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This paper introduces an alternative method for determining the shear strength parameters of concrete materials, specifically the rectangular section splitting method, to ascertain the shear strength parameters of concrete materials. Based on the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion, formulas for calculating the cohesion (c) and the angle of internal friction (φ) of concrete materials are derived. Numerical simulation is employed to fit and solve for the coefficients involved in the formulas. Subsequently, the concrete rectangular section splitting method and direct shear tests are utilized to verify the derived formulas. The results indicate that there is a certain feasibility to the shear strength parameters obtained for concrete materials through the rectangular section splitting method. The cohesion (c) differs by approximately 3.65%, and the angle of internal friction (φ) differs by about 6.94% when compared to the shear strength parameters obtained through direct shear tests. This suggests that the rectangular section splitting method provides a viable approach for determining the shear strength parameters of concrete materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Insulin-like peptides are known to be crucial endocrine hormones that influence various physiological processes, including growth and reproduction in insects. However, the specific roles of insulin-like peptides in the reproduction of natural enemy insects remain to be known. Coccinella septempunctata is an effective biological control agent and it is of great biocontrol significance to study the functions of insulin-like peptide genes in female reproduction of this natural predator. In this study, we cloned two insulin-like peptide genes and analyzed their functions in female C. septempunctata. It was found that silencing these insulin-like peptide genes resulted in significant down-regulation of ovarian development-related genes, leading to a prolonged pre-oviposition period, decreased fecundity, and reduced hatching rates of female C. septempunctata. These findings confirm the regulatory functions of these insulin-like peptide genes in female C. septempunctata reproduction and enhance our understanding of peptide hormones in natural enemy insects, contributing to improved biological pest control strategies. Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) are important peptide hormones in insects, particularly involved in regulating physiological processes such as growth, development, and reproduction. However, the specific roles of ILPs in the reproduction of natural enemy insects remain unknown. In this study, two ILP genes, CsILP1 and CsILP2, were cloned and their functions were analyzed in female Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The open reading frames (ORFs) of CsILP1 and CsILP2 were 384 bp and 357 bp, respectively. The expression of CsILP1 increased on the 6th day after eclosion, reaching its peak on the 12th day, while CsILP2 levels showed a significant increase on the 6th day and then stabilized. In different tissues, CsILP1 was highly expressed in ovaries, while CsILP2 predominated in elytra. Injection of dsRNA targeting CsILP1 and CsILP2 resulted in the down-regulation of insulin pathway genes. The relative expression of ovarian development-related genes Vasa, G2/M, and Vg was reduced by 82.50%, 89.55%. and 96.98% in dsCsILP1-treated females, and by 42.55%, 91.36%, and 55.63% in dsCsILP2-treated females. Furthermore, substantial decreases in 14-day fecundity were observed, with reductions of 89.99% for dsCsILP1 and 83.45% for dsCsILP2. These results confirm the regulatory functions of CsILP1 and CsILP2 in female C. septempunctata reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil bean is a high-quality, economically valuable variety of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) that is widely cultivated in Northeast China. However, the prevalence of anthracnose, caused by a combination of factors, including continuous cropping over many years, has led to significant declines in both yield and quality. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is a highly conserved plant cell signaling pathway that plays a pivotal role in plant growth and development, as well as responses to biotic stress. However, its role in the response of P. vulgaris to anthracnose infection has not previously been reported. We identified and characterized thirteen MAPK genes (PvMAPK01–PvMAPK13) in the P. vulgaris genome. These genes were found on eight of the eleven chromosomes of P. vulgaris, and phylogenetic analyses classified them into four previously established subgroups (A–D). Analysis of the cis-acting elements in their promoter regions revealed the presence of multiple elements associated with light, hormone regulation, stress responses, and growth and development. An analysis of intraspecific collinearity revealed that whole-genome and/or segmental duplication, rather than tandem duplication, has been the primary driver of PvMAPK family expansion in P. vulgaris. Transcriptome data revealed that the PvMAPKs differed in their tissue-specific expression patterns, with PvMAPK05 showing particularly high expression in stems and stem tips and PvMAPK07 and PvMAPK11 showing relatively low expression across all tissues. In general, expression of the PvMAPKs was higher in stems, stem tips, and pods than in other tissues and organs, suggesting that they may be particularly important for regulating stem and pod development. Analysis of the expression of PvMAPKs in field-grown plants infected or uninfected with anthracnose revealed that the relative expression levels of PvMAPK05, PvMAPK07, PvMAPK09, and PvMAPK11 exhibited particularly significant changes in response to anthracnose infection across different varieties, suggesting their potential involvement in the anthracnose response of Phaseolus vulgaris. This study reports the fundamental characteristics of the thirteen MAPK genes in P. vulgaris, documents their expression patterns in diverse tissues, and offers preliminary insights into their responses to anthracnose infection, establishing a foundation for subsequent functional validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of the low diagnosis rate of early weak faults of rolling bearings, a novel bearing fault diagnosis method based on Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) and convolutional neural network (CNN)−Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) was proposed. Based on the basic Sparrow Search Algorithm, the tent chaotic mapping, the Osprey Optimization Algorithm, and the Cauchy mutation were used to enhance the global search ability of the algorithm. To improve the accuracy of fault diagnosis, the BiLSTM layer is introduced into CNN to preserve the global and local features to the maximum extent. The experimental results show that VMD avoids the end effect problem in Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD). The accuracy rate of the diagnosis model based on CNN-BILSTM reached 97.6667%, which was higher than that of the common diagnosis model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study explored the role of Buchnera aphidicola, an obligate endosymbiont, in the biotype differentiation of Sitobion avenae (Fabricius). Buchnera abundance varied among biotypes when fed on different wheat and barley varieties. The reduction of Buchnera abundance by antibiotic treatment altered the virulence of the five biotypes. Transcriptome analysis showed that genes involved in amino acid metabolism were differentially expressed between different biotypes of S. avenae. The deficiencies in leucine and tryptophan most significantly affected nymph development and aphid fecundity. The genetic differentiation of Buchnera among S. avenae biotypes was also observed. These findings suggest that Buchnera may play a role in the biotype differentiation of S. avenae through its influence on amino acid metabolism. This provides valuable insights for breeding resistant crop varieties and reducing the reliance on insecticides. Buchnera aphidicola, an obligate endosymbiont of most aphid species, can influence aphids' host adaptability through amino acid metabolism, potentially mediating biotype differentiation. However, its role in the biotype differentiation of Sitobion avenae remains unclear. To address this issue, six S. avenae biotypes were tested in this study. Buchnera abundance varied among biotypes fed on different wheat/barley varieties (i.e., Zhong 4 wumang, 186-TM12-34; Dulihuang, Zaoshu No.3, Xiyin No.2). The reduction in Buchnera abundance through antibiotic (rifampicin) treatment altered the virulence of five S. avenae biotypes. Based on transcriptome analysis, the differential expression of three genes (i.e., LeuB, TrpE, and IlvD) related to leucine, tryptophan, isoleucine, and valine metabolism was detected between different biotypes. Principal component analysis showed that leucine and tryptophan deficiencies most significantly impacted nymph development duration and aphid fecundity. Additionally, a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree indicated the genetic differentiation of Buchnera among different biotypes. These results suggest Buchnera-mediated amino acid metabolism is correlated with biotype differentiation in S. avenae, although the precise mechanisms by which Buchnera influences this differentiation require further investigation. This study can offer a theoretical basis for the development of resistant crops, leading to the sustainable control of this aphid and reduced reliance on chemical insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genus Pseudomonas bacteria mainly consume glucose through the Entner–Doudoroff (ED) route due to a lack of a functional Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas (EMP) pathway. In the present study, a 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase (edd) operon in the ED route was well investigated to find its structural characteristics and roles in the regulation of glucose consumption and 2-ketogluconic acid (2KGA) metabolism in the industrial 2KGA-producer P. plecoglossicida JUIM01. The edd operon contained four structural genes of edd, glk, gltR, and gtrS, encoding 6-PG dehydratase Edd, glucokinase Glk, response regulatory factor GltR, and histidine kinase GtrS, respectively. A promoter region was observed in the 5′-upstream of the edd gene, with a transcriptional start site located 129 bp upstream of the edd gene and in a pseudo-palindromic sequence of 5′-TTGTN7ACAA-3′ specifically binding to the transcription factor HexR. The knockout of the edd gene showed a remarkably negative effect on cell growth and re-growth using 2KGA as a substrate, beneficial to 2KGA production, with an increase of 8%. The deletion of glk had no significant effect on the cell growth or glucose metabolism, while showing an adverse impact on the 2KGA production, with a decrease of 5%. The outputs of the present study would provide a theoretical basis for 2KGA-producer improvement with metabolic engineering strategies and the development and optimization of P. plecoglossicida as the chassis cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries have committed to carbon reductions and carbon neutrality targets in response to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With economic development, the transportation sector has become a major source of carbon emissions. In China, transport infrastructure—as an important carrier of the transportation sector—is important for controlling carbon emissions from this sector and achieving carbon neutrality and the targets of the SDGs. However, most studies have focused on transport vehicles and neglected transport infrastructure. Furthermore, the influences of collusive behavior and digital control technologies on the carbon reduction process have not yet been examined. This study aimed to analyze the influencing factors in the carbon reduction process in transport infrastructure. This study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the factors influencing carbon reductions in transport infrastructure and the mediating roles of collusive behavior and digital control technologies in the carbon reduction process. Low-carbon technologies, digital control technologies, and collusive behavior have positive direct and indirect effects on the carbon reduction effect. Digital control technologies have a positive effect on low-carbon regimes. Low-carbon technologies influence carbon reduction effects. Collusive behavior plays a mediating role in low-carbon regimes. Finally, the industrial structure influences carbon reduction effects. This study extends China's carbon emission research in the transportation sector by focusing on infrastructure rather than vehicles. Additionally, this is the first study to incorporate collusive behavior and digital control technologies into the framework to analyze the impact of carbon reductions. The study also employs PLS-SEM to explore effective carbon reduction paths. The findings provide decision-making support for controlling carbon reductions in transport infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the differences in floral composition and functions between the two types of microbiota, ileal contents and feces were collected from Sprague Dawley (SD) rats fed in a conventional or specific-pathogen free (SPF) environment and rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD), and the V3–V4 region of the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene in these rats was then amplified and sequenced. Compared with feces, about 60% of the bacterial genera in the ileum were exclusive, with low abundance (operational taxonomic units (OTUs) < 1000). Of bacteria shared between the ileum and feces, a few genera were highly abundant (dominant), whereas most had low abundance (less dominant). The dominant bacteria differed between the ileum and feces. Ileal bacteria showed greater β-diversity, and the distance between in-group samples was nearer than that between paired ileum–feces samples. Moreover, the ileum shared various biomarkers and functions with feces (p < 0.05). The HFD and SPF conditions had a profound influence on α-diversity and abundance but not on the exclusive/shared features or β-diversity of samples. The present findings suggested that, under conventional circumstances, fecal bacteria can represent approximately 40% of the low abundant ileal bacterial genera and that dominant fecal bacteria failed to represent the ileal dominant flora. Moreover, fecal flora diversity does not reflect β-diversity in the ileum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on exploring the indication and importance of selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te) in distinguishing different genetic types of ore deposits. Traditional views suggest that dispersed elements are unable to form independent deposits, but are hosted within deposits of other elements as associated elements. Based on this, the study collected trace elemental data of pyrite, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite in various types of Se-Te bearing deposits. The optimal end-elements for distinguishing different genetic type deposits were recognized by principal component analysis (PCA) and the silhouette coefficient method, and discriminant diagrams were drawn. However, support vector machine (SVM) calculation of the decision boundary shows low accuracy, revealing the limitations in binary discriminant visualization for ore deposit type discrimination. Consequently, two machine learning algorithms, random forest (RF) and SVM, were used to construct ore genetic type classification models on the basis of trace elemental data for the three types of metal sulfides. The results indicate that the RF classification model for pyrite exhibits the best performance, achieving an accuracy of 94.5% and avoiding overfitting errors. In detail, according to the feature importance analysis, Se exhibits higher Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) values in volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) and epithermal deposits, especially the latter, where Se is the most crucial distinguishing element. By comparison, Te shows a significant contribution to distinguishing Carlin-type deposits. Conversely, in porphyry- and skarn-type deposits, the contributions of Se and Te were relatively lower. In conclusion, the application of machine learning methods provides a novel approach for ore genetic type classification and discrimination research, enabling more accurate identification of ore genetic types and contributing to the exploration and development of mineral resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fatigue performance of steel–concrete composite beams is crucial for ensuring structural safety. To account for the member's multiaxial stress state, this study employed the critical surface method, using fatigue damage parameters as an evaluation index for assessing fatigue performance. Static and fatigue performance tests on steel–concrete beams were conducted to identify failure characteristics, which informed the development of a finite element model that incorporates concrete damage. Using the SWT model, the most unfavorable loading parameters were determined by analyzing critical paths on the test beams, providing a basis for predicting how initial defects impact fatigue performance. The impact of initial defects on the fatigue performance of the composite beam is assessed using this criterion. The results indicate that the discrepancy between the actual and predicted load capacities of the test beam is within 5%, and cyclic loading significantly affects the test beam's mechanical properties, resulting in a 27% reduction in load capacity and a 48% increase in deflection after 2 million cycles. Finite element modeling reveals that components experience multiaxial stress, with test beam mechanical property changes aligning with predicted fatigue damage parameters, confirming the reliability of using these parameters as a criterion. As the strength of the composite beams diminished due to pore defects, the fatigue damage parameter escalated, increasing the likelihood of crack formation. However, once the concrete's strength fell to a level where the pegs were insufficiently constrained, the structural damage pattern shifted, and the fatigue damage parameter subsequently decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physalis philadelphica, a member of the Solanaceae family, commonly known as Physalis, is a one-year-old herbaceous plant with both medicinal and edible properties, as well as ornamental value. At present, only limited research is available on the flower color of P. philadelphica. This study aimed to elucidate the metabolic characteristics underlying the flower color of P. philadelphica and to identify key genes associated with flower color metabolism. We selected two representative varieties of P. philadelphica with significant differences in flower color, namely, "Tieba" (yellow flower) and "Qingjin" (yellow-purple flower), as the experimental materials. The analysis of related pigment components and the determination of relative content by high-performance liquid chromatography were conducted to investigate the flower color-related metabolic pathways of P. philadelphica. Through next-generation sequencing, these pathways were further investigated for the characteristics and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with flower color formation. The results of the research show that: Anthocyanin is the main component of petal coloring of P. philadelphica var. Qingjin, while malvidin pigment, pelargonidin, delphinidin, and cyanidin are the main components of flower color intensity. Carotenoids are the main components of the petal coloring of P. philadelphica var. Tieba and β-carotene is the main component of flower color intensity. Comparing different developmental stages of these two kinds of Physalis pubescens, we identified two key transcription factors (TFs) (eBP and STAT) that were involved in the inhibition of anthocyanin synthesis and regulate the inhibition of pf05G124640 (dihydroflavonol 4-reductase) and pf09G224140 (anthocyanin synthase) in anthocyanin synthesis. One heat shock transcription factor was found to regulate the flavonoid and flavonol synthesis pathway of pf01G020090 (anthocyanin 3-O-glucosyltransferase); two key TFs (NAC and G2-Like), pf10G255070 (isoricin dehydrogenase) and pf09G237080 (abscisic acid 8′-hydroxylase), played important roles in carotene biosynthesis. This study provides new insights for further exploration of the genetic diversity of petal coloring in P. philadelphica and establishes a foundation for subsequent molecular breeding efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Source–sink zones refer to aggregated adjacent origins/destinations with homogeneous trip flow characteristics. Current relevant studies mostly detect source–sink zones based on outflow/inflow volumes without considering trip routes. Nevertheless, trip routes detail individuals' journeys on road networks and give rise to relationships among human activities, road network structures, and land-use types. Therefore, this study developed a novel approach to delineate source–sink zones based on trip route aggregation on road networks. We first represented original trajectories using road segment sequences and applied the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model to associate trajectories with route semantics. We then ran a hierarchical clustering operation to aggregate trajectories with similar route semantics. Finally, we adopted an adaptive multi-variable agglomeration strategy to associate the trajectory clusters with each traffic analysis zone to delineating source and sink zones, with a trajectory topic entropy defined as an indicator to analyze the dynamic impact between the road network and source–sink zones. We used taxi trajectories in Xiamen, China, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical interfaces are prevalent in industries like aerospace and maritime, where the normal contact stiffness on these surfaces is a crucial component of the overall stiffness of mechanical structures. From the perspective of structural mechanics, normal contact stiffness significantly affects the dynamic response of mechanical structures and must be considered in mechanical design and simulation analysis. Essentially, the mechanical interface represents a typical type of nonlinear contact, characterized by both its non-uniform distribution and its frequency-dependent properties under external excitations. A plate structure was designed to study the distribution and frequency-dependent characteristics of normal contact stiffness on the mechanical interface. Experiments validated that the normal contact stiffness not only significantly increases the fundamental frequency of the plate but also alters its mode shapes. To replicate the experimental results in simulations, the BUSH elements were used to model the normal contact stiffness within the plate structure, arranging it non-uniformly and setting it to vary with frequency according to the plate's mode shapes and frequency response. This method accurately replicated the plate's mode shapes and response curves within the 0–1000 Hz range in simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large depth of field (DOF) and stereo photography are challenging yet rewarding areas of research in close-up photography. In this study, a compound-eye imaging system based on a discrete microlens array (MLA) was implemented for close-range thin imaging. A compact imaging system with a total length of 3.5 mm and a DOF of 7 mm was realized using two planar aspherical MLAs in a hexagonal arrangement. A new three-layer structure and discrete arrangement of sublenses were proposed to suppress stray light and enable the spatial refocusing method, which restores image information at different object depths. The system is successfully fabricated, and the system performance is carefully investigated. Our system offers a large depth of field, high resolution, and portability, making it ideal for close-up photography applications requiring a short conjugate distance and small device volume, while also addressing the issue of crosstalk between adjacent channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs are small regulatory molecules that control gene expression. An emerging property of muscle miRNAs is the cooperative regulation of transcriptional and epitranscriptional events controlling muscle phenotype. miR-155 has been related to muscular dystrophy and muscle cell atrophy. However, the function of miR-155 and its molecular targets in muscular dystrophies remain poorly understood. Through in silico and in vitro approaches, we identify distinct transcriptional profiles induced by miR-155-5p in muscle cells. The treated myotubes changed the expression of 359 genes (166 upregulated and 193 downregulated). We reanalyzed muscle transcriptomic data from dystrophin-deficient patients and detected overlap with gene expression patterns in miR-155-treated myotubes. Our analysis indicated that miR-155 regulates a set of transcripts, including Aldh1l, Nek2, Bub1b, Ramp3, Slc16a4, Plce1, Dync1i1, and Nr1h3. Enrichment analysis demonstrates 20 targets involved in metabolism, cell cycle regulation, muscle cell maintenance, and the immune system. Moreover, digital cytometry confirmed a significant increase in M2 macrophages, indicating miR-155's effects on immune response in dystrophic muscles. We highlight a critical miR-155 associated with disease-related pathways in skeletal muscle disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preparation of active packaging loaded with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and other functional agents has become a hot topic for food preservation in recent years. In this field, active fiber films based on spinning methods have attracted the interest of researchers owing to their high specific surface area, high porosity, high loading capacity, and good controlled release capacity. In the present work, neatly arranged ethyl cellulose (EC)/polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) fibrous films loaded with natamycin as an antimicrobial agent were prepared by microfluidic spinning. The encapsulation efficiency of natamycin was more than 90% in each group and the loading increased with increasing natamycin content. According to the characterization results of the natamycin-loaded EC/PVP fibrous films, hydrogen bonding was formed between natamycin and EC and PVP in the fibrous films. Meanwhile, the water contact angle of the fibrous films was increased, suggesting the improved hydrophobicity of the films. In the in vitro bacterial inhibition experiments, the active fiber films loaded with natamycin showed good antimicrobial activity, which could significantly inhibit the growth of gray mold. In conclusion, N-EC/PVP fibrous films with antimicrobial activity prepared by microfluidic spinning showed good potential in the field of active packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suppressor of mother against decapentaplegic (SMAD) family proteins are central to one of the most versatile cytokine signalling pathways in metazoan biology, the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway. The TGF-β pathway is widely known for its dual role in cancer progression as both an inhibitor of tumour cell growth and an inducer of tumour metastasis. This is mainly mediated through SMAD proteins and their cofactors or regulators. SMAD proteins act as transcription factors, regulating the transcription of a wide range of genes, and their rich post-translational modifications are influenced by a variety of regulators and cofactors. The complex role, mechanisms, and important functions of SMAD proteins in tumours are the hot topics in current oncology research. In this paper, we summarize the recent progress on the effects and mechanisms of SMAD proteins on tumour development, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, and provide clues for subsequent research on SMAD proteins in tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beam-only connected reinforced concrete shear wall (BRW) is used as a reinforcing component to enhance the seismic performance of concrete-filled, double-skin steel tube (CFDST) frames. The effects of the BRW on seismic risks of CFDST frames are investigated. Three performance levels of limit states are defined and described according to the typical failure of test specimens and the existing definition of current guidance. A simplified numerical model is calibrated for CFDST frame-BRW structures, and test results validate it. Nonlinear dynamic analyses on a nine-story CFDST-BRW building are performed to investigate the effects of BRW on reducing the seismic risk of CFDST buildings. The results show that the BRW reduces the probability of collapse of the CFDST frame to 2.76% in 50 years, which can effectively reduce the probability of different degrees of damage in the service cycle of the structure. The results provide information for risk-informed decision-making on the design of CFDST frame-BRW structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a growing public health problem associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cancer. Here, we identify microRNA-22 (miR-22) as an essential rheostat involved in the control of lipid and energy homeostasis as well as the onset and maintenance of obesity. We demonstrate through knockout and transgenic mouse models that miR-22 loss-of-function protects against obesity and hepatic steatosis, while its overexpression promotes both phenotypes even when mice are fed a regular chow diet. Mechanistically, we show that miR-22 controls multiple pathways related to lipid biogenesis and differentiation. Importantly, genetic ablation of miR-22 favors metabolic rewiring towards higher energy expenditure and browning of white adipose tissue, suggesting that modulation of miR-22 could represent a viable therapeutic strategy for treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The travel source–sink phenomenon is a typical urban traffic anomaly that reflects the imbalanced dissipation and aggregation of human mobility activities. It is useful for pertinently balancing urban facilities and optimizing urban structures to accurately sense the spatiotemporal ranges of travel source–sinks, such as for public transportation station optimization, sharing resource configurations, or stampede precautions among moving crowds. Unlike remote sensing using visual features, it is challenging to sense imbalanced and arbitrarily shaped source–sink areas using human mobility trajectories. This paper proposes a density-based adaptive clustering method to identify the spatiotemporal ranges of travel source–sink patterns. Firstly, a spatiotemporal field is utilized to construct a stable neighborhood of origin and destination points. Then, binary spatiotemporal statistical hypothesis tests are proposed to identify the source and sink core points. Finally, a density-based expansion strategy is employed to detect the spatial areas and temporal durations of sources and sinks. The experiments conducted using bicycle trajectory data in Shanghai show that the proposed method can accurately extract significantly imbalanced dissipation and aggregation events. The travel source–sink patterns detected by the proposed method have practical reference, meaning that they can provide useful insights into the redistribution of bike-sharing and station resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at making new proposals for developing future Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) standards tailored to DC microgrids in a frequency range between 9 and 500 kHz. In particular, new EMC proposals are made to reduce Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) with arc hazard detection and narrowband power line communication (PLC). To achieve this, first, arc detection requirements, PLC standards and existing EMC standards are reviewed. Next, new proposals are made to specify EMC requirements for equipment in DC microgrids in terms of conducted emission, immunity (9–500 kHz) and minimum impedance requirement (>40 kHz). The minimum impedance requirement is a new type of requirement and the relevant compliance testing method is developed. The new EMC proposals also distribute frequency bands to support arc detection and narrowband PLC. Then, to show the feasibility and advantage of proposed EMC codes, this paper develops a new arc detection method, which relies on only measuring the arc noise voltage (40–100 kHz) in a single point of the grid and does not need one or more current measurements. A total of three test cases are presented to show the feasibility of the arc detection method and the significance of having an EMC minimum impedance requirement. The executed tests for this paper also show that new EMC proposals are feasible and promising for DC microgrids. This concept and approach are the major novelties of this paper. The specific EMC threshold levels for conducted noise, immunity, and impedance within a frequency range between 9 and 500 kHz will need to be further fine-tuned based on the microgrid application parameters and further gathering of experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has promoted the development in human production and living standards, and the metabolic rhythm of metal resources has accelerated. Grasping the metabolic processes of metal resources and predicting their future development trends can help the country refine the formulation and adaptability of metal resource production and the recycling strategies for sustainable development. In this study, from the perspective of the entire life cycle of steel resources as an example, a system dynamics-based metal resource metabolism prediction model was established to predict the steel resources in the three stages, including production, in-use and end-of-life recycling. The trend in changes in steel resources production, in-use stock, end-of-life and recycling in mainland China from 1990 to 2020 were also analyzed. The results show that the volume of all stages of steel resource metabolism in mainland China from 1990 to 2020 has shown an increasing trend, and will reach a peak around 2040 and then remain stable. The steel resources in all the metabolism stages in mainland China were predominantly distributed in buildings. In mainland China, steel resource production efficiency reached above 0.9 and the steel resource outflow rate was 0.079, within which the domestic scrap rate reached 0.022 and the recycling rate reached above 0.8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and spatial correlation patterns of green building development differences in 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2012 to 2020 by means of the gravity center analysis model and spatial autocorrelation analysis. In addition, it further clarifies the impact factors of the spatial differentiation pattern of green building development in combination with GeoDetector based on four dimensional factors of population and economy, market environment, policy, and other factors. The results showed that: (1) According to the analysis of the number of green buildings in each city from 2012 to 2020 and the natural discontinuity method, the development pattern of green buildings in the Yangtze River Delta region city clusters shows an imbalance, being highly concentrated in the eastern coastal areas with Suzhou (1) and Shanghai as the core. The overall trajectory of the center of gravity shows the development from southeast to northwest. (2) The global Moran's I of green buildings in the Yangtze River Delta region city clusters is greater than 0, and all passed the significance test (Z > 1.96, p < 0.01), indicating that the green buildings in the Yangtze River Delta region city clusters show typical spatial aggregation characteristics. By using the local LISA index, it is found that in the H-H spatial autocorrelation distribution pattern with Suzhou (1) and Shanghai as the core, the core city has a strong attraction ability and relatively low radiation ability. (3) Based on the explanatory power mean, the main driving factors of the spatial differentiation pattern of green building development in the Yangtze River Delta region city clusters are education level (0.6656), technical level (0.6269), and the gross domestic product (0.6091). The factor interaction shows a two-factor enhancement and nonlinear enhancement effect, and there is neither a weakening nor an independent relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium-ion batteries with carbon-based materials and alloy materials as anodes possess pronounced potassium storage and cycling abilities, yet they suffer from harsh synthetic processes, low initial Coulombic efficiency, and limited structure stability. Herein, we first put forward potassium vanadium fluorophosphate (KVPO4F) as a highly stable anode material for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). KVPO4F@C composite is successfully synthesized through hydrothermal method followed by a low-temperature roasting process. An amorphous carbon film is homogeneously wrapped on the surface of the KVPO4F particles to improve electronic conductivity. As the anode for PIBs, the KVPO4F@C presents a super-high discharge capacity of 242.32 mAh g−1 and a superior cycle stability over 120 cycles at 100 mA·g−1 with 93.1% capacity retention. Additionally, it maintains 92.9% of its initial capacity of 100 mA·g−1 at 1000 mA·g−1 after cycling 2100 times, which indicates an excellent long cycling performance. The in situ X-ray Diffraction and ex situ Transmission Electron Microscopy tests prove the minimal volume variation and stable structure of KVPO4F@C. The designed KVPO4F@C provides facilitative electronic conductivity and stable structure, successfully innovating an ultra-stable and high-performance anode material for potassium-ion batteries and other energy storage application fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on analyzing the spatial distribution pattern and formation mechanisms of urban industrial clusters and aims to address the mismatch between industrial clusters and resource distribution. Firstly, the spatial distribution pattern of industrial clusters is analyzed using the kernel density estimation approach. Subsequently, a multi-layered model of interactive driving factors is constructed to analyze the functional types within the multi-layered network space. Lastly, a spatial weighted regression analysis model, considering the intensity of flow space, is developed to explore the intrinsic formation mechanisms of industrial agglomeration. The experimental results indicate the following: (1) There is a trend of industrial agglomeration in the Yangtze River Delta region, primarily concentrated in cities such as Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, Jinhua, and Taizhou. (2) The impact of spatial interaction factors on industrial agglomeration development is significant, and the analysis of interaction networks reflects the strength of interactive influencing factors to a certain extent. (3) The regression analysis model, which incorporates interactive information considering flow space intensity, better aligns with the study of the actual mechanisms behind industrial agglomeration in physical space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lampriform fishes (Lampriformes), which primarily inhabit deep-sea environments, are large marine fishes varying from the whole-body endothermic opah to the world's longest bony fish-giant oarfish, with species morphologies varying from long and thin to deep and compressed, making them an ideal model for studying the adaptive radiation of teleost fishes. Moreover, this group is important from a phylogenetic perspective owing to their ancient origins among teleosts. However, knowledge about the group is limited, which is, at least partially, due to the dearth of recorded molecular data. This study is the first to analyze the mitochondrial genomes of three lampriform species (Lampris incognitus, Trachipterus ishikawae, and Regalecus russelii) and infer a time-calibrated phylogeny, including 68 species among 29 orders. Our phylomitogenomic analyses support the classification of Lampriformes as monophyletic and sister to Acanthopterygii; hence, addressing the longstanding controversy regarding the phylogenetic status of Lampriformes among teleosts. Comparative mitogenomic analyses indicate that tRNA losses existed in at least five Lampriformes species, which may reveal the mitogenomic structure variation associated with adaptive radiation. However, codon usage in Lampriformes did not change significantly, and it is hypothesized that the nucleus transported the corresponding tRNA, which led to function substitutions. The positive selection analysis revealed that atp8 and cox3 were positively selected in opah, which might have co-evolved with the endothermic trait. This study provides important insights into the systematic taxonomy and adaptive evolution studies of Lampriformes species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Studies have shown that people with diabetes have a high risk of osteoporosis and fractures. The effect of diabetic medications on bone disease cannot be ignored. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of two types of glucose-lowering drugs, metformin and thiazolidinediones (TZD), on bone mineral density and bone metabolism in patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis were prospectively registered on PROSPERO, and the registration number is CRD42022320884. Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify clinical trials comparing the effects of metformin and thiazolidinediones on bone metabolism in patients with diabetes. The literature was screened by inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two assessors independently assessed the quality of the identified studies and extracted relevant data. Results: Seven studies involving 1656 patients were finally included. Our results showed that the metformin group had a 2.77% (SMD = 2.77, 95%CI [2.11, 3.43]; p < 0.00001) higher bone mineral density (BMD) than the thiazolidinedione group until 52 weeks; however, between 52 and 76 weeks, the metformin group had a 0.83% (SMD = −0.83, 95%CI: [−3.56, −0.45]; p = 0.01) lower BMD. The C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) and procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP) were decreased by 18.46% (MD = −18.46, 95%CI: [−27.98, −8.94], p = 0.0001) and 9.94% (MD = −9.94, 95%CI: [−16.92, −2.96], p = 0.005) in the metformin group compared with the TZD group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of industrial automation, articulated robots have gradually replaced labor in the field of bolt installation. Although the installation efficiency has been improved, installation defects may still occur. Bolt installation defects can considerably affect the mechanical properties of structures and even lead to safety accidents. Therefore, in order to ensure the success rate of bolt assembly, an efficient and timely detection method of incorrect or missing assembly is needed. At present, the automatic detection of bolt installation defects mainly depends on a single type of sensor, which is prone to mis-inspection. Visual sensors can identify the incorrect or missing installation of bolts, but it cannot detect torque defects. Torque sensors can only be judged according to the torque and angel information, but cannot accurately identify the incorrect or missing installation of bolts. To solve this problem, a detection method of bolt installation defects based on multiple sensors is proposed. The trained YOLO (You Only Look Once) v3 network is used to judge the images collected by the visual sensor, and the recognition rate of visual detection is up to 99.75%, and the average confidence of the output is 0.947. The detection speed is 48 FPS, which meets the real-time requirement. At the same time, torque and angle sensors are used to judge the torque defects and whether bolts have slipped. Combined with the multi-sensor judgment results, this method can effectively identify defects such as missing bolts and sliding teeth. Finally, this paper carried out experiments to identify bolt installation defects such as incorrect, missing torque defects, and bolt slips. At this time, the traditional detection method based on a single type of sensor cannot be effectively identified, and the detection method based on multiple sensors can be accurately identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary pelvis and spine osteosarcoma (PSOS) is a specific type of osteosarcoma that is difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis. In recent years, the research on osteosarcoma has been increasing, but there have been few studies on PSOS; in particular, there have been a lack of analyses with a large sample size. This study aimed to construct and validate a model to predict the overall survival (OS) of PSOS patients, as currently there are no tools available for assessing their prognosis. Methods: Data including demographic information, clinical characteristics, and follow-up information on patients with PSOS were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, as well as from the Spine Tumor Center of Changzheng Hospital. Variable selection was achieved through a backward procedure based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Prognostic factors were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox analysis. A nomogram was further constructed for the estimation of 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS. Calibration plots, the concordance index (C-index), and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were used to evaluate the prediction model. Results: In total, 83 PSOS patients and 90 PSOS patients were separately collected from the SEER database and Changzheng Hospital. In the SEER cohort, liver metastasis, lung metastasis, and chemotherapy were recognized as independent prognostic factors for OS (p < 0.05) and were incorporated to construct the initial nomogram. However, the initial nomogram showed poor predictive accuracy in internal and external validation. Then, we shifted our focus to the Changzheng data. Lung metastasis involving segments, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level, and en bloc resection were ultimately identified as independent prognostic factors for OS (p < 0.05) and were further incorporated to construct the current nomogram, of which the bias-corrected C-index was 0.834 (0.824–0.856). The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of the current nomogram regarding 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS probabilities were 0.93, 0.96, and 0.92, respectively. Conclusion: We have developed a predictive model with satisfactory performance and clinical practicability, enabling effective prediction of the OS of PSOS patients and aiding clinicians in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, gelatin-based films incorporating squid pen chitosan obtained by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP chitosan) at varying proportions were prepared and their properties were compared with films containing untreated chitosan. The resulting films were characterized by analyzing the physical, morphological, mechanical and barrier properties. The addition of different ratios of HHP chitosan to the gelatin-based film yielded significant improvements in mechanical and moisture barrier properties. The reason for this might be that HHP chitosan contributed to a regular and dense microstructure of the composite films due to forming a three-dimensional network structure in gelatin-based films with enhanced intermolecular interactions. The FTIR spectra showed no new chemical bond formed by incorporating HHP chitosan into gelatin-based film. The SEM micrographs showed that the gelatin-based film fabricated with three types of chitosan had a homogeneous surface morphology, indicating good compatibility of the materials. Compared to the gelatin-based films containing untreated chitosan, films containing HHP chitosan significantly delayed oxidative deterioration in oil during storage. Therefore, the chitosan obtained by HHP treatment could have a potential application in edible gelatin-based films as packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green buildings are an important initiative to address energy and environmental issues in the construction field. The high-quality development of green buildings is affected by many factors, and it is necessary to identify the critical factors affecting the high-quality development of green buildings and analyze them systematically. The adopted literature analysis method and expert consultation method, the DIM (DEMATEL-ISM-MICMAC) model was established to explore critical factors influencing green buildings' high-quality development and their internal hierarchical structure, interrelationships, and mechanisms. Then, targeted suggestions were put forward to promote green buildings' high-quality development. The results showed that: (1) The critical factors influencing green buildings' high-quality development could be divided into five levels, three groups, and four areas. The economic development level, living standard of residents, education level, incentive policies, and compulsory laws and regulations were in the deep factor group, fundamentally affecting green buildings' high-quality development. (2) In terms of drive and centrality, the economic development level, living standard of residents, education level, and incentive policies were at the forefront, playing a vital role in the high-quality development of green buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PVDF membranes were prepared with nonsolvent-induced phase separation, using solvents with various dipole moments, including HMPA, NMP, DMAc and TEP. Both the fraction of the polar crystalline phase and the water permeability of the prepared membrane increased monotonously with an increasing solvent dipole moment. FTIR/ATR analyses were conducted at the surfaces of the cast films during membrane formation to provide information on if the solvents were present as the PVDF crystallized. The results reveal that, with HMPA, NMP or DMAc being used to dissolve PVDF, a solvent with a higher dipole moment resulted in a lower solvent removal rate from the cast film, because the viscosity of the casting solution was higher. The lower solvent removal rate allowed a higher solvent concentration on the surface of the cast film, leading to a more porous surface and longer solvent-governed crystallization. Because of its low polarity, TEP induced non-polar crystals and had a low affinity for water, accounting for the low water permeability and the low fraction of polar crystals with TEP as the solvent. The results provide insight into how the membrane structure on a molecular scale (related to the crystalline phase) and nanoscale (related to water permeability) was related to and influenced by solvent polarity and its removal rate during membrane formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitic nematodes cause great annual loss in the agricultural industry globally. Arthrobotrys oligospora is the most prevalent and common nematode-trapping fungus (NTF) in the environment and the candidate for the control of plant- and animal-parasitic nematodes. A. oligospora is also the first recognized and intensively studied NTF species. This review highlights the recent research advances of A. oligospora as a model to study the biological signals of the switch from saprophytism to predation and their sophisticated mechanisms for interacting with their invertebrate hosts, which is of vital importance for improving the engineering of this species as an effective biocontrol fungus. The application of A. oligospora in industry and agriculture, especially as biological control agents for sustainable purposes, was summarized, and we discussed the increasing role of A. oligospora in studying its sexual morph and genetic transformation in complementing biological control research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction megaproject team (CMPT) emphasises integration as a megaproject multiteam system (MTS) to facilitate knowledge learning. This paper synthesises the CMPT structure characteristics and team learning processes into a conceptual framework named the CMPT-MTS learning framework to advance future CMPT learning research. The constructs included are identified from published research. A case example is the island and tunnel project of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, which provides practical grounding for framework refinement. The conceptual framework deemed to follow a cyclical pattern identifies the CMPT-MTS structure variables and team learning processes affecting learning outcomes and contextual variables hypothesised to influence the intra- and inter-team interaction. We discuss how the conceptual framework might identify the CMPT learning research gaps for future research. The framework's contribution to the body of knowledge expands our lens to understand team learning practices in the complex CMPT by considering CMPT as an MTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The gut microbes are important to the insect physiology and behavior. Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) is a worldwide migratory invasive and polyphagous pest, which causes great damage to various host crops in China. The structures of gut bacterial community of S. frugiperda feeding on different host plants are largely unexplored. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was used to compare the gut bacterial communities of S. frugiperda reared on different host plants. The results confirmed that the host plants can significantly affect the gut bacterial diversity and structure of S. frugiperda. This study lays a foundation for further studies on the function of gut bacteria of S. frugiperda and its adaptive mechanism to the host. Intestinal symbiotic bacteria have formed an interdependent symbiotic relationship with many insect species after long-term coevolution, which plays a critical role in host growth and adaptation. Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) is a worldwide significant migratory invasive pest. As a polyphagous pest, S. frugiperda can harm more than 350 plants and poses a severe threat to food security and agricultural production. In this study, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the diversity and structure of the gut bacteria of this pest feeding on six diets (maize, wheat, rice, honeysuckle flowers, honeysuckle leaves, and Chinese yam). The results showed that the S. frugiperda fed on rice had the highest bacterial richness and diversity, whereas the larvae fed on honeysuckle flowers had the lowest abundance and diversity of gut bacterial communities. Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Proteobacteria were the most dominant bacterial phyla. PICRUSt2 analysis indicated that most of the functional prediction categories were concentrated in metabolic bacteria. Our results confirmed that the gut bacterial diversity and community composition of S. frugiperda were affected significantly by host diets. This study provided a theoretical basis for clarifying the host adaptation mechanism of S. frugiperda, which also provided a new direction to improve polyphagous pest management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining microcellular injection molding and insert injection molding, an injection molding technique for glass fiber fabric (GFF) reinforced polypropylene (PP) composite foams was proposed. The GFF was directly set in the mold cavity, and then the PP with supercritical nitrogen (SCN) was injected into the cavity for in-mold impregnation. The impregnation effects of two types of GFFs (EWR300 and EWR600) by the PP/SCF solutions at different injection temperatures (230, 240, and 250 °C) were investigated. The results of the morphological and tensile properties of the samples showed that the interfacial bonding was not good, because of the heterogeneity between the GFF and PP. In comparison with solid PP, the unfoamed GFF/PP did not present a higher tensile strength and presented a lower specific tensile strength. However, the increased tensile strength of the GFF/PP composite foams indicated an improvement in the impregnation effect and interfacial bonding. The SCN decreased the viscosity, which benefited the direct in-mold impregnation of the GFF. Increasing the temperature can improve the interfacial bonding, but it also influenced the foaming and thus led to a decrease in the tensile strength. According to the temperature distribution, the samples from different positions in the mold cavity had different properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901, a recombinant COVID-19 protein vaccine, containing S-2P protein adjuvanted with CpG 1018 and aluminum hydroxide, for people living with HIV (PWH). Methods: A total of 57 PWH of ≥20 years of age who are on stable antiretroviral therapy were compared with 882 HIV-negative participants. Participants received two doses of MVC-COV1901 28 days apart. Results: No vaccine-related serious adverse events (SAEs) were recorded. Seroconversion rates (SCRs) of 100% and 99.8% were achieved in PWH and comparators, respectively, 28 days after the second dose. After adjusting for sex, age, BMI category, and comorbidity, the adjusted GMT ratio of comparator/PWH was 3.2 (95% CI 2.5–4). A higher CD4/CD8 ratio was associated with a higher GMT (R = 0.27, p = 0.039). MVC-COV1901 has shown robust safety but elicited weaker immune responses in PWH. Conclusions: Further investigations may be needed to determine whether PWH require distinct immunization strategies with improved immunogenicity. The main study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04695652). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel silicon super-junction (SJ) MOSFET embedded with a soft reverse recovery body diode is proposed and studied by numerical simulation. The device introduces an n+-buffer layer between the n−-buffer layer and the n+-substrate to improve the reverse recovery behaviour of its body diode. The n+-buffer layer provides residual carriers during the reverse recovery process, reduces the overshoot voltage, and suppresses oscillation. Simulated results demonstrate that the increment of the on-resistance and the drain-to-source overshoot voltage can be respectively kept below 5% and 20 V, if a 10 μm n+-buffer layer whose impurity concentration ranges from 4 × 1015 cm−3 to 6 × 1016 cm−3 is used. In addition, the fabrication process is the same as that of the conventional SJ-MOSFET. These features make the proposed SJ-MOSFET suitable for inverter applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is an important transcriptional regulator that regulates the inflammatory pathway and plays a key role in cellular inflammatory and immune responses. The presence of a high concentration of NF-κB is positively correlated with the severity of inflammation. Therefore, the inhibition of this pathway is an important therapeutic target for the treatment of various types of inflammation; (2) Methods: we designed and synthesized 23 mollugin derivatives and evaluated their inhibitory activity against NF-κB transcription; (3) Results: Compound 6d exhibited the most promising inhibitory activity (IC50 = 3.81 µM) and did not show any significant cytotoxicity against the tested cell lines. Investigation of the mechanism of action indicated that 6d down-regulated NF-κB expression, possibly by suppressing TNF-α-induced expression of the p65 protein. Most of the compounds exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity. Compound 4f was the most potent compound with 83.08% inhibition of inflammation after intraperitoneal administration, which was more potent than mollugin and the reference drugs (ibuprofen and mesalazine). ADMET prediction analysis indicated that compounds 6d and 4f had good pharmacokinetics and drug-like behavior; (4) Conclusions: Several series of mollugin derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for NF-κB inhibitory activity and toxicity. These results provide an initial basis for the development of 4f and 6d as potential anti-inflammatory agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an ultrahigh-sensitivity split-ring resonator-based microwave sensor for retrieving the complex permittivity of liquid samples. An interdigital capacitor structure was used to expand the sensing area and the sensitivity. A defected ground structure and A parallel dual split-ring resonator were introduced to improve the quality factor. A polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic channel substrate was placed above the interdigital capacitor structure. The channel route coincided with the interdigital gap to fully utilize the strong electric field. Ethanol–water solutions with varying ethanol fractions were injected into the channel as the testing liquid. It was demonstrated that the variation in resonant frequency can be used to retrieve the dielectric properties of liquid samples. The proposed sensor used a small liquid volume of ~0.68 μL and provided values in good agreement with the reference data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the world's third-largest producer of sugarcane, slightly behind Brazil and India. As an important cash crop in China, sugarcane has always been the main source of sugar, the basic strategic material. The planting method of sugarcane used in China is mainly the pre-cutting planting mode. However, there are many problems with this technology, which has a great impact on the planting quality of sugarcane. Aiming at a series of problems, such as low cutting efficiency and poor quality in the pre-cutting planting mode of sugarcane, a sugarcane-seed-cutting device was proposed, and a sugarcane-seed-cutting system based on automatic identification technology was designed. The system consists of a sugarcane-cutting platform, a seed-cutting device, a visual inspection system, and a control system. Among them, the visual inspection system adopts the YOLO V5 network model to identify and detect the eustipes of sugarcane, and the seed-cutting device is composed of a self-tensioning conveying mechanism, a reciprocating crank slider transmission mechanism, and a high-speed rotary cutting mechanism so that the cutting device can complete the cutting of sugarcane seeds of different diameters. The test shows that the recognition rate of sugarcane seed cutting is no less than 94.3%, the accuracy rate is between 94.3% and 100%, and the average accuracy is 98.2%. The bud injury rate is no higher than 3.8%, while the average cutting time of a single seed is about 0.7 s, which proves that the cutting system has a high cutting rate, recognition rate, and low injury rate. The findings of this paper have important application values for promoting the development of sugarcane pre-cutting planting mode and sugarcane planting technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An energy management control strategy based on the instantaneous optimization method of equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) under motor power compensation for mild hybrid vehicles is proposed in this study to improve fuel economy and ensure the dynamic performance of cars. A mild hybrid platform is built, and the future supplementary model of electric energy and the future consumption model of electric energy are established according to different power flow directions. It determines the equivalent fuel consumption rate of powertrain as the objective function by defining the equivalent factor and corresponding derivation, carries out optimization calculation, and obtains the energy distribution relationship between the engine and the motor. The motor power compensation strategy based on the control strategy is adopted to solve the effect of turbocharged engines' transient response on vehicle dynamics and fuel economy. The actual results showed that vehicle power and fuel economy can be improved under the control strategy and compensation strategy design. Meanwhile, different motors allow the compensating coefficient to have different power-boosting and fuel economy effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the electrical performance of graphene-based on-chip spiral inductors by virtue of a physics-based equivalent circuit model. The skin and proximity effects, as well as the substrate loss effect, are considered and treated appropriately. The graphene resistance and inductance are combined into the circuit model. It is demonstrated that the electrical characteristics of the on-chip square spiral inductor can be improved by replacing copper with graphene. Moreover, graphene exhibits more effectiveness in improving the inductance in tapered inductors than uniform ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabric insert injection molding approach can be applied to produce easily recyclable self-reinforced polymer composites (SrCs) whose reinforcement and matrix are from the same polymer. However, the mechanical properties of the SrCs are usually limited due to the poor impregnation of the inserted fabric. In this work, the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fabrics were used as the insert, and the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) melt was injected to fill the mold cavity and impregnate the fabrics. The UHMWPE/HDPE two-component SrCs were prepared. The large difference of melting temperatures between UHMWPE and HDPE can establish a wide processing temperature window, and thus the impregnation of the fabric can be improved by increasing temperature. The tensile strength and modulus of the UHMWPE/HDPE SrCs were up to 148 and 1132 MPa, respectively. The peel strength could be up to 35.2 N/cm. The influences of four main injection molding parameters, including the injection temperature, injection pressure/packing pressure, injection velocity, and packing time, were investigated. The temperature, pressure, viscosity, and density of the matrix in the mold cavity were calculated by the numerical simulation to indicate the impregnation process during the fabric insert injection molding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda is a highly polyphagous invasive pest. The strong reproductive capacity is an important factor in the rapid colonization and expansion of S. frugiperda. Vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) play important roles in insect reproduction. As the precursor of vitellin (Vn), Vg provides essential nutrition for embryonic development, and VgR mediates the uptake of Vg by oocytes. In this context, we cloned and characterized these two genes of S. frugiperda (SfVg and SfVgR) and evaluated their expression profiles in different developmental stages and tissues. The RNA interference experiment was used to investigate their function in vitellogenesis. The ORF values of SfVg and SfVgR were 5250 and 5445 bp, encoding 1749 and 1815 amino acid residues, respectively. The qRT-PCR results revealed that both SfVg and SfVgR were highly expressed in female adults; SfVg was specifically expressed in the fat body, whereas SfVgR was highly expressed in the ovary. In addition, the depletion of either SfVg or SfVgR hindered oocyte maturation and ovarian development, leading to a significant decrease in fecundity. The present study reveals the importance of SfVg and SfVgR in the vitellogenesis of S. frugiperda, laying a theoretical foundation for the development of pollution-free pest control strategies with SfVg and SfVgR as new targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terminal equipment interconnection and the network communication environment are complex in power cyber–physical systems (CPS), and the frequent interaction between the information and energy flows aggravates the risk of false data injection attacks (FDIAs) in the power grid. This paper proposes an active defense framework against FDIAs of power CPS based on data-driven algorithms in order to ensure that FDIAs can be efficiently detected and processed in real-time during power grid operation. First, the data transmission scenario and false data injection forms of power CPS were analyzed, and the FDIA mathematical model was expounded. Then, from a data-driven perspective, the algorithm improvement and process design were carried out for the three key links of data enhancement, attack detection, and data reconstruction. Finally, an active defense framework against FDIAs was proposed. The example analysis verified that the method proposed in this paper could effectively detect FDIAs and perform data reconstruction, providing a new idea for the active defense against FDIAs of power CPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transmission tower-line system consists of many towers and cables, which is a long-span structure. Due to topographical restrictions, the structure inevitably passes through wide areas prone to landslide hazards. The landslide causes the failure of the tower foundation and threatens the safety of the power transmission system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the collapse patterns of a transmission tower-line structure under landslides. The explicit analysis method was used to deal with the nonlinear dynamic response equations of the structure. To prove the effect of the landslides on the collapse patterns of the transmission tower-line structure, two foundation failure cases (Case 1 and Case 2) under landslides were considered. For each case, the displacement responses at tower tops and the progressive collapse behavior were analyzed, which illustrate that the failure patterns of the tower-line structure under landslides are dominated by two factors, i.e., the failure mode of the tower foundation and the pulling effect of cables. The overall tilting and hinge formation in the middle of the tower body are the main collapse patterns of the structure under Case 1 and Case 2, respectively. In addition, because of the pulling of cables, the collapse of one tower induced by the landslides always triggers the local failure of neighboring tower heads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]