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Natural fractures and wormholes strongly influence the performance of acid fracturing in naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs. This work uses an integrated model to study the effects of treatment parameters in acid fracturing in different reservoir conditions. Hydraulic fracture propagation, wormhole propagation, complex fluid leak-off mediums, and heat transfer are considered in the modeling. The model is validated in several steps by analytical solutions. The simulation results indicated that natural fractures and wormholes critically impact acid fracturing and can change the predicted outcomes dramatically. The high permeability reservoirs with conductive natural fractures or low permeability reservoirs with natural fracture networks showed the highest stimulation potential in applying acid fracturing technology. The optimal acid injection rate depends on natural fracture geometry and reservoir permeability. This study also observed that obtaining a high production index is difficult because natural fractures and wormholes reduce the acid efficiency during acid fracturing. Building an acid-etched fracture system consisting of acid-etched natural fractures and hydraulic fractures may help us better stimulate the naturally fractured carbonate reservoirs. The paper illustrates a better understanding of the effects of the treatment design parameters on productivity. It paves a path for the optimal design of acid fracturing treatment for heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterial membrane proteins play a pivotal role in the bacterial invasion of host cells; however, the precise mechanisms underlying certain membrane proteins remain elusive. Mycolicibacterium smegmatis (Ms) msmeg5257 is a hemolysin III family protein that is homologous to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) Rv1085c, but it has an unclear function in growth. To address this issue, we utilized the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editor to construct Δmsmeg5257 strains and combined RNA transcription and LC-MS/MS protein profiling to determine the functional role of msmeg5257 in Ms growth. The correlative analysis showed that the deletion of msmeg5257 inhibits ABC transporters in the cytomembrane and inhibits the biosynthesis of amino acids in the cell wall. Corresponding to these results, we confirmed that MSMEG5257 localizes in the cytomembrane via subcellular fractionation and also plays a role in facilitating the transport of iron ions in environments with low iron levels. Our data provide insights that msmeg5257 plays a role in maintaining Ms metabolic homeostasis, and the deletion of msmeg5257 significantly impacts the growth rate of Ms. Furthermore, msmeg5257, a promising drug target, offers a direction for the development of novel therapeutic strategies against mycobacterial diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a growing number of studies have suggested the relevance of greenspace exposure to respiratory health, most have explored single greenfield indicators or selected disease outcomes. This systematic review aimed to comprehensively assess the evidence that greenspace exposure is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) incidence, prevalence, mortality, and related lung function indicators and to explore the impact of greenspace exposure on COPD-related disease outcomes. We searched the literature published before 28 September 2023, using six electronic databases and snowball searches. After screening 3689 studies, 16 eligible studies were included. These studies examined various greenspace indicators such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), canopy coverage, greenspace coverage, and land cover conditions. Most studies have reported the positive effects of greenspace exposure. However, the findings had significant heterogeneity, with large differences in the greenness assessment, COPD identification methods, and population characteristics. The mechanisms of this impact have not been conclusively determined, but we propose several hypotheses to explain the pathways by which greenspace exposure affects COPD. Overall, our findings contribute valuable knowledge for understanding the relationship between greenspace exposure and COPD, informing future research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green space resources, in the context of urbanisation, cannot meet the actual needs of residents well, and the study of the balance of green space resource allocation based on the relationship between supply and demand is an urgent problem to be solved. This study quantitatively evaluates the green space supply level from four dimensions by constructing a framework for assessment in the community life circle. It also evaluates the matching of green space supply and demand, resource distribution fairness, and distribution equilibrium under group differentiation through the supply–demand coupling matrix, the Gini coefficient, and the Kruskal–Wallis H non-parametric rank-sum test, respectively. This study shows that: (1) A significant spatial imbalance exists in green space resource allocation in community life circles in different dimensions. (2) The comprehensive green space supply level in the community life circle matched the total demand of residents to a low degree. (3) There was significant inequality in green space resource allocation within the community life circle (the Gini coefficient of each evaluation perspective was >0.4). Based on the study results, we were able to identify community life circles with spatial mismatches, different supply and demand, and other green space resource allocation problems, which is of great significance to urban green space research and planning practice under the 'green justice' framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campus green space, as a component of urban green space and the main natural place for college students' daily contact, has a subliminal effect on their mental health. This study aims to investigate the degree of influence of campus green space on college students' emotions as well as the main indicators of influence and other scientific issues. Taking the campus green spaces of 44 college campuses in Nanjing as the object of the study, with the help of social media data to research the issue of green spaces and emotional preference, we conducted a difference analysis, constructed an individual-time, double fixed-effects regression model and obtained the corresponding results: (1) significant seasonal and individual differences existed in all green space indicators across the 44 campuses; (2) a significant positive correlation existed between each of the campus green space indicators and college students' positive emotions; (3) compared with the regression results of the data prior to the New Crown Pneumonia Outbreak (COVID-19), college students' green sensitivity increased substantially during the outbreak control period, and the health benefits of the campus green spaces were more significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RAD51D mutations have been implicated in the transformation of normal fallopian tube epithelial (FTE) cells into high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), one of the most prevalent and aggressive gynecologic malignancies. Currently, no suitable model exists to elucidate the role of RAD51D in disease initiation and progression. Here, we established organoids from primary human FTE and introduced TP53 as well as RAD51D knockdown to enable the exploration of their mutational impact on FTE lesion generation. We observed that TP53 deletion rescued the adverse effects of RAD51D deletion on the proliferation, stemness, senescence, and apoptosis of FTE organoids. RAD51D deletion impaired the homologous recombination (HR) function and induced G2/M phase arrest, whereas concurrent TP53 deletion mitigated G0/G1 phase arrest and boosted DNA replication when combined with RAD51D mutation. The co-deletion of TP53 and RAD51D downregulated cilia assembly, development, and motility, but upregulated multiple HGSOC-associated pathways, including the IL-17 signaling pathway. IL-17A treatment significantly improved cell viability. TP53 and RAD51D co-deleted organoids exhibited heightened sensitivity to platinum, poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), and cell cycle-related medication. In summary, our research highlighted the use of FTE organoids with RAD51D mutations as an invaluable in vitro platform for the early detection of carcinogenesis, mechanistic exploration, and drug screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological anxiety among college students has attracted research interest. Previous studies have shown that greenspaces play a positive role in the recovery of student health. However, limited studies have explored the benefits of restorative environmental greenspace components. Therefore, this study used virtual reality to conduct control variable experiments. Considering the terrain scene, pavement material, and green vision rate as research elements, we monitored the skin conductance level and heart rate variability of 36 college students, as well as the positive and negative affect schedule and perceptual recovery scales, and we found that terrain elements have a significant impact on perceptual recovery, while pavement material has a significant impact on physiological recovery. Significant differences in perceptual recovery scores and changes in negative emotions among the different green vision levels were also observed. According to the regression relationship, the scene's attractiveness rating was the highest when the scene's green vision rate was 50%, while at 48%, the positive emotional improvement was the highest, and at 40%, the negative emotional improvement was the greatest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have confirmed the positive impacts of real forests in areas such as stress relief. However, not everyone can visit forests easily. Virtual technologies offer new ways of experiencing forests for people who are hindered by real-life conditions and provide researchers with a manageable mode of study. Recently, there has been an influx of relevant research; however, themes within the overall perspective of the field remain unclear. This study aimed to review the literature and provide an overview of the potential health benefits of virtual forests. Research themes were extracted, and a conceptual framework for the multidimensional effects of virtual forest exposure was proposed from a holistic perspective. We analyzed studies using descriptive analytical methods through the Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases and snowball searches. In total, 58 studies were included. This review identified four themes and segments throughout the virtual forest exposure process: core elements, experiences, effects, and circulation. We propose a new conceptual framework for a holistic perspective that incorporates technological features that are specific to virtual environments and makes connections to real forests. Finally, perspectives for future research in virtual forest therapy and its practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is adverse for the safety of a tailings dam to use fine-grained tailings as the materials for a high tailings dam because of the low penetration coefficient, the slow consolidating velocity, and the bad physical mechanical property. Furthermore, with the influence of complicated geography conditions, the phreatic line will be increased enormously when encountering special conditions, which directly affect the safe operation of the tailings dam. Methods: In this study, based on the engineering, geological, and hydrogeological conditions and survey results of a tailings dam, a 210 m fine-grained tailings dam located in three gullies was selected and used to simulate the three-dimensional seepage field of a tailings dam under a steady saturated state by using the finite element software MIDAS GTS. The permeability coefficient was inverted, the seepage field of the project under different working conditions was simulated, and the position of the phreatic line was obtained. The controlled position of phreatic lines was determined by combining the seepage field with the stability requirements. Results: Back analysis could accurately reflect the actual permeability coefficient of each partition of tailings dams. Due to the multiple areas of seepage accumulation, large valley corners, and narrowing of the dam axis, the phreatic line of the shoulder region was elevated by 2~3 m compared to the surrounding area and was thereby the most critical region of the tailings dam seepage control. The stability requirements and minimum controlled position of the phreatic line requirements could be met when the controlled position of the phreatic line was 23 m. Conclusion: This study revealed the key areas and reasons why the tailings dam's phreatic line is prone to be uplifted under complicated geography conditions. It was very critical to control the local phreatic line by adopting local horizontal seepage drainage measures or radiation wells in the key areas of the tailings dam to ensure the safety of the tailings dam. In addition to strengthening the daily monitoring of the key areas and the exfiltration facilities of the tailings dam, it is recommended to carry out determination tests of the permeability coefficient and particle size at regular intervals. The findings could provide countermeasures for seepage control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the processes of production, storage, transportation and use of hazardous chemicals, acid–alkali corrosive liquid spatter and leakage would cause serious casualties. In order to protect the lives and health of staff, the surface of fabrics should be treated to obtain hydrophobicity and acid–alkali resistance. In this paper, polyester fabric was used as the base cloth, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) micro-powder were used as the functional materials to fabricate waterproof and breathable fabric with good acid–alkali resistance using a method of plasma pretreatment-impregnation- and plasma-induced crosslinking. The effects of PDMS, PTFE powder and plasma-induced crosslinking on the surface and physical and chemical properties of fabric were investigated. It was found that the use of PDMS and PTFE powder had little effect on the mechanical and wearing comfort properties. However, it could significantly improve the acid–alkali resistance, as the liquid repellent rate of the treated fabric surface was higher than 80%, and the penetration index was lower than 2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic sites are important components of every city's cultural history because they preserve rich historical knowledge and distinctive values passed down from previous generations to the present. Due to the progress of urbanization and modernization, many historic sites face pressure from damage and transformation. In this paper, a method for assessing cultural heritage damage was developed to measure the extent of spatial damage in historic sites. Using sample data obtained in Xiyang, Qi, and Xiaoyi, all historic cities in Shanxi Province, Mainland China, and combined weights were estimated using the Delphi technique and the CRITIC weight method. Following this, the Spatial Damage Degree Model (SDDM) based on K-means cluster analysis and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) classification was developed. The findings show that the model efficiently solves the problem of assessing spatial damage levels in historic sites. Through multiple linear regression analysis, it was shown that the damage to historic sites was predominantly caused by three factors: natural erosion, construction damage, and planning and policy. SDDM was used to calculate the spatial damage levels of historic sites, allowing conservators to fully comprehend the features and concerns related to historic sites. As a result, more scientific and rational preservation approaches can be developed, improving the efficiency of historic site restoration and conservation, and encouraging the sustainable development of urban and rural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to activities like mining and smelting, lead (Pb) enters the atmosphere in various forms in coarse and fine particles. It enters plants mainly through leaves, and goes up the food chain. In this study, PbXn (nano-PbS, mic-PbO and PbCl2) was applied to eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) leaves, and 379 differential metabolites were identified and analyzed in eggplant leaves using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that all three Pb treatments significantly altered the metabolite profile. Compared with nano-PbS, mic-PbO and PbCl2 induced more identical metabolite changes. However, the alterations in metabolites related to the TCA cycle and pyrimidine metabolism, such as succinic acid, citric acid and cytidine, were specific to PbCl2. The number of differential metabolites induced by mic-PbO and PbCl2 was three times that of nano-PbS, even though the amount of nano-PbS absorbed by leaves was ten times that of PbO and seven times that of PbCl2. This suggests that the metabolic response of eggplant leaves to Pb is influenced by both concentration and form. This study enhances the current understanding of plants' metabolic response to Pb, and demonstrates that the metabolomics map provides a more comprehensive view of a plant's response to specific metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To meet the demand for biobased packaging and minimize the oxidation of dried aquatic goods during storage, we created a triple-layer film (TF) with antioxidant capacity. The film was produced using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the protective layer, gellan gum (GG)/PVA composite incorporating Alhagi sparsifolia flower extract (AFE) as the anti-oxidative capability layer, and GG as the anti-oxidative capacity slow-release control layer. The TFs with different AFE additions were characterized and compared to a single-layer film (SF) made of the same material. The results demonstrate that adding AFE to films degraded their water vapour and oxygen barrier properties as well as their tensile strength, but increased their light barrier properties, elongation at break, and anti-oxidative capability. The three-layer structure increased the light, water vapour, and oxygen barrier qualities of films, as well as their slow-release anti-oxidative capability. The application experiment revealed that the inclusion of AFE might aid in the preservation of dried prawn quality. Using TF supplemented with 5 (w/v) AFE to package the dried shrimps reduced the TBARS value by 47.5%. Our research indicated that TFs containing AFE have a wide range of possible applications in dried shrimp preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol lidars play a vital role in the investigations of atmospheric pollution formation and meteorological processes. The intensity of lidar return signals in the near range changes much faster compared with the one in the far range, so extremely wide dynamic outputs from the photomultiplier tube (PMT) are needed to avoid saturation in the near range. Usually, to obtain the wide dynamic range, simultaneously, a transient digitizer (Licel) is applied to provide an analog detection chain for strong signals and a photon counting (PC) detection chain for weak signals. However, the near-range signals are still often saturated due to the very high aerosol loading. In this paper, we proposed to use a new PMT module with eight orders of magnitude for a low blind zone lidar, which can achieve both analog and PC separately. A comprehensive evaluation of this potential PMT, which could perform better in near-range detection, compared with the ordinary PMT was tested, but similar features are maintained in the far-range. The photon count rate and signal-to-noise ratio were tested for both the new PMT module and the ordinary PMT module. The results showed that the new PMT module is useful to extend the dynamic range of lidar detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the electricity market, prosumers are becoming more and more prevalent due to the fast development of distributed energy resources and demand response management, which also promote the appearance of peer-to-peer (P2P) trading mechanisms for energy. Optimization-based methods are efficient tools to design the P2P energy trading negotiation mechanism. However, the main drawback for market mechanisms based on optimization methods is that the incentive compatibility cannot be satisfied, which means participants can obtain more profit by providing untruthful biddings. To overcome this challenge, a novel consensus mechanism based on Proof of Solution (PoSo) is proposed for P2P energy trading. The optimization results will be verified by neighboring agents according to the KKT conditions in a fully decentralized and symmetric manner, which means agents will check each other's solutions. However, the verification process may leak the private information of agents, and a privacy-preserving consensus mechanism is designed using Shamir's secret sharing method. After that, we explore a method to realize that trusted agents can recover the right information even under the misbehavior of malicious agents by inheriting the philosophy of Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT). The numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed consensus mechanisms. In more detail, (1) when the message delivery success rate is not lower than 0.7, the consensus mechanisms almost guarantee success; (2) if the proportion of untrusted agents satisfies 4 f + 1 ≤ N ω n , the proposed method guarantees the correctness of the consensus verification results; (3) the communication times among agents can be highly reduced by more than 60% by only verifying the optimality of the received results for the first three and last few iterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variable (wavelength) selection is essential in the multivariate analysis of near-infrared spectra to improve model performance and provide a more straightforward interpretation. This paper proposed a new variable selection method named binning-normalized mutual information (B-NMI) based on information entropy theory. "Data binning" was applied to reduce the effects of minor measurement errors and increase the features of near-infrared spectra. "Normalized mutual information" was employed to calculate the correlation between each wavelength and the reference values. The performance of B-NMI was evaluated by two experimental datasets (ideal ternary solvent mixture dataset, fluidized bed granulation dataset) and two public datasets (gasoline octane dataset, corn protein dataset). Compared with classic methods of backward and interval PLS (BIPLS), variable importance projection (VIP), correlation coefficient (CC), uninformative variables elimination (UVE), and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), B-NMI not only selected the most featured wavelengths from the spectra of complex real-world samples but also improved the stability and robustness of variable selection results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

World-wide, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important food source, and its production is often adversely affected by salinity. Therefore, to ensure stable rice yields for global food security, it is necessary to understand the salt tolerance mechanism of rice. The present study focused on the expression pattern of the rice mismatch repair gene post-meiotic segregation 1 (OsPMS1), studied the physiological properties and performed transcriptome analysis of ospms1 mutant seedlings in response to salt stress. Under normal conditions, the wild-type and ospms1 mutant seedlings showed no significant differences in growth and physiological indexes. However, after exposure to salt stress, compared with wild-type seedlings, the ospms1 mutant seedlings exhibited increased relative water content, relative chlorophyll content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, K+ and abscisic acid (ABA) content, and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content, Na+ content, and Na+/K+ ratio, as well as decreased superoxide anion (O2−) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of ospms1 mutant seedlings treated with 0 mM and 150 mM NaCl showed significant enrichment in biological and cytological processes, such as peroxidase activity and ribosomes. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway analysis showed that the DEGs specifically enriched ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism pathways. Further quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed significant changes in the transcription levels of genes related to abscisic acid signaling (OsbZIP23, OsSAPK6, OsNCED4, OsbZIP66), reactive oxygen scavenging (OsTZF1, OsDHAR1, SIT1), ion transport (OsHAK5), and osmoregulation (OsLEA3-2). Thus, the study's findings suggest that the ospms1 mutant tolerates salt stress at the seedling stage by inhibiting the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, maintaining Na+ and K+ homeostasis, and promoting ABA biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has consistently shown that exposure to natural environments provides a variety of health benefits. The purpose of this study is to investigate the restorative benefits of non-virtual environments in field experiments as well as the differences in physiological and psychological effects between different types of restorative sites for stressed young adults. This controlled study design used the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), electroencephalogram (EEG), and heart rate variability (HRV) as psychophysiological indicators of individual affect and stress. We used a "stress imposition-greenspace recovery" pre- and post-test mode to simulate the most realistic short-term recovery experience in the park (Grassplots, Square, Forest, and Lakeside) under relatively free conditions. The experimental results show that all four natural spaces in the park have some degree of recovery. However, there were discernible differences in the restorative effects of four selected natural sites. Lakeside and Forest demonstrated the most robust restorative properties in terms of both negative emotion reduction and positive emotion enhancement. In contrast, Square showed the weakest facilitation of recovery, while Grassplots promoted moderate resilience. Physiologically, we found that the EEG-α% of the Square was significantly lower than the EEG-α% of the Forest (t = −3.56, p = 0.015). This means that stressed young adults were much more relaxed in the forest than in the paved square. The study answers which types of natural spaces, when considered together, would provide greater restorative benefits to stressed young people participating in natural therapies in urban parks. The study's policy implications include the need to create more green natural spaces, especially forests with multiple plant levels, as well as to improve the restorative nature of urban parks through appropriate landscape space design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Straw waste has a large amount of lignocellulose, which shows a strong resistance to biodegradation in the composting process and hinders the formation of humic substances. Therefore, the effects of pH adjustment and inoculation of degradation bacteria on the composting process, lignocellulose degradation and humus formation in secondary fermentation were explored through aerobic composting experiments. The experiment was designed with four treatment groups: CK (conventional composting), T1 (adjusting pH), T2 (inoculating P. chrysosporium), and T3 (adjusting pH and inoculating P. chrysosporium), respectively. Results showed that except for treatment CK, all other treatments met the maturation standards at the end of composting. Adjustment of the pH value and the inoculation of Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) can significantly shorten the fermentation time. Among them, the lignin content of treatment T3 was reduced significantly by 14.28% compared to treatment T2; the content of humic acid in T3 increased significantly by 51.32% and 14.04% compared with T1 (adjusting pH) and T2 (p < 0.05), respectively. In terms of key enzyme activity and precursor substance changes, the pH adjustment treatment was superior to other treatments after composting. This study confirmed that the change of pH conditions is an important environmental factor for microorganisms to enhance the humification process; degrading enzymes were used as a "bridge" to enhance the continuous degradation of lignocellulose by microorganisms and increase the supplementation of precursors and the synthesis of humic acid, which is the mechanism to enhance the humification process. Our findings provided a new method to enhance the humification process, which is a valuable and economical technical approach to improve organic fertilizer quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstruction-based and prediction-based approaches are widely used for video anomaly detection (VAD) in smart city surveillance applications. However, neither of these approaches can effectively utilize the rich contextual information that exists in videos, which makes it difficult to accurately perceive anomalous activities. In this paper, we exploit the idea of a training model based on the "Cloze Test" strategy in natural language processing (NLP) and introduce a novel unsupervised learning framework to encode both motion and appearance information at an object level. Specifically, to store the normal modes of video activity reconstructions, we first design an optical stream memory network with skip connections. Secondly, we build a space–time cube (STC) for use as the basic processing unit of the model and erase a patch in the STC to form the frame to be reconstructed. This enables a so-called "incomplete event (IE)" to be completed. On this basis, a conditional autoencoder is utilized to capture the high correspondence between optical flow and STC. The model predicts erased patches in IEs based on the context of the front and back frames. Finally, we employ a generating adversarial network (GAN)-based training method to improve the performance of VAD. By distinguishing the predicted erased optical flow and erased video frame, the anomaly detection results are shown to be more reliable with our proposed method which can help reconstruct the original video in IE. Comparative experiments conducted on the benchmark UCSD Ped2, CUHK Avenue, and ShanghaiTech datasets demonstrate AUROC scores reaching 97.7%, 89.7%, and 75.8%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient enantioselective discrimination method, especially the chirality-label-free discrimination method, for the recognition of chiral small molecules with high resolution and wide applicability has been urgently desired. Herein, achiral Au/p-aminothiophenol (PATP) substrates were prepared to link the enantiomers via coupling reactions for constructing the enantioselective discrimination system. The resultant Au/PATP/enantiomer systems displayed charge-transfer (CT)-induced surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra that offered distinguishable information for the systems with different chirality. The differentiated spectral signal can be amplified by regulating the applied electrode potential, leading to great enantioselective discrimination performance. Moreover, the relationship between the discrimination performance and the potential-regulated CT process was revealed by SERS, which enabled an accurate and effective enantiomeric determination for various chiral molecules, including aromatic and aliphatic small molecules. The aliphatic molecule with the shorter chain was discriminated with a higher resolution, since the longer-chain molecule in the discrimination system may cause a change in the molecular electronic structure of the PATP. In addition, the aromatic chiral molecule can be distinguished easier than the aliphatic molecules, which means that the generation of the conjugation of electrons in the aromatic molecule-involved enantiomeric systems facilitates CT-induced SERS discrimination. Our work provides guidance for the design and development of an effective enantioselective discrimination strategy with high discrimination performance in diverse application fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity and quality of green space (GS) exposure play an important role in urban residents' physical and psychological health. However, the current framework for assessing GS quality is primarily based on 2-D remote sensing data and 2.5-D street-view images. Few studies have comprehensively evaluated residential community GSs from an overall 3-D perspective. This study proposes a novel systematic framework for evaluating the quantity and quality of residential GSs based on the generation of a high-resolution 3-D point cloud using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP). Nine indices were proposed: green volume ratio, floor green volume index, green groups diversity index, vegetation diversity index, greenspace fragmentation, average vegetation colour distance, vegetation colour diversity, activity areas ratio, and green cohesion index of activity site. These metrics were calculated using the classified point clouds from four typical Chinese residential communities with different residential greenery types and population densities. The results showed that our method could quantitatively identify the differences in residential GS exposure within urban residential communities. For example, a residential community with a large plant distribution and rich greenery variations had higher greenspace volume ratio and vegetation diversity index values. Our findings suggest that this novel framework, employing cost-effective UAV-DAP, can clearly describe different GS attributes and characteristics, aiding decision-makers and urban planners in comprehensively implementing GS interventions to improve the residents' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyphenolic compounds can protect against myofibrillar protein (MP) oxidation in meat products. In this study, the inhibitory effect of feruloyl oligosaccharides (FOs) on MP oxidation was investigated, and the gel properties of MPs were further studied. The results showed that 50–100 μmol/g protein of FOs could effectively inhibit damage to amino acid side chains by reducing carbonyl contents by 60.5% and increasing sulfhydryl and free amine contents by 89.5% and 66%, which may protect the secondary and tertiary structures of MPs. Additionally, FOs at 50 μmol/g protein had better effects on the crosslinking of MPs, leading to effective improvements in the gel properties, which can be seen in the rheology properties, scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs, and the distribution of water in the MP gel. On the contrary, 150–200 μmol/g protein of FOs showed peroxidative effects on oxidatively stressed MPs, which were detrimental to MPs and contributed to their denaturation in the electrophoresis analysis and irregular aggregation in the SEM analysis. The concentration-dependent effects of FOs depended on MP-FOs interactions, indicating that an appropriate concentration of FOs has the potential to protect MPs from oxidation and enhance the gelation ability of pork meat during processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-site pXRF analysis in various French collections (Musée du Louvre, Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet, Paris) of porcelains decorated with painted enamels from the Qing Dynasty, in particular porcelains bearing an imperial mark, identifies the types of enamels/glazes, the ions and coloring phases or the opacifier. The study of the elements associated with cobalt (nickel, manganese, arsenic, etc.) and of the impurities of the silicate matrix (yttrium, rubidium and strontium) differentiates the use of 'Chinese/Asian' raw materials from ones imported from Europe by the initiative of the European missionaries (chiefly Jesuits) present at the Court (Beijing). Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the blue color of the marks and to the elements associated with the use of gold or copper nanoparticles as well as to the compositions of the pyrochlore phases (tin yellow, Naples yellow). The comparison is extended to pXRF and Raman microspectroscopy measurements previously made on other Qing imperial porcelains as well as on Cantonese productions (on porcelain or metal) from different Swiss and French museums and blue-and-white wares of the Ming and Yuan Dynasties (archaeological and private collections). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most promising wine regions in China, the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain (EFHM) in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has attracted great attention recently. Geographically, EFHM is divided into six sub-regions, namely Shizuishan, Xixia, Helan, Qingtongxia, Yongning and Hongsipu. However, there have been few reports on the character and differences between wines in the six sub-regions. In this experiment, a total of 71 commercial Cabernet Sauvignon wines from six sub-regions were collected, and their phenolic compounds, visual properties and mouthfeel were investigated. The results showed that wines from the six sub-regions of EFHM showed distinctive phenolic profiles and could be distinguished through the OPLS-DA mode using 32 potential markers. In terms of color, Shizuishan wines showed higher a* values and lower b* values. The sensory evaluation showed that Hongsipu wines had higher astringency strength and lower tannin texture. The overall results implied that the phenolic compounds of wines in different sub-regions were affected by terroir conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a wide coverage of phenolic compounds has been analysed for wines from the sub-regions of EFHM, which could provide valuable information in deciphering the terroir of EFHM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavin mononucleotides (FMNs) and flavin adenine nucleotide (FAD) play vital roles in the electron-transfer processes in diverse enzymatic reactions. Owing to the isoalloxazine chromophore, flavins are easily detectable by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), a surface-sensitive technique. However, the details of the adsorption of flavins on SERS-active materials have never been investigated. In this study, a comprehensive SERS analysis of flavins containing lumichrome and lumiflavin on silver nanoparticles was conducted. With the aid of density-functional-theory calculations, our results suggested that the flavin molecules were adsorbed on the silver nanoparticles via the N3 site of the isoalloxazine moiety, which had a stronger adsorption ability than the adenine moiety in the FAD. The SERS spectra of the flavins at different pH values also supported this conclusion. This study demonstrated the feasibility of SERS for the structural characterization of flavins, paving the way for the functional exploration of flavin-labeled detection sensors and flavoprotein researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurements of the energy spectrum and anisotropy can help us discover local cosmic-ray accelerators. Our recent works have shown that spectral hardening above 200 GeV in the energy spectra and transition of large-scale anisotropy at ∼100 TeV are of an unifying origin. Less than 100 TeV, both spectral hardening and anisotropy explicitly indicate the dominant contribution from nearby sources. Recent observations of CR anisotropy suggest that this phase is consistent with the locally regular magnetic field (LRMF) of the interstellar boundary explorer (IBEX) below 100 TeV. In this work, we further investigate the parameter space of sources allowed by the observational energy spectra and amplitude and phase of dipole anisotropy. To obtain the best-fit source parameters, a numerical algorithm is to compute the parameter posterior distributions based on Bayesian inference. We found that by combining the observations of the energy spectrum and anisotropy, the parameters of the model can be well constrained. The LRMF and the effect of the corresponding anisotropic diffusion are considered in this work. Finally, the phase results' right ascension (R. A.) = 3.2 h below 100 TeV was obtained by fitting, which is in general agreement with the experimental observations. Since the Geminga SNR is very close to the mean of the fitted parameters, it could be a candidate for a local cosmic-ray accelerator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The out-of-plane compression behaviour of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy super-stub honeycomb cellular structures without and with friction stir welding (FSW) facesheets are presented in this paper. A total of twelve axially compressed experiments on large-scale specimens, six with square hollow section (SHS) cores and six with hexagonal hollow section (HHS) cores, were conducted, with failure modes, ultimate resistances and axial load-end shortening curves analysed. The accuracy of finite element (FE) models was validated in accordance with test results. The numerical data obtained from extensive parametric analyses combined with test data were subsequently used to evaluate the applicability of existing design rules in Chinese, European and American aluminium alloy specifications. The results showed that the three specifications generally yielded very conservative predictions for the out-of-plane compression resistances of SHS and HHS super-stub honeycomb cores without and with FSW facesheets by about 30–37%. Design recommendations on the cross-section effective thickness are finally proposed and shown to provide much more accurate and consistent predictions than current design methods. The research results are beneficial to the application and development of large-scale super-stub honeycomb structures in structural engineering, such as the helicopter landing platforms, the base of fluid and gas tanks and ship decks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers in electricity markets are becoming more proactive because of the rapid development of demand–response management and distributed energy resources, which boost the transformation of peer-to-peer (P2P) energy-trading mechanisms. However, in the P2P negotiation process, it is a challenging task to prevent private information from being attacked by malicious agents. In this paper, we propose a privacy-preserving, two-party, secure computation mechanism for consensus-based P2P energy trading. First, a novel P2P negotiation mechanism for energy trading is proposed based on the consensus + innovation (C + I) method and the power transfer distribution factor (PTDF), and this mechanism can simultaneously maximize social welfare and maintain physical network constraints. In addition, the C + I method only requires a minimum set of information to be exchanged. Then, we analyze the strategy of malicious neighboring agents colluding to attack in order to steal private information. To defend against this attack, we propose a two-party, secure computation mechanism in order to realize safe negotiation between each pair of prosumers based on Paillier homomorphic encryption (HE), a smart contract (SC), and zero-knowledge proof (ZKP). The energy price is updated in a safe way without leaking any private information. Finally, we simulate the functionality of the privacy-preserving mechanism in terms of convergence performance, computational efficiency, scalability, and SC operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a green process of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)-assisted extraction of active ingredients from Forsythia suspensa leaves was developed. Firstly, the optimal process of extraction was as follows: the ratio between Forsythia suspensa leaves and β-CD was 3.61:5, the solid–liquid ratio was 1:36.3, the temperature was 75.25 °C and the pH was 3.94. The yields of forsythoside A, phillyrin and phillygenol were 11.80 ± 0.141%, 5.49 ± 0.078% and 0.319 ± 0.004%, respectively. Then, the structure characteristics of the β-CD-assisted extract of Forsythia suspensa leaves (FSE-β-CD) were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and molecular docking to demonstrate that the natural active products from Forsythia suspensa leaves had significant interactions with the β-CD. Additionally, the loss of forsythoside A from aqueous FSE-CD at 80 °C was only 12%, compared with Forsythia suspensa leaf extract (FSE) which decreased by 13%. In addition, the aqueous solubility of FSE-CD was significantly increased to 70.2 g/L. The EC50 for scavenging DPPH and ABTS radicals decreased to 28.98 ug/mL and 25.54 ug/mL, respectively. The results showed that the β-CD-assisted extraction process would be a promising technology for bioactive compounds extracted from plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a multi-airport logistics system (MLS) is closely linked to factors such as regional economy, international and domestic trade, competitive synergies between airports, and the impact of unforeseen events such as the COVID-19 outbreak. There are various causal relationships and feedback loops within the MLS, and it is always in a dynamic state of change, so it is ideal to use a system dynamics model to depict the MLS. Taking the Jing-Jin-Ji MLS as an example, a system dynamics model consisting of an economy subsystem, a trade subsystem, and an airport cluster subsystem is constructed, and the sustainable development of the MLS is studied by simulating three pandemic scenarios with different impact levels. At the same time, different policy simulations and sensitivity analyses are used to find effective strategies to enhance the sustainable development of the Jing-Jin-Ji MLS. The results can provide an effective method for forecasting air cargo volumes in the MLS under the COVID-19 pandemic and provide a basis for the relevant departments to formulate policies for the development of the MLS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of hemp polysaccharides remain in industrial hemp residues (IHR) after cannabidiol extraction, resulting in the waste of resources. Therefore, the systematic study of hemp polysaccharides is beneficial to the development of IHR in the future. In this study, the extraction of industrial hemp residues polysaccharide (IHRPs) was optimized by single-factor experiment and orthogonal experimental design. The optimum heating extraction conditions were extraction temperature 98 °C, solid–liquid ratio 1:10, extraction time 1 h, number of successive extractions 2, and pH at 4. The extraction ratio and the polysaccharide content were 20.12 ± 0.55% and 12.35 ± 0.26% at the conditions, respectively. Besides, the best alcohol precipitation conditions were pumping with 2 L/h, stirring continuously, and ice-water bath for 4 h. The crude IHRPs was further purified by column chromatography and the polysaccharide/protein contents of purified IHRPs were 34.44% and 1.61%. IHRPs was mainly made up of ten monosaccharides and some non-sugar components including organic acids, flavonoids, steroids, and glycoside. The FT-IR demonstrated the polysaccharide skeleton of IHRPs. Moreover, the DPPH and ABTS scavenging rate of IHRPs were 76.00% and 99.05% at the concentrations of 1 mg/mL. IHRPs could promote the epidermal cells proliferation and healing of cell scratches. Meanwhile, IHRPs could promoted the expression of anti-aging-related genes. Overall, IHRPs could be a desirable natural source of antioxidants and anti-aging products in many aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative application of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for rapid and nondestructive analyses has been gaining increasing attention for food safety and quality. SERS is based on inelastic scattering enhancement from molecules located near nanostructured metallic surfaces and has many advantages, including ultrasensitive detection and simple protocols. Current SERS-based quality analysis contains composition and structural information that can be used to establish an electronic file of the food samples for subsequent reference and traceability. SERS is a promising technique for the detection of chemical, biological, and harmful metal contaminants, as well as for food poisoning, and allergen identification using label-free or label-based methods, based on metals and semiconductors as substrates. Recognition elements, including immunosensors, aptasensors, or molecularly imprinted polymers, can be linked to SERS tags to specifically identify targeted contaminants and perform authenticity analysis. Herein, we highlight recent studies on SERS-based quality and safety analysis for different foods categories spanning the whole food chain, 'from farm to table' and processing, genetically modified food, and novel foods. Moreover, SERS detection is a potential tool that ensures food safety in an easy, rapid, reliable, and nondestructive manner during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the Internet of Things, smart grids have become indispensable in our daily life and can provide people with reliable electricity generation, transmission, distribution and control. Therefore, how to design a privacy-preserving data aggregation protocol has been a research hot-spot in smart grid technology. However, these proposed protocols often contain some complex cryptographic operations, which are not suitable for resource-constrained smart meter devices. In this paper, we combine data aggregation and the outsourcing of computations to design two privacy-preserving outsourcing algorithms for the modular exponentiation operations involved in the multi-dimensional data aggregation, which can allow these smart meter devices to delegate complex computation tasks to nearby servers for computing. By utilizing our proposed outsourcing algorithms, the computational overhead of resource-constrained smart meter devices can be greatly reduced in the process of data encryption and aggregation. In addition, the proposed algorithms can protect the input's privacy of smart meter devices and ensure that the smart meter devices can verify the correctness of results from the server with a very small computational cost. From three aspects, including security, verifiability and efficiency, we give a detailed analysis about our proposed algorithms. Finally, through carrying out some experiments, we prove that our algorithms can improve the efficiency of performing the data encryption and aggregation on the smart meter device side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hardy kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) has recently become popular in fresh markets due to its edible skin and rich nutritional value. In the present study, different harvest stages of two A. arguta cultivars, 'Issai' and 'Ananasnaya' ("Ana"), were chosen for investigating the effects of maturity on the quality of the fruit. Interestingly, Issai contained 3.34 folds higher ascorbic acid (AsA) content than Ana. The HPLC method was used to determine the AsA content of the two varieties and revealed that Issai had the higher content of AsA and DHA. Moreover, RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of the transcriptome-based expression analysis showed that 30 differential genes for ascorbate metabolic pathways were screened in Issai compared to Ana, which had 16 genes down-regulated and 14 genes up-regulated, while compared to the up-regulation of 8 transcripts encoding the key enzymes involved in the L-galactose biosynthesis pathway. Our results suggested that AsA was synthesized mainly through the L-galactose pathway in hardy kiwifruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailings ponds are one of the three major production facilities in metal mines. The volume of tailings increases year by year, but the storage capacity of existing tailings ponds is limited. Therefore, tailings dams must become more fine-grained and larger. The potential hazard they represent should not be underestimated. This paper reveals the causes and regional distribution patterns of 342 tailings dam failures globally from 1915 to 2021 through statistical analysis. It was found that tailings pond failures occur almost every year, with an average of 4.4 accidents/year (1947–2021). The frequency has been gradually increasing in recent years, and most tailings pond failures are directly related to heavy rainfall or earthquakes. The frequency of tailings pond failures was significantly higher in Asia (21.3%) and the Americas (57.9%), especially in China (n = 43) and the United States (n = 107). Causes of tailings pond failures differed among regions. Most tailings pond failures in Asia and Europe were related to hydroclimate, while those in South America were mainly triggered by earthquakes. This study will provide theoretical data for the pre-design as well as the safe and stable operation of global tailings ponds, which will help to prevent global tailings pond failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using high-strength steel (yield strength fy ≥ 460 MPa) in concrete-filled steel tubes is expected to provide a superior bearing capacity by achieving light weight and efficient construction, but the existing design limitation on diameter-to-thickness (D/t) ratios for concrete-filled high-strength steel tubular (CFHST) members inevitably obstructs its wide application. In this study, aiming at the application of circular CFHST members using Q690 steel (fy ≥ 690 MPa), a total of 15 CFHST beams were examined using a three-point loading test to investigate the failure mode, bearing capacity and plasticity evolution. Subsequently, finite element models (FEMs) were established to analyze the full-range curves, composite effect, failure mechanism and influences of key parameters including material strengths, D/t ratios, and shear-span ratios. A simplified calculation method for bearing capacity was finally proposed and verified. The results indicate that the full-range performance of tested CFHST members with out-of-code D/t ratios have ductile behavior, though they fail through the mode of steel fracture and concrete cracks in the tension zone as well as through local buckling in the compression zone; out-of-code CFHST members (e.g., D/t = 120) can perform reasonable composite behavior because of contact pressure larger than 2.5 MPa, where a thin-walled steel tube experiences an arch failure mechanism similar to core concrete at a trussed angle of 45°; the simplified bearing capacity model achieves a mean value of 0.97, and can be accepted as a primary tool to perform structural design and performance evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a post-transcriptional RNA modification and one of the most abundant types of RNA chemical modifications. m6A functions as a molecular switch and is involved in a range of biomedical aspects, including cardiovascular diseases, the central nervous system, and cancers. Conceptually, m6A methylation can be dynamically and reversibly modulated by RNA methylation regulatory proteins, resulting in diverse fates of mRNAs. This review focuses on m6A demethylases fat-mass- and obesity-associated protein (FTO) and alkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), which especially erase m6A modification from target mRNAs. Recent advances have highlighted that FTO and ALKBH5 play an oncogenic role in various cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemias (AML), glioblastoma, and breast cancer. Moreover, studies in vitro and in mouse models confirmed that FTO-specific inhibitors exhibited anti-tumor effects in several cancers. Accumulating evidence has suggested the possibility of FTO and ALKBH5 as therapeutic targets for specific diseases. In this review, we aim to illustrate the structural properties of these two m6A demethylases and the development of their specific inhibitors. Additionally, this review will summarize the biological functions of these two m6A demethylases in various types of cancers and other human diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the key enzymes in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) provides NADPH and plays an important role in plant development and stress responses. However, little information was available about the G6PDH genes in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa). The recent release of the whole-genome sequence of strawberry allowed us to perform a genome-wide investigation into the organization and expression profiling of strawberry G6PDH genes. In the present study, 19 strawberry G6PDH genes (FaG6PDHs) were identified from the strawberry genome database. They were designated as FaG6PDH1 to FaG6PDH19, respectively, according to the conserved domain of each subfamily and multiple sequence alignment with Arabidopsis. According to their structural and phylogenetic features, the 19 FaG6PDHs were further classified into five types: Cy, P1, P1.1, P2 and PO. The number and location of exons and introns are similar, suggesting that genes of the same type are very similar and are alleles. A cis-element analysis inferred that FaG6PDHs possessed at least one stress-responsive cis-acting element. Expression profiles derived from transcriptome data analysis exhibited distinct expression patterns of FaG6PDHs genes in different developmental stages. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression level of five types FaG6PDHs genes and demonstrated that the genes were expressed and responded to multiple abiotic stress and hormonal treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(−)-Naringenin 4' ,7-dimethyl ether ((−)-NRG-DM) was isolated for the first time by our lab from Nardostachys jatamansi DC, a traditional medicinal plant frequently used to attenuate pain in Asia. As a natural derivative of analgesic, the current study was designed to test the potential analgesic activity of (−)-NRG-DM and its implicated mechanism. The analgesic activity of (−)- NRG-DM was assessed in a formalin-induced mouse inflammatory pain model and mustard oilinduced mouse colorectal pain model, in which the mice were intraperitoneally administrated with vehicle or (−)-NRG-DM (30 or 50 mg/kg) (n = 10 for each group). Our data showed that (−)-NRGDM can dose dependently (30~50 mg/kg) relieve the pain behaviors. Notably, (−)-NRG-DM did not affect motor coordination in mice evaluated by the rotarod test, in which the animals were intraperitoneally injected with vehicle or (−)-NRG-DM (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg) (n = 10 for each group). In acutely isolated mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons, (−)-NRG-DM (1~30 µM) potently dampened the stimulated firing, reduced the action potential threshold and amplitude. In addition, the neuronal delayed rectifier potassium currents (IK) and voltage-gated sodium currents (INa) were significantly suppressed. Consistently, (−)-NRG-DM dramatically inhibited heterologously expressed Kv2.1 and Nav1.8 channels which represent the major components of the endogenous IK and INa. A pharmacokinetic study revealed the plasma concentration of (−)-NRG-DM is around 7 µM, which was higher than the effective concentrations for the IK and INa. Taken together, our study showed that (−)-NRG-DM is a potential analgesic candidate with inhibition of multiple neuronal channels (mediating IK and INa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the problems of high complexity and the large amount of operations of existing color image encryption algorithms, a low-complexity, low-operation color image encryption algorithm based on a combination of bit-plane and chaotic systems is proposed that is interrelated with plaintext information. Firstly, three channels of an RGB image are extracted, and the gray value of each pixel channel can be expressed by an eight-bit binary number. The higher- and lower-four bits of the binary gray value of each pixel are exchanged, and the position of each four-bit binary number is scrambled by a logistic chaotic sequence, and all the four-bit binary numbers are converted into hexadecimal numbers to reduce the computational complexity. Next, the position of the transformed image is scrambled by a logistic chaotic sequence. Then, the Chen chaos sequence is used to permute the gray pixel values of the permuted image. Finally, the gray value of the encrypted image is converted into a decimal number to form a single-channel encrypted image, and the three-channel encrypted image is synthesized into an encrypted color image. Through MATLAB simulation experiments, a security analysis of encryption effects in terms of a histogram, correlation, a differential attack, and information entropy is performed. The results show that the algorithm has a better encryption effect and is resistant to differential attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of ensuring the quality and concealment of steganographic images, this paper proposes a double-matrix decomposition image steganography scheme with multi-region coverage, to solve the problem of poor extraction ability of steganographic images under attack or interference. First of all, the cover image is transformed by multi-wavelet transform, and the hidden region covering multiple wavelet sub-bands is selected in the wavelet domain of the cover image to embed the secret information. After determining the hidden region, the hidden region is processed by Arnold transform, Hessenberg decomposition, and singular-value decomposition. Finally, the secret information is embedded into the cover image by embedding intensity factor. In order to ensure robustness, the hidden region selected in the wavelet domain is used as the input of Hessenberg matrix decomposition, and the robustness of the algorithm is further enhanced by Hessenberg matrix decomposition and singular-value decomposition. Experimental results show that the proposed method has excellent performance in concealment and quality of extracted secret images, and secret information is extracted from steganographic images attacked by various image processing attacks, which proves that the proposed method has good anti-attack ability under different attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: To review the associated factors of sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. (2) Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and four Chinese electronic databases were searched for observational studies that reported the associated factors of sarcopenia from inception to August 2021. Two researchers independently selected the literature, evaluated their quality, and extracted relevant data. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each associated factors of sarcopenia using random-effects/fixed-effects models. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plot and the Eggers test. We performed statistical analysis using Stata 15.0 software. (3) Results: A total of 68 studies comprising 98,502 cases were included. Sociodemographic associated factors of sarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults included age (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.10–1.13), marital status (singled, divorced, or widowed) (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.08–2.28), disability for activities of daily living (ADL) (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.15–1.92), and underweight (OR = 3.78, 95% CI: 2.55–5.60). Behavioral associated factors included smoking (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.10–1.21), physical inactivity (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.48–2.01), malnutrition/malnutrition risk (OR = 2.99, 95% CI: 2.40–3.72), long (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.37–3.86) and short (OR = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.86–5.93) sleeping time, and living alone (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.00–2.40). Disease-related associated factors included diabetes (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.18–1.66), cognitive impairment (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.05–2.51), heart diseases (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.00–1.30), respiratory diseases (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.09–1.36), osteopenia/osteoporosis (OR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.63–4.57), osteoarthritis (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.23–1.44), depression (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.17–1.83), falls (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.14–1.44), anorexia (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.14–1.96), and anemia (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.06–1.82). However, it remained unknown whether gender (female: OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.80–1.51; male: OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 0.96–2.34), overweight/obesity (OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.17–0.44), drinking (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.84–1.01), hypertension (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.84–1.14), hyperlipidemia (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.89–1.47), stroke (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 0.69–4.17), cancer (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.85–0.92), pain (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.98–1.20), liver disease (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.85–0.91), and kidney disease (OR = 2.52, 95% CI: 0.19–33.30) were associated with sarcopenia. (4) Conclusions: There are many sociodemographic, behavioral, and disease-related associated factors of sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. Our view provides evidence for the early identification of high-risk individuals and the development of relevant interventions to prevent sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two masterpieces of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912 CE), one in gilded brass (incense burner) decorated with cloisonné enamels stylistically attributed to the end of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the other in gold (ewer offered by Napoleon III to the Empress as a birthday present), decorated with both cloisonné and painted enamels bearing the mark of the Qianlong Emperor, were non-invasively studied by optical microscopy, Raman microspectroscopy and X-ray microfluorescence spectroscopy (point measurements and mapping) implemented on-site with mobile instruments. The elemental compositions of the metal substrates and enamels are compared. XRF point measurements and mappings support the identification of the coloring phases and elements obtained by Raman microspectroscopy. Attention was paid to the white (opacifier), blue, yellow, green, and red areas. The demonstration of arsenic-based phases (e.g., lead arsenate apatite) in the blue areas of the ewer, free of manganese, proves the use of cobalt imported from Europe. The high level of potassium confirms the use of smalt as the cobalt source. On the other hand, the significant manganese level indicates the use of Asian cobalt ores for the enamels of the incense burner. The very limited use of the lead pyrochlore pigment (European Naples yellow recipes) in the yellow and soft green cloisonné enamels of the Kangxi incense burner, as well as the use of traditional Chinese recipes for other colors (white, turquoise, dark green, red), reinforces the pioneering character of this object in technical terms at the 17th–18th century turn. The low level of lead in the cloisonné enamels of the incense burner may also be related to the use of European recipes. On the contrary, the Qianlong ewer displays all the enameling techniques imported from Europe to obtain a painted decoration of exceptional quality with the use of complex lead pyrochlore pigments, with or without addition of zinc, as well as cassiterite opacifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize vivipary, precocious seed germination on the ear, affects yield and seed quality. The application of multi-omics approaches, such as transcriptomics or metabolomics, to classic vivipary mutants can potentially reveal the underlying mechanism. Seven maize vivipary mutants were selected for transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. A suite of transporters and transcription factors were found to be upregulated in all mutants, indicating that their functions are required during seed germination. Moreover, vivipary mutants exhibited a uniform expression pattern of genes related to abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis, and ABA core signaling. NCED4 (Zm00001d007876), which is involved in ABA biosynthesis, was markedly downregulated and GA3ox (Zm00001d039634) was upregulated in all vivipary mutants, indicating antagonism between these two phytohormones. The ABA core signaling components (PYL-ABI1-SnRK2-ABI3) were affected in most of the mutants, but the expression of these genes was not significantly different between the vp8 mutant and wild-type seeds. Metabolomics analysis integrated with co-expression network analysis identified unique metabolites, their corresponding pathways, and the gene networks affected by each individual mutation. Collectively, our multi-omics analyses characterized the transcriptional and metabolic landscape during vivipary, providing a valuable resource for improving seed quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food safety and quality have been gaining increasing attention in recent years. Gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS), a highly sensitive technique, is gradually being preferred to GC–MS in food safety laboratories since it provides a greater degree of separation on contaminants. In the analysis of food contaminants, sample preparation steps are crucial. The extraction of multiple target analytes simultaneously has become a new trend. Thus, multi-residue analytical methods, such as QuEChERs and adsorption extraction, are fast, simple, cheap, effective, robust, and safe. The number of microorganic contaminants has been increasing worldwide in recent years and are considered contaminants of emerging concern. High separation in MS/MS might be, in certain cases, favored to sample preparation selectivity. The ideal sample extraction procedure and purification method should take into account the contaminants of interest. Moreover, these methods should cooperate with high-resolution MS, and other sensitive full scan MSs that can produce a more comprehensive detection of contaminants in foods. In this review, we discuss the most recent trends in preparation methods for highly effective detection and analysis of food contaminants, which can be considered tools in the control of food quality and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modular multilevel converter (MMC) station connected to the islanded renewable energy generation system needs to adopt the voltage frequency (VF) control to provide AC voltage. The single-pole converter fault will unbalance the input and output power of the DC power grid, which causes the DC voltage or the bridge arm current of the non-fault pole to exceed the protection value in the time scale of tens to hundreds of milliseconds, leading to cascading failures. To realize the fault ride-through (FRT) of single-pole converter fault, this paper analyzes the electrical characteristic of the system. Based on the analysis, the existing topology is optimized and the reasonable operation reserved margin is designed. Furthermore, the corresponding control strategy is proposed, which can not only ensure the single-pole converter block fault ride-through but can also realize economic, stable, and resilient power supply and address asymmetrical problems. Finally, the simulation model is built in PSCAD/EMTDC and the simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the ZrO2 crystal form on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity was studied. The ratio of the tetragonal (T) and monoclinic (M) phases of ZrO2 nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs) was controlled by regulating the ratio of two types of additives in the hydrothermal synthesis method. The SERS intensity of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4–MBA) was gradually enhanced by changing the M and T phase ratio in ZrO2 NPs. The degree of charge transfer (CT) in the enhanced 4–MBA molecule was greater than 0.5, indicating that CT was the main contributor to SERS. The intensity of SERS was strongest when the ratio of the T crystal phase in ZrO2 was 99.7%, and the enhancement factor reached 2.21 × 104. More importantly, the proposed study indicated that the T and M phases of the ZrO2 NPs affected the SERS enhancement. This study provides a new approach for developing high-quality SERS substrates and improving the transmission efficiency of molecular sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]