is needed for the patients if conservative treatment is ineffective. Because of the lack of accurate indicators to assess the prognosis of the postoperative complication at an early stage, the criteria of surgical treatment were not consistent. Methods We reviewed 2942 patients who underwent pulmonary resection and lymph node dissection for primary lung cancer at our hospital between March 2021 and December 2022. The prognostic implications of clinical indicators were assessed in patients with postoperative chylothorax who were managed with a low-fat diet. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the predictive value of these indicators for patient prognosis. Results Postoperative chylothorax occurred in 108 patients and 79 patients were treated with a low-fat diet management while 29 patients were managed with TPN. In contrast to drainage volume, the pleural effusion triglyceride level after 2 days of low-fat diet exhibited enhanced predictive efficacy in predicting patient prognosis. When the pleural fluid triglyceride level of 1.33 mmol/L was used as the diagnostic threshold for prognosis, the sensitivity and specificity reached 100% and 80.6%, respectively. Conclusions The pleural effusion triglyceride level after 2 days of low-fat diet can serve as a valuable prognostic indicator in patients undergoing lung surgery and experiencing chylothorax. This predictive approach will help thoracic surgeons to identify patients with poor prognosis in a timely manner and make decision to perform necessary surgical interventions.

Abstract Background The clinical relevance of circulating tumor cell-white blood cell (CTC-WBC) clusters in cancer prognosis is a subject of ongoing debate. This study aims to unravel their contentious predictive value for patient outcomes. Methods We conducted a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to December 2022. Eligible studies that reported survival outcomes and examined the presence of CTC-WBC clusters in solid tumor patients were included. Hazard ratios (HR) were pooled to assess the association between CTC-WBC clusters and overall survival (OS), as well as progression-free survival (PFS)/disease-free survival (DFS)/metastasis-free survival (MFS)/recurrence-free survival (RFS). Subgroup analyses were performed based on sampling time, treatment method, detection method, detection system, and cancer type. Results A total of 1471 patients from 10 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The presence of CTC-WBCs was assessed as a prognostic factor for overall survival and PFS/DFS/MFS/RFS. The pooled analysis demonstrated that the presence of CTC-WBC clusters was significantly associated with worse OS (HR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.74–3.40, P

Frictionally induced vibrations in rubber are readily triggered due to their lower stiffness and higher elasticity. This study developed a numerical model to investigate the frictional vibration of a rubber block with a groove on its side surface against an aluminum disc. The results indicate that a backside groove (GB) on the block significantly enhances vibration attenuation, with a decay time 0.6 s faster than a non-grooved (NG) block, despite a potentially higher initial vibrational amplitude. In contrast, a frontside groove (GF) results in persistent frictional oscillations, with the steady-state time being similar for both GB and GF configurations. The underlying mechanism is attributed to the GB’s effectiveness in reducing the maximum energy imparted to the block initially, dissipating vibrational energy more swiftly, and distributing the contact stress more uniformly. The discrepancies in frictional forces between the conducted experiment and the simulation for the NG, GB and GF cases were 11.3%, 9.3% and 12.1%, respectively, quantitatively indicating the moderate precision of the results from the simulation. The insights gained from this study hold promise for enriching methods of mitigating vibrations arising from rubber friction.

Tire as the only contact part between automobiles and road surface plays an important role in noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance of automobiles. Free vibration characteristics of a nonrotating tire have been extensively studied, but the vibration behaviour of a rolling tire still needs further investigation, especially the high-order vibration higher than 300 Hz. Since the modal characteristics are highly dependent on the stresses induced from external loading and rolling speed, a finite element (FE) model was established for investigating rolling tire natural frequencies and mode shapes including high-order vibration. The effects of the vertical load and rolling speed are incorporated in the analysis through an explicit dynamic simulation to determine the stress state throughout the tire at instants when the modal characteristics are desired. The contact features between the tire and road obtained from the numerical FE method are verified by a vertical loading test experimentally, and then the FE model of a free tire in a frequency range of 0–500 Hz is validated by the hammering test. A great agreement between the FE model and experimental results of tire is found. A new naming convention combining wave numbers and travelling wave direction is developed to identify and categorize modes of the static and rolling tires, respectively, based on travelling wave vibration theory. The influences of vertical load and rolling speed on tire natural frequencies are examined by the FE model, and the results show that the mode frequencies of rolling tire diverged to two different frequencies with one being lower and the other being higher than the corresponding frequency of static tire alone. This study provides deeper understanding of complex dynamic properties, which are beneficial to designing and optimizing of tire-vehicle systems and identification of the critical rolling speeds.

Abstract Few rare‐earth (RE) atoms incorporated in lattice greatly tunned the optical, electrical, magnetic, and catalytic performance of doped crystal through the peculiar atomic electron structure of RE. The dimensionality scale‐down of RE oxides can further promote their unique traits and broaden their applications. The UV photodetection performance of (111) oriented CeO2 thin film is limited by the existence of grain boundaries, defects, and strains. Consequently, single‐crystal 2D CeO2 is promising for photodetection as it lacks of grain boundaries and defects. However, the synthesis of large‐sized high‐quality 2D CeO2 with lateral dimensions over 100 µm is challenging. In this work, a 3.9 nm thick CeO2 single crystal with 120 µm lateral size is synthesized over a sapphire substrate through a salt‐assisted chemical vapor deposition method, in which an intermediate insulating CeAlO3 layer is formed between the substrate and 2D CeO2 to enhance the crystal lattice matching and therefore facilitates the large area growth. The photodetector based on 2D CeO2 exhibits a photo response from 395 to 532 nm, possibly ascribed to a micro‐strain narrowed bandgap induced at the heterointerface. The photoresponsivity reaches 43.6 A W−1 while the detectivity reaches 7.58 × 1011 Jones under the 395 nm laser irradiation. Besides, the sub‐ms switching kinetics is achieved without gating bias, which is significantly improved over other reported RE oxides‐based photodetectors. This work demonstrates the possibility of the synthesis of large‐size high‐quality 2D RE oxides and their strong potential in high‐performance optoelectronic devices.

Our research aims to investigate the impact of injecting atomic coherence on the phase tunneling time of ultra slow cascade three-level atoms traversing through high-quality cavities. Prior to interacting with the cavity in the Fock state, the atoms are initially prepared in a superposition of the two upper levels. Our study has demonstrated that the coherence of the injected atoms can be tuned to control the phase time. Specifically, we have observed that the injected coherence can regulate the peak values and sub-superclassical nature of the traversal time. Moreover, we have investigated how the number of superclassical peaks and resonances in the tunneling time curve can be influenced by the cavity length and de Broglie waves of the atom. Additionally, we have discovered that the phase time behavior is not only affected by the center-of-mass (CM) motion but also by the atom–field detuning and the final internal state of the transmitted atoms. These findings have potential implications for developing and controlling ultracold atom-based technologies, such as quantum sensors, quantum information processing, and quantum simulation.

Alternative splicing (AS) plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression, function, and diversity. However, limited reports exist on the identification and comparison of AS in Eastern and Western pigs. Here, we analyzed 243 transcriptome data from eight tissues, integrating information on transcription factors (TFs), selection signals, splicing factors (SFs), and quantitative trait loci (QTL) to comprehensively study alternative splicing events (ASEs) in pigs. Five ASE types were identified, with Mutually Exclusive Exon (MXE) and Skipped Exon (SE) ASEs being the most prevalent. A significant portion of genes with ASEs (ASGs) showed conservation across all eight tissues (63.21–76.13% per tissue). Differentially alternative splicing genes (DASGs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) exhibited tissue specificity, with blood and adipose tissues having more DASGs. Functional enrichment analysis revealed coDASG_DEGs in adipose were enriched in pathways associated with adipose deposition and immune inflammation, while coDASG_DEGs in blood were enriched in pathways related to immune inflammation and metabolism. Adipose deposition in Eastern pigs might be linked to the down-regulation of immune-inflammation-related pathways and reduced insulin resistance. The TFs, selection signals, and SFs appeared to regulate ASEs. Notably, ARID4A (TF), NSRP1 (SF), ANKRD12, IFT74, KIAA2026, CCDC18, NEXN, PPIG, and ROCK1 genes in adipose tissue showed potential regulatory effects on adipose-deposition traits. NSRP1 could promote adipogenesis by regulating alternative splicing and expression of CCDC18. Conducting an in-depth investigation into AS, this study has successfully identified key marker genes essential for pig genetic breeding and the enhancement of meat quality, which will play important roles in promoting the diversity of pork quality and meeting market demand.

Accurate analysis of the main chemical components of oil-bearing sludge is an important prerequisite for effective soil remediation and resource reuse. However, precise analysis of the extract components is difficult to achieve because of the mutual interference of saturates, aromatics, and resins, collectively called SAR, and asphaltene that are introduced during chloroform extraction. In this study, SAR was efficiently extracted using n-heptane, while asphaltene components were retained in soil because of their insolubility in n-heptane. The maximum yield of SAR extraction was 27.0%, indicating an increase of 1.75% compared to chloroform extraction. The extracted SAR components were separated by chromatography and the main structural units and components were analyzed. The results show that saturates, aromatics, and resins have a single component, a high content of major components, and contain fewer impurities using n-heptane extraction. Moreover, the solubility of asphaltene was inhibited during the effective extraction of SAR components with n-heptane and did not influence the subsequent analysis of SAR component. Efficient SAR extraction, accurate SAR component analysis, and high efficiency asphaltene separation was achieved using n-heptane-extraction-assisted pyrolysis. This provides a new method for the component analysis of oily sludge and promotes its efficient separation.

On 1 December 2018, a heavy yellow snow fell in Urumqi (87°37′E, 43°47′N) — the largest city of northwest China's Xinjiang province, which was the first case that the yellow snow has been observed in winter. The air parcel trajectories obtained from Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model and the dust surface mass concentration from Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2) were adopted to identify the potential sources and transport paths of pollutants responsible for this yellow snow episode. The meteorological situation and the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) forecast products have been utilized to analyze the supportive meteorological conditions. The results showed that the heavy snow in Urumqi was contaminated by the yellow dust originated in Karamay of Xinjiang province. The strong surface winds in Karamay lifted large amounts of dust into the atmosphere. Then the airborne dusts were transported to Urumqi rapidly by strong low-level winds, where precipitation in connection with the upper trough and the cold front lead to the yellow snow episode. This study can provide important scientific significance for predicting this kind of event (yellow snow).

Food waste is a major issue that is increasingly affecting our environment. More than one-third of food is wasted, resulting in over $400 billion in losses to the U.S. economy. While composting and other small recycling practices are encouraged from person-to-person, it is not enough to balance the net loss of 80 million tons per year. Currently, one of the most promising routes for reducing food waste is through microbial fermentation, which can convert the waste into valuable bioproducts. Among the compounds produced from fermentation, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) has gained interest recently due to its molecular structure as a building block for many other derivatives used in perfumes, synthetic rubber, fumigants, antifreeze agents, fuel additives, and pharmaceuticals. Waste feedstocks, such as food waste, are a potential source of renewable energy due to their lack of cost and availability. Food waste also possesses microbial requirements for growth such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and more. However, food waste is highly inconsistent and the variability in composition may hinder its ability to be a stable source for bioproducts such as 2,3-BDO. This current study focuses specifically on post-consumer food waste and how 2,3-BDO can be produced through a non-model organism, Bacillus licheniformis YNP5-TSU during non-sterile fermentation. From the dining hall at Tennessee State University, 13 food waste samples were collected over a 6-month period and the compositional analysis was performed. On average, these samples consisted of fat (19.7%), protein (18.7%), ash (4.8%), fiber (3.4%), starch (27.1%), and soluble sugars (20.9%) on a dry basis with an average moisture content of 34.7%. Food waste samples were also assessed for their potential production of 2,3-BDO during non-sterile thermophilic fermentation, resulting in a max titer of 12.12 g/L and a 33% g/g yield of 2,3-BDO/carbohydrates. These findings are promising and can lead to the better understanding of food waste as a defined feedstock for 2,3-BDO and other fermentation end-products.

The rise in diseases like obesity and diabetes is a worldwide challenge. The consumption of functional products such as hibiscus, which has been proven to be high in bioactive compounds and dietary fiber, providing it with anticancer, antiaging, anti-inflammatory and satiety properties, should be promoted. In the U.S., promoting the consumption of hibiscus products can be a good approach to increase fiber consumption and to reduce risk of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. However, information about knowledge of this functional product among consumers is still sparse and increasing consumption requires designing and marketing desired products made from hibiscus. Therefore in this preliminary study, we assessed consumer response to hibiscus products and investigated whether providing information about potential health benefits could impact consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for three types of non-alcoholic hibiscus beverages: ready-made tea, bottled juice, and kombucha. Our web-based survey was distributed through QualtricsXM and a convenience sampling method was chosen. Most participants identified themselves as female, 18–34 years old, with a graduate degree. Most participants (81%) had consumed hibiscus products before and 57% had a weekly food budget lower than $60. Overall, tea and juices were the most liked hibiscus beverages, respectively. Although taste and health benefits were ranked as the main reasons to consume hibiscus beverages, additional information about hibiscus health benefits did not significantly affect WTP for these products. Without additional health benefit information, consumer WTP for non-alcoholic hibiscus beverages ranged from $2.9 to $3.60 for kombucha and $4.08–4.97 for Ready-made-tea. This study provides valuable insights that can support future research on hibiscus products and promote the development of novel hibiscus-based foods and beverages that are appealing to the U.S. market.

The sucrose and Alanine (Ala) content in edamame beans significantly impacts the sweetness flavor of edamame-derived products as an important attribute to consumers’ acceptance. Unlike grain-type soybeans, edamame beans are harvested as fresh beans at the R6 to R7 growth stages when beans are filled 80-90% of the pod capacity. The genetic basis of sucrose and Ala contents in fresh edamame beans may differ from those in dry seeds. To date, there is no report on the genetic basis of sucrose and Ala contents in the edamame beans. In this study, a genome-wide association study was conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to sucrose and Ala levels in edamame beans using an association mapping panel of 189 edamame accessions genotyped with a SoySNP50K BeadChip. A total of 43 and 25 SNPs was associated with sucrose content and Ala content in the edamame beans, respectively. Four genes (Glyma.10g270800, Glyma.08g137500, Glyma.10g268500, and Glyma.18g193600) with known effects on the process of sucrose biosynthesis and 37 novel sucrose-related genes were characterized. Three genes (Gm17g070500, Glyma.14g201100 and Glyma.18g269600) with likely relevant effects in regulating Ala content and 22 novel Ala-related genes were identified. In addition, by summarizing the phenotypic data of edamame beans from three locations in two years, three PI accessions (PI 532469, PI 243551, and PI 407748) were selected as the high sucrose and high Ala parental lines for the perspective breeding of sweet edamame varieties. Thus, the beneficial alleles, candidate genes, and selected PI accessions identified in this study will be fundamental to develop edamame varieties with improved consumers’ acceptance, and eventually promote edamame production as a specialty crop in the United States.

The National Key Ecological Function Zones (NKEFZ) serve as crucial ecological security barriers in China, playing a vital role in enhancing ecosystem services. This study employed the theoretical framework of ecological benefits assessment in major ecological engineering projects. The primary focus was on the ecosystem macrostructure, ecosystem quality, and key ecosystem services, enabling quantitative analysis of the spatiotemporal changes in the ecosystem status of the NKEFZ from 2000 to 2019. To achieve this, remote sensing data, meteorological data, and model simulations were employed to investigate five indicators, including land use types, vegetation coverage, net primary productivity of vegetation, soil conservation services, water conservation services, and windbreak and sand fixation services. The analysis incorporated the Theil–Sen Median method to construct an evaluation system for assessing the restoration status of ecosystems, effectively integrating ecosystem quality and ecosystem services indicators. The research findings indicated that land use changes in NKEFZ were primarily characterized by the expansion of unused land and the in of grassland. The overall ecosystem quality of these zones improved, showing a stable and increasing trend. However, there were disparities in the changes related to ecosystem services. Water conservation services exhibited a decreasing trend, while soil conservation and windbreak and sand fixation services showed a steady improvement. The ecosystem of the NKEFZ, in general, displayed a stable and recovering trend. However, significant spatial heterogeneity existed, particularly in the southern region of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and at the border areas between western Sichuan and northern Yunnan, where some areas still experienced deteriorating ecosystem conditions. Compared to other functional zones, the trend in the ecosystem of the NKEFZ might not have been the most favorable. Nonetheless, this could be attributed to the fact that most of these areas were situated in environmentally fragile regions, and conservation measures may not have been as effective as in other functional zones. These findings highlighted the considerable challenges ahead in the construction and preservation of the NKEFZ. In future development, the NKEFZ should leverage their unique natural resources to explore distinctive ecological advantages and promote the development of eco-friendly economic industries, such as ecological industry, ecological agriculture, and eco-tourism, transitioning from being reliant on external support to self-sustainability.

Abstract Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in regulatory processes of ubiquitination and deubiquitination in various tumors at post-transcriptional epigenetic modification level. However, the underlying mechanism and its biological functions of circRNAs in the advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remain obscure. Methods RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays were applied to screen for circRNAs differentially expressed in LSCC tissues and cell lines. The candidate RNA-binding proteins and target signalling pathway were detected by RNA pull-down and mass spectrometry, in situ hybridization (ISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC), qRT-PCR assays, and bioinformatics analysis. The functional roles of these molecules were investigated using in vitro and in vivo experiments including EdU, transwell, wound healing, western blot assays, and the xenograft mice models. The molecular mechanisms were identified using RNA pull-down assays, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), Co-IP, ISH, Ubiquitination assay, bioinformatics analysis, and the rescue experiments. Results Here, we unveil that microtubule cross-linking factor 1 circRNA (circMTCL1, circ0000825) exerts its critical oncogenic functions by promoting complement C1q-binding protein (C1QBP)-dependent ubiquitin degradation and subsequently activating Wnt/β-catenin signalling in laryngeal carcinoma initiation and development. Specifically, circMTCL1 was remarkably up-regulated in the paired tissues of patients with LSCC (n = 67), which predicted a worse clinical outcome. Functionally, circMTCL1 exerted oncogenic biological charactersistics by promoting cell proliferative capability and invasive and migrative abilities. Ectopic circMTCL1 augumented cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of LSCC cells, and this effect could be reversed by C1QBP knocking down in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circMTCL1 directly recruited C1QBP protein by harboring the specific recognized sequence (+ 159 − + 210), thereby accelerating the translation of C1QBP expression by inhibiting its ubiquitin–proteasome-mediated degradation. Importantly, the direct interaction of C1QBP with β-catenin protein was enhanced via suppressing the β-catenin phosphorylation and accelerating its accumulation in cytoplasm and nucleus. Conclusion Our findings manifested a novel circMTCL1-C1QBP-β-catenin signaling axis involving in LSCC tumorigenesis and progression, which shed new light on circRNAs-ubiquitous acidic glycoprotein mediated ubiquitin degradation and provided strategies and targets in the therapeutic intervention of LSCC.

This paper presents a summary of the optimization design process for a multi-objective, two-level engineering problem, utilizing the generalized inverse cascade method under uncertainty. The primary objective is to enhance the vibration isolation performance of a mounting system, considering the influence of uncertain factors on its stiffness. The focus is on determining the value range of the design variables at the bottom layer, ensuring that the design goal is met with a specified confidence level. To illustrate the application of this methodology, the optimization design of a powertrain mount is used as a case study. A data-driven approach is adopted, establishing a quantitative mapping relationship between mount stiffness, force transmission rate, modal decoupling rate, and other design indicators. This is achieved through the development of a CRBM-DBN approximate model, which combines Conditional Restricted Boltzmann Machines (CRBMs) and a Deep Belief Network (DBN). Additionally, an intelligent optimization algorithm and interval search technology are employed to determine the optimal design interval for the mount stiffness. Simulation and experimental verification are conducted using selected parameter combinations. The results demonstrate notable improvements in the vibration isolation performance, modal decoupling rate, and vehicle NVH performance when compared to the original state. These findings provide valuable insights for the interval optimization design of similar multi-objective, as well as two-level engineering problems, serving as useful references for future research and applications.

This study applied concentrated xylose (60–250 g/L) medium to produce butanol (acetone butanol ethanol, or ABE). A control batch fermentation of 61 g/L initial glucose using Clostridium beijerinckii P260 resulted in a productivity and yield of 0.33 g/L·h and 0.43 g/g, respectively. Use of 60 g/L xylose in a batch system resulted in productivity and yield of 0.26 g/L·h, and 0.40 g/g, respectively. In these two experiments, the culture fermented 89.3% glucose and 83.6% of xylose, respectively. When ABE recovery was coupled with fermentation for continuous solvent removal, the culture fermented all the added xylose (60 g/L). This system resulted in a productivity and yield of 0.66 g/L·h and 0.44 g/g, respectively. When the sugar concentration was further increased above 100 g/L, only a small fraction of the sugar was fermented in batch cultures without product removal. However, with simultaneous product removal, all the xylose (150 g/L) was fermented provided the culture was fed with nutrients intermittently. In this system, 66.32 g/L ABE was produced from 150 g/L xylose with a productivity of 0.44 g/L·h and yield of 0.44 g/g. Using the integrated culture system allowed sugar consumption to be increased by 300% (150 g/L). The continuous system using xylose as a feed did not sustain and after 36 days (864 h) of fermentation, it produced only 2–3 g/L ABE. Rather, the culture became acidogenic and produced 4–5 g/L acids (acetic and butyric). This study suggested that xylose be fermented in batch reactors coupled with simultaneous product recovery rather than in continuous reactors.

Esters can be used as fuels and specialty chemicals for food flavoring, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Here, the authors systematically engineer clostridia, including discovery and deletion of prophages to increase strain stability, for the production of butyl acetate and butyl butyrate from corn stover at low cost.

PurposeThis study aimed to develop a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) model to classify molecular subtypes of breast cancer from ultrasound (US) images together with clinical information.MethodsA total of 1,012 breast cancer patients with 2,284 US images (center 1) were collected as the main cohort for training and internal testing. Another cohort of 117 breast cancer cases with 153 US images (center 2) was used as the external testing cohort. Patients were grouped according to thresholds of nodule sizes of 20 mm and age of 50 years. The DCNN models were constructed based on US images and the clinical information to predict the molecular subtypes of breast cancer. A Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) lexicon model was built on the same data based on morphological and clinical description parameters for diagnostic performance comparison. The diagnostic performance was assessed through the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, Youden’s index (YI), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).ResultsOur DCNN model achieved better diagnostic performance than the BI-RADS lexicon model in differentiating molecular subtypes of breast cancer in both the main cohort and external testing cohort (all p < 0.001). In the main cohort, when classifying luminal A from non-luminal A subtypes, our model obtained an AUC of 0.776 (95% CI, 0.649–0.885) for patients older than 50 years and 0.818 (95% CI, 0.726–0.902) for those with tumor sizes ≤20 mm. For young patients ≤50 years, the AUC value of our model for detecting triple-negative breast cancer was 0.712 (95% CI, 0.538–0.874). In the external testing cohort, when classifying luminal A from non-luminal A subtypes for patients older than 50 years, our DCNN model achieved an AUC of 0.686 (95% CI, 0.567–0.806).ConclusionsWe employed a DCNN model to predict the molecular subtypes of breast cancer based on US images. Our model can be valuable depending on the patient’s age and nodule sizes.

A nonlocal subgrid-scale stress (SGS) model is developed based on the convolution neural network (CNN), which is a powerful supervised data-driven method and also an ideal approach to naturally consider spatial information due to its wide receptive field. The CNN-based models used in this study take primitive flow variables as input only, and then, the flow features are automatically extracted without any a priori guidance. The nonlocal models trained by direct numerical simulation (DNS) data of a turbulent channel flow at Reτ = 178 are accessed in both the a priori and a posteriori tests, providing reasonable flow statistics (such as mean velocity and velocity fluctuations) close to the DNS results even when extrapolating to a higher Reynolds number Reτ = 600. It is identified that the nonlocal models outperform local data-driven models, such as the artificial neural network, and some typical SGS models (e.g., the dynamic Smagorinsky model) in large eddy simulation (LES). The model is also robust with stable numerical simulation since the solutions can be well obtained when examining the grid resolution from one-half to double of the spatial resolution used in training. We also investigate the influence of receptive fields and propose using the two-point correlation analysis as a quantitative method to guide the design of nonlocal physical models. The present study provides effective data-driven nonlocal methods for SGS modeling in LES of complex anisotropic turbulent flows.

To investigate the tribological performance of a copper alloy engine bearing under oil lubrication, seawater corrosion and dry sliding wear, three different PI/PAI/EP coatings consisting of 1.5 wt% Ce2O3, 2 wt% Ce2O3, 2.5 wt% Ce2O3 were designed, respectively. These designed coatings were prepared on the surface of CuPb22Sn2.5 copper alloy using a liquid spraying process. The tribological properties of these coatings under different working conditions were tested. The results show that the hardness of the coating decreases gradually with the addition of Ce2O3, and the agglomeration of Ce2O3 is the main reason for the decrease of hardness. The wear amount of the coating increases first and then decreases with the increase of Ce2O3 content under dry sliding wear. The wear mechanism is abrasive wear under the condition of seawater. The wear resistance of the coating decreases with the increase of Ce2O3 content. The wear resistance of the coating with 1.5 wt% Ce2O3 is the best under-seawater corrosion. Although Ce2O3 has corrosion resistance, the coating of 2.5 wt% Ce2O3 has the worst wear resistance under seawater conditions due to severe wear caused by agglomeration. Under oil lubrication conditions, the frictional coefficient of the coating is stable. The lubricating oil film has a good lubrication and protection effect.

Sediments represent the major sink of antibiotics in aquatic systems. However, few studies have proposed effective models that can predict the adsorption capacity of sediments through their physicochemical parameters. Here, 49 sediment samples were collected from different locations in the Yangtze Estuary and its adjacent coastal areas. The sediments were characterized, and their adsorption behavior towards tetracycline (TC) was investigated. It was found that both the Langmuir and Freundlich models fit the TC adsorption data well, and the sediments in the mud area showed the highest adsorption capacity. Subsequently, through correlation analysis for the adsorption coefficients and physicochemical parameters of sediments, 11 models were established to predict the adsorption coefficients (Kd), in which clay and cation exchange capacity played significant roles. When the salinity was increased from 0 to 32.79‰, the Freundlich adsorption coefficient (Kf) of TC for most sediments was reduced by more than75% (except sediment C6). Therefore, the methods provided herein can be helpful in predicting the sorption behavior of antibiotics with similar structures toward TC by sediments in this region.

Liao et al. propose a deep learning model to predict blastocyst formation using TLM videos following the first three days of embryogenesis. The authors develop an ensemble prediction model, STEM and STEM+, which were found to exhibit 78.2% and 71.9% accuracy at predicting blastocyst formation and useable blastocysts respectively.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds have an amino acid profile that provides excellent viability as a food and feed protein source. However, low concentrations of an essential amino acid, methionine, limit the nutritional utility of soybean protein. The objectives of this study were to identify genomic associations and evaluate the potential for genomic selection (GS) for methionine content in soybean seeds. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) that utilized 311 soybean accessions from maturity groups IV and V grown in three locations in 2018 and 2019. A total of 35,570 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to identify genomic associations with proteinogenic methionine content that was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Across four environments, 23 novel SNPs were identified as being associated with methionine content. The strongest associations were found on chromosomes 3 (ss715586112, ss715586120, ss715586126, ss715586203, and ss715586204), 8 (ss715599541 and ss715599547) and 16 (ss715625009). Several gene models were recognized within proximity to these SNPs, such as a leucine-rich repeat protein kinase and a serine/threonine protein kinase. Identification of these linked SNPs should help soybean breeders to improve protein quality in soybean seeds. GS was evaluated using k-fold cross validation within each environment with two SNP sets, the complete 35,570 set and a subset of 248 SNPs determined to be associated with methionine through GWAS. Average prediction accuracy (r2) was highest using the SNP subset ranging from 0.45 to 0.62, which was a significant improvement from the complete set accuracy that ranged from 0.03 to 0.27. This indicated that GS utilizing a significant subset of SNPs may be a viable tool for soybean breeders seeking to improve methionine content.

Appearance properties of vegetables can affect consumers' acceptance toward them as well as purchase intent. Hence, appearance is highly associated with quality of edamame (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), a protein-rich vegetable that is experiencing increased sales in the USA. Edamame is a high-value specialty crop and its production has been promoted in Virginia and other states in the USA where the tobacco production has decreased in the last decade. To support current efforts to develop the edamame industry in the USA, consumer and color data of 10 edamame genotypes grown in Virginia were analyzed in this follow-up study to understand the role of overall appearance and color characteristics in consumers' acceptability of edamame beans. In two consecutive years, untrained adult volunteers used 9-point hedonic scales (1 = “dislike extremely”, 9 = “like extremely”) to evaluate appearance and overall liking of edamame samples (cooked and shelled edamame beans) and our researchers measured the reflective color of the samples with a chroma meter. In the first year, sensory panelists also completed a choice-based conjoint analysis to determine their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for dark vs. light green edamame beans in a salad. Edamame genotypes were significantly different in appearance and overall liking (p < 0.05) and the genotype R14-16195 was the most liked overall. Hedonic scores and color were significantly affected by “year” (p < 0.05), so intentional changes between years (e.g., sample preparation) should be avoided in future studies. Consumers showed higher WTP for dark green edamame beans. Additionally, green intensity (color index) and a* color coordinate were correlated to appearance liking scores (p < 0.05), which suggests color data can support breeding selection criteria and possibly predict consumer acceptability. Employing color measurement as quality control method can help improve harvest procedures, post-harvest handling, and define edamame quality standards for the USA market.

The Three-River Headwaters Region (TRHR) is an important part of the ecological security barrier of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in China. Twenty years after the implementation of the TRHR ecological protection and construction project, the restoration degree and restoration potential of its major ecosystem services still lack clear quantification. In this paper, taking the core area of the nature reserve as the climax background of the TRHR zonal ecosystem, based on the multiple regression analysis (MLR) and model parameter control method based on the eco-geographical area, ecosystem types, and climate factors; the climax background, restoration degree, and restoration potential of TRHR’s water retention (WR), soil retention (SR), and windbreak and sand fixation (WD) services were quantitatively researched. The main conclusions were as follows: (1) The evaluation method of climax background, restoration degree, and restoration potential based on fractional vegetation cover (FVC) can accurately quantify the regional differences of the restoration degree and restoration potential of TRHR’s key ecosystem-regulating services. The restoration degree and restoration potential of WR and SR services showed a spatial pattern of high in the southeast and low in the northwest, and the restoration degree and restoration potential of WD services showed a spatial pattern of high in the west and low in the east, which was closely related to natural conditions such as precipitation and wind speed. (2) The proportion of restoration potential to climax background for WR, SR, and WD services were 48.38%, 62.15%, and 56.37%, respectively. (3) The implementation of the TRHR ecological project in the future should focus on the vicinity of the 400 mm dry and wet zone dividing line, as well as in the southeastern mountains, hills, and river valleys, to carry out degraded vegetation restoration and soil and water conservation measures to improve ecosystem services. Near-natural restoration measures should be considered in Zhiduo and Geermu in the western part of the TRHR, where wind erosion is high, and the restoration goals of ecological projects should be formulated in combination with local climatic conditions and restoration potential.

With the increasing awareness of the importance of environmental protection and the fierce competition in the construction machinery market, improving the vibration comfort of a whole construction machine has become a new focus of competition; therefore, optimizing the performance of cab mounts has become an urgent problem to be solved. At present, the problems of low modeling efficiency, serious technical difficulties, and long development cycles exist in the design and optimization of cab mounts. In this paper, a multi-target regression forests method is introduced into the design and optimization of the construction machinery installation system, which circumvents the traditional complex modeling process and establishes a mapping relationship between cab assembly parameters and the mounts’ stiffness, as well as introduces the system decoupling rate and vibration isolation rate as the boundary conditions. Furthermore, the MRFs method is compared and evaluated with MLRP and Multi-SVR prediction results. Finally, a complete, accurate, and efficient design method for the cab mount system optimization is developed, improving the decoupling rate and vibration isolation rate of the cab system. This design method can predict the stiffness of the mounts in multiple directions.

The seat of a construction machinery cab is used as the research object. For the current human-seat coupling system comfort research methods and optimization index deficiencies, the seat body pressure comfort and vibration comfort at the same time optimized. Based on the more specialized Toyota 50 percentile dummy model, a human-seat finite element simulation model is established, and the body pressure distribution and vibration response are simulated and calculated. The transverse and longitudinal pressure distributions of the backrest and seat cushion and the pressure map are used to verify the simulation model’s body pressure comfort evaluation indexes. At the same time, the vibration response test is used to verify the vibration comfort evaluation indexes of the simulation model. The test results show that the accuracy of each evaluation index of the established coupling model is greater than 85%, which can provide model support for the subsequent optimization work. In order to improve the comfort of the seat of construction machinery during operation, the hardness of the upper sponge and lower layer sponge is reduced and increased by 10% and 15%, respectively, on the original seat. The body pressure comfort evaluation indexes of the ischium peak pressure, ischium mean pressure, thigh peak pressure and thigh mean pressure are used to evaluate the improved seat. The proposed optimization scheme is to reduce the hardness of the upper sponge and lower layer sponge of the seat cushion by 10% to improve the seat body pressure comfort. Finally, the evaluation indexes of body pressure comfort and vibration comfort are verified by four subjects in an improved seat, and the cushion pressure of different subjects is reduced while the vibration isolation rate is increased, which shows the rationality of the proposed optimization scheme. In addition, the evaluation results of the improved seat are different for subjects of different body sizes, with the most significant improvement for the subject of greater height and weight. The modeling and comfort evaluation methods adopted in the paper can provide a reference for the design and development of the seat.

Spontaneous pattern formation from a spatially homogeneous background of nonlinear systems driven out of equilibrium is a widespread phenomenon in nature. However, similar phenomena and their physical realization in nonlinear systems with external potentials of gain and loss remain a challenge. We propose a scheme to realize a new type of spatial pattern formation through the self-organization of laser light in a Rydberg-dressed atomic gas with self-defocusing Kerr nonlinearity as well as non-Hermitian optical potentials. We show that by a suitable design of control and assistant laser fields, non-Hermitian optical potentials with or without parity-time (PT) symmetry for the probe laser field can be created. We find that through the nonlocal Kerr nonlinearity contributed by the long-range atom–atom interaction, a constant-intensity wave (CIW) may undergo modulation instability and induce spontaneous symmetry breaking, resulting in the emergence of various self-organized optical structures, which can be actively manipulated by tuning the nonlocality degree of the Kerr nonlinearity and by designing the non-Hermitian optical potentials. The results reported here open a door for developing non-Hermitian nonlinear optics.

In this study, polypyrrole-silver coated layered double hydroxides (LDHs@PPy-Ag) was prepared by chemical polymerization of pyrrole (Py) with silver ions. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) could be uniformly reduced onto PPy coatings in situ by redox reaction during simultaneous polymerization process. And LDHs@PPy-Ag/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanocomposites were fabricated by solution casting method. It is revealed that spherical AgNPs are loaded on PPy coatings uniformly. Particularly, compared with pure PCL, LDHs@PPy-Ag/PCL nanocomposites with incorporation of only 1 wt% LDHs@PPy-Ag show a 17% increase in tensile strength (36.5 MPa) and a 29% increase in elongation at break (822%). Upon PPy-Ag coatings onto original LDHs, oxygen relative permeability of LDHs@PPy-Ag/PCL nanocomposites decreases to 52% with the same addition. Meanwhile, due to the double antibacterial activity of PPy and AgNPs, the antibacterial rate of LDHs@PPy-Ag reaches 100%. And the corresponding LDHs@PPy-Ag/PCL nanocomposites also show outstanding antibacterial activity. Considering the superiority of their comprehensive performance, antibacterial LDHs@PPy-Ag/PCL nanocomposites can be used further for the application as biodegradable polymeric active packaging materials.

The Three-River Headwaters Region (TRHR) is an important part of the ecological barrier of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Understanding the TRHR’s major ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies is important for scientifically integrating and optimizing ecosystem services. We studied the spatial–temporal changes, trade-offs and synergies of the TRHR’s water retention (WR), soil retention (SR), windbreak and sand fixation (WD) and forage supply (FS) services from 2000 to 2019. The results showed that: (1) The TRHR’s WR, SR and FS services gradually decreased from east to west in space, and showed an increasing trend between years; the WD service gradually decreased from west to east in space, and showed a downward trend between years. (2) The synergistic relationship was the dominant relationship between the TRHR’s grassland regulation and provision services. Future research on ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies should consider both the type of ecosystem services and the ecosystem’s multifunctionality. (3) The improvement of the TRHR’s ecosystem services in the future needs to focus on improving the fraction vegetation coverage (FVC) through ecological engineering measures in Maduo, and other areas near the 400 mm precipitation line, and enhancing the synergy of ecosystem services. (4) The restoration of TRHR FVC needs to consider the difference in natural endowments. It is recommended to adopt near-natural restoration in the northwest of the TRHR, and avoid setting too high restoration targets. Planting high-quality pastures in the southeast of the TRHR with good water and heat conditions and rationally allocating grassland ecological and production functions are recommended measures. (5) The TRHR’s grassland should give priority to the development of the ecological functions of natural grasslands, and then give full play to its production functions. Overgrazing is strictly prohibited, so as to avoid the “over-transformation” of ecosystem regulation services to supply services.

The treatment of oily sludge (OS) can not only effectively solve environmental pollution but also contribute to the efficient use of energy. In this study, the separation effect of OS was analyzed through sodium lignosulfonate (SL)-assisted sodium persulfate (S/D) treatment. The effects of SL concentration, pH, temperature, solid–liquid ratio, revolving speed, and time on SL adsorption solubilization were analyzed. The effects of sodium persulfate dosage, demulsification temperature, and demulsification time on sodium persulfate oxidative demulsification were analyzed. The oil removal efficiency was as high as 91.28%. The results showed that the sediment was uniformly and finely distributed in the S/D-treated OS. The contact angle of the sediment surface was 40°, and the initial apparent viscosity of the OS was 56 Pa·s. First, the saturated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons on the sediment surface were adsorbed by the monolayer adsorption on SL. Stubborn, cohesive oil agglomerates were dissociated. Sulfate radical anion (SO4−·) with a high oxidation potential, was formed from sodium persulfate. The oxidation reaction occurred between SO4−· and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A good three-phase separation effect was attained. The oil recovery reached 89.65%. This provides theoretical support for the efficient clean separation of oily sludge.

The Upper Yellow River is the most important area for water retention and flow production in the Yellow River basin, and the statuses of the ecosystems in this region are related to the ecological stability of the whole Yellow River basin. In this paper, the fractional vegetation cover (FVC), net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation and water retention, soil retention, and windbreak and sand fixation services of the Upper Yellow River ecosystems were analysed from 2000 to 2019 with the trend analysis method. Ecological restoration degree evaluation indices were constructed to comprehensively assess the ecological restoration situation and restoration potential of the ecosystems in the Upper Yellow River region over the past 20 years and to quantitatively determine the contribution rates of climate factors and human activities to these ecosystem changes. The results showed that the settlement ecosystem area exhibited the greatest increase, while the grassland ecosystem area decreased significantly over the study period. In the Upper Yellow River region, the ecosystem quality and ecosystem services generally remained stable or improved. Areas with moderately, strongly and extremely improved ecological restoration degrees accounted for 32.9%, 21.0% and 2.8% of the entire Upper Yellow River region, respectively. Areas with strongly improved and extremely improved ecological restoration degrees were mainly distributed in the Loess Plateau gully areas and on the eastern Hetao Plain. The contribution rates of climatic factors and human activities to the NPP changes measured in the Upper Yellow River were 81.6% and 18.4%, respectively, while the contribution rates of these processes to soil erosion modulus changes were 77.6% and 22.4%, respectively. The restoration potential index of the FVC in the Upper Yellow River was 22.7%; that of the forest vegetation coverage was 14.4%; and that of the grassland vegetation coverage was 23.0%. Over the past 20 years, the ecosystems in the Upper Yellow River region have improved and recovered significantly. This study can provide scientific support for the next stage of ecological projects in the Upper Yellow River region.

With the transformation of the trend of vehicle electrification, the overall noise level in the vehicle is gradually reduced. The problem of low-frequency noise in the vehicle, which was previously ignored, is becoming more and more prominent. To solve the vehicle low-frequency noise problem, a combination of real-vehicle tests and simulation analysis is carried out. During the test, the driver and passengers feel that there is a relatively obvious low-frequency roar noise in the car, which results from the structural radiation noise of the trunk door vibration. Therefore, to solve this problem, we design an acoustic metamaterial with lightweight and miniaturized features based on the local resonance principle of phononic crystals. Firstly, the selection of the resonant unit configuration and the design of the band gap are implemented. Then, the layout planning of the whole vehicle, the layout of the resonance unit and the design of the base frame are implemented. The actual vehicle test results show that: after attaching the designed acoustic metamaterial, the low-frequency noise sound pressure levels in the front and rear of the vehicle were reduced by 2.0 dB (A) and 2.3 dB (A), respectively, meanwhile, the interior noise sound quality was improved. The sound pressure level at the driver’s right ear in the car has an abnormal peak of around 35Hz. In addition, the driver and passengers feel that there is a relatively obvious low-frequency roar noise in the car, and through low-pass filtering of the collected signals, it is confirmed that the peak frequency is the main cause of the low-frequency roar in the car. The low-frequency steady-state noise of the car is generally considered to be the low-frequency vibration of the body panel and the radiation occurs. Through the finite element simulation analysis (Grid Participation Analysis) of the abnormal peak frequency, the results show that the low-frequency roar is caused by the low-frequency vibration of the tailgate sheet metal, and the problem peak frequency is not coupled with the acoustic cavity mode. Facing the problem of the low-frequency roar radiated into the car by the vibration of the tailgate sheet metal parts, based on the local resonance band gap theory, we developed a design to suppress the 35 Hz vibration of the tailgate sheet metal parts and meet the characteristics of lightweight and miniaturization. By attaching the acoustic metamaterial to the tailgate and performing CAE simulation of the whole vehicle, it is determined that the structure can indeed reduce the 35 Hz noise in the car and the peak value of the tailgate sheet metal vibration.

The consumption of edamame [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in the US has rapidly increased due to its nutritional value and potential health benefits. In this study, 10 edamame genotypes were planted in duplicates in three different locations in the US—Whitethorne, Virginia (VA), Little Rock, Arkansas (AR), and Painter, VA. Edamame samples were harvested at the R6 stage of the bean development when beans filled 80–90% of the pod cavity. Afterward, comprehensive chemical composition analysis, including sugars, alanine, protein, oil, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), starch, ash, and moisture contents, were conducted on powdered samples using standard methods and the total sweetness was calculated based on the measured sugars and alanine contents. Significant effects of the location were observed on all chemical constituents of edamame (p < 0.05). The average performance of the genotypes was higher in Whitethorne for the contents of free sucrose (59.29 mg/g), fructose (11.42 mg/g), glucose (5.38 mg/g), raffinose (5.32 mg/g), stachyose (2.34 mg/g), total sweetness (78.63 mg/g), and starch (15.14%) when compared to Little Rock and Painter. The highest soluble alanine (2.67 mg/g), NDF (9.00%), ash (5.60%), and moisture (70.36%) contents were found on edamame planted in Little Rock while edamame planted in Painter had the highest crude protein (43.11%) and oil (20.33%) contents. Significant effects of genotype were observed on most of the chemical constituents (p < 0.05) except NDF and raffinose. Among the 10 genotypes, R13-5029 consistently had high sucrose content and total sweetness across the three locations, meanwhile it had relatively high protein and fiber contents. Overall, the results indicate that to breed better edamame genotypes in the US, both genotype and planting location should be taken into considerations.

Otolith growth and microstructural features of fish are essential to the understanding of the early fish lifecycle. This paper assesses the features of otoliths from laboratory-reared larval and juvenile Sinogastromyzon wui (S. wui, 0 to 25 days post-hatching) that were obtained as eggs from the Shilong Reach of Xijiang River between April and August 2021. We observed the development of the three pairs of otoliths (lapilli, sagittae, and asterisci) and compared the shape changes and growth of the lapilli and sagittae, as well as the timing and deposition rate of increments of the lapilli. The lapilli and the sagittae were visible on hatching, whereas the asterisci were present at four days post-hatching (dph). The shape of the sagitta changed more obviously than that of the lapillus, and a strong correlation was observed between sagitta shape changes and fish ontogenesis. The otolith shape greatly modulated during the post-flexion larval stage (Post-FLS), it corresponded with the formation period of individual fins. Analysis of the microstructural features indicated that lapilli were the optimal otolith for age determination and increment deposition rate confirmation. Using regression analysis of the known age and the number of lapillus daily increments, we demonstrated that the lapillus developmental increments were deposited daily, and the first increment formed at two days post-hatching. Our conclusions support employing the lapillus increment deposition rate and the time of the first daily increments in the determination of the age of wild larval and juvenile S. wui.

As an important vegetation parameter and ecological index, vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) can intuitively reflect changes in the ecological environment and the level of the carbon budget. However, the change trend of NPP and its recovery potential in China over the past 20 years remain unclear. Here, we used trend analysis, multiple regression analysis and residual analysis methods to analyse the change trend in the NPP of China’s terrestrial ecosystems from 2000 to 2019, as well as the climax background, restoration status and restoration potential of the NPP of forest, grassland and desert ecosystems. The results showed that (1) the change in vegetation NPP in China from 2000 to 2019 showed a continuous upward trend, with a change slope of 2.39 gC/m2/a2, and the area with a positive slope of change accounted for 68.10% of the country’s land area. The contribution rates of meteorological conditions and human activities to vegetation NPP changes were 85.41% and 14.59%, respectively. (2) The results obtained by the regression analysis method of meteorological conditions based on nature reserves could reflect the zonal climax vegetation status to a large extent, and the obtained values had a smooth transition within each ecogeographical division and between each ecogeographical division, which truly reflected the law of gradual change in climate, vegetation and natural conditions. The annual total NPP of the climax background vegetation in China’s forest, grassland and desert ecosystems was approximately 2.76 ± 0.28 PgC, and the annual total NPP of the three ecosystems was 1.90 ± 0.2 PgC, 0.80 ± 0.07 PgC and 0.009 ± 0.0005 PgC, respectively. (3) The annual total vegetation NPP of the restoration status of China’s forest, grassland and desert ecosystems was 2.24 PgC, and the annual total vegetation NPP of the three was 1.54 PgC, 0.65 PgC and 0.007 PgC, respectively. Benefiting from the effective implementation of climate warming and humidification and ecological engineering, the agro-pastoral zone, the Loess Plateau, the eastern Sichuan Basin and the Greater Khingan Range had the most significant increases in the past 20 years. (4) The annual total vegetation NPP of China’s forest, grassland and desert ecosystem restoration potential was approximately 0.52 ± 0.28 PgC, which accounted for approximately 19.05% of the annual total NPP of the climax background vegetation. The annual total vegetation NPP of forest, grassland and desert ecosystems restoration status was 0.36 ± 0.2 PgC, 0.16 ± 0.07 PgC and 0.002 ± 0.0005 PgC, respectively; the restoration potential accounted for 18.80%, 9.67% and 23.95% of the climax background vegetation NPP, respectively. The deployment of ecological projects should fully consider the restrictive climate conditions for decision makers and ecological scholars, and the benefits and costs of the projects should be considered comprehensively.

Consumption of edamame (vegetable soybeans) has increased significantly in the U.S. over the last 20 years. Although market demand has been increasing, most edamame is still imported from Asian countries. A team of multistate plant-breeding programs in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast U.S. has focused on developing new breeding lines that grow well in the U.S. and deliver what domestic growers, processors and consumers need and expect from their edamame. In our study, sensory evaluation was used to identify edamame genotypes and sensory attributes preferred by consumers to support breeding selection criteria. In the first year (reported as our “screening study”), 20 edamame genotypes were grown in three locations: Newport, AR, and Blacksburg and Painter, VA. In the second year (reported as our “validation study”), 10 edamame genotypes selected after our screening study were grown in Blacksburg and Painter, VA, Portageville, MO, and Stoneville, MS. In both years of research, untrained participants (adults; vegetable consumers not allergic to soy; N ≥ 50) used a traditional 9-point acceptability (hedonic) scale (1 = “dislike extremely”; 9 = “like extremely”) to evaluate overall-liking, aroma, appearance, taste, and texture, and a 5-point scale (1 = “not sweet,” 5 = “extremely sweet”) to evaluate sweetness intensity. Next, participants used a check-all-that-apply (CATA) list of selected sensory terms to describe the sensory characteristics of each edamame sample. Overall acceptability of edamame genotypes was significantly different among all genotypes (p < 0.05). Samples described as “bitter,” “sour” (flavor) or “starchy” (texture) were associated with lower acceptability scores while “salty” and “sweet” (flavor) were correlated with higher acceptability. Sensory data from the screening study were used to select the best genotypes by use of a defined decision process based on the consumer data. The validation study tested the selection decisions and further supported the genotype choices. Sensory evaluation is a powerful tool to direct breeders to improve market acceptability and develop new edamame genotypes. Both screening and validation studies illustrate the significant role of consumer sensory data in support of genotypes targeted for domestic (U.S.) production.

Fermentation of food waste into 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO), a high-value chemical, is environmentally sustainable and an inexpensive method to recycle waste. Compared to traditional mesophilic fermentation, thermophilic fermentation can inhibit the growth of contaminant bacteria, thereby improving the success of food waste fermentation. However, the effects of sugar and nutrient concentrations in thermophilic food waste fermentations are currently unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of sugar and nutrients (yeast extract (YE) and peptone) concentrations on 2,3-BDO production from fermenting glucose and food waste media using the newly isolated thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis YNP5-TSU. When glucose media was used, fermentation was greatly affected by sugar and nutrient concentrations: excessive glucose (>70 g/L) slowed down the fermentation and low nutrients (2 g/L YE and 1 g/L peptone) caused fermentation failure. However, when food waste media were used with low nutrient addition, the bacteria consumed all 57.8 g/L sugars within 24 h and produced 24.2 g/L 2,3-BDO, equivalent to a fermentation yield of 0.42 g/g. An increase in initial sugar content (72.9 g/L) led to a higher 2,3-BDO titer of 36.7 g/L with a nearly theoretical yield of 0.47 g/g. These findings may provide fundamental knowledge for designing cost-effective food waste fermentation to produce 2,3-BDO.

Thermal hydrolysis pretreatment (THP) has been considered as an advanced approach to enhance the performance of anaerobic digestion treating municipal sludge. However, several drawbacks were also identified with THP including the formation of brown and ultraviolet-quenching compounds that contain recalcitrant dissolved organic nitrogen (rDON). Melanoidins produced from the Maillard reaction between reducing sugar and amino group have been regarded as a representative of such compounds. This review presented the state-of-the-art understanding of the mechanism of melanoidin formation derived from the research of sludge THP, food processing, and model Maillard reaction systems. Special attentions were paid to factors affecting melanoidin formation and their implications to the control of rDON in the sludge THP process. These factors include reactant availability, heating temperature and time, pH, and the presence of metallic ions. It was concluded that efforts need to be focused on elucidating the extent of the Maillard reaction in sludge THP. This paper aims to provide a mechanistic recommendation on the research and control of the THP-resulted rDON in municipal wastewater treatment plants. Keywords: Maillard reaction, Melanoidins, Sludge, Thermal hydrolysis pretreatment, Recalcitrant dissolved nitrogen

Bcl2-associated athanogene (BAG)2 as a co-chaperone has been demonstrated to be involved in tumor growth and metastasis, but its biological function in gastric cancer remains unknown. Here, we reported that BAG2 was highly expressed in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues, indicating poor prognosis. High expression of BAG2 was significantly associated with T stage and differentiation level of gastric cancer (P < 0.001). Functional experiments revealed that BAG2 knockdown in gastric cancer cells inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of cells through AKT/mTOR and extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. Proteomic analysis identified that BAG2 may be involved in the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. In addition, immunoprecipitation showed that BAG2 could bind to ERK1/2. Luciferase reporter assay and Western blot verified that BAG2 was down-regulated by miR186. Taken together, our findings may reveal the basic function of BAG2 and uncover a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

When a droplet is pinned between a single plate structure (SPS) and a parallel plate structure (PPS), a liquid bridge is formed, which often occurs in digital microfluidics. The understanding of this liquid bridge formation process is still undeveloped; for this reason, the function of the side surface of the up-plate is ignored. In this paper, the formation of a liquid bridge is studied. First, based on pressure analysis, the formation process of a liquid bridge can be divided into two parts. The first part is the wetting motion, which indicates that the side and bottom surfaces attract the droplets according to their wetting force to form a liquid bridge. The second part is the pressure motion, which indicates whether the droplets enter or exit the PPS unidirectionally according to the pressure difference (capillary force) between the SPS and the PPS. The influence of the contact angle hysteresis (CAH) is simulated, and the results indicate that the CAH on the bottom surface plays a more important role than the CAH on the side surface. In addition, the influence of both the material and geometric parameters on the amount of bridge motion is studied. The results show that the thinner the upper plate is, the larger the PPS gap is, and the better the droplet entering the PPS is. These conclusions can be used to obtain better performance when droplets need to be delivered to the PPS on a microfluidic chip.

Objective(s): Scutellarin (Scu) is the main effective constituent of Erigeron breviscapuswhich hasanti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and other therapeutic properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Scu on myocardial infarction (MI) induced by isoprenaline (ISO). Materials and Methods: The rats were subcutaneously injected with ISO (45 mg/kg) on the first day, then single tail-intravenously injected with different doses of Scu (10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days. The protective effect of Scu on ISO-induced MI was evaluated by measuring markers of heart injury in serum, levels of lipid peroxidation, and antioxidants in heart tissue, observing pathological changes of tissue, and detecting quantified expression of apoptotic-related family members and inflammation. Results: Compared with the model group, the concentration of troponin T (CTn-T) and troponin I (CTn-I), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the serum all decreased in the Scu high dose group. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) in heart increased, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) decreased. In addition, the histopathologic aspects showed that pathological heart change was found in the model group, and was reduced to varying degrees in the Scu group. Moreover, the expression of Bax, P53, Caspase3, Caspase9, cytochrome C, NGAL, NFκB, IL-1β and IL-6 in the heart decreased, while the expression of Bcl2 increased. Conclusion: Scu could reduce the degree of MI induced by ISO by improving the antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory capacities of the body.

Ventricular remodeling is associated with many heart diseases, and ventricular remodeling induced by hypertension can be fatal independent of hypertension. In this study, we prepared a novel apitherapy formulation, designated Bao-Yuan-Ling (BYL), which contained propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom, to treat spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs). We then evaluated the pharmacology of BYL and the potential mechanisms through which BYL affects hypertension and ventricular remodeling. We found that BYL treatment could reduce blood pressure in SHRs. Thereafter, we found that BYL treatment reduced serum levels of angiotensin II, endothelin 1, and transforming growth factor-β and improved the myocardial structure. Moreover, the results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction indicated that BYL treatment could upregulate the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α and PPAR-γ. Thus, we could conclude that BYL had hypotensive and cardioprotective effects in SHRs, potentially through improvement of myocardial energy metabolism.

An electrothermal microgripper is an important actuator in microelectromechanical and micro-operating systems, and its temperature field analysis is the core problem in research and design. Because of the small size of an electrothermal microgripper, its microscale heat transfer characteristics are different from those of the macrostate. At present, only a few studies on the heat transfer scale effect in electrothermal microgrippers have been conducted, and the heat transfer analysis method under the macrostate is often used directly. The temperature field analysed and simulated is different from the actual situation. In the present study, the heat transfer mechanism of an electrothermal microgripper in the microscale was analysed. The temperature field of a series of microscale heating devices was measured using microthermal imaging equipment, and the heat transfer parameters of the microscale were fitted. Results show that the natural convective heat transfer coefficient of air on the microscale can reach 60–300 times that on the macroscale, which is an important heat transfer mode affecting the temperature field distribution of the electrothermal microgripper. Combined with the finite element simulation software, the temperature field of the electrothermal microgripper could be accurately simulated using the experimental microscale heat transfer parameters measured. This study provides an important theoretical basis and data support for the optimal design of the temperature controller of the electrothermal microgripper.

Biological microdissection has a wide range of applications in the field of molecular pathology. The current laser-assisted dissection technology is expensive. As an economical microdissection method, piezoelectric ultrasonic microdissection has broad application prospects. However, the performance of the current piezoelectric ultrasonic microdissection technology is unsatisfactory. This paper aims to solve the problems of the low dissecting precision and excessive wear of the dissecting needle caused by the harmful lateral vibration of the present piezoelectric ultrasonic microdissection device. A piezoelectric ultrasonic microdissection device based on a novel flexure mechanism is proposed. By analyzing the flexure hinge flexibility, the type of flexure beam and the optimal design parameters are determined. Through harmonic response simulation analysis, the newly designed microdissection device with a vibration-suppressing mechanism achieves the best vibration effect when the driving frequency is 28 kHz. Under this driving frequency, the lateral vibration suppression effect is improved by 68% compared to the traditional effect without vibration suppression. Then, based on 3D printing technology, a prototype of a novel microdissection device is produced, and its performance is tested. Experiments on dissecting needle vibration tests show that the flexure mechanism does indeed suppress the lateral vibration of the needle tip. We conducted various tissue dissection experiments on paraffin tissue sections. First, we determine the optimal dissecting parameters (driving voltage, frequency, feed speed, cutting angle) of the new equipment through various parameter dissecting experiments. Then, we adopt these optimal dissecting parameters to perform three kinds of dissecting experiments on mouse tissue paraffin section (liver, lung, bone), dissecting experiments on tissue sections of different thicknesses (3 μm, 4 μm, 5 μm), sampling and extraction experiments on complete tissue. The new device has a better dissecting performance for paraffin tissue sections below a 5 μm thickness and can complete various dissecting tasks. Finally, we compare the wear of the dissecting needles of the new and old devices after the same dissecting tasks. The results prove that the suppression of harmful lateral vibration not only significantly improves the dissecting effect but also increases the service life and durability of the dissecting needle, which is beneficial for reducing the equipment costs.

We present an adaptive hierarchical sliding mode control based on fuzzy neural network for a class of underactuated systems to solve the problem of high-precision trajectory tracking. This system is viewed as several subsystems. One subsystem is used to design the first-layer sliding surface, which constructs the second-layer sliding surface with another subsystem. When the top layer includes all the subsystems, the design process is finished. Meanwhile, the equivalent control law and the switching control law are achieved at every layer. Because the hierarchical sliding mode control law relies excessively on the requirement of detailed information of the underactuated dynamic system, and because that method causes an inevitable chattering phenomenon, an online fuzzy neural network system is applied to mimic the hierarchical sliding mode control law. Moreover, the bounds of system uncertainties and modeling error caused by the fuzzy neural network system are estimated online by a robust term. The stability of the closed-loop system is guaranteed based on the Lyapunov theory and Barbalat’s Lemma. Finally, the examples, a single-pendulum-type overhead crane system and an inverted pendulum system, are simulated to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method compared with some conventional methods.

Since the cell was discovered by humans, it has been an important research subject for researchers. The mechanical response of cells to external stimuli and the biomechanical response inside cells are of great significance for maintaining the life activities of cells. These biomechanical behaviors have wide applications in the fields of disease research and micromanipulation. In order to study the mechanical behavior of single cells, various cell mechanics models have been proposed. In addition, the measurement technologies of single cells have been greatly developed. These models, combined with experimental techniques, can effectively explain the biomechanical behavior and reaction mechanism of cells. In this review, we first introduce the basic concept and biomechanical background of cells, then summarize the research progress of internal force models and experimental techniques in the field of cell mechanics and discuss the latest mechanical models and experimental methods. We summarize the application directions of cell mechanics and put forward the future perspectives of a cell mechanics model.

Iron nitride films were deposited by radio frequency (RF) reactive magnetron sputtering at different bias voltages. It was found that the composition, structure and magnetic properties of the iron nitride films were strongly dependent on the depositing bias voltage. With a bias voltage of –50 V, the iron nitride film is fully dense and has a homogenous microstructure consisting of α-Fe and Fe16N2, leading to a unique combination of high Ms of 1645 emu/cc, Hc of 5 Oe and μi of 1573.