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The aerodynamic effects of wing corrugation on insect flight have received widespread attention. However, there has hardly been any specific focus on dynamic changes to corrugation angle in the models. The flexible vein joints containing resilin in the wings of dragonflies and damselflies enable the longitudinal veins to rotate and thereby change the corrugation angles throughout flapping cycles. Therefore, a two-dimensional corrugated airfoil with time-varying corrugation angles is proposed and the aerodynamic performance is evaluated in terms of aerodynamic force, power and efficiency. The results indicate that the airfoil with time-varying corrugations outperforms the rigid one in terms of enhancing thrust and reducing power consumption. The aerodynamic performance of time-varying corrugated airfoils is optimal when the angle varies in a specific range, and an excessively large angle variation may have negative effects. In addition, excessive height or a negative leading edge of the corrugation can lead to a reduction in the thrust. A design concept for the 2D airfoil with time-varying corrugations is provided and the findings are of significance for enhancing the aerodynamic performance of biomimetic flexible flapping-wing vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasonable thermal insulation in cold regions is the key to improve the indoor thermal environment. In this paper, the detached house is taken as the research object, and the sensitivity analysis method is used to quantify the influence of each parameter on the building heat load in three different climate zones. The attenuation characteristics of the heat storage body to the outdoor temperature wave are studied by using the A·M Shklovel calculation method, and the thermal insulation strategy of the envelope structure is optimized by genetic algorithm (GA). The results show that the heat transfer coefficient of roof and exterior wall has the most significant influence on the building heat load. The mean effect response of each factor shows that the Delta (Delta is the value used in Taguchi design methodology to express the relative effect of each factor on the response) of roofs in the three regions is the highest, 3.061, 4.061, and 5.88, respectively. The influence of the type and thickness of the insulation material on the heat storage performance is different. The indoor and outdoor temperature wave penetration attenuation multiple increases with the increase of the thickness of the insulation layer, increases with the decrease of the thermal conductivity of the insulation material, and increases with the increase of the specific heat capacity. The choice of insulation materials is not only related to the above two parameters, but also directly affected by the price. Considering the influence of various factors, the economy of choosing expanded polystyrene board for thermal insulation in the three regions is the best. The optimal thermal insulation thickness of the north wall and roof is 8 and 16 cm (3A climate zone), 10 and 17 cm (2B climate zone), 13 and 20 cm (2A climate zone), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese exercise ("TCE" management modalities), including but not limited to Tai Chi, Baduanjin, and Yijinjing, has a good effect on improving the physical function of patients with knee osteoarthritis, but less attention has been paid to the impact on the psychological health of patients, and currently there is insufficient evidence to support it. We conducted this study to provide a systematic synthesis of best evidence regarding the physical and mental health of patients with knee osteoarthritis treated by traditional Chinese exercise. Literature on the effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercise (Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Yijinjing, Qigong, etc.) versus conventional therapy (muscle‐strength training of the lower extremity and aerobic training, wellness education, quadriceps strengthening exercises, etc.) on Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), visual analog scale (VAS), Short Form‐36 (SF‐36), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) from Pubmed, Web of Science, Ovid Technologies, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), Wanfang Database, and SinoMed were collected from their inception to April 2022. Thirty‐three studies with 2621 cases were included in this study. The study's results indicated that compared with conventional therapy, traditional Chinese exercise had more advantages on patients' WOMAC score, significantly reducing patients' overall WOMAC score (SMD = −0.99; 95% CI: −1.38, −0.60; p < 0.00001) and relieving pain (SMD = −0.76; 95% CI: −1.11, −0.40; p < 0.0001) in patients with KOA. It also has advantages over conventional therapy in improving mental component score (MCS) (SMD = 0.32; 95% CI: −0.00, 0.65; p = 0.05) and physical component score (PCS) (SMD = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.62; p = 0.02). Compared with conventional therapy, traditional Chinese exercise can significantly reduce the effect on timed up and go test (TUG) score (SMD = −0.30; 95% CI: −0.50, −0.11; p = 0.002), beck depression inventory (DBI) score (SMD = −0.62; 95% CI: −1.03, −0.22; p = 0.002), and increase the impact on Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score (SMD = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.83; p < 0.00001). The findings of this study indicated that traditional Chinese exercise improved body function and mental health in patients with knee osteoarthritis significantly. More high‐quality clinical evidence‐based data was needed to confirm the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese exercise on the physical and mental health in KOA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-evaporable getter (NEG) films are widely used in high vacuum technologies and have played a critical role in applications requiring ultrahigh vacuum conditions, such as accelerator vacuum systems. The passivation layers on the film surface due to air exposure generally require thermal vacuum activation. This research aims to elucidate the key factor in the activation of TiZrV NEG films from the perspective of atomic-scale microstructures. The characteristics of film element distributions, morphologies, and crystalline states before and after activation were investigated by energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction. In situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to detect compositional variations in the film surface layer at different activation temperatures. According to the analysis, from an atomic-scale perspective, the easily activated structures would degrade in activation performance when surrounded by structures that are difficult to activate. During activation, the activated structures tend to act as channels for foreign atoms until the surrounding structures are fully activated. Hydroxyl and carbonyl groups are generally easier to activate than hydrocarbons and surface carbides, but even groups of the same type vary greatly in activation difficulty due to the differences in atomic-scale microstructures on the film surface. These findings provide valuable insight into the activation of NEG films and may be beneficial in the design of novel NEG films with excellent activation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock-mass unloading often occurs during underground and slope engineering excavations. Here, rock-mass crack initiation and propagation during the excavation unloading progress was simulated using the extended finite element method (XFEM) in ABAQUS. Crack propagation and its influencing factors were studied and discussed after calculating the stress intensity factors at the crack tips, and by recording the crack's shape a dynamic evolution model was produced. The results show that the faster the unloading rate,the longer the crack,and the greater the crack dip angle, the easier the crack initiates. The normal stress on a crack surface decreases while shear stress increases during unloading, and that crack propagation is mainly controlled by shear stress. This is consistent with the theoretical analysis. The final shape of the modeled crack was also close to the result of the physical experiments, indicating the reliability of this study.

Objective: At present, there is no consensus or guidance on indications for osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) patients to receive hip arthroplasty (THA) treatment. This study aims to explore the factors that influence the decision‐making for THA in patients with ONFH, and to provide references for clinical decision for ONFH patients to be indicated for THA or hip preservation. Methods: This retrospective case–control study involved data for ONFH patients from July 2016 to October 2021 from the China Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Database (CONFHD). The patients with ONFH, and unilateral hip affected at the first visit were divided into THA group and non‐THA group according to if they had undergone THA treatment. The differences between the two groups of patients in terms of gender, age at the time of consultation, body mass index (BMI), etiology, onset side, association research circulation osseous (ARCO) stage, hip joint function, visual analog scale (VAS), etc. were analyzed. Multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis was then applied to evaluate the risk factors of ONFH patients who underwent THA during the first visit. Results: A total of 640 patients were recruited for analysis, including 209 cases from the THA group and 431 cases from the non‐THA group. The results of univariate analysis showed that the two groups of patients were significantly different in the following six indicators: age (59 vs. 46, Z = −9.58, p < 0.001), duration of disease (78 vs. 17, Z = –16.14, p < 0.001), gender composition (χ2 = 8.09, p = 0.004), disease etiology (χ2 = 33.04, p < 0.001), ARCO stage (χ2 = 334.86, p < 0.001), flexion of hip joint (χ2 = 172.33, p < 0.001). However, the comparison between the two groups on VAS (Z = –0.82, p = 0.41), BMI (Z = –1.35, p = 0.18), and onset side (χ2 = 1.53, p = 0.22) did not obviously differ. The results regression analysis showed that the age at the time of consultation, duration of disease, ARCO stage, and the hip joint function affected the decision making if the patients should undergo THA. The results of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that aforementioned indicators were satisfactory in predicting whether patients with ONFH would be treated with THA. The regression model using the above four indicators as comprehensive indicators has satisfactory performance in predicting whether to perform THA, and the area under the curve (AUC) is 93.94%. Conclusion: These factors such as age, duration of disease, ARCO stage, and hip flexion function should be considered comprehensively before making decisions to perform THA or not in our clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social irresponsibility (CSIR) scandals are frequently reported in China and have a huge impact on the enterprise and society. Aiming to understand the underlying mechanisms between CSIR and enterprise outcomes, this study uses a sample of 2618 firms from the 2018 National Survey of Private Entrepreneurs Survey and examines the corporate social irresponsibility punishments from the perspective of stakeholders by introducing transaction costs. The results indicate that although the punishments for corporate irresponsible behaviors may not be strong enough to deter enterprises from irresponsibility in China, punishments from various stakeholders are increasing in terms of transaction costs. In addition, crisis management capacity may negatively moderate the relationship between CSIR and transaction costs, while regional economic development positively moderates it. This study adds to the extant research on CSIR consequences by combining stakeholders with transaction costs and provides new insights into transaction costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Physical exercise has obvious effects on bone loss, pain relief, and improvement of bone metabolism indexes in patients with osteoporosis, but currently lacks sufficient evidence. The aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to synthesize and present the best available evidence on the effectiveness and safety of exercises in the treatment of primary osteoporosis. Methods: Publications pertaining to the effectiveness of exercise on bone mineral density (BMD), visual analog scores (VAS), and biochemical markers of bone metabolism in primary osteoporosis (POP) from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, VIP, CNKI, and Wanfang Database were retrieved from their inception to April 2020. Results: A total of 20 studies with 1824 participants were included. The results of the meta‐analysis revealed that exercise therapy for lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD is statistically different from conventional therapy (lumbar spine BMD: SMD = 0.78, 95%CI: 0.46, 1.10, P < 0.00001, I2 = 85%; femoral neck BMD (SMD = 0.80, 95%CI: 0.34, 1.27, P = 0.0007, I2 = 88%), exercise therapy can significantly increase the lumbar spine BMD of patients with OP, especially in lumbar spine2‐4 BMD (SMD = 0.47; 95%CI: 0.20, 0.75; P = 0.0008; I2 = 69%). Compared with conventional treatment, kinesitherapy also has significant differences in alleviating the pain of POP patients (SMD = −1.39, 95%CI: −2.47,−0.31, P = 0.01, I2 = 97%). Compared with conventional therapy, kinesitherapy has no significant difference in improving biochemical markers of bone metabolism such as bone glaprotein (BGP) (SMD = 2.59, 95%CI:0.90, 4.28, P = 0.003, I2 = 98%), N‐terminal pro peptide of type I procollagen (PINP) (SMD = 0.77, 95%CI: −0.44 to 1.98, P = 0.21, I2 = 95%), serum phosphorus (SMD = 0.04, 95%CI: −0.13, 0.22, P = 0.61, I2 = 30%), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (SMD = −0.08, 95%CI: −0.44, 0.27, P = 0.64, I2 = 76%), and serum calcium (SMD = 0.12, 95%CI: −0.18, 0.43, P = 0.42, I2 = 63%) in POP patients. Conclusions: Kinesitherapy significantly improved lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD, and relieve the pain of patients in the current low‐quality evidence. Additional high‐quality evidence is required to confirm the effect of exercise therapy on the biochemical markers of bone metabolism in POP patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the present study was to reveal the case characteristics of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in Mainland China. Methods: This cross‐sectional epidemiological study derived data for ONFH patients from July 2016 to December 2018 from the China Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Database (CONFHD). The derived data included gender, age, body mass index (BMI), height, occupation, region, and etiology of femoral head necrosis. A descriptive analysis was performed to summarize the epidemiological characteristics of the case data in the CONFHD. Results: A total of 1844 ONFH patients (2945 hips) were included in this study, comprising 1302 men and 542 women. The age of patients ranged from 18 to 95 years, with a median of 50 years, and the male to female ratio was 2.4. Male patients are younger than female patients (48.26 ± 12.56 years old and 55.56 ± 14.94 years old, respectively). Among the 1844 patients (2945 hips), there were 528 (17.92%) hips at ARCO stage I, 941 (31.99%) hips at ARCO stage II, 873 (29.63%) hips at ARCO stage III, and 603 (20.46%) hips at ARCO stage IV. In the subclassification of ARCO stages I and II, the majority of cases were type C; type A comprised the majority in the subclassification of ARCO stage III. According to the Kellgren–Lawrence classification system, among the 603 ARCO stage IV hips, there were 178 (29.52%) grade 1 hips, 201 (33.34%) grade 2 hips, 176 (29.18%) grade 3 hips, and 48 (7.96%) grade 4 hips. Most were from three provinces: Henan (27.3%), Shanxi (13.9%), and Shandong (11.9%). Regarding BMI, 982 patients (53.25%) were overweight or obese. Among all patients, the largest proportion of patients engaged in level IV manual work. Of all the patients, there were 495 (26.84%) with steroid‐induced ONFH, 685 (37.15%) were alcoholics, and 290 (15.73%) had traumatic ONFH. The 495 patients with steroid‐induced ONFH included 278 men (56.16%) and 217 women (43.84 %), had a complete history of hormone use. Among the primary diseases, there were 195 cases (39.39%) of immune system diseases, followed by dermatological diseases, respiratory diseases, nephropathy, and other diseases. There were a total of 685 patients with alcoholic ONFH, 589 of these patients (85.99%) were men. A total of 188 (27.45%) patients had drunk alcohol for 6–10 years (comprising the highest proportion), and 280 patients (40.88%) consumed 3001–3500 mL of alcohol each week (the highest proportion). Conclusion: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head most commonly occurs after the age of 40. Male patients have an earlier onset than female patients, and the number of male patients is approximately twice that of female patients. The BMI of patients was mainly in the overweight and obese range, and half of these patients engaged in level IV manual work. From the imaging findings, the numbers of hips at ARCO stages II and III were greatest, and the number at stage I was relatively small. Among all the causes of disease, alcohol, steroid use and trauma were the three most common reasons for ONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the present situation and risk factors for the misdiagnosis of osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH), providing the basis for accurate diagnosis of ONFH. Methods: For this retrospective study, 1471 patients with ONFH were selected from the China Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head Database (CONFHD). These patients had been recruited between July 2016 and December 2018. According to whether or not they were misdiagnosed, the patients were divided into two groups, with 1168 cases (22–84 years old) included in the diagnosis group and 303 cases (21–80 years old) in the misdiagnosis group. Misdiagnosis was measured using the following criteria: (i) the patient had the same symptoms and signs, and the second diagnosis was not consistent with the initial diagnosis within 6 months; and (ii) the patient was admitted to a hospital participating in CONFHD and the previous diagnosis was inconsistent with the diagnosis given by the expert group. Comparisons of age, visual analogue scale for pain, and body mass index between the two groups were performed using a t‐test. Gender, causes of ONFH, primary diseases requiring corticosteroids, methods of corticosteroid use, corticosteroid species, type of trauma, onset side of the disease, pain side, whether symptoms are hidden, and type of imaging examination at the initial visit were compared using the χ2‐test. Years of alcohol consumption, weekly alcohol consumption, and physician title at the initial visit were compared using a Mann–Whitney U‐test. Furthermore, the statistically significant factors were evaluated using multiple regression analysis to investigate the risk factors of misdiagnosis. Results: A total of 303 patients (20.6%) were misdiagnosed: 118 cases were misdiagnosed as lumbar disc herniation, 86 cases as hip synovitis, 48 cases as hip osteoarthritis, 32 cases as rheumatoid arthritis, 11 cases as piriformis syndrome, 5 cases as sciatica, and 3 cases as soft‐tissue injury. Whether symptoms are hidden (P = 0.038, odds ratio [OR] = 1.546, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.025–2.332), physician title at the initial visit (P < 0.001, OR = 3.324, 95% CI = 1.850–5.972), X‐ray examination (P < 0.001, OR = 4.742, 95% CI = 3.159–7.118), corticosteroids (P < 0.001, OR = 0.295, 95% CI = 0.163–0.534), alcohol (P < 0.001, OR = 0.305, 95% CI = 0.171–0.546), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination (P = 0.042, OR = 0.649, 95% CI = 0.427–0.985) were each found to be associated with misdiagnosis. Conclusion: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is easily misdiagnosed as lumbar disc herniation, hip synovitis, hip osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Patient history of corticosteroid use or alcohol abuse and MRI examination at the initial diagnosis may be protective factors for misdiagnosis. Hidden symptoms, physician title at the initial visit (as attending doctor or resident doctor), and only X‐ray examination at the initial diagnosis may be risk factors for misdiagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the application of treatment modalities for patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in mainland China. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was based on the online application of China Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Database (CONFHD). Between July 2016 to December 2018, the CONFHD program planned to recruit ONFH patients from 12 administrative areas across mainland China. Real‐world medical records of treatment regimens for these patients, including surgeries and prescriptions, were approved to upload to the CONFHD application for further analysis. The surgeries performed on these patients were classified into total hip arthroplasty and hip‐preserving procedures, and the latter was further classified into core decompression, bone grafting, and tantalum rod implantation. Prescription medications were classified into chemical medicine and Chinese herbal medicine (CHM); chemical medicine was further classified according to their chemical compounds, and CHM was classified according to therapeutic functions based on traditional Chinese medicine theory. Descriptive analysis was performed to summarize the application of different treatment regimens on the overall sample. Results: A total of 1491 patients (2381 hips) who fulfilled the protocol criteria were included. There were 1039 males and 452 females with a mean age of 47.29 ± 12.69 years. The causes of ONFH were alcoholism in 642 patients (43%), corticosteroid in 439 patients (29%), trauma in 239 patients (16%), and idiopathic ONFH in 171 patients (11%). Operative treatments (including total hip arthroplasty and hip‐preserving procedures) were performed on 49% of patients (43% of hips), chemical medicine therapy (including bisphosphonate, statins, and prostacyclin) was given to 37% of patients (37% of hips), and CHM was administrated to 72% of patients (75% of hips). The aforementioned interventions were not always used alone, since 47% of patients (52% of hips) received combined regimens with multiple interventions. Among hips treated by surgery, all hips with ARCO stage IV ONFH received THA (305 hips), and THA was also performed on 63 hips with stage II ONFH. Over half of hips with stage I (81%), II (91%), and III (92%) ONFH had received pharmacological treatments. Prostacyclin and bisphosphonate were the top two most prescribed medicines used alone. CHM therapies with multiple CHM functions were more commonly prescribed. Conclusion: Current treatment modalities for ONFH patients in mainland China include operative treatment, chemical medicine, and CHM. Combined regimens with different treatment modalities are common in real‐world clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tao-Hong-Si-Wu-Tang (THSWT) formula, a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine, has long been used for the treatment of osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). However, its mechanisms of action and molecular targets are not comprehensively clear. In the present study, the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was employed to retrieve the active compounds of each herb included in the THSWT formula. After identifying the drug targets of active compounds and disease targets of ONFH, intersection analysis was conducted to screen out the shared targets. The protein-protein network of the shared targets was built for further topological analysis. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis were then carried out. A gene pathway network was constructed to screen the core target genes. We identified 61 active compounds, 155 drug targets, and 5443 disease targets. However, intersection analysis only screened out 37 shared targets. Kaempferol, luteolin, and baicalein regulated the greatest number of targets associated with ONFH. The THSWT formula may regulate osteocyte function through specific biological processes, including responses to toxic substances and oxidative stress. The regulated pathways included the relaxin, focal adhesion, nuclear factor-κB, toll-like receptor, and AGE/RAGE signaling pathways. RELA, VEGFA, and STAT1 were the important target genes in the gene network associated with the THSWT formula for the treatment of ONFH. Therefore, the present study suggested that the THSWT formula has an action mechanism involving multiple compounds and network targets for the treatment of ONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis can be treated clinically with either total or partial knee arthroplasty. In the choice of treatment methods, a variety of factors lead to significant differences. There is little reliable evidence to guide the clinical surgical options OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term curative effect of unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasties in the treatment of unicompartmental osteoarthritis and to explore the effects of two treatment methods on the balance function of patients. METHODS: This was a perspective trial. The patients with unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis were divided into unicompartmental knee arthroplasty group (22 cases, 23 knees) and total knee arthroplasty group (30 cases, 30 knees) based on surgical method. All patients signed the informed consents and the study was approved by the hospital ethical committee. The operation time, hospitalization time, Hospital for Special Surgery score, and the range of motion of the knee joint were compared between two groups to evaluate the early efficacy. The patients' balance function was evaluated using the Tecnobody Proprioception Test System, Timed Up and Go test, and Berg Balance Scale before and 3 months after surgery. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Compared with the total knee arthroplasty group, the unicompartmental knee arthroplasty group had shorter operation time and hospitalization time (P < 0.001 ). (2) At 3 months after surgery, there was no significant difference in the Hospital for Special Surgery score, range of motion of the knee joint, Timed Up and Go test or Berg Balance Scale score between two groups (P > 0.05). The Tecnobody Proprioception Test System scores at 3 months after surgery in the unicompartmental knee arthroplasty group were significantly higher than those in the total knee arthroplasty group (P < 0.001 ). (3) These results indicate that both unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasties have satisfactory short-term results in the treatment of unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis. Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is superior to total knee arthroplasty in terms of operation time, hospitalization time, and balance function recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vector form intrinsic finite (VFIFE) method is a new and promising structural analysis technique that has many advantages as compared with the conventional finite element method (FEM) in analyzing the complex behaviors of a structure. However, despite the popularization of its application in civil and infrastructure engineering, there is no available unified general analysis framework for it, which limits the applications and developments of VFIFE. This work develops and implements a platform (termed openVFIFE) based on a new proposed object-oriented framework to facilitate the development and application of the vector form intrinsic finite method as well as the efficient and accurate analyses of complex behaviors for civil structures. To validate the platform, a series of numerical examples are conducted. Furthermore, to extend the applications of VFIFE, the nonlinear dynamic and collapse processes of a transmission tower under earthquake load are studied using openVFIFE. The results of these numerical examples simulated by the developed truss or beam elements are consistent with theoretical solutions, previous research or conventional finite element models. The failure modes of the transmission tower under earthquake load simulated by the platform is consistent with those observed in real cases. In addition, the results of nonlinear dynamic analyses of the transmission tower show that the computational efficiency of the proposed platform is 6-10 times higher than that of the conventional finite element method. The results provide sufficient evidence to prove the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed platform in the static, dynamic and elastoplastic analyses of truss and frame structures, especially in the structure analysis characterized by strong geometry nonlinearity. It is noteworthy that in addition to the link and beam elements, further work is undergoing on implementing more elements, such as shell and solid elements. The openVFIFE also allows researchers who are interested in this topic to put their creative ideas into this platform and continuously improve the completeness and applicability of the VFIFE method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Seed priming is a pre-sowing seed treatment that is beneficial for rice seed germination and seedling growth, but the reduced seed longevity after seed priming greatly limited its adoption. The deterioration of primed seeds showed large differences among different studies, and the priming method might play an important role in regulating the deterioration speed of primed seeds. However, whether and how the priming method affected the deterioration of primed rice seeds during storage remains unknown., Methods: In this study, two typical seed priming methods, namely hydropriming (HP) and osmopriming (PEG) were compared under artificially accelerated aging conditions, the changes in germination performance, starch metabolism, seed respiration and reactive oxygen species accumulation before and after accelerated aging were determined., Results and Discussion: Hydroprimed rice seeds exhibited significantly faster deterioration speed than that of PEG-primed seeds in terms of germination speed and percentage. Meanwhile, α-amylase activity and total soluble sugar content in hydroprimed seeds were reduced by 19.3% and 10.0% respectively after aging, as compared with PEG-primed seeds. Such effects were strongly associated with the increased reactive oxygen generation and lipid peroxidation, as the content of superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde in hydroprimed seeds were 4.4%, 12.3% and 13.7% higher than those in PEG-primed seeds after aging, such effect could be attributed to the increased respiratory metabolism in hydroprimed seeds. In addition, the simultaneous use of N-acetylcysteine with HP and PEG priming greatly inhibited the deterioration of primed rice seeds, suggesting that the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species may be the key factor affecting the speed of deterioration in primed rice seeds during storage., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ren, Tan, Xu, Yang, Zheng, Tang, Zhang and Wang.)