Search

Deciphering the physical origin of transient crustal deformation is a difficult challenge in the field of continuous borehole observations of crustal movement because the relevant influencing factors of the phenomenon are extremely multifarious. In the Shanxi Rift, squall lines are a frequently occurring mesoscale convective system. Consequently, strain transients are always observed by the borehole dilatometer network within the Shanxi Rift; however, a fundamental understanding of the transient phenomena induced by squall lines remains elusive. To address this challenge, we adopted a second-order Butterworth band-pass filters (0.5–2 h) to retrieve the borehole volumetric deformations excited by a "dry" squall line from September 21, 2017, that occurred in the Shanxi Rift. The elastic loading of Ricker-wavelet-shaped atmospheric waves induced by squall line, which can cause the main signature of transient deformation to adopt a highly similar shape; this pressure-induced deformation process can last approximately 148–164 min and has a maximum magnitude of approximately 19 nstrain. This work of signal processing clearly identifies the crustal transient induced by a squall line and provides new insights into the origin of some short-lasting crustal deformations in the Shanxi Rift and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IL-6 plays an important role in oogenesis in humans. However, at the preimplantation stage, IL-6 production and the role in embryo development remain unclear. In this study, IL-6 concentrations in single-embryo media were analyzed. In addition, the association between IL-6 production and blastocyst formation was investigated. Single-embryo culture media from 194 embryos were collected on day 6 after fertilization and divided into four groups according to the developmental stage of the corresponding embryo, as follows: cleavage stage group, morula-early blastocyst group, unavailable full blastocyst group, and available full blastocyst group. IL-6 concentrations were significantly lower in the cleavage stage group than in the morula-early blastocyst group (p = 0.009), in the unavailable full blastocyst group (p = 0.003), and in the available full blastocyst group (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that IL-6 concentration in single-embryo medium was significantly associated with blastocyst formation (odds ratios β1 = 1.876, 95% CI 1.433 to 2.644, p < 0.0001). Therefore, IL-6 was produced by human preimplantation embryos throughout the preimplantation stage and may play a role in embryo development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Prediction of experimental specific surface area of COFs based on structural images. • The proposed COFNet model integrates deep learning algorithms with attention mechanism. • The COFNet model innovatively accepts COF structural images and derived statistical features as hybrid inputs. • The hybrid inputs further enhance the prediction accuracy of the COFNet model. • The COFNet model outperforms available Zeo++ code in the prediction of COF specific surface areas. We present a new approach wherein the prediction of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface areas for Covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) is performed using a newly developed deep learning model (COFNet). This model integrates deep learning algorithms with an attention mechanism, and innovatively incorporating structural images of COFs and the statistical features derived from these images as model inputs. Results reveal that the COFNet can satisfactorily predict the specific surface area of COFs. It significantly outperforms the publicly available Zeo++ software. The developed COFNet model is a promising tool for efficiently predicting experimental BET specific surface areas of COFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Performance enhancement of the perovskite solar cell by using photosystem1 (PS1) proteins is achieved. • Generated charge carriers by PS1 protein show better transfer to MAPbI3 than FAPbI3, because of alignment of LUMO energy levels. • Surface morphology of spin coated PS1 multilayer are more uniform and shows better performance in compared with dip coated PS1 multilayer. • Diagram of absorption spectra of perovskite layer after application of PS1 indicates adsorption enhancement. Utilizing bio-hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSC) showed excellent potential due to reaching high performance and being nature-friendly among other kinds of new-age solar cells. Furthermore, plants' photoreceptor organs, especially the photosystem protein complex (PS1) have attracted a lot of attention due to their useful properties such as the complementary absorption spectrum with most photosensors and its non-toxicity, which provides a strong potential for advancing new types of renewable energies. here, utilizing PS1 protein, optimized the absorption spectrum of the PSC in the blue and red wavelength areas (430 nm and 665 nm) which resulted in the PCS enhancement. The PCE of the PSC has been optimized from 17.65 % to 18.95 % by using photosystem protein and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as an interface layer. alternatively, open circuit voltage (V oc) increased from 1.04 V to 1.08 V. Also, by using CNTs, the device's external quantum efficiency (EQE) represents an improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal separation based on computer vision has attracted substantial attention in recent years. However, developing reliable object detection models relies on large-scale annotated dataset, which in industrial practice is time-consuming and labor-intensive to obtain. In this paper, we propose a novel data augmentation model called dual attention deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DADCGAN) to expand dataset scale and improve object detection. For the first time, the proposed DADCGAN, which adopts DCGAN as its foundation architecture, introduces efficient channel attention and external attention mechanisms to capture essential feature information from the channel and spatial dimensions of images, respectively. Moreover, spectral normalization and two time-scale update rule strategies are incorporated to stabilize the training process. The implementation of our proposed data augmentation strategy includes two steps. First, traditional pixel transformation is used to expand an original small dataset. Then, our GAN-based data augmentation is executed to further expand the dataset by generating synthetic images. Experimental results show that our DADCGAN model achieves the lowest FID value, decreasing the FID by 21.30–71.96 % compared to other baseline GAN models, showcasing its ability to produce more realistic coal-gangue images. Finally, the data augmentation strategies are applied to the YOLOv4 model, enhancing the mAP by 9.26 %, highlighting its significance in enhancing coal-gangue object detection. These results have important implications for the development and implementation of computer vision-based technologies, enabling the realization of cleaner and more efficient coal separation methods. • Propose GAN-based data augmentation to generate synthetic coal-gangue images. • Apply efficient channel and external attention to capture key features of images. • Use spectrum normalization and imbalanced learning rate to stabilize GAN training. • Produce more realistic images using DADCGAN with lower FID than regular GAN models. • Improve coal-gangue detection accuracy with our data augmentation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image style transfer is a significant challenge in computer vision, where the goal is to transfer the style of a reference image to a source image while preserving its background and feature information. Despite previous progress in this area, many studies have overlooked the issues of local details and complexity, leading to unrealistic generated images and slow model inference speeds. This paper proposes an efficient image style transfer method based on cross-fusion attention (CFA), inspired by generative adversarial networks (GAN) and a new joint loss. Our novel CFA encodes local contextual information between low-level and high-level features, models remote dependencies of features, and embeds CFA into the encoder of our proposed model to increase the diversity of small features and focus on more prominent feature parts. Furthermore, we use frequency domain loss to improve image reconstruction quality and a joint loss to train the network. Our experiments on multiple datasets demonstrate that our proposed method offers significant advantages in terms of inference speed, background information preservation, and local details, making it a promising approach to image style transfer. The code for our method is available at https://github.com/berylxzhang/CFA-GAN. • We propose Cross-Fusion Attention (CFA) for image style transfer, addressing slow inference speed and loss of local details in GAN-based methods. • Our approach incorporates a Frequency Loss to bridge frequency domains and enhance training effectiveness. • A joint loss function aids GAN training, improving the image synthesis effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oleanane-type ginsenosides are a class of compounds with remarkable pharmacological activities. However, the lack of effective preparation methods for specific rare ginsenosides has hindered the exploration of their pharmacological properties. In this study, a novel glycoside hydrolase PlGH3 was cloned from Paenibacillus lactis 154 and heterologous expressed in Escherichia coli. Sequence analysis revealed that PlGH3 consists of 749 amino acids with a molecular weight of 89.5 kDa, exhibiting the characteristic features of the glycoside hydrolase 3 family. The enzymatic characterization results of PlGH3 showed that the optimal reaction pH and temperature was 8 and 50 °C by using p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside as a substrate, respectively. The Km and kcat values towards ginsenoside Ro were 79.59 ± 3.42 µM and 18.52 s−1, respectively. PlGH3 exhibits a highly specific activity on hydrolyzing the 28-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester bond of oleanane-type saponins. The mechanism of hydrolysis specificity was then presumably elucidated through molecular docking. Eventually, four kinds of rare oleanane-type ginsenosides (calenduloside E, pseudoginsenoside RP1, zingibroside R1, and tarasaponin VI) were successfully prepared by biotransforming total saponins extracted from Panax japonicus. This study contributes to understanding the mechanism of enzymatic hydrolysis of the GH3 family and provides a practical route for the preparation of rare oleanane-type ginsenosides through biotransformation. Key points: • The glucose at C-28 in oleanane-type saponins can be directionally hydrolyzed. • Mechanisms to interpret PlGH3 substrate specificity by molecular docking. • Case of preparation of low-sugar alternative saponins by directed hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oleanane-type ginsenosides are a class of compounds with remarkable pharmacological activities. However, the lack of effective preparation methods for specific rare ginsenosides has hindered the exploration of their pharmacological properties. In this study, a novel glycoside hydrolase PlGH3 was cloned from Paenibacillus lactis 154 and heterologous expressed in Escherichia coli. Sequence analysis revealed that PlGH3 consists of 749 amino acids with a molecular weight of 89.5 kDa, exhibiting the characteristic features of the glycoside hydrolase 3 family. The enzymatic characterization results of PlGH3 showed that the optimal reaction pH and temperature was 8 and 50 °C by using p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside as a substrate, respectively. The Km and kcat values towards ginsenoside Ro were 79.59 ± 3.42 µM and 18.52 s−1, respectively. PlGH3 exhibits a highly specific activity on hydrolyzing the 28-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester bond of oleanane-type saponins. The mechanism of hydrolysis specificity was then presumably elucidated through molecular docking. Eventually, four kinds of rare oleanane-type ginsenosides (calenduloside E, pseudoginsenoside RP1, zingibroside R1, and tarasaponin VI) were successfully prepared by biotransforming total saponins extracted from Panax japonicus. This study contributes to understanding the mechanism of enzymatic hydrolysis of the GH3 family and provides a practical route for the preparation of rare oleanane-type ginsenosides through biotransformation. Key points: • The glucose at C-28 in oleanane-type saponins can be directionally hydrolyzed. • Mechanisms to interpret PlGH3 substrate specificity by molecular docking. • Case of preparation of low-sugar alternative saponins by directed hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a comprehensive genotype-phenotype model for predicting the effects of resistance training on leg press performance. A cohort of physically inactive adults (N=193) underwent 12 weeks of resistance training, and measurements of maximum isokinetic leg press peak force, muscle mass, and thickness were taken before and after the intervention. Whole-genome genotyping was performed, and genome-wide association analysis identified 85 novel SNPs significantly associated with changes in leg press strength after training. A prediction model was constructed using stepwise linear regression, incorporating seven lead SNPs that explained 40.4% of the training effect variance. The polygenic score showed a significant positive correlation with changes in leg press strength. By integrating genomic markers and phenotypic indicators, the comprehensive prediction model explained 75.4% of the variance in the training effect. Additionally, five SNPs were found to potentially impact muscle contraction, metabolism, growth, and development through their association with REACTOME pathways. Individual responses to resistance training varied, with changes in leg press strength ranging from −55.83% to 151.20%. The study highlights the importance of genetic factors in predicting training outcomes and provides insights into the potential biological functions underlying resistance training effects. The comprehensive model offers valuable guidance for personalized fitness programs based on individual genetic profiles and phenotypic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this meta‐analysis, we aim to evaluate the risk of gallbladder and biliary disease of weight management strategies and investigate the association between weight reduction and risk of gallbladder or biliary disease. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a duration of at least 12 weeks that compare antiobesity medications (AOMs) with placebo or bariatric surgery with less intensive weight management strategy were concluded. Weight management strategy was associated with a significant increased risk of gallbladder or biliary disease (OR 1.361, 95% CI 1.147 to 1.614, P < 0.001, I2 = 3.5%), cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, and cholecystectomy compared with placebo or controls. The increased risk of gallbladder or biliary disease was observed both in pharmacotherapies subgroup and bariatric surgery subgroup. With regards of specific pharmacotherapies, an increased risk of gallbladder or biliary disease was observed in trials with glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP‐1 RA) treatments. In addition, trials with indication of obesity and overweight treatment and trials with higher doses showed significant higher risk of gallbladder or biliary disease compared with placebo or controls. In conclusion, weight management strategy was associated with an increased risk of gallbladder or biliary disease when compared with placebo or control groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-pressure gas (HPG) blasting is safe and environmentally friendly, and has replaced traditional explosive blasting in some applications. The characteristics of HPG impact load and the propagation law of the stress wave in layered rock mass (LRM) under HPG blasting were investigated experimentally and numerically. Through experimental tests of hole wall pressure, a segmented exponential model of the hole wall pressure under the impact of HPG was developed; it accurately accounted for the time history characteristics of the hole wall load. Experimental tests of stress wave propagation were conducted; the soft rock–hard rock interface was found to have a significant effect on stress wave propagation in the LRM. Based on the experimental results, a specific strain model for 10 MPa HPG impact was fitted for a single-hole LRM. A polynomial exponential model and a specific strain model (20 MPa HPG impact) were found for the double-hole LRM. The stress wave attenuation laws for single-hole and double-hole LRM were characterised well. The propagation characteristics of stress waves in LRM under the impact of HPG were analysed and a numerical model of stress wave propagation was established. The numerical model adopted the Riedel–Hiermater–Thoma (RHT) material model for the test parameters. The proposed segmented exponential models of hole wall pressure were applied to the lower, middle and upper parts of the blasthole. With the feasibility of the numerical model analysed, the stress wave propagation characteristics were studied by numerical simulation of an underground pipe gallery. This study provides theoretical guidance and practical value for improving rock-breaking theory and optimising HPG blasting in LRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A turn-on fluorescence aptasensing approach for the highly sensitive and selective determination of 5-HT was proposed via target-induced knot displacement. 5-HT can be determined in a range from 0.5 nM to 100 nM with a limit of detection as low as 0.1 nM and a low dissociation constant of 2.3 nM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Rasd1 has been reported to be correlated with neurotoxicity, metabolism, and rhythm, but its effect in case of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remained unclear. White matter injury (WMI) and ferroptosis participate in the early brain injury (EBI) after SAH. In this work, we have investigated whether Rasd1 can cause ferroptosis and contribute to SAH‐induced WMI. Methods: Lentivirus for Rasd1 knockdown/overexpression was administrated by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) injection at 7 days before SAH induction. SAH grade, brain water content, short‐ and long‐term neurobehavior, Western blot, real‐time PCR, ELISA, biochemical estimation, immunofluorescence, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were systematically performed. Additionally, genipin, a selective uncoupling protein 2(UCP2) inhibitor, was used in primary neuron and oligodendrocyte co‐cultures for further in vitro mechanistic studies. Results: Rasd1 knockdown has improved the neurobehavior, glia polarization, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, ferroptosis, and demyelination. Conversely, Rasd1 overexpression aggravated these changes by elevating the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammatory cytokines, MDA, free iron, and NCOA4, as well as contributing to the decrease of the levels of UCP2, GPX4, ferritin, and GSH mechanistically. According to the in vitro study, Rasd1 can induce oligodendrocyte ferroptosis through inhibiting UCP2, increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activating NCOA4‐mediated ferritinophagy. Conclusions: It can be concluded that Rasd1 exerts a modulated role in oligodendrocytes ferroptosis in WMI following SAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a quantitative detection method of pipeline cracks based on a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) was developed using the time-domain signal of ultrasonic guided waves and the crack size of the pipeline as the input and output, respectively. Pipeline ultrasonic guided wave detection signals under different crack defect conditions were obtained via numerical simulations and experiments, and these signals were input as features into a multi-layer perceptron and one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) for training. The results revealed that the 1D-CNN performed better in the quantitative analysis of pipeline crack defects, with an error of less than 2% in the simulated and experimental data, and it could effectively evaluate the size of crack defects from the echo signals under different frequency excitations. Thus, by combining the ultrasonic guided wave detection technology and CNN, a quantitative analysis of pipeline crack defects can be effectively realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three metabolites panel serves as new biomarkers for early ovarian cancer detection. • The panel surpasses CA125 in benign conditions vs. malignant ovarian cancer diagnosis. • Glycerophospholipid pathways play vital roles in ovarian cancer progression. Ovarian cancer (OC) is a major global cause of death among gynecological cancers, with a high mortality rate. Early diagnosis, distinguishing between benign conditions and early malignant OC forms, is vital for successful treatment. This research investigates serum metabolites to find diagnostic biomarkers for early OC identification. Metabolomic profiles derived from the serum of 60 patients with benign conditions and 60 patients with malignant OC were examined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Comparative analysis revealed differential metabolites linked to OC, aiding biomarker identification for early-diagnosis of OC via machine learning features. The predictive ability of these biomarkers was evaluated against the traditional biomarker, cancer antigen 125 (CA125). 84 differential metabolites were identified, including 2-Thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA), Methionyl-Cysteine, and Citrulline that could serve as potential biomarkers to identify benign conditions and malignant OC. In the diagnosis of early-stage OC, the area under the curve (AUC) for Citrulline was 0.847 (95 % Confidence Interval (CI): 0.719–0.974), compared to 0.770 (95 % CI: 0.596–0.944) for TTCA, and 0.754 for Methionine-Cysteine (95 % CI: 0.589–0.919). These metabolites demonstrate a superior diagnostic capability relative to CA125, which has an AUC of 0.689 (95 % CI: 0.448–0.931). Among these biomarkers, Citrulline stands out as the most promising. Additionally, in the diagnosis of benign conditions and malignant OC, using logistic regression to combine potential biomarkers with CA125 has an AUC of 0.987 (95 % CI: 0.9708–1) has been proven to be more effective than relying solely on the traditional biomarker CA125 with an AUC of 0.933 (95 % CI: 0.870–0.996). Furthermore, among all the differential metabolites, lipid metabolites dominate, significantly impacting glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway. The discovered serum metabolite biomarkers demonstrate excellent diagnostic performance for distinguishing between benign conditions and malignant OC and for early diagnosis of malignant OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are multiple disease-modifying immunotherapies showing the potential of preventing or delaying the progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D). We designed and performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to gain an overview of what a role immunotherapy plays in the treatment of T1D. We searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from inception to December 2023. We included clinical trials of immunotherapy conducted in patients with T1D that reported the incidence of hypoglycemia or changes from baseline in at least one of following outcomes: 2 h and 4 h mixed-meal-stimulated C-peptide area under the curve (AUC), fasting C-peptide, daily insulin dosage, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). The results were computed as the weighted mean differences (WMDs) or odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in random-effect model. In all, 34 clinical trials were included. When compared with control groups, 2 h C-peptide AUC was marginally higher in patient treated with nonantigen-based immunotherapies (WMD, 0.04nmol/L, 95% CI, 0.00–0.09 nmol/L, P=0.05), which was mainly driven by the effects of T cell-targeted therapy. A greater preservation in 4 h C-peptide AUC was observed in patients with nonantigen-based immunotherapies (WMD, 0.10nmol/L, 95% CI, 0.04–0.16 nmol/L, P=0.0007), which was mainly driven by the effects of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) inhibitor and T cell-targeted therapy. After excluding small-sample trials, less daily insulin dosage was observed in patient treated with nonantigen-based immunotherapies when compared with control groups (WMD, −0.07units/kg/day, 95% CI, −0.11 to −0.03units/kg/day, P=0.0004). The use of antigen-based immunotherapies was also associated with a lower daily insulin dosage versus control groups (WMD, −0.11units/kg/day, 95% CI, −0.23 to −0.00units/kg/day, P=0.05). However, changes of HbA1c or FPG were comparable between nonantigen-based immunotherapies or antigen-based immunotherapies and control groups. The risk of hypoglycemia was not increased in patients treated with nonantigen-based immunotherapies or patients treated with antigen-based immunotherapies when compared with control groups. In conclusion, nonantigen-based immunotherapies were associated with a preservation of 2 h and 4 h C-peptide AUC in patients with T1D when compared with the controls, which was mainly driven by the effects of TNF-a inhibitor and T cell-targeted therapy. Both nonantigen-based immunotherapies and antigen-based immunotherapies tended to reduce the daily insulin dosage in patients with T1D when compared with the controls. However, they did not contribute to a substantial improvement in HbA1c or FPG. Both nonantigen-based immunotherapies and antigen-based immunotherapies were well tolerated with not increased risk of hypoglycemia in patients with T1D. [Display omitted] • Immunotherapies were associated with the preservation of 2 h and 4 h C-peptide AUC in patients with T1D. • Immunotherapies tended to reduce the daily insulin dosage in patients with T1D. • Immunotherapies did not increase the risk of hypoglycemia in patients with T1D. • TNF-a inhibitor and T cell-targeted immunotherapy might be promising game changers to delay the development of T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NRT1.1, a nitrate transceptor, plays an important role in nitrate binding, sensing, and nitrate-dependent lateral root (LR) morphology. However, little is known about NRT1.1-mediated nitrate signaling transduction through plasma membrane (PM)-localized proteins. Through in-depth phosphoproteome profiling using membranes of Arabidopsis roots, we identified receptor kinase QSK1 and plasma membrane H+-ATPase AHA2 as potential downstream components of NRT1.1 signaling in a mild low-nitrate (LN)-dependent manner. QSK1, as a functional kinase and molecular link, physically interacts with NRT1.1 and AHA2 at LN and specifically phosphorylates AHA2 at S899. Importantly, we found that LN, not high nitrate (HN), induces formation of the NRT1.1-QSK1-AHA2 complex in order to repress the proton efflux into the apoplast by increased phosphorylation of AHA2 at S899. Loss of either NRT1.1 or QSK1 thus results in a higher T947/S899 phosphorylation ratio on AHA2, leading to enhanced pump activity and longer LRs under LN. Our results uncover a regulatory mechanism in which NRT1.1, under LN conditions, promotes coreceptor QSK1 phosphorylation and enhances the NRT1.1-QSK1 complex formation to transduce LN sensing to the PM H+-ATPase AHA2, controlling the phosphorylation ratio of activating and inhibitory phosphorylation sites on AHA2. This then results in altered proton pump activity, apoplast acidification, and regulation of NRT1.1-mediated LR growth. • Transceptor NRT1.1 is critical for plasma membrane ATPase AHA2 activity under LN • Upon nitrate binding, NRT1.1 promotes coreceptor QSK1 phosphorylation • QSK1 physically links NRT1.1 and AHA2, specifically phosphorylating AHA2 on S899 • NRT1.1-QSK1 transduces LN sensing to AHA2, repressing proton efflux and LR growth Zhu and Krall et al. uncover a mechanism in which NRT1.1, in LN, increases the phosphorylation of QSK1. This forms a complex to transduce LN sensing to the PM H+-ATPase AHA2, regulating the phosphorylation ratio of AHA2 activation and inhibitory phosphorylation sites, resulting in altered apoplast acidification and regulation of LR growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water-intensive conventional winter wheat–summer maize (WM) double cropping system in the North China Plain (NCP) has significantly decreased the groundwater table. To address this issue, we undertook a two-year field experiment to explore the potential and mechanisms of water-saving and yield increase of five newly designed diversified crop rotations incorporating spring crops (sweet potato, soybean, peanut, spring maize, and millet) into cereal crops compared with the conventional WM (as control). The results revealed that the five diversified crop rotations significantly decreased annual actual crop evapotranspiration by 7–12% and net groundwater use by 21–31% compared to the conventional WM. Sweet potato and peanut-based rotations significantly enhanced annual average equivalent yields up to 32% and economic benefit (+50%, +7%) while improving water productivity by 24–68% compared to WM. Shallow-rooted crops (sweet potato, soybean, peanut, and millet), when used as the preceding crop, improved soil water storage in the 0–180 cm soil layer at the start of the succeeding wheat planting season by 3–9% compared to the conventional WM. These shallow-rooted crops mainly concentrated their root systems in the 0–120 cm soil water, particularly the top 80 cm, complementing the deeper root systems of wheat, which extended down to 180 cm. Consequently, this optimal soil water use regime in diversified crop rotations increased the leaf area index and aboveground biomass of the succeeding wheat and maize crops, increasing total grain yields by 4–11%. Thus, introducing shallowed-root annual crops as preceding crops to the current WM rotation is beneficial for decreasing irrigation inputs, enhancing overall crop productivity, and mitigating groundwater table decline in the NCP. • Diversified crop rotations significantly decreased annual ET a and net groundwater use. • Shallow-rooted crops rotated deep-rooted crops produced soil moisture complementarity. • Diversified preceding crops had a positive 'lag effect' on the grain yield of succeeding cereals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For robust multi-modal person re-identification (re-ID) models, it is crucial to effectively utilize the complementary information and constraint relationships among different modalities. However, current multi-modal methods often overlook the correlation between modalities at the feature fusion stage. To address this issue, we propose a novel multimodal person re-ID method called Transformer Relation Regularization (TRR). Firstly, we introduce an adaptive collaborative matching module that facilitates the exchange of useful information by mining feature correspondences between modalities. This module allows for the integration of complementary information, enhancing the re-ID performance. Secondly, we propose an enhanced embedded module that corrects general information using discriminative information within each modality. By leveraging this approach, we improve the model's stability in challenging multi-modal environments. Lastly, we propose an adaptive triple loss to enhance sample utilization efficiency and mitigate the problem of inconsistent representation among multimodal samples. This loss function optimizes the model's ability to distinguish between different individuals, leading to improved re-ID accuracy. Experimental results on several challenging visible-infrared person re-ID benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed TRR method achieves optimal performance. Additionally, extensive ablation studies validate the effective contribution of each component to the overall model. In summary, our proposed TRR method effectively leverages complementary information, addresses the correlation between modalities, and improves the re-ID performance in multi-modal scenarios. The results obtained from various benchmark datasets and the comprehensive analysis support the efficacy of our approach. • Collaborative module enhances modality, improves stability. • Embedding module enhances features, improves robustness. • Adaptive triplet loss enables adaptive model learning. • TRR achieves optimal VI-ReID performance, validated by studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces experimental and numerical investigations on the fire-induced collapse behavior of double-span steel portal frames. A natural fire test was conducted on a 16 m × 6 m portal frame, and a localized collapse occurred. Thermal and displacement responses of the test frame were measured and analyzed. It was found that the steel members inside the fire compartment experienced similar temperature-time curves, which reached 1000 °C in 15 min. The heated column experienced upward expansion and downward contraction, while the side columns were pushed outside and pulled inside during the fire test. The measuring accuracy and practicability of the thermocouple, microwave radar, inclinometer, and linear variable differential transformer (LDVT) in real fire measurements were compared and evaluated. Numerical models were established in FDS and ABAQUS to simulate the thermal and structural response of the test frame and validated against experimental results, respectively. Parametric analysis was conducted on the validated numerical models with various combinations of heating conditions, heating rates, load ratios, and base stiffness. The collapse temperature of the burning frame was 1.2 and 1.1 times the temperature when the displacements of the heated side column reached their peak values along the span and height directions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to evaluate the effect of 3 kinds of TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics in preventing salpingitis in laying hens. After feeding the laying hens with Lotus leaf polysaccharide, Poria polysaccharide, and Epimedium polysaccharide, mixed bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus) were used to infect the oviduct to establish an inflammation model. Changes in antioxidant, serum immunity, anti-inflammatory, gut microbiota, and serum metabolites were evaluated. The results showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the expression of antioxidant markers SOD, GSH, and CAT, and reduce the accumulation of MDA in the liver; the contents of IgA and IgM in serum were increased. Decreased the mRNA expression of TLR4, NFκB, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL1β, IL6, and IL8, and increased the mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL5 in oviduct tissue. 16sRNA high-throughput sequencing revealed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides improved the intestinal flora disturbance caused by bacterial infection, increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides and Actinobacillus , and decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Romboutsia, Turicibacter , and Streptococcus. Metabolomics showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the content of metabolites such as 3-hydroxybutyric acid and isobutyl-L-carnitine, and these results could alleviate the further development of salpingitis. In conclusion, the present study has found that using TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics was a feasible way to prevent bacterial salpingitis in laying hens, which might make preventing this disease no longer an issue for breeding laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]