Search

As the penetration of distributed renewable energy continues to increase in distribution networks, the traditional scheduling model that the inertia and primary frequency support of distribution networks are completely dependent on the transmission grid will place enormous regulatory pressure on the transmission grid and hinder the active regulation capabilities of distribution networks. To address this issue, this paper proposes a coordinated optimization method for distribution networks and microgrid clusters considering frequency constraints. First, the confidence interval of disturbances was determined based on historical forecast deviation data. On this basis, a second-order cone programming model for distribution networks with embedded frequency security constraints was established. Then, microgrids performed economic dispatch considering the reserves requirement to provide inertia and primary frequency support, and a stochastic optimization model with conditional value-at-risk was built to address uncertainties. Finally, a cooperative game between the distribution network and microgrid clusters was established, determining the reserve capacity provided by each microgrid and the corresponding prices through Nash bargaining. The model was further transformed into two sub-problems, which were solved in a distributed manner using the ADMM algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the operational security and economic efficiency of the distribution networks is validated through simulation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is the most abundant aromatic renewable polymer in nature. However, its very stable structure limits its widespread application. To achieve high-value utilization of lignin, this study used solid base oxides to depolymerize calcium lignosulfonate (CLS) for the synthesis of phenolic compounds. The catalyst precursors were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, and the corresponding mesoporous metal oxides NiO, MgCoOx, and NiMgCoOx were obtained after calcination. MgCoOx and NiMgCoOx had similar but stronger basicity compared to NiO. While all oxides promoted the depolymerization of CLS, NiMgCoOx was identified as the best catalyst, achieving a maximum liquid product yield of 74.3 wt.% and a selectivity of phenolic compounds of 74.52% in the liquid product. In addition, NiMgCoOx showed satisfactory structural and catalytic stability. The experimental results indicated that solid base oxides can capture the active hydrogen in CLS, causing the hydrolysis reaction of ether bonds, and the resulting products continuously depolymerize or polymerize; Co present in the catalyst promotes the adsorption of hydrogen by Ni, while NiO in NiMgCoOx facilitates the adsorption of both reactants and hydrogen. The combination of Ni and Co improves hydrogenation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury, particularly in its methylated form, poses a significant environmental and health risk in aquatic ecosystems. While the toxicity and bioaccumulation of mercury are well documented, there remains a critical gap in our understanding of the mechanisms governing mercury methylation and demethylation in aquatic environments. This review systematically examines the complex interplay of chemical, biological, and physical factors that influence mercury speciation and transformation in natural water systems. We provide a comprehensive analysis of methylation and demethylation processes, specifically focusing on the dominant role of methanogenic bacteria. Our study highlights the crucial function of hgcAB genes in facilitating mercury methylation by anaerobic microorganisms, an area that represents a frontier in current research. By synthesizing the existing knowledge and identifying key research priorities, this review offers novel insights into the intricate dynamics of mercury cycling in aquatic ecosystems. Our findings provide a theoretical framework to inform future studies and guide pollution management strategies for mercury and its compounds in aquatic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral image (HSI) shows great potential for application in remote sensing due to its rich spectral information and fine spatial resolution. However, the high dimensionality, nonlinearity, and complex relationship between spectral and spatial features of HSI pose challenges to its accurate classification. Traditional convolutional neural network (CNN)-based methods suffer from detail loss in feature extraction; Transformer-based methods rely too much on the quantity and quality of HSI; and graph neural network (GNN)-based methods provide a new impetus for HSI classification by virtue of their excellent ability to handle irregular data. To address these challenges and take advantage of GNN, we propose a network of parallel GNNs called PGNN-Net. The network first extracts the key spatial-spectral features of HSI using principal component analysis, followed by preprocessing to obtain two primary features and a normalized adjacency matrix. Then, a parallel architecture is constructed using improved GCN and ChebNet to extract local and global spatial-spectral features, respectively. Finally, the discriminative features obtained through the fusion strategy are input into the classifier to obtain the classification results. In addition, to alleviate the over-fitting problem, the label smoothing technique is embedded in the cross-entropy loss function. The experimental results show that the average overall accuracy obtained by our method on Indian Pines, Kennedy Space Center, Pavia University Scene, and Botswana reaches 97.35%, 99.40%, 99.64%, and 98.46%, respectively, which are better compared to some state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The joint involvement of family and society in elderly care is a crucial factor in improving the health status of older adults and narrowing health disparities, which are essential for achieving sustainable development goals. However, the interactions between these entities and their mechanisms of influence require further investigation. By utilizing data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) spanning 2014 to 2016 and employing the Kakwani index of individual relative deprivation in conjunction with a two-way fixed-effects model for unbalanced panel data, in this study, we investigated the mechanisms through which social elderly care security and familial support influence health inequalities among the elderly. The findings reveal that only senior benefits (=−0.009, p < 0.05) significantly mitigate relative health deprivation in this population. Enrollment in pension insurance amplifies the sense of relative health deprivation among the elderly, but this effect becomes insignificant after controlling for temporal effects. Both economic support (=−0.002, p < 0.05) and emotional support (=−0.004, p < 0.01) from offspring significantly reduce the level of relative health deprivation among the elderly. Mechanism testing results indicate that individual attitudes towards aging serve as a mediator in the relationship between relative health deprivation and preferential treatment, economic support, and emotional support. The results of further heterogeneity tests suggest that the impact of various elderly support models on relative health deprivation differs by age, gender, and residential area.These findings confirm that support from both society and family plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable health outcomes for the elderly. Consequently, it is recommended to enhance the social elderly care security system, bolster familial support functions, cultivate positive individual attitudes towards aging, and address health inequalities among the elderly in accordance with their distinct characteristics, thereby improving their quality of life and sense of fulfillment, and contributing to the broader goals of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radial distribution of material feeding onto a screen surface is an important factor affecting vibration screening performance, and it is also the main basis for the optimization of the operating parameters of a vibration screening system. In this paper, based on near-infrared properties, a real-time measurement method for the mass flow rate of grain vibration feeding was proposed. A laser emitter and a silicon photocell were used as the measuring components, and the corresponding signal processing circuit mainly composed of a T-type I/V convertor, a voltage follower, a low-pass filter, and a setting circuit in series was designed. Calibration test results showed that the relationship between grain mass flow rate and output voltage could be described using the Gaussian regression model, and the coefficient of determination was greater than 0.98. According to the working principle of the grain cleaning system of combine harvesters, the dynamic characteristics of grain vibration feeding were analyzed using discrete element method (DEM) simulations, and the monitoring range of the sensor was determined. Finally, grain mass flow rate measurement tests were carried out on a vibration feeding test rig. The results indicated that the grain mass measurement error could be controlled within 5.0% with the average grain mass flow rate in the range of 3.0–5.0 g/mm·s. The proposed measurement method has potential application value in the uniform feeding control systems of vibration feeders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional lightweight foam concrete typically introduces a large number of voids into the concrete using surfactants to reduce density. However, in 3D printing, the instability of lightweight foam concrete can affect the workability of the slurry. Additionally, the lower strength of foam with more pores also reduces its mechanical performance. This study found that by replacing sand with expanded perlite in 3D-printed foam concrete, the stability of the foam is improved, enhancing the workability of the mixture and increasing the constructability of printed concrete. Furthermore, analyses of mechanical properties, porosity, and pore size distribution showed that at the same dry density, foam concrete with a higher expanded perlite replacement ratio exhibited higher compressive strength, with a maximum strength increase of up to 39%. Moreover, the introduction of expanded perlite optimized the pore distribution of the foam concrete, resulting in a more uniform material structure. The 3D-printed expanded perlite–foam concrete (3DPFC) prepared in this study provides new insights for the preparation of lightweight 3D-printed concrete, which is of significant importance for the sustainable development of the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this research is to develop a solid waste-based cementitious material (SWC) instead of cement for solidifying a large amount of marine soft soil with high water content and low bearing capacity in coastal areas. This aims to solve the problems encountered in the practical application of cement soil, such as slow strength growth and poor durability. The SWC includes ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), dust ash (DA), and activated cinder powder (ACP), with admixtures of naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensate (NS) and compound salt early strength agent (SA). Both the 7 d and 28 d compressive strength values of the SWC formulations G4 and G7 are about twice as strong as those of cement soil (GC), even when mixed with seawater. Immersion tests revealed that stabilized soil had superior resistance to seawater corrosion compared to cement soil. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis explained that the main hydration products in cement soil are C-S-H and CH, while in stabilized soil, SWC generates a large amount of C-A-S-H with gelling properties and AFt with filling properties. These hydration products have better effects on strength and seawater erosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodetectors have a wide range of applications across various fields. Self-powered photodetectors that do not require external energy have garnered significant attention. The photoelectrochemical type of photodetector is a self-powered device that is both simple to fabricate and offers high performance. However, developing photoelectrochemical photodetectors with superior quality and performance remains a significant challenge. The electrolyte, which is a key component in these detectors, must maintain extensive contact with the semiconductor without degrading its material quality and efficiently catalyze the redox reactions of photogenerated electrons and holes, while also facilitating rapid charge carrier transport. In this study, α -Ga2O3 nanorod arrays were synthesized via a cost-effective hydrothermal method to achieve a self-powered solar-blind photodetector. The impacts of different electrolytes—Na2SO4, NaOH, and Na2CO3—on the photodetector was investigated. Ultimately, a self-powered photodetector with Na2SO4 as the electrolyte demonstrated a stable photoresponse, with the maximum responsivity of 0.2 mA/W at 262 nm with the light intensity of 3.0 mW/cm2, and it exhibited rise and decay times of 0.16 s and 0.10 s, respectively. The α -Ga2O3 nanorod arrays and Na2SO4 electrolyte provided a rapid pathway for the transport of photogenerated carriers and the built-in electric field at the semiconductor–liquid heterojunction interface, which was largely responsible for the effective separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs that provided the outstanding performance of our photodetector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oncolytic virotherapy is expected to provide a new treatment strategy for cancer. Aphrocallistes vastus lectin (AVL) is a Ca2+-dependent lectin receptor containing the conserved domain of C-type lectin and the hydrophobic N-terminal region, which can bind to the bird's nest glycoprotein and D-galactose. Our previous studies suggested that the oncolytic vaccinia virus (oncoVV) armed with the AVL gene exerted remarkable replication and antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we found that oncoVV-AVL may reprogram the metabolism of hepatocellular carcinoma cells to promote ROS, and elevated ROS subsequently promoted viral replication and induced apoptosis. This study will provide a new theoretical basis for the application of oncoVV-AVL in liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycled concrete is a heterogeneous composite material, and the composition and volume fraction of each phase affect its macroscopic properties. In this paper, ANSYS APDL was used to construct a two-dimensional numerical model of recycled aggregate concrete with different replacement rates of recycled aggregate (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%), and a uniaxial compression test was carried out to explore the relationship between recycled aggregate content and its macroscopic mechanical behavior. On this basis, the numerical simulation of different strain rates (0.1 s−1, 0.05 s−1, 0.01 s−1, 0.005 s−1 and 0.001 s−1) was carried out. It was found that with the increase in the recycled aggregate replacement rate, the peak stress decreases first and then increases, and the peak strain increases continuously. When the replacement rate of recycled aggregate exceeds 50%, the overall damage area of the material increases rapidly. The strain rate will change the path of the micro-crack initiation and expansion of recycled concrete, as well as the process of damage accumulation and evolution. As a result, the unit area and shape of recycled concrete are different at different strain rates, and the damage degree of each phase material is also different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the typical requirements of large high-clearance sprayers, such as those operating in poor road conditions for farmland plant protection and at high operation speeds, reducing the vibration of sprayer suspension systems has become a research hotspot. In this study, the hydro-pneumatic suspension (HPS) of large high-clearance sprayers was taken as the object, and a variable universe T-S fuzzy controller with real vehicle vibration data as input was proposed to control suspension motion in real time. Different from traditional semi-active suspension, based on the characteristics of variable universe extension factors, a training method combining the artificial fish swarm algorithm and the back propagation algorithm was used to establish a fuzzy neural network controller with precise input to optimize the variable universe. Then, the time-domain and frequency-domain response characteristics of HPS were analyzed by simulating the special road conditions typical of farmland. Finally, the field performance of the sprayer equipped with the new controller was tested. The results show that the error rate of the AFSA-BP algorithm in training the FNN could be reduced to 3.9%, and compared with a passive suspension system, the T-S fuzzy controller improved the effects of spring mass acceleration, pitch angle acceleration, and roll angle acceleration by 18.3%, 23.3%, and 27.7%, respectively, verifying the effectiveness and engineering practicality of the active controller in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the opioid crisis has justifiably occupied news headlines, emergency rooms are seeing many thousands of visits for another cause: cannabinoid toxicity. This is partly due to the spread of cheap and extremely potent synthetic cannabinoids that can cause serious neurological and cardiovascular complications—and deaths—every year. While an opioid overdose can be reversed by naloxone, there is no analogous treatment for cannabis toxicity. Without an antidote, doctors rely on sedatives, with their own risks, or 'waiting it out' to treat these patients. We have shown that the canonical synthetic 'designer' cannabinoids are highly potent CB1 receptor agonists and, as a result, competitive antagonists may struggle to rapidly reverse an overdose due to synthetic cannabinoids. Negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) have the potential to attenuate the effects of synthetic cannabinoids without having to directly compete for binding. We tested a group of CB1 NAMs for their ability to reverse the effects of the canonical synthetic designer cannabinoid JWH018 in vitro in a neuronal model of endogenous cannabinoid signaling and also in vivo. We tested ABD1085, RTICBM189, and PSNCBAM1 in autaptic hippocampal neurons that endogenously express a retrograde CB1-dependent circuit that inhibits neurotransmission. We found that all of these compounds blocked/reversed JWH018, though some proved more potent than others. We then tested whether these compounds could block the effects of JWH018 in vivo, using a test of nociception in mice. We found that only two of these compounds—RTICBM189 and PSNCBAM1—blocked JWH018 when applied in advance. The in vitro potency of a compound did not predict its in vivo potency. PSNCBAM1 proved to be the more potent of the compounds and also reversed the effects of JWH018 when applied afterward, a condition that more closely mimics an overdose situation. Lastly, we found that PSNCBAM1 did not elicit withdrawal after chronic JWH018 treatment. In summary, CB1 NAMs can, in principle, reverse the effects of the canonical synthetic designer cannabinoid JWH018 both in vitro and in vivo, without inducing withdrawal. These findings suggest a novel pharmacological approach to at last provide a tool to counter cannabinoid toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Territorial spatial planning is crucial for fostering green production and lifestyles, contributing to ecological civilization, and shaping a beautiful China. However, evaluations of China's territorial spatial planning at a global level are scant. This study constructs a self-assessment tool for territorial spatial planning, anchored in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Initially, it develops an indicator system to assess provincial territorial spatial planning, tailored to the specificities of Chinese provinces. Subsequently, this study formulates problem guidance and performs a match analysis. The tool is then applied to assess the preparation of territorial spatial planning in Shaanxi Province, yielding visualized results. These results correlate the content of planning documents with the questions in the tool, ensuring alignment. Findings indicate that Shaanxi Provincial Territorial Spatial Planning (2021–2035) largely aligns with the SDGs' framework, while Shaanxi Province Land Space Ecological Restoration Planning (2021–2035) shows partial alignment. Discrepancies with global and national sustainability trends are noted, potentially linked to the unique role of ecological restoration in national spatial planning. By integrating SDGs, this study evaluates the rationality and potential for optimization in China's provincial territorial spatial planning. This approach aims to enhance public well-being and offers actionable recommendations for incorporating sustainable development into provincial spatial planning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine parainfluenza virus type 3 (BPIV-3) is one of the major pathogens of the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). BPIV-3 surveillance in China has been quite limited. In this study, we used PCR to test 302 cattle in China, and found that the positive rate was 4.64% and the herd-level positive rate was 13.16%. Six BPIV-3C strains were isolated and confirmed by electron microscopy, and their titers were determined. Three were sequenced by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Phylogenetic analyses showed that all isolates were most closely related to strain NX49 from Ningxia; the genetic diversity of genotype C strains was lower than strains of genotypes A and B; the HN, P, and N genes were more suitable for genotyping and evolutionary analyses of BPIV-3. Protein variation analyses showed that all isolates had mutations at amino acid sites in the proteins HN, M, F, and L. Genetic recombination analyses provided evidence for homologous recombination of BPIV-3 of bovine origin. The virulence experiment indicated that strain Hubei-03 had the highest pathogenicity and could be used as a vaccine candidate. These findings apply an important basis for the precise control of BPIV-3 in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrogen isotopic compositions of lunar soil have important implications for the sources of lunar volatiles and even the evolution of the moon. At present, the research on the lunar nitrogen isotopic compositions is mainly based on the lunar meteorites and the samples brought back by the Apollo and Luna missions. However, volatiles adsorbed on the surface of the lunar soil may be lost due to changes in temperature and pressure, as well as vibration and shock effects when the sample is returned. At the same time, in the case of low N content in the sample, since N is the main component of the earth's atmosphere, it is easily affected by the atmosphere during the analysis process. Therefore, in situ nitrogen isotopic analysis of lunar soil on orbit is necessary to avoid the problems mentioned above and is one of the primary science goals for the Lunar Soil Volatile Measuring instrument on Chang'e-7 spacecraft. After the nitrogen purification procedure, the volatiles in lunar soil that are released through single-step or stepped heating techniques diffuse to the quadrupole mass spectrometer to obtain the N contents and isotopic compositions of the lunar soil. This paper introduces the ground test for N isotopic analysis of lunar soil in orbit according to the Lunar Soil Volatile Measuring Instrument. After long-term repeated measurements, the background and CO-corrected Air-STD 14N/15N ratio is 268.986 ± 4.310 (1SD, n = 35), and the overall reproducibility of measurements is 1.6%. The accuracy of N isotopic compositions is calculated to be better than 5%, which can distinguish different sources of N components in lunar soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-2 toxin and deoxynivalenol (DON) are two prevalent mycotoxins that cause cartilage damage in Kashin–Beck disease (KBD). Cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in chondrocytes is a significant pathological feature of KBD. It has been shown that the Hippo pathway is involved in cartilage ECM degradation. This study aimed to examine the effect of YAP, a major regulator of the Hippo pathway, on the ECM degradation in the hiPS-derived chondrocytes (hiPS-Ch) model of KBD. The hiPS-Ch injury models were established via treatment with T-2 toxin/DON alone or in combination. We found that T-2 toxin and DON inhibited the proliferation of hiPS-Ch in a dose-dependent manner; significantly increased the levels of YAP, SOX9, and MMP13; and decreased the levels of COL2A1 and ACAN (all p values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence revealed that YAP was primarily located in the nuclei of hiPS-Ch, and its expression level increased with toxin concentrations. The inhibition of YAP resulted in the dysregulated expression of chondrogenic markers (all p values < 0.05). These findings suggest that T-2 toxin and DON may inhibit the proliferation of, and induce the ECM degradation, of hiPS-Ch mediated by YAP, providing further insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to cartilage damage caused by toxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymus is an herbaceous perennial or subshrub of the Lamiaceae family and is widely distributed worldwide. Essential oils extracted from thymus have attracted much attention, owing to their potential biological functions. Here, we evaluated the chemical compositions of eight thyme essential oils (TEOs) using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and assessed their antioxidant activity. The results showed that (1) the main components in eight TEOs were monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes (84.26–92.84%), and the chemical compositions of the TEOs were affected by the specie factor; (2) eight TEOs could be divided into three groups (thymol-, geraniol-, and nerol acetate-types), and thymol was the main type; (3) eight TEOs had some common compounds, such as thymol and p-cymene, which were the main components in seven TEOs; (4) eight TEOs had antioxidant activity, and Thymus pulegioides, Thymus thracicus, and Thymus serpyllum EOs had stronger antioxidant activity than vitamin E (0.07–0.27 fold) at a concentration of 1 mg/mL, while Thymus quinquecostatus and Thymus longicaulis EOs had relatively weak antioxidant activity. In addition, three chemical type standards were used to evaluate potential roles in antibacterial and tumor therapy. The results showed that thymol had strong antibacterial activity against the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and antimigratory activity for A549 cell. Overall, our results can provide a theoretical basis for further exploring the function of natural products from thyme essential oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture (SM), as a crucial input variable of land surface processes, plays a pivotal role in the global hydrological cycle. The aim of this paper is to examine the spatiotemporal variability in SM in the Heihe River Basin using all-weather land surface temperature (LST) and reanalysis land surface data. Initially, we downscaled and generated daily 1 km all-weather SM data (2020) for the Heihe River Basin. Subsequently, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of SM using geostatistical and time stability methods. The driving forces of the monthly SM were studied using the optimal parameter-based geographical detector (OPGD) model. The results indicate that the monthly mean values of the downscaled SM data range from 0.115 to 0.146, with a consistently lower SM content and suitable temporal stability throughout the year. Geostatistical analysis revealed that months with a higher SM level exhibit larger random errors and higher variability. Driving analysis based on the factor detector demonstrated that in months with a lower SM level, the q values of each driving factor are relatively small, and the primary driving factors are land cover and elevation. Conversely, in months with a higher SM level, the q values for each driving factor are larger, and the primary driving factors are the normalized difference vegetation index and LST. Furthermore, interaction detector analysis suggested that the spatiotemporal variation in SM is not influenced by a single driving factor but is the result of the interaction among multiple driving factors, with most interactions enhancing the combined effect of two factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining of favorable SNP loci and haplotypes is of great significance for the further cloning and molecular-assisted breeding of alkalinity-tolerance genes in rice. To improve the utilization rate of saline–alkaline lands and the yield of rice, we used the 1,322,884 SNPs obtained from the sequencing 173 of rice accessions in this study. Alkalinity-tolerance-related traits, including the germination energy (GE), germination rate (GR), seedling length (SL), root length (RL), relative alkaline damage rate (RADR) of the GERADR of the GR, RADR of the SL and RADR of the RL, were evaluated in 2019 and 2020 and revealed abundant phenotypes in the studied population. A genome-wide association analysis detected 10 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to alkalinity tolerance. In addition, a transcriptome sequencing analysis of the alkalinity-tolerant rice variety 'Yuedao 9' and the alkali-sensitive rice variety 'Tijin' under alkalinity stress and control conditions was performed. Three candidate genes that were predicted to be related to alkalinity tolerance in rice, namely LOC_Os06g06600, LOC_Os011g44680 and LOC_Os011g44600, were screened based on gene annotation, coding sequences and haplotype analysis. The results of this study provide important genetic information for the molecular improvement of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concentrates on extended targets to suppress high sidelobes in non-grid multiple scattering points. Notice that the problem essentially resolves the high sidelobes of the non-grid multiple scatterers after locating positions; we proposed a novel iterative algorithm based on an adaptive pulse compression algorithm on the basis of an off-grid position estimation. First, the grid offsets of the multiple scattering points through decoherence and super-resolution techniques are estimated by employing an enhanced MUSIC algorithm. Then, an optimization model is constructed for the non-grid multiple scattering points of the target. Finally, a sidelobe suppression algorithm based on the minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion is presented. Numerical results reveal that the proposed algorithm can achieve better estimation performance on the offsets of the non-grid multiple scattering points, while it suppresses range sidelobes effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban public transport network is closely related to urban construction and is susceptible to external influences, especially the bus network (BN). The measurement of the changes in the performance of BN under disruptions plays an important role in the development of bus systems. This paper takes the land-use type around each bus stop to modify the standard coverage range and then combines the attractive service area of the stop and the passenger flow as the opportunity coefficient to propose an improved accessibility model. Finally, the vulnerability of the BN based on the improved accessibility model in different time periods under four disruptions is analyzed. Taking BN in the central area of Xi'an as a case study, the results show that the BN is less vulnerable when stops are associated with high land-use type attractiveness, and regions with a single land-use type have high vulnerability levels. In addition, the land-use disruption causes larger-scale network vulnerability than topological disruptions. An interesting result, opposed to common sense, is found in stops within the top 10% of topological disruption failure probabilities, i.e., the BN is the most vulnerable during the off-peak night period. This study supplements the coordinated development of public transport and land use in future planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In bearing fault diagnosis, machine learning methods have been proven effective on the basis of the heterogeneous features extracted from multiple domains, including deep representation features. However, comparatively little research has been performed on fusing these multi-domain heterogeneous features while dealing with the interrelation and redundant problems to precisely discover the bearing faults. Thus, in the current study, a novel diagnostic method, namely the method of incorporating heterogeneous representative features into the random subspace, or IHF-RS, is proposed for accurate bearing fault diagnosis. Primarily, via signal processing methods, statistical features are extracted, and via the deep stack autoencoder (DSAE), deep representation features are acquired. Next, considering the different levels of predictive power of features, a modified lasso method incorporating the random subspace method is introduced to measure the features and produce better base classifiers. Finally, the majority voting strategy is applied to aggregate the outputs of these various base classifiers to enhance the diagnostic performance of the bearing fault. For the proposed method's validity, two bearing datasets provided by the Case Western Reserve University Bearing Data Center and Paderborn University were utilized for the experiments. The results of the experiment revealed that in bearing fault diagnosis, the proposed method of IHF-RS can be successfully utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stellar occultation instruments detect the transmission of stellar spectra through the planetary atmosphere to retrieve densities of various atmospheric components. This paper introduces an idea of using instruments with bandpass filters for stellar occultation detection. According to the characteristics of the occultation technique for oxygen density measurement, a full-link forward model is established, and the average transmission under a typical nocturnal atmosphere is calculated with the help of the HITRAN database, occultation simulation and a 3D ray-tracing program. The central wavelength and bandwidth suitable for 760 nm oxygen A-band absorption measurement are discussed. This paper also compares the results of the forward model with GOMOS spectrometer data under this band, calculates the observation signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to different instrument parameters, and target star magnitudes. The results of this paper provide a theoretical basis for the development of a stellar occultation technique with a bandpass filter and guidance on the instrument design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the non-intrusive automated testing system for Internet of Vehicles (IoV) applications, automatic recognition of text and icons on vehicle central control screens is of paramount importance. However, the detection and recognition of content on vehicle central control screens are inherently complex. Additionally, during non-intrusive vehicle central control screen image testing, there is a deficiency of suitable datasets and detection methods. This deficiency renders information within vehicle application images difficult to be accurately extracted by the detection network. To address this problem, this study first constructs a dataset tailored for text detection and recognition on vehicle screens. This dataset encompasses a variety of vehicle central control images, enabling the generic text detection and recognition network to more effectively identify and interpret text within vehicle screens. Subsequently, this research proposes an enhanced Fully Convolutional Networks for Text Detection (FOTS) method for vehicle central control screen text detection and recognition. This method elevates the semantic expression capabilities of features by sharing vehicle central control screen text detection and recognition features. Furthermore, it improves multi-scale feature processing capabilities through the utilization of a feature transformation module. Validation through visual and quantitative experiments demonstrates that the proposed method can effectively accomplish text detection and recognition tasks on vehicle screens. This achievement bears significant implications for the field of automated testing in IoV applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The airworthiness standards of transport category airplanes clearly stipulate that the equipment containing high-energy rotors must be shown by test that it can contain any failure of a high-energy rotor that occurs at the highest speed. The air turbine starter (ATS) is typical equipment containing high-energy rotors, and the manufacturers of ATS attach great importance to research on structural containment and weight reduction. In this paper, an optimal design method for a U-type containment ring is proposed. The method adopts the optimal Latin hypercube design, numerical simulation, response surface modeling, and genetic algorithm to achieve the multi-parameter optimal design of the containment ring section. By combining simulation and experiment, the influence weights of different structural parameters of the containment ring on the residual kinetic energy of debris and the containment ring volume were analyzed. The influence of different structural parameters of a U-type containment ring on containment results was studied, and a containment test was carried out to verify the containment capability of an optimized containment ring. The results show that the thickness of the containment ring has the greatest influence on the residual kinetic energy of the debris, and the weight ratio is 38%. The maximum radial deformation of the optimized containment ring can reach 22.3%, which means that the energy absorption effect of the containment ring on the disk fragments is significantly improved. With the same containment capability, the weight reduction effect of an optimized containment ring can reach 26.5%. The research results can provide weight reduction optimization methods and design theoretical guidance for U-type containment structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, at the same level of exercise, female athletes are three to six times more likely to injure an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than male athletes. Female athletes also had higher rates of ACL injury than males in a single-leg landing task after a backcourt backhand side overhead stroke in badminton. In many previous studies, stiffness of the musculoskeletal system in the lower limbs has been reported as a potential factor contributing to differences in ACL injury rates between genders. The purpose of this study was to describe the differences between genders in leg and knee stiffness in male and female athletes during a single-leg landing action after the backhand side overhead shot in the backcourt. Eight male athletes and eight female athletes participated in this test. Leg stiffness and knee stiffness were calculated separately for male and female athletes during the landing phase. The results showed that both absolute and normalized leg stiffness were lower in female athletes than in male athletes (p < 0.05). And both absolute and normalized knee stiffness were also lower than male athletes (p < 0.05). The low leg stiffness and knee stiffness demonstrated by females in this single-leg drop task compared to male athletes may indicate that females have lower dynamic leg stability than males during the drop, which may lead to hypermobility of the knee joint and may put females at a higher risk of injury in this high-risk maneuver for non-contact cruciate ligament injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on the biomechanical mechanisms of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury have been extensively studied, but studies on the neuromuscular control-related risk factors for an ACL injury in specific maneuvers have not been reported for badminton players. Study design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Sixteen badminton players (8 male, 8 female) performed a single-leg badminton ball landing task, and lower limb muscle activity, kinematic data, and ground reaction force were measured during this procedure using marker-based movement analysis, force plates, and electromyography (EMG). Gender differences in the lower limb kinematic data, mean values of normalized lower limb muscle activation (MVC%), and co-contraction values during the landing preparation phase (100 ms before initial contact) were analyzed using MANOVA. Results: In the badminton landing task, the knee valgus angle was greater in females than in males (6.27 ± 2.75 vs. 1.72 ± 3.20) in the pre-landing preparation position. Compared to male badminton players, females exhibited greater gluteus maximus (44.92 ± 18.00 vs. 20.34 ± 11.64), rectus femoris (41.56 ± 9.84 vs. 26.14 ± 10.46), and medial gastrocnemius (37.39 ± 17.31 vs. 19.11 ± 11.17) lateral gastrocnemius (36.86 ± 17.82 vs. 13.59 ± 2.71) muscle activity (MVC%). Conclusion: Female badminton players exhibit neuromuscular control strategies that may be inadequate for ACL protection and may be a potential risk factor for a high incidence of ACL injury In the future, when devising injury prevention plans for female badminton players, optimizing neuromuscular control during the pre-landing phase can be targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oregano is a medicinal and aromatic plant of value in the pharmaceutical, food, feed additive, and cosmetic industries. Oregano breeding is still in its infancy compared with traditional crops. In this study, we evaluated the phenotypes of 12 oregano genotypes and generated F1 progenies by hybridization. The density of leaf glandular secretory trichomes and the essential oil yield in the 12 oregano genotypes varied from 97–1017 per cm2 and 0.17–1.67%, respectively. These genotypes were divided into four terpene chemotypes: carvacrol-, thymol-, germacrene D/β-caryophyllene-, and linalool/β-ocimene-type. Based on phenotypic data and considering terpene chemotypes as the main breeding goal, six oregano hybrid combinations were performed. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed based on unpublished whole-genome sequencing data of Origanum vulgare, and 64 codominant SSR primers were screened on the parents of the six oregano combinations. These codominant primers were used to determine the authenticity of 40 F1 lines, and 37 true hybrids were identified. These 37 F1 lines were divided into six terpene chemotypes: sabinene-, β-ocimene-, γ-terpinene-, thymol-, carvacrol-, and p-cymene-type, four of which (sabinene-, β-ocimene-, γ-terpinene-, and p-cymene-type) were novel (i.e., different from the chemotypes of parents). The terpene contents of 18 of the 37 F1 lines were higher than those of their parents. The above results lay a strong foundation for the creating of new germplasm resources, constructing of genetic linkage map, and mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of key horticultural traits, and provide insights into the mechanism of terpenoid biosynthesis in oregano. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cost-effective and sustainable method is successfully developed to produce lignin-based cryogels with a mechanically robust 3D interconnected structure. A choline chloride–lactic acid (ChCl–LA)-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) is used as a cosolvent to promote the synthesis of lignin–resorcinol–formaldehyde (LRF) gels that can self-assemble a robust string-bead-like framework. The molar ratio of LA to ChCl in DES has a significant influence on the gelation time and properties of the ensuing gels. Moreover, it is discovered that doping the metal–organic framework (MOF) during the sol–gel process can greatly accelerate the gelation of lignin. It takes a mere 4 h to complete the LRF gelation process at a DES ratio of 1:5 combined with 5% MOF. This study yields LRF carbon cryogels doped with copper that exhibit 3D interconnected bead-like carbon spheres with a prominent micropore of 1.2 nm. A specific capacitance as high as 185 F g−1 can be obtained for the LRF carbon electrode at a current density of 0.5 A g−1, and it has an excellent long-term cycling stability. This study provides a novel method of synthesizing high-lignin-content carbon cryogels with promising potential for application in the field of energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) has been demonstrated to be a feasible protectant in ischemic stroke. However, the mechanism for OEA-afforded neuroprotection remains elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of OEA on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)-mediated microglia M2 polarization after cerebral ischemia. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) was induced for 1 h in wild-type (WT) or PPARα-knock-out (KO) mice. Mouse small glioma cells (BV2) microglia and primary microglia cultures were used to evaluate the direct effect of OEA on microglia. A coculture system was used to further elucidate the effect of OEA on microglial polarization and ischemic neurons' fate. OEA promoted the microglia switch from an inflammatory M1 phenotype to the protective M2 phenotype and enhanced the binding of PPARα with the arginase1 (Arg1) and Ym1 promoter in WT mice but not in KO mice after MCAO. Notably, the increased M2 microglia caused by OEA treatment were strongly linked to neuron survival after ischemic stroke. In vitro studies confirmed that OEA shifted BV2 microglia from (lipopolysaccharide) LPS-induced M1-like to M2-like phenotype through PPARα. Additionally, the activation of PPARα in primary microglia by OEA led to an M2 protective phenotype that enhanced neuronal survival against oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) in the coculture systems. Our findings demonstrate the novel effects of OEA in enhancing microglia M2 polarization to protect neighboring neurons by activating the PPARα signal, which is a new mechanism of OEA against cerebral ischemic injury. Therefore, OEA might be a promising therapeutic drug for stroke and targeting PPARα-mediated M2 microglia may represent a new strategy to treat ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an unmanned aerial vehicles ad hoc network (UANET), UAVs communicate with each other to accomplish intricate tasks collaboratively and cooperatively. However, the high mobility of UAVs, the variable link quality, and heavy traffic loads can lead to difficulties in finding an optimal communication path. We proposed a delay-aware and link-quality-aware geographical routing protocol for a UANET via the dueling deep Q-network (DLGR-2DQ) to address these problems. Firstly, the link quality was not only related to the physical layer metric, the signal-to-noise ratio, which was influenced by path loss and Doppler shifts, but also the expected transmission count of the data link layer. In addition, we also considered the total waiting time of packets in the candidate forwarding node in order to decrease the end-to-end delay. Then, we modeled the packet-forwarding process as a Markov decision process. We crafted an appropriate reward function that utilized the penalty value for each additional hop, total waiting time, and link quality to accelerate the learning of the dueling DQN algorithm. Finally, the simulation results illustrated that our proposed routing protocol outperformed others in terms of the packet delivery ratio and the average end-to-end delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The decay of human or animal carcasses usually attracts the colonization of large numbers of car-rion-related arthropods, especially Diptera and Coleoptera. Since insects are ectotherms, their colonization and development on carcasses are strongly temperature-dependent and predictable, rendering them a powerful tool for estimating the postmortem interval. Nitidulidae is a large family of common storage and agricultural pests of forensic significance. In this study, the development of the sap beetle Nitidula rufipes (Linnaeus, 1767) was observed under seven constant temperatures between 16 and 34 °C to describe the growth and morphology as well as survival rates of the different developmental stages using multiple scientific imaging and statistical techniques. We showed that N. rufipes can complete its development at temperatures between 16 and 34 °C, where the longest developmental time is 71.0 ± 4.4 days at 16 °C and the shortest is 20.8 ± 2.4 days at 34 °C. Body length measurements combined with morphological characteristics allowed for larval aging and instar discrimination, thus providing relatively complete developmental data for N. rufipes. This information serves to aid forensic investigators in determining the postmortem interval of carcasses using N. rufipes. Coleoptera, including the family Nitidulidae, are valuable for estimating long-term postmortem intervals in the late stage of body decomposition. This study showed that, under seven constant temperatures of 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, and 34 °C, the developmental durations of Nitidula rufipes (Linnaeus, 1767) from oviposition to eclosion were 71.0 ± 4.4, 52.9 ± 4.1, 40.1 ± 3.4, 30.1 ± 2.1, 24.2 ± 2.0, 21.0 ±2.3, and 20.8 ± 2.4 days, respectively. The morphological indexes of body length, the widths of the head capsules, and the distance between the urogomphi of the larvae were measured in vivo. The regression model between larval body length and developmental durations was simulated for larval aging, and the head capsule width and the distance between the urogomphi at different instars were cluster-analyzed for instar discrimination. Based on the developmental durations, larval body length and thermal summation data were obtained, and the isomorphen diagram, isomegalen diagram, linear thermal summation models, and curvilinear Optim SSI models were established. The lower developmental threshold and thermal summation constant of N. rufipes evaluated by the linear thermal summation models were 9.65 ± 0.62 °C and 471.40 ± 25.46 degree days, respectively. The lower developmental thresholds, intrinsic optimum temperature, and upper lethal developmental threshold obtained by Optim SSI models were 10.12, 24.15, and 36.00 °C, respectively. The study of the immature stages of N. rufipes can provide preliminary basic developmental data for the estimation of minimum postmortem interval (PMImin). However, more extensive studies are needed on the effects of constant and fluctuating temperatures on the development of N. rufipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very important to develop a new method of preparing high-performance liquid silicone rubber-reinforcing filler. Herein, the hydrophilic surface of silica (SiO2) particles was modified by a vinyl silazane coupling agent to prepare a new type of hydrophobic reinforcing filler. The structures and properties of modified SiO2 particles were confirmed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), specific surface area and particle size distribution and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the results of which demonstrated that the aggregation of hydrophobic particles is greatly reduced. Additionally, the effects of the vinyl-modified SiO2 particle (f-SiO2) content on the dispersibility, rheology, and thermal and mechanical properties of liquid silicone rubber (SR) composites were studied for application toward high-performance SR matrix. The results showed that the f-SiO2/SR composites possessed low viscosity and higher thermal stability, conductivity, and mechanical strength than of SiO2/SR composites. We believe that this study will provide ideas for the preparation of high-performance liquid silicone rubber with low viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of an additional catheter ablation (CA) procedure on the risk of post-procedure adverse events during CA combined with left atrial appendage closure (LAAC). (2) Methods: From July 2017 to February 2022, data from 361 patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent LAAC at our center were analyzed retrospectively. The adverse events were compared between CA + LAAC and LAAC-only groups. (3) Results: The incidence of device-related thrombus (DRT) and embolic events was significantly lower in the CA + LAAC group than in the LAAC-only group (p = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). A logistic regression analysis revealed that the combined procedure served as a protective factor for DRT (OR = 0.09; 95% confidence interval: 0.01–0.89; p = 0.04). Based on a Cox regression analysis, the risk of embolism marginally increased in patients aged ≥65 years (HR = 7.49, 95% CI: 0.85–66.22 p = 0.07), whereas the combined procedure was found to be a protective factor (HR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07–0.87 p = 0.03). Further subgroup and interaction analyses revealed similar results. (4) Conclusions: The combined procedure may be associated with a lower rate of post-procedure DRT and embolization without a higher occurrence of other adverse events after LAAC. A risk-score-based prediction model was conducted, showing a good prediction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-optic biosensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) have the advantages of great biocompatibility, label-free, strong stability, and real-time monitoring of various analytes. LSPR fiber-optic biosensors have attracted extensive research attention in the fields of environmental science, clinical medicine, disease diagnosis, and food safety. The latest development of LSPR fiber-optic biosensors in recent years has focused on the detection of clinical disease markers and the detection of various toxic substances in the environment and the progress of new sensitization mechanisms in LSPR fiber-optic sensors. Therefore, this paper reviews the LSPR fiber-optic sensors from the aspects of working principle, structure, and application fields in biosensors. According to the structure, the sensor can be divided into three categories: traditional ordinary optical fiber, special shape optical fiber, and specialty optical fiber. The advantages and disadvantages of existing and future LSPR fiber-optic biosensors are discussed in detail. Additionally, the prospect of future development of fiber-optic biosensors based on LSPR is addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of nanotechnology, fluorescent silicon nanomaterials have been synthesized and applied in various areas. Among them, silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) are a new class of zero-dimensional nanomaterials with outstanding optical properties, benign biocompatibility, and ultra-small size. In recent years, SiQDs have been gradually utilized for constructing high-performance fluorescent sensors for chemical or biological analytes. Herein, we focus on reviewing recent advances in SiQD-based fluorescent biosensors from a broad perspective and discussing possible future trends. First, the representative progress for synthesizing water-soluble SiQDs in the past decade is systematically summarized. Then, the latest achievement of the design and fabrication of SiQD-based fluorescent biosensors is introduced, with a particular focus on analyte-induced photoluminescence (fluorescence) changes, hybrids of SiQDs with other materials or molecules, and biological ligand-modification methods. Finally, the current challenges and prospects of this field are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asprosin (ASP) is a recently identified adipokine secreted by white adipose tissue (WAT). It plays important roles in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis in the fasting state and in the occurrence and development of obesity. However, there is no report on whether and how ASP would inhibit angiogenesis and fat browning in the mouse adipose microenvironment. Therefore, the study sought to investigate the effects of ASP-knockout on angiogenesis and fat browning, and to identify the interaction between them in the ASP-knockout mouse adipose microenvironment. In the experiments in vivo, the ASP-knockout alleviated the obesity induced by a high fat diet (HFD) and increased the expressions of the browning-related proteins including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), PRD1-BF-1-RIZ1 homologus domain-containing protein-16 (PRDM16) and PPAR gamma coactivator 1 (PGC1-α) and the endothelial cell marker (CD31). In the experiments in vitro, treatment with the conditional medium (CM) from ASP-knockout adipocytes (ASP−/−-CM) significantly promoted the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of vascular endothelial cells, and increased the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway proteins. In addition, the treatment with CM from endothelial cells (EC-CM) markedly reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets and increased the expressions of the browning-related proteins and the mitochondrial contents. Moreover, the treatment with EC-CM significantly improved the energy metabolism in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results highlight that ASP-knockout can promote the browning and angiogenesis of WAT, and the fat browning and angiogenesis can interact in the mouse adipose microenvironment, which contributes to weight loss in the mice with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point-pair registration in a real scene remains a challenging task, due to the complexity of solving three transformations (scale, rotation, and displacement) simultaneously, and the influence of noise and outliers. Aimed at this problem, a registration algorithm based on histogram and vector operations is proposed in this paper. This approach converts point-based operations into vector-based operations, thereby decomposing the registration process into three independent steps solving for scale transformation factors, rotation matrices, and displacement vectors, which reduces the complexity of the solution and avoids the effects of scaling in the other two processes. The influence of outliers on the global transformation matrix is simultaneously eliminated using a histogram-based approach. Algorithm performance was evaluated through a comparison with the most commonly used SVD method in a series of validation experiments, with results showing that our methodology was superior to SVD in the cases with scaling transformation or outliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfonylurea herbicides (SH) are widely used throughout the world. In this paper, the degradation of sulfonylurea herbicides (SH) in eight different agricultural soils was studied by exploring the synergism between microbial consortium (MC) and plants. In the experiment, chlorimuron with a concentration of 50 mg/L was used as the only carbon source to domesticate and prepare the MC. The degradation of six sulfonylurea herbicides was determined, among which bensulfuron (BN), due to its better degradation effects, was selected. The best degradation conditions of BN were determined as follows: pH 7, 20 °C, and BN concentration 20 mg/L, and after 20 days, the degradation rate of BN by MC reached 90.49%. The physical and chemical properties of eight different agricultural soils were compared, and the correlation between them and the degradation effect of BN was analyzed. When plants were combined with 3% MC to remediate BN-contaminated soil, it was beneficial to plant growth, and the degradation rate of BN was the highest (81%) after 25 days. In addition, the content of soil urease and soil catalase in the soil increased to 449 ug/g and 12.19 mmol/g after 25 days of combined remediation. The results showed an effective bioremediation strategy to restore agricultural soil contaminated by BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive migration of plasticizers leads to debonding and cracking of a liner, which can compromise the safety of a solid propellant. Graphene oxide (GO), with a laminar structure as a filler, can effectively reduce the migration of plasticizers. In this study, we modified GO using toluene diisocyanate (TDI). The cross-link density of the substrate was increased by grafting isocyanate groups to obtain a denser liner for the purpose of preventing plasticizer migration. We also used octadecylamine (ODA) to modify GO by grafting negatively charged amide groups on the GO surface. The electrostatic repulsive effect of the amide group on the plasticizer molecules was used to prevent plasticizer migration. Two modified GOs were filled into the hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene to prepare two composite liners. We then investigated the migration resistance and migration kinetics of each modified liner using the dipping method. In addition, we explored the mechanical properties of each modified liner. Compared with the original liner, the anti-migration and mechanical properties of the modified composite liners were significantly improved. Among them, the TDI-modified liner had the most obvious improvement in migration resistance, while the ODA-modified liner had the greatest improvement in bonding properties. All types of liners met the requirements of the current propellant systems. This study provides an effective reference for improving the migration resistance and bonding properties of the composite liner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pretherapeutic serological parameters play a predictive role in pathologic risk factors (PRF), which correlate with treatment and prognosis in cervical cancer (CC). However, the method of pre-operative prediction to PRF is limited and the clinical availability of machine learning methods remains unknown in CC. Overall, 1260 early-stage CC patients treated with radical hysterectomy (RH) were randomly split into training and test cohorts. Six machine learning classifiers, including Gradient Boosting Machine, Support Vector Machine with Gaussian kernel, Random Forest, Conditional Random Forest, Naive Bayes, and Elastic Net, were used to derive diagnostic information from nine clinical factors and 75 parameters readily available from pretreatment peripheral blood tests. The best results were obtained by RF in deep stromal infiltration prediction with an accuracy of 70.8% and AUC of 0.767. The highest accuracy and AUC for predicting lymphatic metastasis with Cforest were 64.3% and 0.620, respectively. The highest accuracy of prediction for lymphavascular space invasion with EN was 59.7% and the AUC was 0.628. Blood markers, including D-dimer and uric acid, were associated with PRF. Machine learning methods can provide critical diagnostic prediction on PRF in CC before surgical intervention. The use of predictive algorithms may facilitate individualized treatment options through diagnostic stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, despite the rapid growth in the number of entrepreneurial incubation platforms in China, many of them are experiencing the sustainability dilemma caused by the loss of incubated startups. However, there is a dearth of research that explores how to promote incubated startups' continuance intention towards entrepreneurial incubation platforms. Addressing this gap, the present study develops a dedication–constraint model based on the dual model framework, investigating the distinct impacts of entrepreneurial support and relationship-specific investment on incubated startups' continuance intention towards entrepreneurial incubation platforms. A sample of 534 incubated startups in China was employed to test the research model, and the structural equation modelling was adopted for data analysis. Empirical results indicate that the dedication-based mechanism and constraint-based mechanism simultaneously, yet differently, affect incubated startups' continuance intention towards entrepreneurial incubation platforms. Specifically, in the dedication-based mechanism, social support and technical support are revealed as the antecedents to relationship satisfaction that significantly leads to benefit-based dependence. As for the constraint-based mechanism, setup activity is the only salient indicator to termination costs, which consequently has a positive effect on cost-based dependence. Incubated startups' continuance intention towards entrepreneurial incubation platforms is influenced by both benefit-based dependence and cost-based dependence, ultimately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bus bunching occurring at stops has an unstable impact on bus travel time. In order to evaluate urban bus travel time effectively, the travel time reliability (TTR) addressing bus bunching is analyzed. This paper focuses on the delayed time caused by bus bunching in the dwelling process at bus stops and uses the coefficient of variation of time headway to evaluate the degree of bus bunching. Moreover, the travel time deviation (TTD) indicator and travel time on-time accuracy (OTA) model are proposed to evaluate the bus TTR. The proposed model is used to analyze 113 runs of a bus route in Xi'an city, China. Real-time GPS data are used to analyze the operation of each run from the origin to the destination stops. The results show that 74.34% of the runs are delayed. When the value of TTD is higher than |0.1|, 64.2% of runs are delayed with bus bunching. Based on the measuring of OTA in two situations, the value of TTR considering bus bunching is reduced by 20%. In addition, the number of stopping routes at peak periods has a significant impact on the occurrence of bus bunching. The research results would have practical implications for the operation and management of buses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) analysis to study the central mechanism of migraine has been limited. Furthermore, little is known about inter-hemispheric functional connectivity (FC) alterations during resting state in female patients with migraine. This study aimed to investigate potential interictal VMHC impairments in migraine without aura (MwoA) patients and the relationship between connectivity alterations and clinical parameters. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data and clinical information were acquired from 43 female MwoA patients and 43 matched healthy controls. VMHC analysis was used to compare differences between these two groups, and brain regions showing significant differences were chosen as a mask to perform a seed-based FC group comparison. Subsequent correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between abnormal inter-hemispheric FC and clinical data. Compared with healthy controls, female MwoA patients revealed significantly decreased VMHC in the bilateral cerebellum; cuneus; and lingual, middle occipital, precentral and postcentral gyri. Seed-based FC analysis indicated disrupted intrinsic connectivity in the cerebellum, and default mode, visual and sensorimotor network. These VMHC and FC abnormalities were negatively correlated with clinical indexes including duration of disease, migraine days and visual analogue scale. These inter-hemispheric FC impairments and correlations between abnormal VMHC and FC and clinical scores may improve our understanding of the central mechanism of female-specific migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a solar-assisted enhanced vapor injection air-source heat pump (SC-EVIHP) system was built to investigate its heating performance in cold regions. A typical-weather day in Harbin was selected for the experiment, and the heating characteristics of the SC-EVIHP system were explored under variable working conditions. The experimental results showed that the system was greatly affected by solar radiation intensity. On typical-weather days in winter, the maximum values for the heating capacity and COP of the system appeared at the time of maximum radiation intensity. Compared with conventional enhanced vapor injection air-source heat pump systems (EVI-ASHPs), the heating capacity and COP were increased by 24.9% and 12.5% at most, respectively. The COP of the system increased by at most 11.1% under conditions where the outdoor temperature was −12 °C and the outlet hot air temperature of the solar air collector was 40 °C. The SC-EVIHP system works well in a low-temperature environment and can be widely applied in cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cancer vaccine therapy is promising, though its efficacy is compromised in an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) have the potential to be repolarized to an antitumor subtype, and their antigen-presenting ability might enhance the efficacy of cancer vaccination. Here, we aimed to develop a nanoparticle with adjuvant effect that could be a carrier for neoantigen-based vaccine to target and repolarize TAMs in situ. Therefore, we prepared a hyaluronic acid and mannose dual-modified iron oxide nanoparticle, and the enhanced efficiency of nanoparticle intake of macrophages was confirmed. It could repolarize macrophages and outperformed a commercialized iron oxide nanoparticle, ferumoxytol. Combined with peptides, this nanoparticle strongly inhibited TC1 tumor growth, and 40% of mice reached complete regression. This is the first report using mannose, hyaluronic acid, and iron oxide to target TAMs and achieve ideal outcomes in vivo. This study provides a facile nanoplatform for neoantigen-based vaccine therapy and a reference for repolarizing TAMs to promote immunotherapy. Neoantigen-based cancer vaccine therapy is a breakthrough in the field of immunotherapy. However, it is difficult for vaccines against neoantigens to overcome the immunosuppressive microenvironment, where tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a significant role. Herein, we report an iron oxide nanoparticle modified with hyaluronic acid and mannose to reshape the tumor microenvironment by targeting and repolarizing TAMs from protumor M2 to antitumor M1 phenotype. Mannose decoration could confer the nanoparticle-enhanced TAM targeting ability, while hyaluronic acid and iron oxide could repolarize M2-like macrophages both in vitro and in vivo. Combined with antigenic peptides, this nanovaccine could significantly increase the infiltration of CD8+ T cells into tumor tissue and strongly activate dendritic cells in sentinel lymph nodes. Finally, we used the dual-modified nanoparticles to first convert the tumor microenvironment and then the nanovaccine administration in a TC1 tumor model to further enhance efficacy. This strategy inhibited tumor growth and achieved a 40% cure rate in mice (two of five). In summary, this study provides a potent and rationally designed nanoadjuvant to enhance antitumor efficiency and facilitate delivery of neoantigen vaccines by repolarizing TAMs and harmonizing immune cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The hemodilution of bone marrow aspirates is the main factor affecting the reliability of the determination of the minimal residual disease (MRD) resulting in multiple myeloma (MM). A bone marrow particle cell (BMPL) enrichment assay may be applied to overcome the problems caused by the hemodilution of bone marrow aspirates and to improve the rate of myeloma cell detection. Assessment of BMPL samples could decrease the false-negative rate of the MRD assessed with routine bone marrow aspirates. This study validated that the BMPL was superior to the routine bone marrow aspirate samples in the MM and MRD analysis. Minimal residual disease (MRD) is one of the most relevant prognostic factors in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, the hemodilution of bone marrow (BM) aspirates, the most common preanalytical problem, is known to affect MRD detection. In the present study, we analyzed a preanalytical method for routine BM aspirates and a bone marrow particle cell (BMPL) enrichment assay and validated it as a reliable preanalytical method for flow cytometric MRD determination. A total of 120 BM samples were taken from 103 MM patients consecutively recruited; 77 BM samples had BMPL enrichment analysis and 99 BM samples were routinely analyzed. Then, the two different samples from patients with MM were sent for MRD detection using an eight-color flow cytometry. Our data showed that assessment of the BMPL enrichment samples attenuated the overestimation of MRD-negative assessed in the routine BM samples, which was mainly caused by hemodilution. In conclusion, the BMPL enrichment assay is a functional and practical preanalytical method for flow cytometric MRD analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bacterial and viral respiratory diseases are a major health problem in pig farms. Most often multiple infectious agents are involved in the development of clinical cases of respiratory diseases. It is necessary to conduct laboratory etiological tests on suspected cases. In January 2021, a 70-day-old pig herd in a pig farm in Hebei Province, China, had been suffering from respiratory problems. On the basis of this preliminary clinical diagnosis, this study carried out comprehensive laboratory detection including nucleic acid detection and sequencing, the isolation and identification of the pathogen, genetic evolution analysis, and genotype or serotype identification, as well as an analysis of the bacterial morphology characteristics and pathogenicity. The results showed that the co-infection of PCV2a and P. multocida capsular serotypes D was likely responsible for the disease. This study could provide important etiological information for effective control and treatment of the disease in pig farms. In order to diagnose a respiratory disease in a pig farm, the lungs, spleen, and lymph nodes of three dead pigs were collected for pathogen detection by PCR and isolation on the basis of preliminary clinical diagnosis. The virus isolate was identified by gene sequence analysis and Immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA). The bacterial isolate was identified by biochemical tests, 16S rDNA sequence analysis, and species- and serotype-specific PCR, and the pathogenicity was analyzed. Porcine circovirus type 2a (PCV2a) genotype from the lungs, spleen, and lymph nodes and Pasteurella (P.) multocida capsular serotypes D from the lungs were found. The PCV2a isolates could specifically bound the anti-PCV2-Cap polyclonal antibody. The 16S rDNA sequence of P. multocida isolates had 99.9% identity with that of the strain from cattle, and the isolate was highly pathogenic to mice. The results showed that the co-infection of PCV2a and P. Multocida capsular serotypes D should be responsible for the disease. The uncommon PCV2a is still prevalent in some pig farms besides the dominant PCV2d genotype. This study could provide important etiological information for effective control and treatment of the disease in pig farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]