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The problems of information isolation, inefficiency, and paper-based data archiving in traditional highway survey and design methods are investigated in this paper. A novel digital sandbox platform framework was developed to promote the efficiency of route design, model data integration, and information sharing. Under the presented framework, an integrated application method for both the Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies was designed by using Unreal Engine technology. Firstly, a digital base model was established by integrating multi-disciplinary BIM model data and GIS three-dimensional (3D) multi-scale scene model data. On this basis, using Unreal Engine technology for visualization development, a digital sandbox platform with the data visualization, traffic organization simulation analysis, 3D spatial analysis, component information query, and scene switching functions was developed, which satisfies the 3D visualization and digitalization needs in the current highway planning and design. Additionally, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to analyze the impact of digital base model on the development and application of platform modules, including five crucial factors: data accuracy, data representation, multi-source data fusion, data management capability, and scene semantic representation. Finally, the research results indicate that the proposed digital sandbox platform framework provides users with a platform for integrated data management, information sharing, and 3D data visualization, while reducing design time by 30%, total design cost by 12%, and land occupancy rate by 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using proposal‐level data in China, we document that online voting significantly increases minority shareholders' participation in voting, and online voting is related to more dissenting votes. The association between online voting and minority shareholders' participation and dissent is stronger in underperforming firms, indicating that minority shareholders tend to participate and dissent to express dissatisfaction. The association is stronger for shareholders with stronger voting power. Finally, we find that when minority shareholders' dissent fails to veto a proposal, dissenting minority shareholders are less likely to participate and vote again the following year. Our results suggest that mechanisms designed to facilitate minority shareholder voting lead to greater and more informed participation in the corporate governance process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into enhancing the performance of ScAlN-based Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers (PMUTs) through the implementation of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) acoustic lenses. The PMUT, encapsulated in PDMS, underwent thorough characterization through the utilization of an industry-standard hydrophone calibration instrument. The experimental results showed that the ScAlN-based PMUT with the PDMS lenses achieved an impressive sensitivity of −160 dB (re: 1 V/μPa), an improvement of more than 8 dB compared to the PMUT with an equivalent PDMS film. There was a noticeable improvement in the −3 dB main lobe width within the frequency response when comparing the PMUT with PDMS encapsulation, both with and without lenses. The successful fabrication of high-performance PDMS lenses proved instrumental in significantly boosting the sensitivity of the PMUT. Comprehensive performance evaluations underscored that the designed PMUT in this investigation surpassed its counterparts reported in the literature and commercially available transducers. This encouraging outcome emphasizes its substantial potential for commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last twenty years, three deadly zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs)—namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2—have emerged. They are considered highly pathogenic for humans, particularly SARS-CoV-2, which caused the 2019 CoV disease pandemic (COVID-19), endangering the lives and health of people globally and causing unpredictable economic losses. Experiments on wild-type viruses require biosafety level 3 or 4 laboratories (BSL-3 or BSL-4), which significantly hinders basic virological research. Therefore, the development of various biosafe CoV systems without virulence is urgently needed to meet the requirements of different research fields, such as antiviral and vaccine evaluation. This review aimed to comprehensively summarize the biosafety of CoV engineering systems. These systems combine virological foundations with synthetic genomics techniques, enabling the development of efficient tools for attenuated or non-virulent vaccines, the screening of antiviral drugs, and the investigation of the pathogenic mechanisms of novel microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of TGase cross‐linking on the flavour characteristics, particularly focusing on its ability to reduce bitterness in enzymatically digested Alaska Pollock framework (APF) hydrolysates using Protease A 'Amano' 2SD (A2SD) and Protease A 'Amano' 6SD (A6SD). Electronic tongue results showed that the umami was enhanced, accompanied by a reduction in both bitterness and bitter aftertaste. The contents of glutamic acid (Glu) and nucleotides (AMP, IMP and GMP) exhibited significant differences among all treatment groups (P < 0.05). There was a notable increase in the types and relative concentrations of alcohols, ketones, alkanes and aldehydes in the cross‐linked APF enzymatic hydrolysate. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectrum and fluorescence spectrum analyses indicate that TGase cross‐linking leads to a reduction in the exposure of hydrophobic amino acid residues. The surface hydrophobicity of HA2SD‐C and HA6SD‐C exhibited a significantly lower level compared with that of HA2SD and HA6SD. The present study presents an effective approach for mitigating the bitter taste of aquatic hydrolysate, thereby positively contributing to the advancement and utilisation of this valuable resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is a new recognized metabolic surgery, but the problem that we cannot screen the excluded stomach is a troubling issue in China. The emergence of sleeve gastrectomy plus one anastomosis bipartition (SG + OAB) makes us see a hope to solve this problem. Objectives: By comparing the efficacy of the two surgical methods, to evaluate whether SG + OAB surgery can solve the dilemma faced by OAGB that the excluded stomach cannot be screened. Methods: A retrospective study to compare the patients who underwent OAGB and SG + OAB was conducted. The main outcome measures were (1) operation risk, (2) weight loss, and (3) diabetes remission at 6 months. Results: This study was conducted in the bariatric/metabolic surgical center. From November 2021 to February 2022, a total of 30 patients with obesity who received SG + OAB surgery were recruited. Another matched 60 patients undergoing OAGB were recruited as control group. There was no difference in preoperative age (32.15 ± 9.02 vs. 34.47 ± 7.22; p =.224), female ratio (83% vs. 85%; p =.837), and BMI (36.18 ± 5.30 vs. 34.68 ± 5.58; p =.217) between the two groups. OAGB had a shorter mean operation time (121.67 ± 20.41 vs. 143.50 ± 25.07 min; p <.001) and a lower intraoperative blood loss (21.92 ± 12.35 vs. 32.43 ± 22.01 mL; p =.005), but a longer postoperative flatus passage (2.13 ± 0.43 vs. 1.87 ± 0.43 days; p =.007) compared with the SG + OAB group. Two patients (6.7%) developed major surgical complication in SG + OAB group but no major complication developed in OAGB group. At 6 months after surgery, SG + OAB had a higher %total weight loss than OAGB (31.05 ± 3.12 vs. 28.14 ± 5.43%; p =.015), but diabetes remission rate was similarly high in both groups. Conclusions: SG + OAB operation had a non‐inferior or even better weight loss than OAGB, with a similar glycemic control efficacy. However, the high complication rate of SG + OAB is the major drawback that needs attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: In summary, our study has achieved successful growth of a ferroelectric Al0.65Sc0.35N film using the PVD method. The fabricated capacitors have demonstrated a coercive field of 2.70 MV/cm as well as an impressively large remnant polarization of 143 µC/cm2. Significantly, we have set a benchmark by achieving a remarkable 5 × 107 switching cycle without observable substantial degradation. This advancement represents a promising way to enhance fatigue resistance, which could push forward the practical applications of this technology in non-volatile, low-power, intelligent, and reconfigurable electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new combined process of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and a hydrogen peroxide/vitamin C (H 2 O 2 /Vc) system was proposed for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) in wastewater. An impact-jet hydraulic cavitator was used as the cavitation generation equipment, and H 2 O 2 /Vc was selected as a homogeneous oxidation system. The degradation characteristics of MB were investigated. The results showed that the degradation effect of HC in combination with the H 2 O 2 /Vc system was more effective than that of the individual HC or H 2 O 2 /Vc system. A maximum degradation rate of 87.8% was achieved under the following conditions: H 2 O 2 concentration of 0.03 mol/L, Vc concentration of 0.021 mol/L, inlet pressure of 0.3 MPa, initial solution concentration of 4 μmol/L, solution volume of 150 mL, and reaction time of 10 min. The synergy index was 1.615, indicating a synergistic effect between the HC and H 2 O 2 /Vc system. The data of the hydroxyl radical (·OH) yield under the conditions of HC, the H 2 O 2 /Vc system, and the HC + H 2 O 2 /Vc system were fitted and analyzed. A correlation equation for ·OH yield was established, further revealing the synergistic mechanism of the HC and H 2 O 2 /Vc system. The intermediate products of MB degradation were detected based on LC-MS, and three possible degradation pathways of MB degradation were proposed. The combined process of HC and H 2 O 2 /Vc systems exhibited relatively low energy efficiency and operating cost, indicating that it was in line with the development direction of wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

This study aims to evaluate the prognostic significance of thyroid function-related indices in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). This retrospective analysis included 90 patients diagnosed with DTC and treated at our hospital from January 2010 to January 2019. Patients were classified into 2 groups based on whole-body imaging results: 67 with a favorable prognosis and 23 with a poor prognosis. The study compared clinical data and thyroid function indices between these groups to assess their efficacy in prognostic prediction. Patients in the poor prognosis group had a higher occurrence of T3-4 stage cancer (P = .006) and ≥2 lymph node metastases (P = .019). Notably, levels of total thyroxine (TT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and thyroglobulin antibody (Tg-Ab) were significantly elevated in this group (P < .001 for each). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed substantial predictive accuracy for TT4, TSH, and Tg-Ab (area under curve of 0.747, 0.820, and 0.720, respectively). The columnar graphical model used for prediction demonstrated a high concordance index (C-index = 0.919), superior to single-indicator evaluations. Thyroid function indices, specifically TT4, TSH, and Tg-Ab, play a crucial role in the prognostic assessment of patients with DTC. The column-line diagram model effectively enhances prophetic prediction, aiding in clinical decision-making., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

WRKYs is a unique family of transcription factors (TFs) in plants, and belongs to the typical multifunctional regulator. It is involved in the regulation of multiple signaling pathways. This type of transcription factor is characterized to contain about 60 highly conservative amino acids as the WRKY domain, and usually also has the Cys2His2 or Cys2His-Cys zinc finger structure. WRKYs can directly bind to the W-box sequence ((T)(T) TGAC (C/T)) in the promoter region of the downstream target gene, and activate or inhibit the transcription of the target genes by interacting with the target protein. They may up-regulate the expression of stress-related genes through integrating signal pathways mediated by abscisic acid (ABA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus playing a vital role in regulating plant response to abiotic stresses. This review summarizes the advances in research on the structure and classification, regulatory approach of WRKYs, and the molecular mechanisms of WRKYs involved in response to drought and salt stresses, and prospects future research directions, with the aim to provide a theoretical support for the genetic improvement of crop in response to abiotic stresses.