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The water chiller using centrifugal compressor with gas bearing is an important development direction for building energy saving, but the additional refrigerant cycle for bearing and motor colling leads to more complex performance especially under the various operating condition. Based on the heating and cooling loads of a building in Nanjing and the local climate conditions, this paper innovatively establishes an air conditioning system model using centrifugal compressor with gas bearings (CCGB), and analyzes the performance of air-cooling and water-cooling methods. Considering the heating and cooling loads, the annual energy consumption of two systems was compared consider the climate condition. The results show that the COP of water-cooling system is larger than that of air-cooling system due to the better heat transfer condition. The larger power consumption of compressor for air-cooling system leads to the larger motor cooling load. The cooling methods have obvious influence on the vapor-injected mass flow rate, but have small impact on the mass flow rate of motor cooling and bearing gas supply. The energy efficiency of air-cooling and water-cooling system in summer are 3.77 and 5.12 respectively, and the total energy consumption in the whole year are 32.4 tons and 33.5 tons of standard coal.

Study region: The Dajing and Xiaojing karst underground river system is the longest underground river in Guizhou Province, Southwest of China，located around the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). Study focus: The water quality of underground rivers around the FAST being affected by multiple anthropogenic activities. The underground river system is an extremely non-homogeneous and anisotropic media with complex hydrodynamic and hydrochemical responses. Multi-tools (hydrochemistry, water isotope, sulfur isotope and statistical methods) were applied to accurate identification and quantification of the proportions, spatiotemporal evolution and mechanisms of karst aquifer impacted by different anthropogenic activities. New hydrological insights for the region: The synchronous variations of δ18O, δD, d-excess and δ34SO42- in the effluent and the underground rivers suggested that the underground rivers are influenced by anthropogenic activities. The relationships of ionic ratios revealed that agricultural activities, effluent from the sewage treatment plant, and water-rock interactions control the hydro-chemical characteristics of the underground river system with a distinct spatiotemporal differentiation. The response time for the water quality of Dajing and Xiaojing underground river to anthropogenic impacts were 24 and 27 days, respectively. Spatially, the PCA-ACPS-MLR and MixSIAR indicated that more impacts of anthropogenic activities on Xiaojing underground river than Dajing underground river system. A quantification of spatiotemporal response differentiation provides new insights into the precise identification and prevention of pollution in karst underground rivers.

This study reports the preparation of medium-thickness aluminum/steel composite plates with different diffusion layers using rheological cast-rolling technology. The thermodynamic software and first-principles were employed to determine the effects of different silicon contents on the solidification process and mechanical properties of the 6061 aluminum/steel composite plates. The research revealed that the Fe2Al5 phase on the steel side possessed a tongue-like preferential growth at a silicon content of less than 1.2 wt%. A granular Al–Fe–Si phase was formed on the aluminum side of the diffusion layer when the silicon content exceeded the saturation solubility (1.8 wt%), which completely suppressed the tongue-like preferential growth of the Fe2Al5 phase. First-principles calculations revealed that the matrixes showed superior toughness in comparison to binary intermetallic compounds (IMCs), while the toughness of binary IMCs surpassed that of ternary IMCs. The mechanical properties showed that the shear strength of the sample prepared by rheological cast-rolling was higher than that of composite casting and close to that of composite rolling, reaching a maximum value of 73.4 MPa. The shear strength initially increased and then decreased with an increase in isothermal diffusion time, and the fracture location was transferred from the loose FeAl3 to the Fe2Al5 phase. An increase in silicon content resulted in a slight increase in the microhardness of the diffusion layer, a delay of the peak value of the shear strength, and a reduction in the gradient of the shear strength. A substantial decrease in peak shear strength was observed when the silicon content reached 1.8 wt%.

The as-cast Mg–2Y-0.5Zn-0.5Ni-0.5Co alloy (MYZNC, at%) underwent composite hot working, extrusion and rolling to further improve the mechanical properties, and the corresponding microstructure and mechanical properties were also investigated. The extruded and rolled MYZNC alloy (MYZNC-R) consisted of α-Mg, a long period stacking order (LPSO) phase comprising lamellar and fine block 18R LPSO phase as well as a thin strip 14H LPSO phase, along small amounts of Mg2Y, MgY(Co,Zn,Ni)4 and Mg3(Co,Zn,Ni,Y) particle phases. After composite processing, the dispersion and amounts of LPSO phase in the alloy was significantly enhanced, accompanied by a substantial introduction of low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) during rolling process. The MYZNC-R alloy exhibited the high mechanical properties, with an ultimate tensile strength (σb) of 350 MPa, a yield strength (σ0.2) of 305 MPa and an elongation to failure (εf) of 10.6 %. In comparison to the extruded MYZNC alloy, both σb and σ0.2 demonstrated significant improvements by 25 % and 35.6 %, respectively. The elongation to failure only decreased by mere 1 %, indicating that the alloy had a good strength-plasticity. The high tensile strengths of MYZNC-R alloy were mainly attributed to grain refinement, LPSO phase strengthening and texture strengthening. The good ductility of MYZNC-R alloy was associated with the coordinated deformed LPSO phase and the formation of a high-volume fraction (∼76.5 %) of LAGBs.

Abstract Objectives Antimicrobial susceptibility tests (ASTs) are pivotal tools for detecting and combating infections caused by multidrug-resistant rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) but are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Design We used a Mycobacterium abscessus-based RGM model to develop a rapid (24-h) AST from the beginning of the strain culture, the Clinical Antimicrobials Susceptibility Test Ramanometry for RGM (CAST-R-RGM). The ASTs obtained for 21 clarithromycin (CLA)-treated and 18 linezolid (LZD)-treated RGM isolates. Results CAST-R-RGM employs D2O-probed Raman microspectroscopy to monitor RGM metabolic activity, while also revealing bacterial antimicrobial drug resistance mechanisms. The results of clarithromycin (CLA)-treated and linezolid (LZD)-treated RGM isolates exhibited 90% and 83% categorical agreement, respectively, with conventional AST results of the same isolates. Furthermore, comparisons of time- and concentration-dependent Raman results between CLA- and LZD-treated RGM strains revealed distinct metabolic profiles after 48-h and 72-h drug treatments, despite similar profiles obtained for both drugs after 24-h treatments. Conclusions Ultimately, the rapid, accurate, and low-cost CAST-R-RGM assay offers advantages over conventional culture-based ASTs that warrant its use as a tool for improving patient treatment outcomes and revealing bacterial drug resistance mechanisms.

The high metabolic demand of brain tissue is supported by a constant supply of blood flow through dense microvascular networks. Capillaries are the smallest class of vessels in the brain and their lumens vary in diameter between ~2 and 5 μm. This diameter range plays a significant role in optimizing blood flow resistance, blood cell distribution, and oxygen extraction. The control of capillary diameter has largely been ascribed to pericyte contractility, but it remains unclear if the architecture of the endothelial wall also contributes to capillary diameter. Here, we use public, large-scale volume electron microscopy data from mouse cortex (MICrONS Explorer, Cortical mm3) to examine how endothelial cell number, endothelial cell thickness, and pericyte coverage relates to microvascular lumen size. We find that transitional vessels near the penetrating arteriole and ascending venule are composed of two to six interlocked endothelial cells, while the capillaries intervening these zones are composed of either one or two endothelial cells, with roughly equal proportions. The luminal area and diameter are on average slightly larger with capillary segments composed of two interlocked endothelial cells vs one endothelial cell. However, this difference is insufficient to explain the full range of capillary diameters seen in vivo. This suggests that both endothelial structure and other influences, including pericyte tone, contribute to the basal diameter and optimized perfusion of brain capillaries.

BackgroundInjury to the lateral collateral ligament of the ankle may cause ankle instability and, when combined with deltoid ligament (DL) injury, may lead to a more complex situation known as rotational ankle instability (RAI). It is unclear how DL rupture interferes with the mechanical function of an ankle joint with RAI.PurposeTo study the influence of DL injury on the biomechanical function of the ankle joint.MethodsA comprehensive finite element model of an ankle joint, incorporating detailed ligaments, was developed from MRI scans of an adult female. A range of ligament injury scenarios were simulated in the ankle joint model, which was then subjected to a static standing load of 300 N and a 1.5 Nm internal and external rotation torque. The analysis focused on comparing the distribution and peak values of von Mises stress in the articular cartilages of both the tibia and talus and measuring the talus rotation angle and contact area of the talocrural joint.ResultsThe dimensions and location of insertion points of ligaments in the finite element ankle model were adopted from previous anatomical research and dissection studies. The anterior drawer distance in the finite element model was within 6.5% of the anatomical range, and the talus tilt angle was within 3% of anatomical results. During static standing, a combined rupture of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and anterior tibiotalar ligament (ATTL) generates new stress concentrations on the talus cartilage, which markedly increases the joint contact area and stress on the cartilage. During static standing with external rotation, the anterior talofibular ligament and anterior tibiotalar ligament ruptured the ankle’s rotational angle by 21.8% compared to an intact joint. In contrast, static standing with internal rotation led to a similar increase in stress and a nearly 2.5 times increase in the talus rotational angle.ConclusionInjury to the DL altered the stress distribution in the tibiotalar joint and increased the talus rotation angle when subjected to a rotational torque, which may increase the risk of RAI. When treating RAI, it is essential to address not only multi-band DL injuries but also single-band deep DL injuries, especially those affecting the ATTL.

ObjectiveTo systematically review studies on the correlation between sleep duration during pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and use meta-analysis to explore the correlation between the two to provide a basis for preventing GDM during pregnancy.MethodsThe search databases were China Knowledge Network (CNKI), Weipu, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed, and the search time was from the establishment of the above databases to July 2023. The data were statistically analyzed using STATA/MP17 and RevMan 5.3 software. Publication bias could be accurately assessed using funnel plots and Egger’s test.ResultsA total of 5,197 papers were searched, and 13 studies were finally included, which included 80,259 individuals, including 3,461 patients with GDM. The comprehensive analysis showed that. Based on pooled data from prospective, cross-sectional, and case–control studies, extreme sleep duration during pregnancy was strongly associated with GDM compared with average sleep duration. The results of the prospective studies showed that both short (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.07–2.10, I2 = 60.9%, p = 0.02) and long (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13–1.46, I2 = 0.0%, p

Metabolic reprogramming is an essential hallmark of cancer. Several studies have reported the dysregulation of acylcarnitine (ACar) metabolism in tumor cells, suggesting that changes in the blood ACar may be related to tumor growth. Accordingly, this study aimed to understand the alteration of serum ACar profiles in various solid tumors and explore the potential of differential serum ACars as diagnostic biomarkers. A series of 69 relatively abundant ACars were identified via untargeted analysis. Then, targeted metabolomics was used to describe the metabolic alterations in ACars between normal controls and patients with six types of solid tumors. The results suggested that changes in ACars correlated with their carbon chain length and saturation. The six tumor types had highly similar ACar metabolic profiles, indicating similar fatty acid oxidation (FAO) metabolic pathways. Moreover, the receiver operating curve analysis of differential ACars showed that 16 ACars (C8–C14) had high diagnostic capability towards the studied solid tumors. Specifically, the area under the curve of ACar 10:2 isomer2 and ACar 12:2 isomer2 was greater than 0.95. In conclusion, the marked decrease in the levels of medium- and long-chain ACars (C8–C18) in the six solid tumors suggests that they may have similar FAO-based metabolic pathways, which could afford a common target for cancer therapy. Additionally, 16 ACars (C8–C14) were identified as potential biomarkers for diagnosing six types of solid tumors.

The poor age-hardening response of Mg alloys limited their development and applications. In this study, the age-hardening response of Mg–7Sn alloy has been improved significantly by a 40 MPa compressive stress aging at 220 °C. Phase transition from metastable βˈ (Mg3Sn) phase to β (Mg2Sn) phase occurs during the stress aging. The βˈ with L12 structure has an orientation relationship with the Mg matrix of (11¯0)β＇//(112¯0)α and [1¯1¯0]β＇//⌈0001¯⌉α. The precipitated sequence in the stress-aged alloy is S.S.S. (supersaturated solid solution)→GP→βˈ(Mg3Sn)→β(Mg2Sn). The stress-aged alloy exhibits a high peak-aged hardness (∼71 HV) and short time to reach the peak hardness (12 h) as compared with the aged alloy without the stress. Interestingly, a long-time aging platform with 71 HV for 96 h is observed during stress aging. The formation of the platform is related to a balance of hardening and softening arisen from microstructure evolution during stress aging. The stress aging provides a promising heat treatment way to improve aging hardening response of Mg alloys.

Stress aging is an effective method to improve age-hardening behavior of Mg alloys. In this paper, the stress aging was applied to improve poor age-hardening response of Mg–7Sn alloy. The age-hardening behavior, microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Mg–7Sn alloy with an external compressive stress were investigated. The stress aging significantly altered the size, morphology, amounts and distribution of Mg2Sn phase. During the stress aging, micro/nano scale Mg2Sn particles precipitated on the basal plane of the stress aged alloy and their volume fraction remarkably increased as compared with the isothermal aging alloy. Interestingly, small amounts of Mg2Sn phases precipitated on the non-basal planes. The stress aging significantly reduced the peak aging time (96 h) and increased peak aging hardness (68.4 HV). The tensile tests showed that the stress peak-aged alloy at 80 MPa exhibited the highest tensile strengths (σ0.2 = 140 MPa and σb = 217 MPa), which were mainly attributed to the precipitation strengthening of Mg2Sn phase.

Optical packet switching (OPS) networks are promising to accommodate the growing traffic and reduce power consumption in data center communications. OPS networks with nanosecond switching time require nanosecond clock and data recovery (CDR) circuits. The nanosecond CDR can be achieved by utilizing a global frequency-synchronized reference clock for both transmitters (TX) and receivers (RX) and adopting a phase compensation scheme, which leads to predictably managed frequency and phase. However, the CDR still needs to be comprehensively evaluated considering various interferes. We add more analysis by developing a novel optoelectronic co-simulation system that combines the software Opti-system and MATLAB/Simulink. We set up a simple OPS network equipped with the CDR architecture using the simulation system. The feasibility of the CDR mechanism is validated, then various interferes are characterized to evaluate the CDR's stability, including the location variation of reference clock source, channel jitters, and carrier power variations.

Abstract Identification, sorting, and sequencing of individual cells directly from in situ samples have great potential for in‐depth analysis of the structure and function of microbiomes. In this work, based on an artificial intelligence (AI)‐assisted object detection model for cell phenotype screening and a cross‐interface contact method for single‐cell exporting, we developed an automatic and index‐based system called EasySort AUTO, where individual microbial cells are sorted and then packaged in a microdroplet and automatically exported in a precisely indexed, “One‐Cell‐One‐Tube” manner. The target cell is automatically identified based on an AI‐assisted object detection model and then mobilized via an optical tweezer for sorting. Then, a cross‐interface contact microfluidic printing method that we developed enables the automated transfer of cells from the chip to the tube, which leads to coupling with subsequent single‐cell culture or sequencing. The efficiency of the system for single‐cell printing is >93%. The throughput of the system for single‐cell printing is ~120 cells/h. Moreover, >80% of single cells of both yeast and Escherichia coli are culturable, suggesting the superior preservation of cell viability during sorting. Finally, AI‐assisted object detection supports automated sorting of target cells with high accuracy from mixed yeast samples, which was validated by downstream single‐cell proliferation assays. The automation, index maintenance, and vitality preservation of EasySort AUTO suggest its excellent application potential for single‐cell sorting.

Abstract Due to the challenges in detecting in situ activity and cultivating the not-yet-cultured, functional assessment and mining of living microbes from nature has typically followed a ‘culture-first’ paradigm. Here, employing phosphate-solubilizing microbes (PSM) as model, we introduce a ‘screen-first’ strategy that is underpinned by a precisely one-cell-resolution, complete workflow of single-cell Raman-activated Sorting and Cultivation (scRACS-Culture). Directly from domestic sewage, individual cells were screened for in-situ organic-phosphate-solubilizing activity via D2O intake rate, sorted by the function via Raman-activated Gravity-driven Encapsulation (RAGE), and then cultivated from precisely one cell. By scRACS-Culture, pure cultures of strong organic PSM including Comamonas spp., Acinetobacter spp., Enterobacter spp. and Citrobacter spp., were derived, whose phosphate-solubilizing activities in situ are 90–200% higher than in pure culture, underscoring the importance of ‘screen-first’ strategy. Moreover, employing scRACS-Seq for post-RACS cells that remain uncultured, we discovered a previously unknown, low-abundance, strong organic-PSM of Cutibacterium spp. that employs secretary metallophosphoesterase (MPP), cell-wall-anchored 5′-nucleotidase (encoded by ushA) and periplasmic-membrane located PstSCAB-PhoU transporter system for efficient solubilization and scavenging of extracellular phosphate in sewage. Therefore, scRACS-Culture and scRACS-Seq provide an in situ function-based, ‘screen-first’ approach for assessing and mining microbes directly from the environment.

Abstract Antimicrobial susceptibility tests (ASTs) are pivotal in combating multidrug resistant pathogens, yet they can be time‐consuming, labor‐intensive, and unstable. Using the AST of tigecycline for sepsis as the main model, here we establish an automated system of Clinical Antimicrobials Susceptibility Test Ramanometry (CAST‐R), based on D2O‐probed Raman microspectroscopy. Featuring a liquid robot for sample pretreatment and a machine learning‐based control scheme for data acquisition and quality control, the 3‐h, automated CAST‐R process accelerates AST by >10‐fold, processes 96 paralleled antibiotic‐exposure reactions, and produces high‐quality Raman spectra. The Expedited Minimal Inhibitory Concentration via Metabolic Activity is proposed as a quantitative and broadly applicable parameter for metabolism‐based AST, which shows 99% essential agreement and 93% categorical agreement with the broth microdilution method (BMD) when tested on 100 Acinetobacter baumannii isolates. Further tests on 26 clinically positive blood samples for eight antimicrobials, including tigecycline, meropenem, ceftazidime, ampicillin/sulbactam, oxacillin, clindamycin, vancomycin, and levofloxacin reveal 93% categorical agreement with BMD‐based results. The automation, speed, reliability, and general applicability of CAST‐R suggest its potential utility for guiding the clinical administration of antimicrobials.

Effects of Zn addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of the extruded Mg97.8Y1.4Co0.8 (at.%, WC) alloy were investigated at room temperature. It was found that the as-cast WC alloy was mainly composed of α-Mg, MgYCo4, Mg3(Co,Y) and 15R-LPSO phases distributed at the grain boundary. All particles of as-homogenized WC alloy were remarkably refined after extrusion, but there was no phase transition during the subsequent homogenized and extruded states. With the replacement of Co from Zn, the as-cast Mg97.8Y1.4Co0.2Zn0.6 (at.%, WZC) alloy consisted of α-Mg, 18R-LPSO with lamellar and blocky shape, and a small amount of rich-Y phases. Parts of 18R-LPSO phases transformed into fine 14H-LPSO phases and stacking faults (SFs) in the grain interior during homogenization and extrusion. The extruded WZC alloy exhibited a smaller average grain size (∼3.2 μm) than the extruded WC alloy (∼3.9 μm) owing to fully dynamic recrystallization (DRX). Both the extruded WC and WZC alloys had a basal plane texture parallel to the normal direction (ND). Tensile testing results indicated that the Zn replacement improved tensile strengths of the extruded WC alloy and maintained the high elongation of the alloy (∼32.2%). The tensile yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and fracture elongation of the extruded WZC alloy were 212 MPa, 281.5 MPa and 32.2%, respectively. The alloy exhibited a good strength and ductility balance. The high tensile strengths of the extruded WZC alloy at room temperature were mainly attributed to grain refinement and the precipitation strengthening of different particles, and the good ductility was mainly due to grain refinement and texture weakening.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the main cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal failure (ESRF), and the control of disease progression and adverse events during treatment needs to be improved.Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Niaoduqing granules (NDQG) in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).Method: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of NDQG for DKD from Chinese and English databases up to 31 August 2022 were included. The quality of the literature was assessed using the risk of bias tool of the Cochrane Handbook. At a 95% confidence interval (CI), relative risk (RR) and Cohen’s d were used for the categorical and continuous variables, respectively, and Stata 16.0 software was used for statistical analysis. A funnel plot and Egger’s tests were used to assess publication bias.Result: A total of 4,006 patients were included in 52 RCTs, including 1,987 cases in the control group and 2,019 cases in the treatment group. Compared with conventional treatment (CT), combined NDQG therapy is more effective in improving clinical efficiency [RR = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (1.17, 1.29), p < 0.001, I2 = 53.17%], kidney function (urinary albumin excretion rate [SMD = −0.90, 95% CI (−1.14, −0.66), p < 0.001, I2 = 78.19%], 24hUTP levels [SMD = −0.81, 95% CI (−1.08, −0.55), p < 0.001, I2 = 87.08%], blood urea nitrogen [SMD = −0.54, 95% CI (−0.69, −0.39), p < 0.01, I2 = 77.01%], SCr [SMD = −0.68, 95% CI (−0.90, −0.45), p < 0.001, I2 = 89.97%], CCr [SMD = 0.76, 95% CI (0.10,1.42), p = 0.02, I2 = 95.97%], and Cys-C [SMD = −1.32, 95% CI (−2.25, −0.40), p = 0.01, I2 = 93.44%]), the level of glucose metabolism (fasting blood glucose [SMD = −0.18, 95% CI (−0.38, 0.03), p = 0.10, I2 = 71.18%] and HbA1c [SMD = −0.42, 95% CI (−0.86, −0.02), p = 0.06, I2 = 81.64%]), the level of lipid metabolism (total cholesterol [SMD = −0.70, 95% CI (−1.01, −0.39), p < 0.001, I2 = 86.74%] and triglyceride [SMD = −0.61, 95% CI (−0.87,−0.36), p < 0.001, I2 = 80.64%]), inflammatory factors (Hs-CRP [SMD = −1.00, 95% CI (−1.54, −0.46), p < 0.001, I2 = 86.81%], IL-18 [SMD = −1.25, 95% CI (−1.58, −0.92), p < 0.001, I2 = 0], and TNF-α [SMD = −1.28, 95% CI (−1.64, −0.91), p < 0.001, I2 = 75.73%]), and indicators of oxidative stress (malondialdehyde [SMD = −0.88, 95% CI (−1.22, −0.54), p < 0.001, I2 = 66.01%] and advanced oxidation protein products [SMD = −0.92, 95% CI (−1.85, 0.00), p < 0.001, I2 = 90.68%]). In terms of improving uric acid [SMD = −1.59, 95% CI (−3.45, 0.27), p = 0.09, I2 = 94.67%], 2hPG [SMD = −0.04, 95% CI (−0.61, 0.53), p = 0.89, I2 = 84.33%], HDL-C [SMD = 0.71, 95% CI (0.02, 1.40), p = 0.04, I2 = 87.43%], Hb [SMD = 0.11, 95% CI (−0.10, 0.32), p = 0.32, I2 = 0.00]), and superoxide dismutase [SMD = 1.32, 95% CI (0.44, 2.20), p < 0.001, I2 = 93.48%], the effect is not obvious. Adjuvant treatment with NDQG did not increase the incidence of adverse reactions in the control group [SMD = 0.98, 95% CI (0.71, 1.34), p = 0.89, I2 = 1.59%]. Obvious publication bias was detected by funnel plot and Egger’s test.Conclusion: Our meta-analysis showed that adjuvant treatment with NDQG has more advantages than conventional treatment alone in the DKD treatment, which could improve clinical efficiency, kidney function, the level of glucose metabolism, the level of lipid metabolism, inflammatory factors, and oxidative stress indicators. At the same time, it also showed that NDQG are relatively safe. However, more high-quality studies are needed to provide more reliable evidence for clinical use.Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022373726, identifier CRD42022373726.

Abstract A full‐spectrum spontaneous single‐cell Raman spectrum (fs‐SCRS) captures the metabolic phenome for a given cellular state of the cell in a label‐free, landscape‐like manner. Herein a positive dielectrophoresis induced deterministic lateral displacement‐based Raman flow cytometry (pDEP‐DLD‐RFC) is established. This robust flow cytometry platform utilizes a periodical positive dielectrophoresis induced deterministic lateral displacement (pDEP‐DLD) force that is exerted to focus and trap fast‐moving single cells in a wide channel, which enables efficient fs‐SCRS acquisition and extended stable running time. It automatically produces deeply sampled, heterogeneity‐resolved, and highly reproducible ramanomes for isogenic cell populations of yeast, microalgae, bacteria, and human cancers, which support biosynthetic process dissection, antimicrobial susceptibility profiling, and cell‐type classification. Moreover, when coupled with intra‐ramanome correlation analysis, it reveals state‐ and cell‐type‐specific metabolic heterogeneity and metabolite‐conversion networks. The throughput of ≈30–2700 events min−1 for profiling both nonresonance and resonance marker bands in a fs‐SCRS, plus the >5 h stable running time, represent the highest performance among reported spontaneous Raman flow cytometry (RFC) systems. Therefore, pDEP‐DLD‐RFC is a valuable new tool for label‐free, noninvasive, and high‐throughput profiling of single‐cell metabolic phenomes.

Endophytic bacteria play a crucial role in the life cycle of Spermatophyta, and exploring the beneficial interactions between seeds and endophytic bacteria is an effective strategy for sustainable agricultural development and improved crop productivity. In this study, we employed Illumina Hiseq high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the amplified fragments of microbial 16S rRNA sequences from melon seeds of MR-1, HH and their F1 generation, which displayed varying levels of resistance to bacterial fruit blotch disease. Initially, we extracted endophytes from eight melon samples and performed sequencing, obtaining an average of 84,758 effective tags per sample. At the 97% similarity level, the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) derived from melon seed endophytes ranged from 447 to 492. After filtering out low-level OTUs, we obtained an average of 65,866 valid tags from the eight samples, representing approximately 160 genera and 167 species across eight phyla. It was found that the composition of the endophyte communities in the eight samples was basically similar, and their abundance showed some variability. Furthermore, we utilized the KO and COG databases to functionally predict the genes of endophytes in melon seeds. The analysis revealed a significant enrichment of genes associated with pathways related to protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, substance transport, and metabolite synthesis. These findings greatly contribute to our understanding of endophytic bacteria in melon seeds and serve as a vital reference for the selection and breeding of high-quality melon seeds, as well as the prevention of seed diseases.

Discrete differential geometry-based polarization tracing method enables PSOCT imaging of depth-resolved collagen organizations.

The use of coal as a precursor for producing hard carbon is favored due to its abundance, low cost, and high carbon yield. To further optimize the sodium storage performance of hard carbon, the introduction of heteroatoms has been shown to be an effective approach. However, the inert structure in coal limits the development of heteroatom-doped coal-based hard carbon. Herein, coal-based P-doped hard carbon was synthesized using Ca3(PO4)2 to achieve homogeneous phosphorus doping and inhibit carbon microcrystal development during high-temperature carbonization. This involved a carbon dissolution reaction where Ca3(PO4)2 reacted with SiO2 and carbon in coal to form phosphorus and CO. The resulting hierarchical porous structure allowed for rapid diffusion of Na+ and resulted in a high reversible capacity of 200 mAh g−1 when used as an anode material for Na+ storage. Compared to unpretreated coal-based hard carbon, the P-doped hard carbon displayed a larger initial coulombic efficiency (64%) and proportion of plateau capacity (47%), whereas the unpretreated carbon only exhibited an initial coulombic efficiency of 43.1% and a proportion of plateau capacity of 29.8%. This work provides a green, scalable approach for effective microcrystalline regulation of hard carbon from low-cost and highly aromatic precursors.

The Rift Valley section of Kenya Nairobi-Malaba Railway locates in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, with complex engineering geological conditions and well-developed geological structures. During the rainy season from March to May 2018, four large-scale ground fissures were formed in the first-stage project of the Nairobi-Malaba Railway of the valley floor section, accompanied by uneven surface settlement and trenches, seriously endangering the safety of the railway and its nearby projects. Through field investigation, it is preliminarily considered that the main reason induced ground fissures and surface settlement is the underlying soil layer being eroded by groundwater. The gully is further formed by surface water erosion on a base of uneven surface subsidence. The geological exploration trench at DK77 ground fissure revealed that the overlying soil layer is respectively grayish-yellow silty clay, cyan-gray volcanic ash, and brownish-yellow silty clay from top to bottom, and the underlying bedrock is volcanic tuff with wide cracks. The fluid flows out or into the bedrock through the cracks developing channels for groundwater up-down flowage. Under the erosion of groundwater to the underlying soil, this study proved the possibility of the occurrence of uneven settlement. When exposed to the groundwater, the underlying soil will exhibit special physical and mechanical properties which are conducive to the occurrence of ground cracks and subsidence. The conventional geotechnical tests are conducted for the three types of overlying soil, and the results reveal the causes of ground fissures and surface settlement from the physical and mechanical properties of the overlying soil and provide a basis for the further qualitative analysis of the mechanism of ground fissures and surface settlement.

During the rainy season from March to May 2018, four ground fissures were generated in the rift valley area along the first phase of the Nairobi–Malaba Railway in Kenya, among which the ground fissures B3 highway, DK76, and DK77 were larger in scale, which seriously endangered the safety of the railway. According to the author’s previous study, the ground fissure B3 highway belongs to a typical fault-type fissure, and the ground fissures DK76 and DK77 are qualitatively concluded to be generated under the groundwater erosion of collapsible soils. To quantitatively summarize the mechanism of ground fissures, DK76 and DK77, physical model tests on the overlying soil properties, compactness, the intersection angle between hidden cracks and the water flow direction, the height of confined water level, and the groundwater flow rate are conducted to analyze the effect of these factors on the formation and expansion of ground fissures. The test results show that the soil with strong collapsibility under the action of underground erosion produces fissures, collapses, and holes similar to those in the rift valley area along the first phase of the Nairobi–Malaba Railway in Kenya; the loose overburden is conducive to the occurrence of surface collapse; the collapse of the soil surface is the most severe when the underlaid cracks are parallel to the water flow direction; the higher confined water level and faster inflow rate will aggravate the collapse of the overlying soil layer.

The genetic diversity in the naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii) of China is threatened by climate change, human activities, as well as natural factors, eliciting conservation concerns. To explore the genetic aspects of G. przewalskii, the genetic diversity, genetic structure, population differentiation, and historical demography of 566 representative individuals from seven geographically distinct ranges of Qinghai Lake were evaluated by mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and D-loop sequences. Estimates of genetic parameters showed that the seven populations of G. przewalskii had high levels of haplotype diversity (0.50243–0.94620) and low levels of nucleotide diversity (0.00079–0.00624). Haplotype genealogy indicated there was no obvious phylogenetic pattern between haplotypes. Both markers denoted the absence of population genetic structure [the genetic differentiation coefficient F-statistics (Fst) < 0] and the presence of high genetic flow (COI: 0.9731–1.0441; D-loop: 0.9480–1.0398). The mismatch between the distribution and neutrality tests supported the evidence of population expansion, which occurred during the late middle Pleistocene [COI: 0.36–0.108 MYA (Million Years Ago); D-loop: 0.497–0.165 MYA]. Furthermore, this work illustrated two simple, reliable, and inexpensive molecular markers for analysis of genetic diversity, while the sensitivity of the mitochondrial D-loop region as a reflection of genetic diversity in G. przewalskii is higher than that of the COI gene.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a novel class of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the treatment of neoplasms. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression profile, potential functions, and diagnostic and clinical significance of lncRNAs in sinonasal inverted papilloma (SNIP). The expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs were analyzed using a microarray. The potential functions and clinical implications of specific lncRNAs were further analyzed by bioinformatics and statistical methods. Microarray analysis identified 1,668 significantly upregulated and 1,767 downregulated lncRNAs in SNIP. Several mRNAs coexpressed with lncRNAs were enriched in some biological processes and cellular signaling pathways related to tumorigenesis. Lnc-AKTIP might interact with a variety of tumor-associated proteins and transcription factors, such as PCBP2, IRF-1, and p53. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for lnc-AKTIP showed an area under the curve of 0.939. Notably, its expression level was significantly decreased in SNIP tissues versus normal tissues and was associated with SNIP staging. Lnc-AKTIP may serve as a valuable diagnostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for SNIP.

The determination of overflow boundary is a prerequisite for the accurate solution of the seepage field by the finite element method. In this paper, a method for solving overflow boundary according to the maximum value of horizontal energy loss rate is proposed, which based on the analysis of the physical meaning of functional and the water head distribution of seepage field under different overflow boundaries. This method considers that the overflow boundary that makes the horizontal energy loss rate reach the maximum value is the real boundary overflow. Compared with the previous iterative computation method of overflow point and free surface, the method of solving overflow boundary based on the maximum horizontal energy loss rate does not need iteration, so the problem of non-convergence does not exist. The relative error of the overflow points is only 1.54% and 0.98% by calculating the two-dimensional model of the glycerol test and the three-dimensional model of the electric stimulation test, respectively. Compared with the overflow boundary calculated by the node virtual flow method, improved cut-off negative pressure method, initial flow method, and improved discarding element method, this method has a higher accuracy.

Eye-tracking can help decode the intricate control mechanism in human performance. In healthcare, physicians-in-training requires extensive practice to improve their healthcare skills. When a trainee encounters any difficulty in the practice, they will need feedback from experts to improve their performance. The personal feedback is time-consuming and subjected to bias. In this study, we tracked the eye movements of trainees during their colonoscopic performance in simulation. We applied deep learning algorithms to detect the eye-tracking metrics on the moments of navigation lost (MNL), a signature sign for performance difficulty during colonoscopy. Basic human eye gaze and pupil characteristics were learned and verified by the deep convolutional generative adversarial networks (DCGANs); the generated data were fed to the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks with three different data feeding strategies to classify MNLs from the entire colonoscopic procedure. Outputs from deep learning were compared to the expert’s judgment on the MNLs based on colonoscopic videos. The best classification outcome was achieved when we fed human eye data with 1000 synthesized eye data, where accuracy (90%), sensitivity (90%), and specificity (88%) were optimized. This study built an important foundation for our work of developing a self-adaptive education system for training healthcare skills using simulation.

Soil is home to an enormous and complex microbiome that features arguably the highest genomic diversity and metabolic heterogeneity of cells on Earth. Their in situ

Abstract Semisolid slurry of ZA27 alloy was prepared by Self-inoculation Method (SIM), the effects of isothermal holding parameters on microstructures of rheo-diecasting were researched, and the mechanical properties of ZA27 rheo-diecastings were tested. The results indicate that the dendritic microstructure of ZA27 alloy formed by permanent mold casting can be significantly modified by RDC with SIM, and obtain fine spherical microstructures. After comprehensive consideration, the suitable melt treatment temperature for the ZA27 alloy semisolid processing is 550~560°C. The isothermal holding process of ZA27 alloy slurry has great effect on primary α-Al particles (α1), while has little effect on the microstructure of secondary solidification in the process of thin-walled rheo-diecasting, and the suitable isothermal holding time of semisolid slurry for rheo-diecasting is 3 min. Compared with HPDC, the RDC process can increase the tensile strength of ZA27 alloy by more than 6.9%, with a maximum increase of about 12.5%. The best performance die casting can be obtained when the slurry holding time is 3-5 min.

The Multi-Transmitting Formula (MTF) proposed by Liao et al. is a local artificial boundary condition widely used in numerical simulations of wave propagation in an infinite medium, while the drift instability is usually caused in its numerical implementation. In view of a physical interpretation of the Gustafsson, Kreiss and Sundström criterion on numerical solutions of initial-boundary value problems in the hyperbolic partial differential equations, the mechanism of the drift instability of MTF was discussed, and a simple measure for eliminating the drift instability was proposed by introducing a modified operator into the MTF. Based on the theory of spherical wave propagation and damping effect of medium, the physical implication on modified operator was interpreted. And the effect of the modified operator on the reflection coefficient of MTF was discussed. Finally, the validity of the proposed stable implementation measure was verified by numerical tests of wave source problem and scattering problem.

A novel microwave photonic filter (MPF) based on carrier-suppressed single sideband (CS-SSB) injected distributed feedback (DFB) laser is proposed. The proposed MPF system exploits the frequency selective gain feature of optical injected DFB lasers, which can be tuned by adjusting the optical injection parameters or the working conditions of the laser. Therefore, the proposed MPF system can be tunable. The proposed system is verified by a proof-of-concept experiment, and the results show that the passband of the proposed MPF can be tuned by tuning the injection ratio and bias current of the slave laser, where the tuning range of 9–39 GHz is realized. At the same time, the out-of-band rejection of the proposed MPF can reach to 32 dB. Moreover, a dual-passband MPF response is also realized by the proposed system with a couple of master lasers, and the two passbands can be tuned independently from 10 to 39 GHz.

The dry sliding wear behavior of extruded Mg-2Dy-0.5Zn alloy (at.%) was investigated using a pin-on-disk configuration. The friction coefficient and wear rate were measured within a load range 20–760 N at a sliding velocity of 0.785 m/s. Microstructure and wear surface of alloy were examined using scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties of alloy were tested at room and elevated temperatures. Five wear mechanisms, namely abrasion, oxidation, delamination, thermal softening and melting dominated the whole wear behavior with increasing applied load. The extruded Mg-2Dy-0.5Zn alloy exhibited the better wear resistance as compared with as-cast Mg97Zn1Y2 alloy under the given conditions through contact surface temperature analysis. The improved wear resistance was mainly related to fine grain size, good thermal stability of long period stacking order (LPSO) phase and excellent higher-temperature mechanical properties.

Microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of as-cast Mg–2Dy-xZn (x = 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1) (at.%) alloys were investigated. The microstructures of the as-cast Mg–2Dy and Mg–2Dy–0.1Zn alloys mainly consisted of α-Mg phase and Mg24Dy5 eutectic phase. With 0.5 at.% Zn addition, Mg12ZnDy phase with 18R-type long period stacking ordered (LPSO) structure and Mg2Dy phase precipitated at the grain boundaries. When the content of Zn is 1 at.%, only the Mg3Zn3Dy2 phase formed in the α-Mg matrix. The electrochemical measurements and immersion testing results indicated that the Mg–2Dy–0.1Zn alloy exhibited the best corrosion resistance. It revealed that the morphology, scale, amount and distribution of the second phase have a great effect on the corrosion resistance of alloy. Additionally, the tensile testing results showed that the Mg–2Dy–0.5Zn alloy exhibited the higher tensile strength and good elongation, especially at 200 °C. The improvement of mechanical properties was mainly due to the strengthening of LPSO phase and grain refinement of α-Mg.

Wrought Mg AZ31 alloy was near-net-shaped by semisolid rheo-diecasting. Parts with 42% and 61% solid fraction were produced at different injection velocities. The impact of injection velocity on the microstructure and the tensile strength of samples have been investigated. Results indicated that the shape factor and the particle size of primary α-Mg in the microstructure decreased with the increase of injection velocity, and the morphology of both secondary α-Mg and eutectic α-Mg + Mg17Al12 mixture were refined with the increase of injection velocity. The surface liquid segregation in the sample closely relates to the injection velocity and the solid fraction of slurries, and it decreased with the increase of injection velocity and the decrease of the solid fraction. Cold shut, crack, and gas porosity were the main internal defects that rely on the injection velocity. The tensile strength of the samples decreased with the increase of injection velocity, and the best value of 201 and 192 MPa was obtained at 0.5 m/s and 1 m/s for the sample with the solid fraction of 0.61 and 0.42, respectively. This work demonstrated a predominant effect of internal defects on the property of the rheo-diecasting (RDC) product than the microstructure; thus, defect reduction should be preferentially considered in the optimization of the RDC process.

Semisolid slurry of A356 aluminum alloy was prepared by Self-Inoculation Method, and the secondary solidification behavior during rheo-diecasting forming process was researched. The results indicate that the component with non-dendritic and uniformly distributed microstructures can be produced by Rheo-Diecasting (RDC) process (combining Self-inoculation Method (SIM) with High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC)). The isothermal holding time of the slurry has large effect on primary particles, but has little effect on secondary particles. Growth rate of the primary particles in the isothermal holding process conforms to the dynamic equation of Dt3 − D03 = Kt. The suitable holding time for rheo-diecasting of A356 aluminum alloy is 3 min. During filling process, the nucleation occurs throughout the entire remaining liquid, and nuclei grow stably into globular particles with the limited grain size of 6.5μm firstly, then both α1 and α2 particles appear unstable growth phenomenon due to the existence of constitutional undercooling. The average particle sizes and shape factors of both α1 and α2 are decreasing with the increase of filling distance due to different cooling rate in different positions. The growth rate of the eutectic in RDC is 4 times faster than HPDC, which is mainly due to the limitation of α2 particles in RDC process. The average eutectic spacings are decreasing with the increase of filling distance.

In vivo imaging of mouse brain vasculature typically requires applying skull window opening techniques: open-skull cranial window or thinned-skull cranial window. We report non-invasive 3D in vivo cerebral blood flow imaging of C57/BL mouse by the use of ultra-high sensitive optical microangiography (UHS-OMAG) and Doppler optical microangiography (DOMAG) techniques to evaluate two cranial window types based on their procedures and ability to visualize surface pial vessel dynamics. Application of the thinned-skull technique is found to be effective in achieving high quality images for pial vessels for short-term imaging, and has advantages over the open-skull technique in available imaging area, surgical efficiency, and cerebral environment preservation. In summary, thinned-skull cranial window serves as a promising tool in studying hemodynamics in pial microvasculature using OMAG or other OCT blood flow imaging modalities.

Rheo-forming is becoming the choice for production of high quality parts with diminished defects and fine integrity. In this paper, the novel self-inoculation rheo-diecasting (SIRD) process, in which semisolid slurry is produced by mixing two precursory solid and liquid alloys and subsequently pouring them through a multi-stream fluid director, has been proposed. Microstructural characteristics of AM60 alloy slurry and the microstructure and mechanical properties of rheo-diecasting AM60 samples were investigated. Quenching experiments reveal that the slurry microstructure of AM60 was well refined to irregular α-Mg particles with the average size of approximately 20–40 μm after pouring with the self-inoculation process, and these particles were evolved to globular and coarse morphology while continuously keeping in semisolid state. After rheo-diecasting, the microstructure of the sample was dominated by fine primary α-Mg globules accompanied with tiny secondary α-Mg particles while the sample from conventional liquid die casting was characterized by developed dendrite and porosity. Microscopic analysis indicates that there are three stages of remaining liquid solidification in die cavity in SIRD: α-Mg nucleation and growth on primary α-Mg surface, α-Mg nucleated independently in liquid, and, finally, formation of skeleton devoiced eutectic. Due to diminished porosity and hot tearing, tensile strength and elongation of SIRD samples were increased by 12.9% and 35.3%, respectively, compared to a conventional liquid die casting sample.

Abstract Diecastings of the A356 aluminum alloy were produced by rheo-diecasting (RDC) and High pressure die casting (HPDC), the microstructures of primary solidification, secondary solidification and eutectic Si of diecastings with different pouring temperature were explored and the mechanical properties of different parameters were tested. The result shows that the primary α-Al grains in RDC with self-inoculation method (SIM) are smaller and rounder than the dendrite structure in HPDC. During the RDC process, the amount of primary α-Al grains, average grain size and the lamellar spacing of the eutectic Si increase with the decrease of the melt treatment temperature. While the average grain size and the shape factor are gradually increasing with the increase of melt treatment temperature. As a result, RDC can significantly improve the mechanical properties of the A356 aluminum alloy compared with HPDC, the mechanical properties are optimal at 600°Cwith the tensile strength and elongation are 268.67MPa and 6.8%, respectively.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication can effectively improve the quality of signal transmission in wireless communication due to its advantages of easy installation, high flexibility, and easy access to line-of-sight (LoS) links. However, in a complex communication environment, it is not easy to obtain the LoS link between the UAV and a ground user. As a promising technology, the reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) can provide a virtual LoS link to boost the communication quality when the LoS link is blocked. In the paper, we consider a RIS-assisted UAV communication systems which consist of a UAV and a RIS as well as a ground user. In order to maximize the average achievable rate of the ground user, this paper studies a design of joint RIS phase shift, UAV time slot power allocation and UAV trajectory in the considered systems. But the constructed joint optimization problem is a non-convex function, it is difficult to solve directly. We propose to divide the original problem into three sub-problems: power allocation optimization, phase shift optimization and UAV trajectory optimization, and propose an alternating iterative optimization algorithm to obtain a suboptimal solution. Compared with the other benchmark schemes, the algorithm we consider can significantly enhance the average achievable rate of ground user.

Microstructure evolution, mechanical properties, and degradation behavior of a rapidly degradable extruded Mg-2Y-0.5Zn-0.5Ni (at%) alloy for fracturing tool applications are investigated. The microstructure of the extruded alloy is mainly composed of a recrystallization region and a nonrecrystallization region, in which the 18 R-long-period stacking order (LPSO) phase with two kinds of morphologies are distributed along extrusion direction. Parts of 18R-LPSO phase transfer into 14H-LPSO phase during extrusion. A small amount of 14H-LPSO phases precipitate in the α-Mg matrix. The extruded alloy exhibits good mechanical properties, the ultimate tensile strength, tensile yield strength, and ultimate compressive stress of the extruded alloy are 364, 316, and 389 MPa, which increase by 97.5%, 334%, and 32.8% as compared with that of the as-cast alloy, respectively, which are attributed to grain refinement, LPSO phase strengthening, and texture strengthening. More importantly, the immersion and electronic chemical tests indicate that the extruded alloy has a high degradation rate (17.5 mg cm-2h-1). The rapid degradation rate of the extruded alloy is mainly due to the introduction of a significant number of defects especially for the microgalvanic corrosion between the LPSO phase and the α-Mg matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is a bioceramic material with potential applications. Customization and high reliability are the foundation for the widespread application of Si3N4 bioceramics. This study constructed a new microwave heating structure and successfully prepared 3D printed dense Si3N4 materials, overcoming the adverse effects of a large amount of 3D printed organic forming agents on degreasing and sintering processes, further improving the comprehensive performance of Si3N4 materials. Compared with control materials, the 3D printed Si3N4 materials by microwave sintering have the best mechanical performance: bending strength is 928 MPa, fracture toughness is 9.61 MPa·m1/2. Meanwhile, it has the best biocompatibility and antibacterial properties, and cells exhibit the best activity on the material surface. Research has shown that the excellent mechanical performance and biological activity of materials are mainly related to the high-quality degreasing, high cleanliness sintering environment, and high-quality liquid-phase sintering of materials in microwave environments.

Abstract Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin disease associated with neurogenic inflammation, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We demonstrate here that acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) exacerbates psoriatic inflammation through a sensory neurogenic pathway. Global or nociceptor-specific Asic3 knockout (KO) in female mice alleviates imiquimod-induced psoriatic acanthosis and type 17 inflammation to the same extent as nociceptor ablation. However, ASIC3 is dispensable for IL-23-induced psoriatic inflammation that bypasses the need for nociceptors. Mechanistically, ASIC3 activation induces the activity-dependent release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from sensory neurons to promote neurogenic inflammation. Botulinum neurotoxin A and CGRP antagonists prevent sensory neuron-mediated exacerbation of psoriatic inflammation to similar extents as Asic3 KO. In contrast, replenishing CGRP in the skin of Asic3 KO mice restores the inflammatory response. These findings establish sensory ASIC3 as a critical constituent in psoriatic inflammation, and a promising target for neurogenic inflammation management.