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Apostasia fujianica belongs to the genus Apostasia and is part of the basal lineage in the phylogenetic tree of the Orchidaceae. Currently, there are only ten reported complete mitochondrial genomes in orchids, which greatly hinders the understanding of mitochondrial evolution in Orchidaceae. Therefore, we assembled and annotated the mitochondrial genome of A. fujianica, which has a length of 573,612 bp and a GC content of 44.5%. We annotated a total of 44 genes, including 30 protein-coding genes, 12 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes. We also performed relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) analysis, repeat sequence analysis, intergenomic transfer (IGT) analysis, and Ka/Ks analysis for A. fujianica and conducted RNA editing site analysis on the mitochondrial genomes of eight orchid species. We found that most protein-coding genes are under purifying selection, but nad6 is under positive selection, with a Ka/Ks value of 1.35. During the IGT event in A. fujianica's mitogenome, the trnN-GUU, trnD-GUC, trnW-CCA, trnP-UGG, and psaJ genes were identified as having transferred from the plastid to the mitochondrion. Compared to other monocots, the family Orchidaceae appears to have lost the rpl10, rpl14, sdh3, and sdh4 genes. Additionally, to further elucidate the evolutionary relationships among monocots, we constructed a phylogenetic tree based on the complete mitogenomes of monocots. Our study results provide valuable data on the mitogenome of A. fujianica and lay the groundwork for future research on genetic variation, evolutionary relationships, and breeding of Orchidaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a Pt-group element, Pd has been regarded as one of the alternatives to Pt-based catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, we performed density functional theory (DFT) computations to explore the most stable structures of PdxBy (x = 6, 19, 44), revealed the in situ structural reconstruction of these clusters under acidic conditions, and evaluated their HER activity. We found that the presence of B can prevent underpotential hydrogen adsorption and activate the H atoms on the cluster surface for the HER. The theoretical calculations show that the reaction barrier for the HER on ~1 nm sized Pd44B4 can be as low as 0.36 eV, which is even lower than for the same-sized Pt and Pd2B nanoparticles. The ultra-high HER activity of sub-nanosized PdxBy clusters makes them a potential new and efficient HER electro-catalyst. This study provides new ideas for evaluating and designing novel nanocatalysts based on the structural reconstruction of small-sized nanoparticles in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrocybe cylindracea dietary fiber (ADF) contains 95% water-insoluble dietary fiber, resulting in poor application performance. To address this issue, ADF was modified by four methods (cellulase, sodium hydroxide, high-temperature, and Lactobacillus fermentation) in this paper. By comparing the physicochemical properties, microstructures, monosaccharide compositions, and functional characteristics (antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities in vitro) of all modified ADF samples, the optimal modification method was selected. Results showed that sodium hydroxide treatment was deemed the most effective modification method for ADF, as alkali-treated ADF (ADF-A) revealed a higher oil-holding capacity (2.02 g/g), swelling capacity (8.38 mL/g), cholesterol adsorption (6.79 mg/g), and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (more than 70% at 0.4–0.6 mg/mL) than the other modified samples. The looser microstructure in ADF-A might be attributed to molecular rearrangement and spatial structure disruption, which resulted in smaller molecular sizes and decreased viscosity, hence improving ADF's physicochemical and functional qualities. All these findings indicate the greater application potential of modified ADF products in food and weight-loss industries, providing a comprehensive reference for the industrial application of ADF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work used headspace solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC–MS) to analyze the volatile components of hydrosols of Citrus × aurantium 'Daidai' and Citrus × aurantium L. dried buds (CAVAs and CADBs) by immersion and ultrasound–microwave synergistic-assisted steam distillation. The results show that a total of 106 volatiles were detected in hydrosols, mainly alcohols, alkenes, and esters, and the high content components of hydrosols were linalool, α-terpineol, and trans-geraniol. In terms of variety, the total and unique components of CAVA hydrosols were much higher than those of CADB hydrosols; the relative contents of 13 components of CAVA hydrosols were greater than those of CADB hydrosols, with geranyl acetate up to 15-fold; all hydrosols had a citrus, floral, and woody aroma. From the pretreatment, more volatile components were retained in the immersion; the relative contents of linalool and α-terpineol were increased by the ultrasound–microwave procedure; and the ultrasound–microwave procedure was favorable for the stimulation of the aroma of CAVA hydrosols, but it diminished the aroma of the CADB hydrosols. This study provides theoretical support for in-depth exploration based on the medicine food homology properties of CAVA and for improving the utilization rate of waste resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Buffalo milk has a significantly greater fatty acid content, up to 11%, than cow's milk, making buffalo milk more suitable for dairy products such as cheese. Several factors affect the quantity and proportion of milk fatty acids, and among the intrinsic factors, breed is important. However, the role of breed is still not fully understood. It is known that gastrointestinal microbiota serve as a key factor in modulating the content of milk fatty acids, since breed affects the type of gastrointestinal microbiota and consequently the milk fatty acids (FA). Therefore, we used 16S rDNA sequencing to analyze the microbial causes of different milk fatty acids in two breeds of dairy buffaloes. The results showed that the abundance of fatty acids such as C18:3 and C18:2c9t11 in Murrah buffalo milk was associated with the abundance of bacteria such as Acetobacter and Ruminalococcus in the rumen, as well as bacteria such as UCG-005 in the feces. This experiment investigated gastrointestinal microbes' role in milk fatty acid differences between Murrah and Nili-Ravi buffaloes. After 30 days of a basal diet, rumen microbial diversity was similar, but Murrah buffaloes had greater partially unsaturated fatty acids like C18:2c9t11. Rumen bacteria like Acetobacter, Ruminococcus, and Prevotellaceae_YAB2003_group correlated positively with milk fatty acids C22:5n-6 and C18:3 in Murrah. Fecal microbial beta diversity differed, with UCG-005 and Prevolla positively correlated with C18:2c9t11 and C22:5n-6. The greater quantity of milk fatty acids C18:3, C18:2c9t11, and C22:5n-6 in Murrah milk was linked to rumen and fecal microbes. This suggests that gastrointestinal microbes like Acetobacter, Ruminococcus, and UCG_005 regulate milk fatty acid concentrations in buffaloes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Castration induces fat deposition in boars and decreases carcass quality, prompting extensive research on the regulatory mechanism of fat deposition in castrated boars from a genetic perspective. Consequently, this study aimed to conduct a series of molecular biological experiments to elucidate how testosterone inhibits lipid droplet accumulation in porcine preadipocytes through ELOVL3. The findings from this study offer crucial data supporting genetic analyses of porcine fat deposition due to castration, thereby significantly contributing to enhancing pork quality and improving pig production efficiency. Castration is commonly used to reduce stink during boar production. In porcine adipose tissue, castration reduces androgen levels resulting in metabolic disorders and excessive fat deposition. However, the underlying detailed mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed porcine preadipocyte models with and without androgen by adding testosterone exogenously. The fluorescence intensity of lipid droplet (LD) staining and the fatty acid synthetase (FASN) mRNA levels were lower in the testosterone-treated cells than in the untreated control cells. In contrast, the mRNA levels of adipose triglycerides lipase (ATGL) and androgen receptor (AR) were higher than in the testosterone-treated cells than in the control cells. Subsequently, transcriptomic sequencing of porcine preadipocytes incubated with and without testosterone showed that the mRNA expression levels of very long-chain fatty acid elongase 3 (ELOVL3), a key enzyme involved in fatty acids synthesis and metabolism, were high in control cells. The siRNA-mediated knockdown of ELOVL3 reduced LD accumulation and the mRNA levels of FASN and increased the mRNA levels of ATGL. Next, we conducted dual-luciferase reporter assays using wild-type and mutant ELOVL3 promoter reporters, which showed that the ELOVL3 promoter contained an androgen response element (ARE); furthermore, its transcription was negatively regulated by AR overexpression. In conclusion, our study reveals that testosterone inhibits fat deposition in porcine preadipocytes by suppressing ELOVL3 expression. Moreover, our study provides a theoretical basis for further studies on the mechanisms of fat deposition caused by castration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreshore slope is crucial in designing beach berm nourishment schemes and understanding coastal responses to wave forces. Beach berm nourishment often suffers from a high loss rate, necessitating theoretical research and design parameter comparison to mitigate these losses early on. This study uses Bagnold's energy conservation method and the small-angle approximation method to establish a relationship between cross-shore sediment transport and foreshore slope. The feedback mechanism between these factors shows that when the foreshore slope is fewer than 10 degrees, a smaller initial slope results in a reduced rate of sediment transport. Over time, the foreshore slope decreases and eventually reaches equilibrium, promoting the formation of an offshore sandbar, which helps reduce sediment loss. Using data from Guanhu Beach in Dapeng Bay, this study constructs a realistic numerical beach model to simulate the dynamic behavior of beach profiles with varying foreshore slopes under the influence of monsoon waves and storm surges. The simulation results support the feedback mechanism findings, demonstrating that profiles with minimal foreshore slopes experience the least initial sediment loss, thus facilitating sandbar formation more effectively. These insights can inform beach berm nourishment strategies, emphasizing early-stage efforts to expand beach areas and reduce sediment loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct ultrafiltration (UF) is anticipated to be a promising technology for rural water supply due to its stable permeate quality and ease of automatic operation & maintenance. However, seasonal high turbidity in the surface water resources caused severe membrane fouling, resulting in the requirement of frequent cleaning of the UF process, and limiting the broad application of the direct UF in treating rural surface water. To address this issue, this study investigated the feasibility and mechanism of in situ aeration in alleviating the UF membrane fouling in treating surface water with high turbidity (200, 500, and 800 NTU). The results indicated that with the weak aeration (0.4 m3/(m2·min)), the concentration of polysaccharides accumulated on the membrane surface was high, and serious membrane fouling was observed. With medium aeration (0.8 and 1.2 m3/(m2·min)), bubble shear force could effectively reduce the foulants accumulated on the membrane surface to alleviate the membrane fouling. During the whole experiment, the optimal group (1.2 m3/(m2·min)) showed a 45% lower TMP compared to the control. However, strong aeration (1.6 m3/(m2·min)) caused floc breakage and was less conducive to the membrane fouling control compared to the medium aeration. Furthermore, under in situ aeration, the contents of polysaccharide accumulated on the membrane surface and deposited in the membrane pores were reduced by 8.85%~49.29%, and the structures of the cake layer turned out to be porous and permeable, implying that in situ aeration could significantly modify the structure and composition of the cake layer, contributing to the UF membrane fouling control in treating the seasonal high-turbidity surface water. These findings will provide novel approaches for the application of UF technology in rural water supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetland ecosystem service function provides and maintains the Earth's life system, which supports human and social development. However, in recent years, with the intensification of human social activities, the wetland area in northeast China has been reduced, and wetland ecosystem service function has been damaged. This paper evaluates the ecosystem service function of wetlands in northeast China based on the InVEST model, taking 40 prefecture-level cities as the evaluation unit, calculating the carbon stock, soil retention, and habitat quality of the wetlands in the study area and analyzing the drivers of changes in ecosystem service function using the PLUS model. The following results were obtained: temporally, the wetland carbon stock decreased from 754 Tg in 2000 to 688 Tg in 2020; the wetland soil retention increased from 24,424 Tg in 2000 to 33,160 Tg in 2010, and then decreased to 28,765 Tg in 2020; and the quality of wetland habitats was roughly unchanged. The wetland habitats in the study area were categorized into 5 types, classified as I, II, III, IV, or V, and the spatial changes in the 40 prefecture-level cities in northeast China were analyzed. The driving factors affecting the change in the wetland ecosystem service function were further analyzed, mainly focusing on changes in the wetland area itself. The influence of other land-use types and the influence of related policies were analyzed in three aspects, among which the GDP and spatial density of the population are social factors, and the elevation and slope are natural factors that provide larger contributions to the change in wetland area. The reduction in forest and grassland areas and the increase in cultivated land and construction land areas have a negative effect on the ecosystem service function of wetlands, and the implementation of relevant wetland protection policies promotes the ecosystem service function of wetlands. According to the problems faced by wetlands in different regions, the government formulates strategies that are in line with local development, with a view to implementing wetland ecological development in the northeast region in the new context, which will help to realize intensive land use and stimulate the vitality of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration of large Kaplan turbines has always been one of the key research issues of turbines. Affected by the load and head of the power station, the Kaplan turbine will operate under medium and low heads, and the components will vibrate violently, seriously threatening the stable operation of the unit. Compared with other types of turbines, the runner structure of the Kaplan turbine is more complex. Therefore, in addition to the fixed components, the dynamic response characteristics of the rotating components are also be the focus of this study. In this paper, four operating points under high, medium and low heads are selected. The unsteady flow field and fluid–structure interaction are calculated. The modal and dynamic stress characteristics of the fixed components (bottom ring, head cover and support cover) and the rotating components (blades, runner body and main shaft) are analyzed. The results show that the location of the stress concentration of fixed components under low heads changes significantly, and the stress fluctuates greatly due to the influence of the stay vanes. The rotating components are more affected by the rotation of the runner under low heads, and the displacement and stress fluctuations of the rotating structure are significantly greater than those of medium and high heads. The pressure fluctuations in the vaneless area and draft tube cause some low-frequency excitation. The stress fluctuations of rotating components under low heads are much greater than those of the fixed components. This shows that the head has a greater impact on the rotating components, which is more likely to cause damage to the rotating components, seriously threatening the stable operation of the unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water, energy, and food (WEF) are critical resources to sustain urban development, which requires a sustainable structure of the urban WEF nexus to address trade-offs and achieve synergies. Although interactions in the WEF nexus are widely explored, its sustainable structure has largely been ignored. This study constructs a framework of WEF nexus sustainability factors. Based on a literature review and expert opinions, 21 factors influencing urban WEF nexus sustainability were extracted and their interrelationships determined. We used social network analysis (SNA) and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) to analyze the structure of the urban WEF network. The results indicate that technological investment and industrial added-value energy consumption are the most critical and fundamental factors for promoting the sustainable development of the urban WEF nexus. Additionally, the balance of water supply and demand and the comprehensive management of waste pollutants are also driving and supporting factors for the sustainability of the urban WEF nexus. The results of this study complement the interaction mechanism research of the urban WEF nexus and provide practical references for sustainable decision-making in urban WEF nexus practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological intensification of agriculture is crucial for sustainable food production, yet the complex soil-microbial interactions in integrated farming systems remain poorly understood. This five-year study compared a Rice-Loach-Shrimp (RLS) integrated system with conventional Rice Monoculture (RM) using advanced multivariate techniques, including correlation analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Random Forest modeling, and Structural Equation Modeling. The RLS system exhibited higher values for key soil health indicators compared to RM, although the overall correlation patterns were similar. Stronger correlations among soil organic matter, enzyme activities, and microbial populations were observed in RLS, suggesting a more tightly coupled soil ecosystem. Available phosphorus and soil organic matter were identified as primary drivers of microbial community structure. The RLS system showed a slightly higher mean pH and weaker correlations between pH and other indicators compared to RM, indicating potential altered biogeochemical processes. Complex cascading effects among soil properties, enzyme activities, and microbial populations were revealed in RLS. These soil health benefits persisted throughout the study period, demonstrating the potential of RLS as an effective ecological intensification strategy for sustainable rice production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The indigo dye found in wastewater from printing and dyeing processes is potentially carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic, making it a serious threat to the health of animals, plants, and humans. Motivated by the growing need to remove indigo from wastewater, this study prepared novel fiber absorbents using melt-blow polypropylene (PP) melt as a matrix, as well as acrylic acid (AA) and maleic anhydride (MAH) as functional monomers. The modification conditions were studied to optimize the double-initiation, continuous-suspension grafting process, and then functional fibers were prepared by melt-blown spinning the modified PP. The results showed that the optimum modification conditions were as follows: a 3.5 wt% interfacial agent, 8 mg/L of dispersant, 80% monomer content, a 0.8 mass ratio of AA to MAH, a 1000 r/min stir speed, 3.5 wt% initiator DBPH grafting at 130 °C for 3 h, and 1 wt% initiator BPO grafting at 90 °C for 2 h. The highest grafting rate of the PP-g-AA-MAH was 31.2%, and the infrared spectrum and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis showed that AA and MAH were successfully grafted onto PP fiber. This modification strategy also made the fibers more hydrophilic. The adsorption capacity of the PP-g-AA-MAH fibers was highly dependent on pH, and the highest indigo adsorption capacity was 110.43 mg/g at pH 7. The fiber adsorption capacity for indigo increased rapidly before plateauing with increasing time or indigo concentration, and the experimental data were well described in a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and a Langmuir isothermal adsorption model. Most impressively, the modified fiber adsorption capacity for indigo remained as high as 91.22 mg/g after eight regeneration and reuse cycles. In summary, the PP-g-AA-MAH fibers, with excellent adsorption-desorption characteristics, could be readily regenerated and reused, and they are a promising material for the removal of indigo from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the modulation process of the VSI motor drive system, the nonlinear errors caused by the dead-time and conduction voltage drop will increase the phase current harmonic distortion and the torque ripple. To solve this problem, a novel dead-time free modulation scheme is proposed in this paper. In the non-zero crossing region of the phase current, the switching tube, whose body diode can provide a continuation path, is set as off-state, the driving signal is only implemented on another switching tube with the same bridge arm, and the errors caused by the conduction voltage drop and switching delay are compensated to the pulse duration. At the same time, to suppress the zero current clamp effect that exists near the zero crossing point of the phase current, another modulation scheme for the phase current crossing zero in advance is proposed, which avoids the complicated determination and calculation of the current polarity near the zero crossing point of the current. Both of the above modulation schemes eliminate the dead-time, and the switching principle is presented. In addition, to suppress the impact of the current ripple and high-frequency noise on the accuracy of the phase current detection, a second-order resonance digital filter without phase shift is introduced. Finally, compared to two deadtime compensation methods, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed dead-time free modulation scheme are verified by the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the migration and evolution of gas molecules in the actual oil–paper insulation composite system of transformer from the molecular level, the diffusion behavior of seven gas molecules (H2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6) generated during the operation and aging of oil-immersed transformers in the oil–paper composite insulation system is studied by molecular dynamics. Firstly, based on the molecular dynamics software, the model of the oil–paper composite insulation system and the gas molecule model is constructed. In order to compare and analyze the diffusion properties of gas molecules in a single medium, a single model of insulating oil and cellulose is also constructed. Then, the diffusion coefficients of gas molecules in the insulating oil, cellulose, and oil–paper insulating composite system are simulated and calculated. And the differences in the diffusion properties of gas molecules in the three insulating mediums are discussed. Finally, the microscopic mechanism of diffusion of different gas molecules in the three mediums is analyzed. The simulation results show that among the three mediums, the diffusion coefficient of H2 is the largest, while the diffusion coefficients of the other gas molecules are not very different. The diffusion coefficients of the seven gas molecules are the smallest in the oil-immersed paper composite insulation system, followed by cellulose, while the diffusion coefficients are the largest in mineral oil. It indicates that the diffusion of gas molecules is inhibited in oil–paper insulation systems where the insulating paper is completely immersed in oil. This is mainly due to the fact that the insulating oil completely penetrates into the paper, filling the pores and voids between the fibers, resulting in a reduction in the transition vacancies of the intermediate gas molecules, which hinders the diffusion of the gas molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study integrates genetic algorithms with simulation programs, applying the genetic algorithm's (GA) fitness calculation within the simulation to reduce complexity and significantly improve the efficiency of the optimization process. Additionally, the simulation introduces the concept of "Field Leveling" (FL), utilizing a push–pull strategy to explore more space for absorbing and utilizing unnecessary spillage for energy generation, thereby maximizing electricity production and ensuring optimal reservoir scheduling. Two methods are provided, namely the field-leveling genetic algorithms GAFL1 and GAFL2. GAFL1 involves only pushing and does not include a push–pull process; thus, it cannot optimize spillage. On the other hand, GAFL2 implements a complete push–pull strategy, continuously exploring additional space to absorb and utilize unnecessary spillage. Both GAFL1 and GAFL2 achieved reasonable results; specifically, compared to SQP, GAFL1 improved firm yield by 8.3%, spillage increased by 2.2 times, and total energy decreased by 1.2%. GAFL2, building on the basis of GAFL1, effectively reduces spillage under all hydrological conditions without affecting the highest priority of stable output. However, the impact of reducing spillage on energy generation is not consistent; in wet and dry years, reducing spillage increases energy generation. However, in normal years, a reduction in spillage corresponds with decreased energy generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-disaster protection strategies are essential for enhancing the resilience of electric power systems against natural disasters. Considering the budgets for protection strategies, the dependency of other infrastructure systems on electricity, and the uncertainty of disaster scenarios, this paper develops risk-neutral and risk management models of strategies for pre-disaster protection. The risk-neutral model is a stochastic model designed to maximize the expected value of resilience (EVR) of the integrated system. The risk management model is a multi-objective model prioritizing the minimization of risk metrics as a secondary goal alongside maximizing the EVR. A case study conducted on the energy infrastructure systems in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) validates the effectiveness of the models. The findings reveal the following: (i) increasing the budget enhances the EVR of the integrated system; however, beyond a certain budget threshold, the incremental benefits to the EVR significantly diminish; (ii) reducing the value of the downside risk often results in an increase in the EVR, with the variation in Pareto-optimal solutions between the two objectives being non-linear; and (iii) whether for the risk-neutral or risk management protection strategies, there are reasonable budgets when considering disaster intensity and the cost of protection measures. The models can help decision-makers to select effective protection measures for natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Excessive fluoride exposure induces skeletal fluorosis, but the specific mechanism responsible is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the pathogenesis of fluoride-induced bone injuries. Methods: We systematically searched fluoride-induced bone injury-related genes from five databases. Then, these genes were subjected to enrichment analyses. A TF (transcription factor)–mRNA–miRNA network and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network were constructed using Cytoscape, and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database was used to screen the expression of key proteins. The candidate pharmacological targets were predicted using the Drug Signature Database. Results: A total of 85 studies were included in this study, and 112 osteoblast-, 35 osteoclast-, and 41 chondrocyte-related differential expression genes (DEGs) were identified. Functional enrichment analyses showed that the Atf4, Bcl2, Col1a1, Fgf21, Fgfr1 and Il6 genes were significantly enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway of osteoblasts, Mmp9 and Mmp13 genes were enriched in the IL-17 signaling pathway of osteoclasts, and Bmp2 and Bmp7 genes were enriched in the TGF-beta signaling pathway of chondrocytes. With the use of the TF–mRNA–miRNA network, the Col1a1, Bcl2, Fgfr1, Mmp9, Mmp13, Bmp2, and Bmp7 genes were identified as the key regulatory factors. Selenium methyl cysteine, CGS-27023A, and calcium phosphate were predicted to be the potential drugs for skeletal fluorosis. Conclusions: These results suggested that the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway being involved in the apoptosis of osteoblasts, with the IL-17 and the TGF-beta signaling pathways being involved in the inflammation of osteoclasts and chondrocytes in fluoride-induced bone injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to facilitate the application of underwater laser welding technology in in situ repairs of nuclear power plants, this study conducted comparative experiments between local dry underwater laser welding and laser welding in air on 304NG nitrogen-controlled stainless steel. The aim was to explore its microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in underwater environments. It was found that, near the fusion line of laser welding in air, columnar dendrites gradually evolved into cellular dendrites toward the weld center, eventually disappearing, resulting in a skeletal ferrite and serrated austenite structure. The underwater laser welding joints exhibited similar characteristics yet with more pronounced alternation between columnar and cellular dendrites. Additionally, the size of cellular dendrites decreased significantly, and needle-like ferrite was observed at the weld center. The hardness of underwater laser welded joints was slightly higher than that of in-air laser welded joints. Compared to laser welding in air, the strength of underwater laser welding joints increased from 443 MPa to 471 MPa, and the displacement increased from 2.95 mm to 3.45 mm, both types of welded joints exhibited a mixed mode fracture characterized by plasticity and brittleness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the complex temperature distribution and fatigue behavior of single film-cooling holes manufactured by lasers with different pulse widths in a real flow field. The aerodynamic and heat transfer characteristics of film-cooling holes manufactured using lasers with different pulse widths were analyzed through laser drilling experiments, conjugate heat transfer simulations, and crystal plasticity finite element methods. The study investigated the relationship between changes in the geometric accuracy of the film-cooling holes and the corresponding flow and temperature fields during the film-cooling process. Additionally, the effects of temperature and structural variations on the stress around the holes in a flat plate composed of the second-generation nickel-based single-crystal superalloy DD6 in real flow and temperature fields were studied. The coupling effect of the temperature and stress fields around the holes on the fatigue behavior of the film-cooling holes was examined, and the fatigue damage mechanism of film-cooling holes in complex temperature fields was analyzed. It was found that changes in the blowing ratio do not affect the temperature and stress distributions around the holes but only alter the temperature peak. An increase in the temperature peak results in a decrease in the stress peak. Additionally, the fatigue damage of single film-cooling holes is determined by both the structural defects of the holes and the changes in material behavior due to the temperature around the holes, with the structural influence being more significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a single-feed microstrip antenna (MA) equipped with a transmission-mode focusing metasurface (MS) is proposed to achieve dual-polarization capabilities and superior high-gain radiation performance. The original-feed MA comprises two distinct layers of coaxial-fed tangential patches, enabling it to emit a circular polarization (CP) wave with a gain of 3.5 dBic at 5.6 GHz and linear polarization (LP) radiation with a gain of 4 dBi at 13.7 GHz. To improve the performance of the single-feed MA, a dual-polarization transmission focusing MS is proposed and numerically substantiated. By positioning the originally designed MA at the focal point of the MS, we create a transmission-mode MS antenna system capable of achieving CP and LP radiations with the significantly higher gains of 12.9 dBic and 14.8 dBi at 5.6 GHz and 13.7 GHz, respectively. Measurements conducted on the fabricated dual-polarization focusing MS antenna closely align with the simulation results, validating the effectiveness of our approach. This work underscores the significant potential of dual-polarization high-speed data systems and offers a practical solution for enhancing antenna gains in contemporary wireless communication systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of turbulent heat fluxes in urban forests is crucial for understanding structural variations in the urban sub-surface boundary layer. This study used data captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an improved semi-empirical triangle method to estimate small-scale turbulent heat fluxes in the sub-surface of an urban forest. To improve the estimation accuracy, the surface temperature (TS) of the UAV-based remote sensing inversion was corrected using the hot and cold spot correction method, and the process of calculating ϕ m a x using the traditional semi-empirical triangle method was improved to simplify the calculation process and reduce the number of parameters in the model. Based on this method, latent heat fluxes (LE) and sensible heat fluxes (H) were obtained with a horizontal resolution of 0.13 m at different time points in the study area. A comparison and validation with the measured values of the eddy covariance (EC) system showed that the absolute error of the LE estimates ranged from 4.43 to 23.11 W/m2, the relative error ranged from 4.57% to 25.33%, the correlation coefficient (r) with the measured values was 0.95, and the root mean square error (RMSE) was 35.96 W/m2, while the absolute error of the H estimates ranged from 3.42 to 15.45 W/m2, the relative error ranged from 7.51% to 28.65%, r was 0.91, and RMSE was 9.77 W/m2. Compared to the traditional triangle method, the r of LE was improved by 0.04, while that of H was improved by 0.06, and the improved triangle method was more accurate in estimating the heat fluxes of urban mixed forest ecosystems in the region. Using this method, it was possible to accurately track the LE and H of individual trees at the leaf level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interrupted-sampling repeater jamming (ISRJ) is widely used in the field of electronic countermeasures, and can severely affect radar detection. Therefore, the problem of ISRJ suppression is a compelling task. In this paper, we propose an ISRJ suppression method based on an intrapulse frequency-coded joint frequency modulation (FM) slope agile waveform. The intrapulse frequency-coded joint FM slope agile waveform is first designed. The delay inserted between subpulses makes the waveform easy to implement in engineering, and the ambiguity function diagram of the waveform approximates the ideal thumbtack type. Next, the echo slices are classified in the fractional domain utilizing the discontinuity of ISRJ and the focusing property of fractional Fourier transform for chirp signals. Then, the target and interference in the interfered echo slices are reconstructed by compressed sensing, and a time-domain filter is constructed based on interference-free echo slices. Finally, the echo signal after interference suppression is further filtered in the time domain to degrade range sidelobes. Simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively suppress three typical types of ISRJ. Moreover, the probability of target detection after interference suppression exceeds 90% when the jamming-to-signal ratio equals 50 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-complexity network models are challenging to execute on agricultural robots with limited computing capabilities in a large-scale pineapple planting environment in real time. Traditional module replacement often struggles to reduce model complexity while maintaining stable network accuracy effectively. This paper investigates a pineapple detection framework with a YOLOv7-tiny model improved via pruning and a lightweight backbone sub-network (the RGDP-YOLOv7-tiny model). The ReXNet network is designed to significantly reduce the number of parameters in the YOLOv7-tiny backbone network layer during the group-level pruning process. Meanwhile, to enhance the efficacy of the lightweight network, a GSConv network has been developed and integrated into the neck network, to further diminish the number of parameters. In addition, the detection network incorporates a decoupled head network aimed at separating the tasks of classification and localization, which can enhance the model's convergence speed. The experimental results indicate that the network before pruning optimization achieved an improvement of 3.0% and 2.2%, in terms of mean average precision and F1 score, respectively. After pruning optimization, the RGDP-YOLOv7-tiny network was compressed to just 2.27 M in parameter count, 4.5 × 10 9 in computational complexity, and 5.0MB in model size, which were 37.8%, 34.1%, and 40.7% of the original YOLOv7-tiny network, respectively. Concurrently, the mean average precision and F1 score reached 87.9% and 87.4%, respectively, with increases of 0.8% and 1.3%. Ultimately, the model's generalization performance was validated through heatmap visualization experiments. Overall, the proposed pineapple object detection framework can effectively enhance detection accuracy. In a large-scale fruit cultivation environment, especially under the constraints of hardware limitations and limited computational power in the real-time detection processes of agricultural robots, it facilitates the practical application of artificial intelligence algorithms in agricultural engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, scholars have incorporated peer effects into the research framework of consumption, providing a new perspective for studying residents' consumer behavior. However, the common themes of thethese two terms are relatively under-researched, and a more detailed synthesis is needed. This study presents a visual bibliometric analysis of the knowledge structure and evolution of the peer effect in the field of consumption using CiteSpace (v.6.3. R1). The results show that the peer effect in the consumer domain has received increasing attention from the academic community and has broad research prospects. This study also provides a theoretical summary based on analysis of the literature. The mechanism of generating consumer behavioral peer effects, identification methods, and reference group categories are comprehensively discussed. Finally, this study proposes future research priorities based on the shortcomings of current research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power systems are the main source of carbon emissions. Currently, coordinated operation strategies of the source–grid–load–storage model considering carbon emissions is primarily expanded from the generation side. For practical power systems, where multiple types of generating units coexist at a single node, it is difficult to develop unit combination strategies that simultaneously consider carbon emission factors and power flow constraints. Therefore, a new power flow calculation method based on connectivity matrix theory was proposed, aiming to address the issues of existing approaches that are too coarse and unable to accurately represent the operating states of multiple units under each node. Furthermore, a new method for dynamic calculation of regional carbon emission based on connectivity matrix and carbon emissions flow was introduced to improve the accuracy of carbon emission measurements. Firstly, a simulation model for a coordinated optimization operation based on the minimum system cost for the source–grid–load was established and an optimal flow calculation method using a connectivity matrix was introduced. Second, a dynamic carbon emission calculation method, considering electricity sources, was developed by combining the results of the optimal power flow calculation with carbon emission flow theory. Finally, the effectiveness of the approach in this article was verified by the IEEE 14-bus system example and a provincial power grid, ensuring strict adherence to the conservation principle of carbon emissions between the supply and demand sides and satisfying power flow constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The close relationship between land use and carbon stock is crucial for regional carbon balance, territorial and spatial planning, and the sustainable development of ecosystems. As a pioneer of Park Cities, Chengdu plays a vital role in Chinese cities. To investigate the impact of Park City construction on carbon stock, this study adopted a new perspective, the Park City perspective, using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model to analyze the spatial and temporal differences in carbon stock. Additionally, we used Geographic Detector to analyze the driving factors of carbon stock in Chengdu. Based on the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals (peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060), we simulated the carbon stock in Chengdu for the years 2030 and 2060. Simultaneously, combining the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model, we simulated the changing trends of carbon stock in Chengdu under three scenarios: the natural development scenario (NDS), cultivated land protection scenario (CLDS), and Park City scenario (PCS). The results show the following: (1) After the construction of the Park City, the quality of forest land improved, resulting in an increase in forest carbon stock by 1.19 × 106 tons. (2) Compared to the scenario without Park City construction, the implementation of the Park City led to a total carbon stock increase of 3.75 × 105 tons, with forest carbon stock increasing by 7.48 × 105 tons. (3) The PCS is the most conducive to achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, with the highest carbon stock. (4) Carbon stock is mainly driven by socio-economic factors. Land use/land cover (LULC) has the greatest explanatory power, with a q value of 0.9. The Park City is of great significance for an increase in carbon stock in Chengdu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling carbon emissions is a global goal, and China is actively implementing carbon reduction measures. As a major agricultural nation, China has considerable potential for developing agricultural residues as renewable and environmentally friendly biomass energy. In this study, we obtained data on crop yields, crop-to-grain ratios, and livestock excretion coefficients to calculate the biomass resources of agricultural and livestock residues in Chinese provinces from 2013 to 2022. Crop residue biomass resources showed a distribution pattern with higher levels in the north than in the south and the east than in the west. Henan and Heilongjiang provinces consistently had the highest resource levels, exceeding 35 million tons annually for 10 years. The biomass resources from livestock residues were relatively abundant in Sichuan, Henan, Yunnan, Shandong, Hunan, and Inner Mongolia. Inner Mongolia, Sichuan, Shandong, and Henan had the greatest potential for CO2 emission reductions, primarily located in regions abundant in biomass resources and with high traditional energy consumption levels. ArcGIS was used to apply natural break classification to categorize the potential for emission reductions from agricultural and livestock residues across China from 2013 to 2022 into five classes. Based on factors such as crop planting area and livestock numbers, the spatiotemporal distribution of factors influencing the quantity of biomass resources was examined using Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression. A tailored and integrated approach should be used for biomass, and the development of biomass energy should be promoted through policy support and technological innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous hierarchical structures are extensively utilized in engineering for their high specific strength, enhanced corrosion resistance, and multifunctionality. Over the past two decades, multiscale topology optimization for these structures has garnered significant attention. This paper introduces a novel hybrid MMCs (Moving Morphable Components)–density topology optimization method for quasi-periodic cellular structures. The term 'quasi-periodic' refers to microstructures whose different macroscopic points exhibit similar topologies with varying parameters. The primary concept involves using the MMC method to describe microstructural topology, while employing variable density to depict macro layouts. This approach leverages the advantage of MMCs in explicitly describing structural topology alongside the variable density of arbitrary microstructures. Sensitivity analyses of the optimization functions concerning design variables are shown, and a gradient optimization solver is employed to solve the optimization model. The examples effectively show the efficacy of the proposed method, illustrating that quasi-periodic cellular structures outperform single-scale solid structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with general images, objects in remote sensing (RS) images typically exhibit a conspicuous diversity due to their arbitrary orientations. However, many of the prevalent detectors generally apply an inflexible strategy in setting the angles of anchor, ignoring the fact that the number of possible orientations is predictable. Consequently, their processes integrate numerous superfluous angular considerations and hinder their efficiency. To deal with this situation, we propose a dynamic density-driven estimation network (DDE-Net). We design three core modules in DDE-Net: a density-map and mask generation module (DGM), mask routing prediction module (MRM), and spatial-balance calculation module (SCM). DGM is designed for the generation of a density map and mask, which can extract salient features. MRM is for the prediction of object orientation and corresponding weights, which are used to calculate feature maps. SCM is used to affine transform the convolution kernel, which applies an adaptive weighted compute mechanism to enhance the average feature, so as to balance the spatial difference to the rotation feature extraction. A broad array of experimental evaluations have conclusively shown that our methodology outperforms existing state-of-the-art detectors on common aerial object datasets (DOTA and HRSC2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timing Engineering Change Order (ECO) is time-consuming in IC design, requiring multiple rounds of timing analysis. Compared to traditional methods for accelerating timing analysis, which focus on a specific design, timing ECO requires higher accuracy and generalization because the design changes considerably after ECO. Additionally, there are challenges with slow acquisition of data for large designs and insufficient data for small designs. To solve these problems, we propose TSTL-GNN, a novel approach using two-stage transfer learning based on graph structures. Significantly, considering that delay calculation relies on transition time, we divide our model into two stages: the first stage predicts transition time, and the second stage predicts delay. Moreover, we employ transfer learning to transfer the model's parameters and features from the first stage to the second due to the similar calculation formula for delay and transition time. Experiments show that our method has good accuracy on open-source and industrial applications with an average R 2 s c o r e / M A E of 0.9952/13.36, and performs well with data-deficient designs. Compared to previous work, our model reduce prediction errors by 37.1 ps on the modified paths, which are changed by 24.27% on average after ECO. The stable R 2 score also confirms the generalization of our model. In terms of time cost, our model achieved results for path delays consuming up to 80 times less time compared to open-source tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Henckelia longisepala (H. W. Li) D. J. Middleton & Mich. Möller is a rare and endangered plant species found only in Southeastern Yunnan, China, and Northern Vietnam. It is listed as a threatened species in China and recognized as a plant species with extremely small populations (PSESP), while also having high ornamental value and utilization potential. This study used ddRAD-seq technology to quantify genetic diversity and structure for 32 samples from three extant populations of H. longisepala. The H. longisepala populations were found to have low levels of genetic diversity (Ho = 0.1216, He = 0.1302, Pi = 0.1731, FIS = 0.1456), with greater genetic differentiation observed among populations (FST = 0.3225). As indicated by genetic structure and phylogenetic analyses, samples clustered into three distinct genetic groups that corresponded to geographically separate populations. MaxEnt modeling was used to identify suitable areas for H. longisepala across three time periods and two climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP5-8.5). High-suitability areas were identified in Southeastern Yunnan Province, Northern Vietnam, and Eastern Laos. Future H. longisepala distribution was predicted to remain centered in these areas, but with a decrease in the total amount of suitable habitat. The present study provides key data on H. longisepala genetic diversity, as well as a theoretical basis for the conservation, development, and utilization of its germplasm resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) is a natural rubber (NR)-producing plant and a model plant for studying the biosynthesis of NR. Analyzing and studying the biosynthetic mechanism of NR is an important way to cultivate high-yield rubber TKS varieties. JAZ proteins, which belong to the Jasmonate ZIM domain family, function as negative regulators in the jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction pathway. MYC2 is typically regarded as a regulatory factor for the target genes of JAZ proteins; JAZ proteins indirectly influence the gene expression regulated by MYC2 by modulating its activity. Theoretically, JAZ is expected to participate in growth, development, and responses to environmental cues related to rubber and biomass accumulation in TKS, all of which rely on the interaction between JAZ and MYC2. In this study, we identified 11 TkJAZs through homology searching of the TKS genomes and bioinformatics analyses. Subcellular localization, Y2H, and BiFC analysis demonstrate that TkJAZs and TkMYC2 are localized in the nucleus, with all TkJAZs and TkMYC2 showing nuclear colocalization interactions. Overexpression of TkMYC2 in TKS inhibited leaf development, promoted root growth, and simultaneously increased NR production. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the TkSRPP/REF genes exhibit varying degrees of upregulation compared to the wild type, upregulating the TkREF1 gene by 3.7-fold, suggesting that TkMYC2 regulates the synthesis of NR by modulating the TkSRPP/REF genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally recognized that the quality differences in plant germplasm resources are genetically determined, and that only a good "pedigree" can have good quality. Ecological memory of plants and rhizosphere soil fungi provides a new perspective to understand this phenomenon. Here, we selected 45 tea tree germplasm resources and analyzed the rhizosphere soil fungi, nutrient content and tea quality. We found that the ecological memory of tea trees for soil fungi led to the recruitment and aggregation of dominant fungal populations that were similar across tea tree varieties, differing only in the number of fungi. We performed continuous simulation and validation to identify four characteristic fungal genera that determined the quality differences. Further analysis showed that the greater the recruitment and aggregation of Saitozyma and Archaeorhizomyces by tea trees, the greater the rejection of Chaetomium and Trechispora, the higher the available nutrient content in the soil and the better the tea quality. In summary, our study presents a new perspective, showing that ecological memory between tea trees and rhizosphere soil fungi leads to differences in plants' ability to recruit and aggregate characteristic fungi, which is one of the most important determinants of tea quality. The artificial inoculation of rhizosphere fungi may reconstruct the ecological memory of tea trees and substantially improve their quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of high-hydrostatic-pressure (HHP) treatment of varying intensity (100–600 MPa) and duration (10–30 min) on polyphenols and volatile aromatic compounds in Marselan red wine. The types and concentrations of polyphenols and volatile aromatic compounds were compared before and after HHP treatment; the results indicated that HHP treatment at 300 MPa for 20 min significantly increased the total polyphenol content to 369.70 mg/L, a rise of 35.82%. The contents of key polyphenols, such as resveratrol and protocatechuic acid, were significantly enhanced. Furthermore, while the total content of volatile aromatic compounds did not change significantly under this condition compared to the untreated samples, the concentration of ester compounds significantly increased to 1.81 times that of the untreated group, thereby enriching the floral and fruity aromas of the wine and effectively improving its aromatic profile and sensory quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) further validated the positive impact of HHP treatment on the flavor characteristics of Marselan red wine. These findings provide technical support for the use of HHP in improving wine quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on the physicochemical–rheological properties of silver carp surimi gel was investigated. The gel strength, texture, water-holding capacity (WHC), dynamic distribution of water, and rheological properties of surimi gels added with different levels (0, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.1%) of EGCG were measured. The results showed that with the increase of EGCG content, the gel strength, hardness, WHC, and immobilized water contents of surimi gels showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, and EGCG 0.02% and EGCG 0.04% showed better gel performance as compared with the control. EGCG 0.02% had the highest gel strength (406.62 g·cm), hardness (356.67 g), WHC (64.37%), and immobilized water contents (98.958%). The gel performance decreased significantly when the amounts of EGCG were higher than 0.06%. The viscosity, G′, and G″ of the rheological properties also showed the same trends. The chemical interaction of surimi gels, secondary structure of myofibrillar protein (MP), and molecular docking results of EGCG and silver carp myosin showed that EGCG mainly affected the structure and aggregation behavior of silver carp myosin through non-covalent interactions such as those of hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic interactions. The microstructures of EGCG 0.02% and EGCG 0.04% were compact and homogeneous, and had better gel formation ability. The lower concentrations of EGCG formed a large number of chemical interactions such as those of disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions inside the surimi gels by proper cross-linking with MP, and also increased the ordered β-sheet structure of MP, which facilitated the formation of the compact three-dimensional network gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blowing agent-assisted extrusion cooking is a novel processing technique that can alter the expansion of extruded snacks and, thus, enhance their physical appeal, such as texture. However, to this day, this technique has only been studied for ingredients with limited protein contents (<30%). In this study, protein-enriched snacks were extruded using nitrogen gas as a blowing agent at a wide protein range (0–50%) to better explore the potential of this technique in manufacturing high-protein snacks. The results showed that, with nitrogen gas injection, extrudate radial expansion was significantly (p < 0.05) improved at 10% and 40% protein, while extrudate density was significantly reduced at 30% and 50% protein. Nitrogen gas-injected extrudates, especially at 50% protein, exhibited improvements in texture, including a reduction in hardness and an increase in crispness. Collectively, this study showed the promising potential of nitrogen gas-assisted extrusion in improving the physical appeal of innovative healthy snacks at a high protein level (i.e., 50%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distinctive taste of Sichuan sauce-flavored sausage comes from an intricate microbial metabolism. The correlation between microbial composition and distinct flavor components has not been researched. The study used headspace solid-phase microextraction action with gas chromatography mass spectrometry to find flavor components and high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA to look at the diversity and succession of microbial communities. The correlation network model forecasted the connection between essential bacteria and the development of flavors. The study revealed that the primary flavor compounds in Sichuan sauce-flavored sausages were alcohols, aldehydes, and esters. The closely related microbes were Leuconostoc, Pseudomonas, Psychrobacter, Flavobacterium, and Algoriella. The microbes aided in the production of various flavor compounds, such as 1-octen-3-ol, benzeneacetaldehyde, hexanal, (R,R)-2,3-butanediol, and ethyl caprylate. This work has enhanced our comprehension of the diverse functions that bacteria serve in flavor development during the fermentation of Sichuan sauce-flavored sausage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, β-NiS nanoparticles (NPs) were efficiently prepared by a straightforward hydrothermal process. The difference in morphology between these NiS NPs was produced by adding different amounts of thiourea, and the corresponding products were denoted as NiS-15 and NiS-5. Through electrochemical tests, the specific capacity (Cs) of NiS-15 was determined to be 638.34 C g−1 at 1 A g−1, compared to 558.17 C g−1 for NiS-5. To explore the practical application potential of such β-NiS NPs in supercapacitors, a hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) device was assembled with activated carbon (AC) as an anode. Benefitting from the high capacity of the NiS cathode and the large voltage window of the device, the NiS-15//AC HSC showed a high energy density (Ed) of 43.57 W h kg−1 at 936.92 W kg−1, and the NiS-5//AC HSC provided an inferior Ed of 37.89 W h kg−1 at 954.79 W kg−1. Both HSCs showed excellent cycling performance over 6000 cycles at 10 A g−1. The experimental findings suggest that both NiS-15 and NiS-5 in this study can serve as potential cathodes for high-performance supercapacitors. This current synthesis method is simple and can be extended to the preparation of other transition metal sulfide (TMS)-based electrode materials with exceptional electrochemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of the manufacturing industry toward intelligence and flexibility, traditional mechanical presses are unable to meet the increased stamping requirements due to the difficulties in achieving variable speed control and changing slide motion trajectories. Servo presses, driven directly by servo motors, can realize the flexible control of press movement and have become the trend in the industry for future development. The independent research and development of servo press control systems has become a popular topic and challenge in the domestic press industry. This paper proposes a new type of press transmission mechanism suitable for high-precision stamping, analyzes the working principle of its transmission mechanism, and provides a detailed analysis and discussion on the main research methods of fuzzy intelligent control for servo presses, including fuzzy model and basic control algorithms, fuzzy modeling and control of nonlinear systems, fuzzy predictive control, and stability analysis of fuzzy control systems. Based on the principle of the control scheme, a closed-loop control system block diagram and mathematical model for servo high-precision presses are established. Taking the physical prototype parameters of the STSZG1-250 as an example, the control system is dynamically simulated and verified using Simulink modules. Finally, their role and effects in intelligent control, and prospects for the development of fuzzy intelligent control, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the characteristics and sources of heavy metal(loid) pollution in the soil of a key industrial park in Kunming, China. In total, 60 soil samples (40 from agricultural land and 20 from construction land) were collected from and around the park. The soil pH and contents of Arsenic (As), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr) were measured. The contents of the eight heavy metal(loid)s were analyzed using the background values of heavy metal(loid)s in the Kunming soil. The pollution load, geoaccumulation, and Nemero Comprehensive Pollution Indices were used for environmental risk evaluation. Cluster and principal component analyses were used to resolve heavy metal(loid) sources. Cd was enriched in construction and agricultural soils. As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn exhibited large spatial differentiation and were significantly affected by the external environment. A regional pollution load index of 3.02 indicated overall heavy pollution. The pollution load index for each heavy metal(loid) indicated light pollution. The geoaccumulation index indicated relatively severe As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn pollution. The Nemero Composite Pollution Index value showed that the study area was heavily polluted, with construction land being mildly polluted by Cd, and agricultural land being moderately polluted. The results of the spatial distribution show that there were high levels of contamination in the center. Correlation and principal component analyses showed that the pollution sources of the eight heavy metal(loid)s varied. Hg, Cd, and Pb originate primarily from industrial and agricultural pollution. Traffic sources significantly impacted Cu, Pb, Cd, and Cr. Natural sources are the main sources of Cr, Ni, and Cd. Ni is also affected by industrial sources, whereas Zn and Cu are affected by agricultural pollution. The influences of As, Cd, and Pb on the surface soil in the study area were more serious. Cd is more widely polluted and should be a priority in controlling soil heavy metal(loid)s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the challenging working conditions aboard ships, equipment may develop various defects that traditional nondestructive testing methods cannot fully detect. This study proposes a combined approach using pulsed eddy current and electromagnetic ultrasonic testing for enhanced probe detection. Utilizing COMSOL 6.2 finite-element software, a two-dimensional model of the probe was developed to optimize the probe's design. Based on these findings, a composite probe was designed and structurally optimized, resulting in improved energy conversion efficiency. An experimental platform was established to evaluate the detection capabilities of the composite detection probes. The results indicate that the composite detection probe, as designed and optimized in this study, is effective in testing materials with various artificial defects and enhances the detection of near-surface defects in materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract argumentation has become one of the important fields of artificial intelligence. This paper proposes a dual-neighborhood tabu search (DNTS) method specifically designed to find a single stable extension in abstract argumentation frameworks. The proposed algorithm implements an improved dual-neighborhood strategy incorporating a fast neighborhood evaluation method. In addition, by introducing techniques such as tabu and perturbation, this algorithm is able to jump out of the local optimum, which significantly improves the performance of the algorithm. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the method, the performance of the algorithm on more than 300 randomly generated benchmark datasets was studied and compared with the algorithm in the literature. In the experiment, DNTS outperforms the other method regarding time consumption in more than 50 instances and surpasses the other meta-heuristic method in the number of solved cases. Further analysis shows that the initialization method, the tabu strategy, and the perturbation technique help guarantee the efficiency of the proposed DNTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to shorten detection times and improve average precision in embedded devices, a lightweight and high-accuracy model is proposed to detect passion fruit in complex environments (e.g., with backlighting, occlusion, overlap, sun, cloud, or rain). First, replacing the backbone network of YOLOv5 with a lightweight GhostNet model reduces the number of parameters and computational complexity while improving the detection speed. Second, a new feature branch is added to the backbone network and the feature fusion layer in the neck network is reconstructed to effectively combine the lower- and higher-level features, which improves the accuracy of the model while maintaining its lightweight nature. Finally, a knowledge distillation method is used to transfer knowledge from the more capable teacher model to the less capable student model, significantly improving the detection accuracy. The improved model is denoted as G-YOLO-NK. The average accuracy of the G-YOLO-NK network is 96.00%, which is 1.00% higher than that of the original YOLOv5s model. Furthermore, the model size is 7.14 MB, half that of the original model, and its real-time detection frame rate is 11.25 FPS when implemented on the Jetson Nano. The proposed model is found to outperform state-of-the-art models in terms of average precision and detection performance. The present work provides an effective model for real-time detection of passion fruit in complex orchard scenes, offering valuable technical support for the development of orchard picking robots and greatly improving the intelligence level of orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronous monitoring electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) have received significant attention in brain science research for their provision of more information on neuro-loop interactions. There is a need for an integrated hybrid EEG-fNIRS patch to synchronously monitor surface EEG and deep brain fNIRS signals. Here, we developed a hybrid EEG-fNIRS patch capable of acquiring high-quality, co-located EEG and fNIRS signals. This patch is wearable and provides easy cognition and emotion detection, while reducing the spatial interference and signal crosstalk by integration, which leads to high spatial–temporal correspondence and signal quality. The modular design of the EEG-fNIRS acquisition unit and optimized mechanical design enables the patch to obtain EEG and fNIRS signals at the same location and eliminates spatial interference. The EEG pre-amplifier on the electrode side effectively improves the acquisition of weak EEG signals and significantly reduces input noise to 0.9 μVrms, amplitude distortion to less than 2%, and frequency distortion to less than 1%. Detrending, motion correction algorithms, and band-pass filtering were used to remove physiological noise, baseline drift, and motion artifacts from the fNIRS signal. A high fNIRS source switching frequency configuration above 100 Hz improves crosstalk suppression between fNIRS and EEG signals. The Stroop task was carried out to verify its performance; the patch can acquire event-related potentials and hemodynamic information associated with cognition in the prefrontal area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrochilus is an orchid genus containing about 70 species in tropical and subtropical Asia with high morphological diversity. The phylogenetic relationships among this genus have not been fully resolved, and the plastome evolution has not been investigated either. In this study, five plastomes of Gastrochilus were newly reported, and sixteen plastomes of Gastrochilus were used to conduct comparative and phylogenetic analyses. Our results showed that the Gastrochilus plastomes ranged from 146,183 to 148,666 bp, with a GC content of 36.7–36.9%. There were 120 genes annotated, consisting of 74 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. No contraction and expansion of IR borders, gene rearrangements, or inversions were detected. Additionally, the repeat sequences and codon usage bias of Gastrochilus plastomes were highly conserved. Twenty hypervariable regions were selected as potential DNA barcodes. The phylogenetic relationships within Gastrochilus were well resolved based on the whole plastome, especially among main clades. Furthermore, both molecular and morphological data strongly supported Haraella retrocalla as a member of Gastrochilus (G. retrocallus). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum key distribution (QKD) technology is a frontier in the field of secure communication, leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to offer information-theoretically secure keys. Postprocessing is an important part of a whole QKD system because it directly impacts the secure key rate and the security of the system. In particular, with the fast increase in the photon transmission frequency in a QKD system, the processing speed of postprocessing becomes an essential issue. Our study embarks on a comprehensive review of the development of postprocessing of QKD, including five subprotocols, namely, parameter estimation, sifting, information reconciliation, privacy amplification, and channel authentication. Furthermore, we emphasize the issues raised in the implementation of these subprotocols under practical scenarios, such as limited computation or storage resources and fluctuations in channel environments. Based on the composable security theory, we demonstrate how enhancements in each subprotocol influence the secure key rate and security parameters, which can provide meaningful insights for future advancements in QKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant reed (Arundo donax) is widely distributed across the globe and is considered an important energy crop. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the chloroplast genome of giant reed, revealing detailed characteristics of this species' chloroplast genome. The chloroplast genome has a total length of 137,153 bp, containing 84 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes, with a GC content of 39%. Functional analysis indicates that a total of 45 photosynthesis-related genes and 78 self-replication-related genes were identified, which may be closely associated with its adaptability and growth characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Arundo donax cv. Lvzhou No.1 belongs to the Arundionideae clade and occupies a distinct evolutionary position compared to other Arundo species. The findings of this study not only enhance our understanding of the giant reed genome but also provide valuable genetic resources for its application in biotechnology, bioenergy crop development, and ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The liver plays a critical role in maintaining health and normal functions in chickens. This study focuses on understanding how a specific small molecule called microRNA-122, which is found in large amounts in the liver, influences these functions. To do this, we used a specially designed virus to increase the levels of microRNA-122 in the liver of young chickens. By analyzing the changes in gene activity, we discovered that higher levels of microRNA-122 impact several vital processes. These include fat metabolism, the aging of cells, cell adhesion, and cellular communication. Additionally, we identified eight specific genes that microRNA-122 may regulate. These findings provide new insights into how microRNA-122 controls important liver functions and can help improve the health and productivity of chickens. The liver of chickens is essential for maintaining physiological activities and homeostasis. This study aims to investigate the specific function and molecular regulatory mechanism of microRNA-122 (miR-122), which is highly expressed in chicken liver. A lentivirus-mediated overexpression vector of miR-122 was constructed and used to infect 12-day-old female Qingyuan Partridge chickens. Transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in the liver. Overexpression of miR-122 resulted in 776 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Enrichment analyses, including Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed associations with lipid metabolism, cellular senescence, cell adhesion molecules, and the MAPK signaling pathway. Eight potential target genes of miR-122 (ARHGAP32, CTSD, LBH, PLEKHB2, SEC14L1, SLC2A1, SLC6A14, and SP8) were identified through miRNA target prediction platforms and literature integration. This study provides novel insights into the molecular regulatory mechanisms of miR-122 in chicken liver, highlighting its role in key biological processes and signaling pathways. These discoveries enhance our understanding of miR-122's impact on chicken liver function and offer valuable information for improving chicken production performance and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Muscle development plays a pivotal role in the growth process of chickens. Clarifying the mechanisms of muscle development holds significant scientific and economic value. In this study, transcriptome sequencing was conducted on muscle tissues from two broilers with differing growth rates, identifying Insulin–like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) as a potential participant in chicken muscle development via bioinformatics analysis. The identified genes were further validated using overexpression and knockdown approaches. It was found that IGF2BP1 is highly expressed in chicken muscle tissues, and the experimental results indicated that IGF2BP1 expression promotes the proliferation and differentiation of chicken primary myoblasts (CPMs). These findings offer new insights into the regulation of muscle development. Muscle development is a multifaceted process influenced by numerous genes and regulatory networks. Currently, the regulatory network of chicken muscle development remains incompletely elucidated, and its molecular genetic mechanisms require further investigation. The Longsheng-Feng chicken, one of the elite local breeds in Guangxi, serves as an excellent resource for the selection and breeding of high-quality broiler chickens. In this study, we conducted transcriptome sequencing of the pectoral muscles of Longsheng-Feng chickens and AA broiler chickens with different growth rates. Through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, we identified differentially expressed genes that affect muscle growth and showed that IGF2BP1 is a key participant in chicken muscle development. Subsequently, we employed QRT-PCR, EdU staining, and flow cytometry to further investigate the role of IGF2BP1 in the proliferation and differentiation of chicken myogenic cells. We identified 1143 differentially expressed genes, among which IGF2BP1 is intimately related to the muscle development process and is highly expressed in muscle tissues. Overexpression of IGF2BP1 significantly promotes the proliferation and differentiation of chicken primary myoblasts, while knockdown of IGF2BP1 significantly inhibits these processes. In summary, these results provide valuable preliminary insights into the regulatory roles of IGF2BP1 in chicken growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]