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"Trapiche-like" texture is distinct from "trapiche" texture as typically observed in emeralds, amethysts, and aquamarines. It is also occasionally encountered in sapphires from Changle, eastern North China Craton. The advent of the trapiche-like texture has enhanced the ornamental value of sapphire, although its origin is still unclear. In this study, techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), have been applied to test the spectroscopic data of the cores, arms, and blue sectors of trapiche-like sapphires from Changle and explore the mineralogical characteristics of different domains. The main component of the core, arms, and blue sectors of trapiche-like sapphire is corundum (Al2O3), with trace elements including Fe, Ti, Mg, Cr, V, Ga, etc. From arms to cores to sectors, trace elements show a trend of increasing and then decreasing. Nb and Ta elements are more enriched in the arms than in the sectors, indicating the existence of rutile. With changes in physicochemical conditions during magma evolution, rutile melted, and related voids were filled with glassy inclusions, which formed the arms of trapiche-like sapphires. Field observations of primary deposits, as well as petrological and geochemical analyses, reveal that the trapiche-like sapphire of Changle belongs to magmatic sapphire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Glioma is the most prevalent form of primary malignant brain tumor and is often associated with a grim prognosis. Exosomes, minute extracellular vesicles, are secreted by various cells and hold a significant role in tumor growth and invasion. Examining the contents they carry allows for a deeper understanding of tumor characteristics and progression. Moreover, exosomes possess the capability to traverse the blood–brain barrier, functioning as effective delivery vehicles. By encapsulating chemotherapy drugs and other molecules, we can achieve an enhanced therapeutic outcome. This article primarily delves into the impact of exosomes on glioma development, as well as the latest strides in diagnosis and treatment. This underscores the advantages and potential avenues for future research in the realm of exosomes for glioma diagnosis and treatment. Gliomas, the most prevalent primary malignant brain tumors, present a challenging prognosis even after undergoing surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Exosomes, nano-sized extracellular vesicles secreted by various cells, play a pivotal role in glioma progression and contribute to resistance against chemotherapy and radiotherapy by facilitating the transportation of biological molecules and promoting intercellular communication within the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, exosomes exhibit the remarkable ability to traverse the blood–brain barrier, positioning them as potent carriers for therapeutic delivery. These attributes hold promise for enhancing glioma diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Recent years have witnessed significant advancements in exosome research within the realm of tumors. In this article, we primarily focus on elucidating the role of exosomes in glioma development, highlighting the latest breakthroughs in therapeutic and diagnostic approaches, and outlining prospective directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder with unclear etiology and pathological features. Neuroscientists are increasingly proposing that schizophrenia is an abnormality in the dynamic organization of brain networks. Previous studies have found that the dynamic brain networks of people with SZ are abnormal in both space and time. However, little is known about the interactions and overlaps between hubs of the brain underlying spatiotemporal dynamics. In this study, we aimed to investigate different patterns of spatial and temporal overlap of hubs between SZ patients and healthy individuals. Specifically, we obtained resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the public dataset for 43 SZ patients and 49 healthy individuals. We derived a representation of time-varying functional connectivity using the Jackknife Correlation (JC) method. We employed the Betweenness Centrality (BC) method to identify the hubs of the brain's functional connectivity network. We then applied measures of temporal overlap, spatial overlap, and hierarchical clustering to investigate differences in the organization of brain hubs between SZ patients and healthy controls. Our findings suggest significant differences between SZ patients and healthy controls at the whole-brain and subnetwork levels. Furthermore, spatial overlap and hierarchical clustering analysis showed that quasi-periodic patterns were disrupted in SZ patients. Analyses of temporal overlap revealed abnormal pairwise engagement preferences in the hubs of SZ patients. These results provide new insights into the dynamic characteristics of the network organization of the SZ brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Submerged Floating Tunnel (SFT) is a highly promising cross-sea transportation structure. Due to its body being suspended in water, waves and flows are the primary environmental loads it encounters. Existing numerical simulations have been based on potential flow theory, which fails to fully consider shear forces and the nonlinear characteristics of the flow field. To overcome this limitation, the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach, relying on solving the Navier-Stokes equations, can be employed. In this study, we establish a CFD model for the SFT and analyze the impact mechanisms of wave-flow coupling on its dynamic response, considering parameters such as wave height, flow velocity, wave direction, and flow direction. With increasing wave height, the acceleration, mooring tension, and heave amplitude of the SFT significantly increase, and the nonlinear characteristics of its dynamic response become more pronounced. For example, when wave height, Hi, increases from 0.046 m to 0.138 m, the maximum value of dimensionless heave, δz/Hi, increases from 0.075 to 0.284, nearly quadrupling in magnitude. When waves and flows propagate in the same direction, the heave amplitude of the SFT increases compared to the case with waves acting alone, while sway and roll amplitudes decrease. Under conditions of higher flow velocity, the SFT displaces significantly along the direction of flow and water depth, deviating significantly from its original equilibrium position. At this point, the tunnel primarily experiences periodic forces due to vortex shedding, and the anchor chain on the downstream side remains slack. In scenarios where waves and flows propagate in opposite directions, both the maximum acceleration and mooring tension of the SFT increase significantly. For instance, the onshore tension of the cable, Fon, increases by 36%, while the offshore tension, Foff, increases by 89%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network motif analysis approaches provide insights into the complexity of the brain's functional network. In recent years, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been reported to result in abnormal information interactions in macro- and micro-scale functional networks. However, most existing studies remain limited due to potentially ignoring meso-scale topology information. To address this gap, we aimed to investigate functional motif patterns in ADHD to unravel the underlying information flow and analyze motif-based node roles to characterize the different information interaction methods for identifying the abnormal and changing lesion sites of ADHD. The results showed that the interaction functions of the right hippocampus and the right amygdala were significantly increased, which could lead patients to develop mood disorders. The information interaction of the bilateral thalamus changed, influencing and modifying behavioral results. Notably, the capability of receiving information in the left inferior temporal and the right lingual gyrus decreased, which may cause difficulties for patients in processing visual information in a timely manner, resulting in inattention. This study revealed abnormal and changing information interactions based on network motifs, providing important evidence for understanding information interactions at the meso-scale level in ADHD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the total factor productivity (TFP) of animal husbandry enterprises is the key to promoting the sustainable development of animal husbandry. Technological progress is an important driving force for improving the TFP of animal husbandry enterprises, and research and development (R&D) investment determines the speed of technological progress. Based on the data of Chinese animal husbandry enterprises listed on Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares in China between 2009 and 2022, this article empirically analyzes the impact of R&D investment on the TFP of animal husbandry enterprises and the moderating role of executive incentives in it and discusses the heterogeneity of this impact, using the fixed-effects model. It is found that R&D investment has a significant positive impact on the TFP of animal husbandry enterprises, and the TFP of animal husbandry enterprises increased by 0.00105 for every 1% increase in R&D investment. Equity incentives for executives positively moderated the relationship between R&D investment and the TFP of animal husbandry enterprises, while executive compensation incentives negatively moderated the relationship. Heterogeneity analysis shows that R&D investment has a significant effect on the TFP of non-state-owned animal husbandry enterprises, but has no significant impact on the TFP of state-owned animal husbandry enterprises. The impact of R&D investment on TFP showed a significant promotion in the livestock and poultry breeding and meat product processing industries, but not in the feed production, dairy product processing and animal health industries. R&D investment has a significant effect on the TFP of animal husbandry enterprises in Eastern China and Central China, but has no significant impact on the TFP of animal husbandry enterprises in Western China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopts the sol-gel method to prepare a TiO2 coating on the surface of the AZ91 magnesium alloy, hydrolyse C16H36O4Ti to generate the TiO2 coating and form a film with excellent corrosion resistance on the surface of an AZ91 magnesium alloy. The composition, surface structure and microstructure of the TiO2 coatings are characterised via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy. The corrosion performance of the surface coatings was investigated through hydrogen evolution experiments and electrochemical tests. The results demonstrate that TiO2 sols prepared from a mixture of hydrochloric acid, deionised water, C16H36O4Ti and anhydrous ethanol can form stable layers on the surface of an AZ91 magnesium alloy after heat treatment. The results of hydrogen evolution experiments and electrochemical tests reveal that the TiO2 coating can effectively improve the corrosion resistance of the AZ91 magnesium alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A healthy lymphatic system is required to return excess interstitial fluid back to the venous circulation. However, up to 49% of breast cancer survivors eventually develop breast cancer-related lymphedema due to lymphatic injuries from lymph node dissections or biopsies performed to treat cancer. While early-stage lymphedema can be ameliorated by manual lymph drainage, no cure exists for late-stage lymphedema when lymph vessels become completely dysfunctional. A viable late-stage treatment is the autotransplantation of functional lymphatic vessels. Here we report on a novel engineered lymphatic flap that may eventually replace the skin flaps used in vascularized lymph vessel transfers. The engineered flap mimics the lymphatic and dermal compartments of the skin by guiding multi-layered tissue organization of mesenchymal stem cells and lymphatic endothelial cells with an aligned decellularized fibroblast matrix. The construct was tested in a novel bilayered wound healing model and implanted into athymic nude rats. The in vitro model demonstrated capillary invasion into the wound gaps and deposition of extracellular matrix fibers, which may guide anastomosis and vascular integration of the graft during wound healing. The construct successfully anastomosed in vivo, forming chimeric vessels of human and rat cells. Overall, our flap replacement has high potential for treating lymphedema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beef cattle industry is pivotal in China's livestock industry and is important for meeting people's needs for a better life in the new era. It is strategically important for prospering the frontier, enriching people, and revitalizing the countryside. Because of the national "double carbon" target, there will be an impact on the development of the meat cattle industry, which has a relatively high carbon emission level. The scientific measurement of carbon emission levels in the beef cattle industry, clarifying its main impact factors, are particularly critical. This study measured the carbon emissions from China's beef cattle industry from 2008 to 2020, using provincial data and the life cycle method, and investigated its influencing factors using a spatial econometric model. The study is of great practical significance for accurately understanding the carbon emissions of the beef cattle industry and for promoting low carbon emission reductions and the transformational development of the beef cattle industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of various industries, the connection of copper and aluminum is in high demand. However, as a solid-phase connection technology, friction stir welding has a potential application prospect in the connection of copper and aluminum. This paper comprehensively summarizes the most recent 20 years of the literature related to the friction stir welding of copper and aluminum. The application significance of copper and aluminum connectors is introduced, and the research field of the friction stir welding of copper and aluminum is analyzed and explored from the aspects of welding technology, microstructure and mechanical properties, as well as innovations and improvements in the welding process. In view of the research status of this field, the authors put forward their views and prospects for its future, aiming to provide a basis for researchers in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effect of different shapes of tool pin on the plastic flow of 2024-T6 aluminum alloy during friction stir welding was studied. In order to observe the plastic flow of materials more clearly, we chose the method of friction stir welding of dissimilar materials, considering the different corrosive characteristics of aluminum alloys made of different materials when exposed to the same corrosive liquid. By studying and comparing the temperature field, macro and microstructure, microhardness and tensile properties of welded joints, the results indicated that the metal in the weld nugget zone (WNZ) mainly came from the base metal of the advancing side, the thread being the driving force of the downward movement of the FSW plastic metal. The deep groove thread tool pin had the strongest ability to drive the metal downward. The conical cam thread tool pin had the strongest stirring effect on materials and the best metal fluidity. The macroscopic morphology, microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture morphology of different joints were analyzed, and the results showed that all joints could form an excellent union, with an onion ring pattern appearing in cross-section. The minimum grain size of the WNZ formed by the conical cam thread stirring head was 7~12 μm; the hardness was least at the junction of the heat affected zone (HAZ) and the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ). However, the hardness of the weld formed by the conical cam thread at this point was higher than that of other stirring heads; the tensile strength of all joints was more than 80% of the BM, and the maximum tensile strength of the joint welded by the conical cam thread tool pin was 364.27 MPa, accounting for 86.73% of the base metal (BM). The elongation after break was 14.95%. Tensile fracture morphology analysis showed that all joints were fractured by plastic fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder with unclear etiology and pathological features. Neuroscientists are increasingly proposing that schizophrenia is an abnormality in the dynamic organization of brain networks. Previous studies have found that the dynamic brain networks of people with SZ are abnormal in both space and time. However, little is known about the interactions and overlaps between hubs of the brain underlying spatiotemporal dynamics. In this study, we aimed to investigate different patterns of spatial and temporal overlap of hubs between SZ patients and healthy individuals. Specifically, we obtained resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the public dataset for 43 SZ patients and 49 healthy individuals. We derived a representation of time-varying functional connectivity using the Jackknife Correlation (JC) method. We employed the Betweenness Centrality (BC) method to identify the hubs of the brain's functional connectivity network. We then applied measures of temporal overlap, spatial overlap, and hierarchical clustering to investigate differences in the organization of brain hubs between SZ patients and healthy controls. Our findings suggest significant differences between SZ patients and healthy controls at the whole-brain and subnetwork levels. Furthermore, spatial overlap and hierarchical clustering analysis showed that quasi-periodic patterns were disrupted in SZ patients. Analyses of temporal overlap revealed abnormal pairwise engagement preferences in the hubs of SZ patients. These results provide new insights into the dynamic characteristics of the network organization of the SZ brain.