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Background: Missed early gastric cancer (MEGC) is prevalent during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which is the first-line recommended strategy for detecting early gastric cancer (EGC). Hence, we explored the risk factors for MEGC and different types of MEGC, based on the endoscopic resected population. Methods: This retrospective, case–control study was conducted at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (NJDTH). We included patients who were diagnosed with EGC during screening EGD, underwent endoscopic resection, and were confirmed by postoperative pathology at the NJDTH from January 2014 to December 2021, and classified them into different types according to the different root causes of misses. Univariable, multivariable, subgroup and propensity score analyses were used to explore the risk factors for MEGC and different types of MEGC. Results: A total of 447 patients, comprising 345 with initially detected early gastric cancer (IDEGC) and 102 with MEGC, were included in this study. Larger size (≥ 1 cm) (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.27–0.74, P = 0.002) and invasion depth of submucosa (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.10–0.69, P = 0.007) were negatively associated with MEGC. Use of sedation (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.20–0.52, P < 0.001) and longer observation time (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.37–0.96, P = 0.034) exhibited protective effect on MEGC. Conclusions: Smaller and more superficial EGC lesions are more susceptible to misdiagnosis. The use of sedation and prolonged observation time during EGD could help reduce the occurrence of MEGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lattice metamaterials based on three-period minimum surface (TPMS) are an effective means to achieve lightweight and high-strength materials which are widely used in various fields such as aerospace and ships. However, its vibration and noise reduction, and damping properties have not been fully studied. Therefore, in this study, the TPMS structures with parameterization were designed by the method of surface migration, and the TPMS structures with high forming quality was manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The mechanical properties and energy absorption characteristics of the beam and TPMS structures were studied and compared by quasi-static compression. The modal shapes of the beam lattice structures and TPMS structures were obtained by the free modal analysis, and the damping properties of two structures were obtained by modal tests. For the two structures after heat treatment with the same porosity of 70%, the yield strength of the beam lattice structure reaches 40.76 MPa, elastic modulus is 20.38 GPa, the energy absorption value is 32.23 MJ·m-3, the damping ratio is 0.52%. The yield strength, elastic modulus, energy absorption value, and damping ratio of the TPMS structure are 50.74 MPa, 25.37 GPa, 47.34 MJ·m-3, and 0.99%, respectively. The results show that TPMS structures exhibit more excellent mechanical properties and energy absorption, better damping performance, and obvious advantages in structural load and vibration and noise reduction compared with the beam lattice structures under the same porosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tea industry occupies a pivotal and important position in China's import and export trade commodities. With the improvement of people's quality of life, the demand for famous tea sprout is increasing. However, manual picking is inefficient and costly. Although mechanical picking can pick tea sprouts efficiently, it lacks selectivity, which leads to an increase in the workload of post-processing and screening of superior tea leaves. To address this, this paper establishes a dataset for tea sprouts in natural environments and proposes an improved YOLOX tea sprouts detection model, YOLOX-ST based on the Swin Transformer. The model employs the Swin Transformer as the backbone network to enhance overall detection accuracy. Additionally, it introduces the CBAM attention mechanism to address issues of miss-detection and false detections in complex environments. Furthermore, a small target detection layer is also incorporated to resolve the problem of incomplete information about tea sprout features learned from the deep feature map. To address the sample imbalance, we introduce the EIoU loss function and apply Focal Loss to the confidence level. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model in this paper achieves an accuracy of 95.45%, which is 5.73% higher than the original YOLOX model. Moreover, it outperforms other YOLO series models in terms of accuracy, while achieving a faster detection speed, reaching 93.2 FPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topological domain structures have drawn great attention as they have potential applications in future electronic devices. As an important concept linking the quantum and classical magnetism, a magnetic Bloch point, predicted in 1960s but not observed directly so far, is a singular point around which magnetization vectors orient to nearly all directions. Here we show polar Bloch points in tensile-strained ultrathin ferroelectric PbTiO3 films, which are alternatively visualized by phase-field simulations and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopic imaging. The phase-field simulations indicate local steady-state negative capacitance around the Bloch points. The observation of polar Bloch points and their emergent properties consequently implies novel applications in future integrated circuits and low power electronic devices. Authors predict polar Bloch points with negative capacitance in tensile-strained ultrathin ferroelectric PbTiO3 film by phase-field simulations, observing their polarization structures by scanning transmission electron microscopic imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and efficient prediction of deformation and residual stress in large metal components manufactured through wire-arc directed energy deposition is essential for optimizing the process parameters and ensuring the quality of the components. The finite element method (FEM) together with the inherent strain concept is a promising approach to solve the problems, but its prediction accuracy requires improvement, especially for the prediction of the residual stress. Motivated by this, a process-based inherent strain method (PISM) is proposed, which can better reflect the layer-wise process of wire-arc directed energy deposition. For one thing, an accumulative effect of the plastic strain, which results from multiple remelting during the sequential deposition process, is taken into account when the inherent strain is calculated and loaded. For another, an additional strain is introduced into the total inherent strain, in order to resolve the continuity conflict of deformation and then to dismiss the unrealistic stress oscillation between the equivalent layers, when a layer lumping method is used. In addition, the idea of decomposing plastic strain into a locally-related part and a structure-related part is proposed, which clarifies the theoretical basis of the inherent strain method for metal additive manufacturing. Numerical examples confirm the necessity for the consideration of the effect of multiple remelting, and the introduction of the additional strain. Comparisons with the predictions by the thermo-elastic–plastic model and the conventional inherent strain method, as well as with the experimental results, verify the validity and accuracy of the present PISM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the predictive ability of plaque characteristics for long-term stroke recurrence among patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). Methods: This cohort study included 132 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) attributed to ICAD who were recruited between July 2017 and December 2020 and followed until stroke recurrence or December 2021. Plaque surface irregularity, degree of stenosis, plaque burden, remodeling ratio, enhancement ratio, and intraplaque hemorrhage were assessed with 3-dimensional high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (3D HR-MRI). Data were analyzed using Cox models, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Results: Of the 132 patients, during a median follow-up of 2.8 years, stroke recurrence occurred in 35 patients. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of stroke recurrence was 3.15 (1.34–7.42) per 10% increase in plaque burden and 2.17 (1.27–3.70) for enhancement ratio. The area under the curve (AUC) to predict stroke recurrence was 0.725 (95% CI 0.629–0.822) for plaque burden, 0.692 (95% CI 0.593–0.792) for enhancement ratio, and only 0.595 (95% CI 0.492–0.699) for the Essen stroke risk score. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis further demonstrated significant differences in survival of free recurrent stroke between patients with plaque burden or enhancement ratio below and above the optimum cut-offs (both p < 0.001). Conclusion: Higher plaque burden and enhancement ratio are independent risk factors for long-term stroke recurrence among patients with symptomatic ICAD, and valuable imaging markers for predicting and stratifying risk of stroke recurrence. Clinical relevance statement: In patients with symptomatic ICAD, the results of this high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging study have potential implications for optimal management of intracranial plaques and secondary prevention of stroke recurrence based on plaque burden and enhancement ratio. Key Points: • Identification of intracranial plaque characteristics responsible for stroke recurrence is essential to preventing stroke recurrence in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease. • Higher plaque burden and enhancement ratio are independent risk factors for stroke recurrence. • Plaque burden and enhancement ratio are valuable imaging markers in the prediction and stratification of the risk of stroke recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optical receiver employs an all-inverter-based front-end design that provides maximum transconductance for a given power supply and allows for ultra-low power consumption. The feedback transimpedance amplifier (TIA) input stage utilizes a multi-stage amplifier to achieve a dramatic increase in feedback resistance and lower input-referred noise. Cascading an inverter-based active inductor continuous-time linear equalizer provides frequency peaking to compensate the input stage TIA that is intentionally designed with a reduced bandwidth to achieve adequate sensitivity at low power. Fabricated in 28 nm CMOS, the 12.5 Gb/s optical receiver achieves - 10.7 dBm OMA sensitivity at 0.11 pJ/bit energy efficiency and occupies only 720 μ m 2 area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients, leading to long-term physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments. Blood lactate and fibrinogen levels have emerged as potential biomarkers associated with tissue hypoperfusion and coagulation dysfunction, respectively. However, limited research has specifically focused on the significance of these biomarkers in pediatric TBI. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of blood lactate and fibrinogen levels upon admission in pediatric patients with traumatic brain injury. Methods: The medical records of 80 children with a traumatic brain injury who were admitted from January 2017 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The two groups were compared according to whether the blood lactate in the admission arterial blood gas increased and the fibrinogen content in the coagulation function decreased. The clinical data of the children in the two groups were different, and then they were divided into a good prognosis group and a poor prognosis group according to the GOS prognostic score, and the differences in the clinical indicators of the two groups were compared. Results: Among the 80 patients, 33 had elevated blood lactate levels, 34 had decreased fibrinogen levels, and 29 had an unfavorable outcome (GOS < 4). Compared to the normal blood lactate group, there were no statistically significant differences in age, sex ratio, or platelet count in the elevated blood lactate group (P > 0.05). However, the elevated blood lactate group had lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores upon admission, higher blood lactate levels, lower fibrinogen levels, longer hospital stay, lower GOS scores, and a higher proportion of GOS < 4 (P < 0.05). Compared to the normal fibrinogen group, there were no statistically significant differences in age, sex ratio, or platelet count in the decreased fibrinogen group (P > 0.05). However, the decreased fibrinogen group had lower GCS scores upon admission, higher blood lactate levels, lower fibrinogen levels, longer hospital stays, lower GOS scores, and a higher proportion of GOS < 4 (P < 0.05). Compared to the favorable outcome group, there were no statistically significant differences in age, sex ratio, or platelet count in the unfavorable outcome group (P > 0.05). However, the unfavorable outcome group had lower GCS scores upon admission, higher blood lactate levels, lower fibrinogen levels, longer hospital stays, a higher incidence of pulmonary infection, a higher incidence of stress ulcers, and lower GOS scores (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The levels of blood lactate and fibrinogen may represent the severity of children with traumatic brain injury and may be risk factors for poor prognosis of children with traumatic brain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrastrong and deep-strong coupling are two coupling regimes rich in intriguing physical phenomena. Recently, hybrid magnonic systems have emerged as promising candidates for exploring these regimes, owing to their unique advantages in quantum engineering. However, because of the relatively weak coupling between magnons and other quasiparticles, ultrastrong coupling is predominantly realized at cryogenic temperatures, while deep-strong coupling remains to be explored. In our work, we achieve both theoretical and experimental realization of room-temperature ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling in synthetic antiferromagnets with intrinsic asymmetry of magnetic anisotropy. Unlike most ultrastrong coupling systems, where the counter-rotating coupling strength g2 is strictly equal to the co-rotating coupling strength g1, our systems allow for highly tunable g1 and g2. This high degree of freedom also enables the realization of normalized g1 or g2 larger than 0.5. Particularly, our experimental findings reveal that the maximum observed g1 is nearly identical to the bare frequency, with g1/ω0 = 0.963, indicating a close realization of deep-strong coupling within our hybrid magnonic systems. Our results highlight synthetic antiferromagnets as platforms for exploring unconventional ultrastrong and even deep-strong coupling regimes, facilitating the further exploration of quantum phenomena.Deep-strong coupling in hybrid magnonic systems is yet to be explored. Here, the authors unveil unconventional coupling properties in synthetic antiferromagnets. The systems’ high degree of freedom enables a near-realization of deep-strong coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia are resident macrophages within the central nervous system, serving as the first responders to neuroinflammation. Glucocorticoids (GCs) may cause damage to brain tissue, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. This study was divided into two parts: a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mitochondrial translocation intervention experiment and a mitochondrial oxidative stress inhibition experiment. BV-2 microglia were stimulated with dexamethasone (DEX) and treated with either tubastatin-A or mitoquinone (MitoQ) for 24 h. Our results showed that DEX increased the translocation of GRs to mitochondria, and this effect was accompanied by decreases in the expression of mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase 1 (MT-CO1) and mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase 3 (MT-CO3) and increases in the expression of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain–associated protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, and Gasdermin D (GSDMD). The level of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex IV (MRCC IV) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was decreased. An elevation in the level of mitochondrial oxidative stress and the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) was also observed. Mechanistically, tubastatin-A significantly suppressed the mitochondrial translocation of GRs, improved the expression of mitochondrial genes, promoted the restoration of mitochondrial function, and inhibited pyroptosis. MitoQ significantly prevented mitochondrial oxidative stress, improved mitochondrial function, and reduced apoptosis and pyroptosis. Both tubastatin-A and MitoQ suppressed DEX-induced pyroptosis. This study substantiates that the increase in the mitochondrial translocation of GRs mediated by GCs exacerbates oxidative stress and pyroptosis in microglia, which indicates that the regulation of mitochondrial pathways by GCs is pathogenic to microglia. The increase in mitochondrial translocation of GRs mediated by GCs aggravates mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, leading to pyroptosis in BV-2 microglia. Tubastatin-A and MitoQ can inhibit GR translocation and oxidative stress in mitochondria, respectively, and these effects can inhibit pyroptosis and other damage induced by GCs to microglia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing technology is highly regarded due to its advantages, such as high precision and the ability to address complex geometric challenges. However, the development of additive manufacturing process is constrained by issues like unclear fundamental principles, complex experimental cycles, and high costs. Machine learning, as a novel artificial intelligence technology, has the potential to deeply engage in the development of additive manufacturing process, assisting engineers in learning and developing new techniques. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the research and applications of machine learning in the field of additive manufacturing, particularly in model design and process development. Firstly, it introduces the background and significance of machine learning-assisted design in additive manufacturing process. It then further delves into the application of machine learning in additive manufacturing, focusing on model design and process guidance. Finally, it concludes by summarizing and forecasting the development trends of machine learning technology in the field of additive manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketogenic diet (KD) alleviates refractory epilepsy and reduces seizures in children. However, the metabolic/cell biologic mechanisms by which the KD exerts its antiepileptic efficacy remain elusive. Herein, we report that KD-produced β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) augments brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the GABA/glutamate ratio to inhibit epilepsy. The KD ameliorated pentetrazol-induced epilepsy in mice. Mechanistically, KD-produced BHB, but not other ketone bodies, inhibited HDAC1/HDAC2, increased H3K27 acetylation, and transcriptionally upregulated SIRT4 and glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1). BHB-induced SIRT4 de-carbamylated and inactivated glutamate dehydrogenase to preserve glutamate for GABA synthesis, and GAD1 upregulation increased mouse brain GABA/glutamate ratio to inhibit neuron excitation. BHB administration in mice inhibited epilepsy induced by pentetrazol. BHB-mediated relief of epilepsy required high GABA level and GABA/glutamate ratio. These results identified BHB as the major antiepileptic metabolite of the KD and suggested that BHB may serve as an alternative and less toxic antiepileptic agent than KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the background of the greenhouse effect, drought events occurred more frequently. How to monitor drought events scientifically and efficiently is very urgent at present. In this study, we employed the Vegetation Water Supply Index (VSWI), Temperature Vegetation Drought Index (TVDI), and Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) as individual variables to construct a composite drought index (CDI) using spatial principal component analysis (SPCA). The validity of CDI was assessed using gross primary productivity (GPP), soil moisture (SM), Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), and Vegetation Condition Index (VCI). CDI was subsequently used for drought monitoring in northern China from 2011 to 2020. The results showed that (1) at a 99% confidence level, the Pearson correlation coefficients between CDI and GPP was 0.72, while the value between CDI and SM was 0.69, which indicated the relationship between SM, GPP, and CDI was significant. (2) We compared CDI with other variables such as Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and Crop Drought Index (CDI) and found that the monitoring result of CDI was more sensitive, which indicated that the proposed CDI had a better effect in local drought monitoring. (3) The results of CDI showed that the drought status in the northern region during 2011–2020 lasted from March to October, and the high severe drought period generally occurs in March-May and September-October, with low severe drought in June-August. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: While morphine has important therapeutic value it is also one of the most widely abused drugs in the world. As a newly discovered style of cell death, ferroptosis is involved in the occurrence and development of many diseases, however, the current understanding of the relationship between ferroptosis and morphine is still limited. Objective: To clarify the role of opioid receptors in morphine-induced ferroptosis and to investigate the role of NRF2 in morphine-induced ferroptosis. Methods: We first used different doses of morphine (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mM) to investigate morphine-induced ferroptosis in SH-SY5Y cells, and we choose 1.5 mM morphine for subsequent experiments. We next inhibited opioid receptors and NRF2 separately and examined their influence on morphine-induced ferroptosis. Finally, we tested morphine-induced insufficient autophagy. Results: Morphine triggered ferroptosis in a dose-dependent manner, which could be significantly rescued by the ferroptosis-specific inhibitor DFO. Moreover, GPX4 rather than xCT antiporter might be involved in morphine-induced ferroptosis. We also found naloxone could inhibit morphine-induced ferroptosis. Interestingly, our results demonstrated that NRF2 could promote rather than defend morphine-induced ferroptosis; this may be due to the increased p62-related insufficient autophagy. Conclusion: Morphine-induced ferroptosis is regulated by the opioid receptor and GPX4 rather than the xCT antiporter. NRF2-mediated ferroptosis in morphine-exposed cells may stem from increased p62-related insufficient autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the thermal and mechanical behavior of casting wheel, a two-dimensional thermoelastic-plastic finite element model was used to predict the temperature, stress and distortion distribution of the casting wheel during the wheel and belt continuous casting process. The effects of grinding thickness and casting speed on the thermal and mechanical behaviors of the center of the hot face of the casting wheel were discussed in detail. In each rotation, the casting wheel passes through four different spray zones. The results show that the temperature distribution of the casting wheel in different spray zones is similar, the temperature of the hot face is the highest and the temperature reaches the peak in the spray zone III. The stress and distortion depend on the temperature distribution, and the maximum stress and distortion of the hot face are 358.2 MPa and 1.82 mm, respectively. The temperature at the center of the hot face decreases with increasing grinding thickness and increases with increasing casting speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: VT (Ventricular Thrombus) is a serious complication of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Our goal is to develop a nomogram for personalized prediction of incident VT in DCM patients. Methods: 1267 patients (52.87 ± 11.75 years old, 73.8% male) were analyzed retrospectively from January 01, 2015, to December 31, 2020. A nomogram model for VT risk assessment was established using minimum absolute contraction and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and its effectiveness was validated by internal guidance. The model was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). We compared the performance in predicting VT between nomogram and CHA2DS2, CHA2DS2- VASc or ATRIA by AUC, akaike information criterion (AIC), bayesian information criterion (BIC), net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discrimination index (IDI). Results: 89 patients (7.02%) experienced VT. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), uric acid (UA), N-terminal precursor B-type diuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and D-dimer (DD) were important independent predictors of VT. The nomogram model correctly separates patients with and without VT, with an optimistic C score of 0.92 (95%CI: 0.90–0.94) and good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2 = 11.51, P = 0.12). Our model showed improved prediction of VT compared to CHA2DS2, CHA2DS2-VASc or ATRIA (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: The novel nomogram demonstrated better than presenting scores and showed an improvement in predicting VT in DCM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the thermodynamic behavior of phosphorus removal from Si-Fe alloys was investigated using a computational approach based on a molecular interaction model combined with the Miedema model and the Tanaka equation. In the Si-P system, the variation of the infinitely dilute activity coefficient of phosphorus with temperature is given as: ln γ pinsi o = - 0.02573 - 2286.07 / T . In the Si-Fe-P system, the variation of the Fe-P interaction parameter as a function of temperature is represented by the expression: ε P Fe = 0.5095 + 548.69 / T . Based on the above theoretical analysis, the separation efficiency of phosphorus removal from the Si-Fe-P system was calculated, and the reliability of the model was evaluated using results from dephosphorization experiments conducted with electromagnetically levitated Si-Fe alloy droplets. It is found that a removal efficiency of 94.42 pct can be achieved with a refining time of 55 min at 2023 K in a 50 pct Ar-50 pct H2 gas atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foam trays with porous submerged orifices endow bubbles uniformly distributed, which are considered attractive column internals to enhance the gas-liquid mass transfer process. However, its irregular orifice and complex gas-liquid flow make it lack pore-scale investigations concerning the transfer mechanism of dynamic bubbling. In this work, the actual porous structure of the foam tray is obtained based on micro computed tomography technology. The shape, dynamic, and mass transfer of rising bubbles at porous orifices are investigated using the volume of fluid and continue surface force model. The results demonstrate that the liquid encroaching on the gas channels causes the increasing orifices velocity, which makes the trailing bubble easily detach from the midst of the leading bubble and causes pairing coalescence. Additionally, we found that the central breakup regimes significantly improve the gas-liquid interface area and mass transfer efficiency. This discovery exemplifies the mechanism of mass transfer intensification for foam trays and serves to promote its further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies mainly focus on the game analysis of green building development under carbon tax policy, while carbon trading, as one of the important means to promote low-carbon development, is rarely mentioned in promoting the development of the green building market. Based on this, to study the impact of carbon trading policy on the development of the green building market, this study combines prospect theory for carbon trading to build a three-way evolutionary game model of developer-government-consumer. It studies the influencing causes of green building market development under the carbon trading mechanism from the whole perspective. The study shows the existence of a carbon trading policy helps the development of the green building market. In the presence of a carbon trading market, the government's punishment, subsidies, and the setting of carbon prices influence the development of the green building market. In addition, the percentage of carbon emissions bought, the potential benefits, and the selling price also affect the chance of consumers buying green buildings to a greater or lesser extent. This study introduces prospect theory into the developer-government-consumer three-way evolutionary game model, which enriches the research perspective of each subject's behavior in the green building market. It provides theoretical support for developers, governments, and consumers to collaborate to promote the coordination and development of the green building market. It has policy implications for promoting the green and high-quality development of the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of mine water source has always been an important hidden danger in mine safety production. The water source under the mine working face may lead to geological disasters, such as mine collapse and water disaster. The research background of mine water source identification involves many fields such as mining production, environmental protection, resource utilization and technological progress. It is a comprehensive and interdisciplinary subject, which helps to improve the safety and sustainability of mine production. Therefore, timely and accurate identification and control of mine water source is very important to ensure mine production safety. Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) technology, characterized by high sensitivity, specificity, and spatial resolution, overcomes the time-consuming nature of traditional chemical methods. In this experiment, sandstone water and old air water were collected from the Huainan mining area as original samples. Five types of mixed water samples were prepared by varying their proportions, in addition to the two original water samples, resulting in a total of seven different water samples for testing. Four preprocessing methods, namely, MinMaxScaler, StandardScaler, Standard Normal Variate (SNV) transformation, and Centering Transformation (CT), were applied to preprocess the original spectral data to reduce noise and interference. CT was determined as the optimal preprocessing method based on class discrimination, data distribution, and data range. To maintain the original data features while reducing the data dimension, including the original spectral data, five sets of data were subjected to Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) dimensionality reduction. Through comparing the clustering effect and Fisher's ratio of the first three dimensions, PCA was identified as the optimal dimensionality reduction method. Finally, two neural network models, CT+PCA+CNN and CT+PCA+ResNet, were constructed by combining Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Residual Neural Networks (ResNet), respectively. When selecting the neural network models, the training time, number of iterative parameters, accuracy, and cross-entropy loss function in the classification problem were compared to determine the model best suited for water source data. The results indicated that CT+PCA+ResNet was the optimal approach for water source identification in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on depositing Ni/W-Al2O3 nanocomposites onto a low-carbon substrate using the pulse electrodeposition technique. The effects of pulse current density on microstructural characteristics, microhardness, phase structure, and wear/corrosion properties of Ni/W-Al2O3 nanocomposites were investigated. Among the investigated nanocomposites, Ni/W-Al2O3 deposited at 0.6 A/dm2 current density showed the finest structure with average Ni-W grain and Al2O3 nanoparticle sizes of 66.7 nm and 39.1 nm, respectively. The Ni/W-Al2O3 nanocomposite deposited under the same conditions exhibited a maximum microhardness of ~ 825.7 HV, while also demonstrating the lowest corrosion current density of ~ 0.72 A/cm2. After 60 min of wear testing, wear loss of Ni/W-Al2O3 nanocomposite deposited at 0.6 A/dm2 was recorded as 42.8 mg, indicating its excellent wear resistance. In contrast, Ni/W-Al2O3 nanocomposite deposited at 0.8 A/dm2 displayed the highest wear loss value of 101.5 mg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous serological studies of human bocavirus (HBoV) 1 could not exclude cross-reactivity with the other three HBoVs, particularly HBoV2. Methods: To search for genotype-specific antibodies against HBoV1 and HBoV2, the divergent regions (DRs) located on the major capsid protein VP3 were defined through viral amino acid alignment and structure prediction. DR-deduced peptides were used as antigens to harvest corresponding anti-DR rabbit sera. To determine their genotype specificities for HBoV1 and HBoV2, these sera samples were used as antibodies against the antigens VP3 of HBoV1 and HBoV2 (expressed in Escherichia coli) in western blotting (WB), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and bio-layer interferometry (BLI) assays. Subsequently, the antibodies were evaluated with clinical specimens from pediatric patients with acute respiratory tract infection by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Results: There were four DRs (DR1–4) located on VP3 with different secondary and tertiary structures between HBoV1 and HBoV2. Regarding the reactivity with VP3 of HBoV1 or HBoV2 in WB and ELISA, high intra-genotype cross-reactivity of anti-HBoV1 or HBoV2 DR1, DR3, and DR4, but not anti-DR2, was observed. Genotype-specific binding capacity of anti-DR2 sera was confirmed by BLI and IFA, in which only anti-HBoV1 DR2 antibody reacted with HBoV1-positive respiratory specimens. Conclusion: Antibodies against DR2, located on VP3 of HBoV1 or HBoV2, were genotype specific for HBoV1 and HBoV2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differentiating dry eye disease (DED) from allergic or viral conjunctivitis rapidly and accurately is important to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment. Tear lactoferrin (LF), a multi-functional glycoprotein found in tears, decreases significantly in patients with DED, and has been considered as a DED diagnostic biomarker. Measuring tear LF level, however, takes time and requires the use of bulky instruments. Herein, a homogeneous carbon nanostructure-based aptasensor with high sensitivity and selectivity has been developed by applying fluorescence polarization (FP) technology. The FP of carbon dots (CDs) bioconjugated with LF aptamers (CDs-aptamer) is 21.2% higher than that of CDs, which can be further amplified (1.81 times) once interacting with graphene oxide nanosheets (GONS). In the presence of LF, GONS separates from CDs-aptamer because of the stronger binding affinity between CDs-aptamer to LF, resulting in the decrease of FP value. A linear relationship is observed between FP value and LF concentration in spiked tear samples from 0.66 to 3.32 mg/mL. The selectivity of the aptasensor has been investigated by measuring other proteins. The results indicate that the FP-based aptasensor is a cost-effective method with high sensitivity and selectivity in detection of tear LF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wilson fermion (WF) is a fundamental particle in the theory of quantum chromodynamics. Theoretical calculations have shown that the WF with a half skyrmion profile represents a quantum anomalous semimetal phase supporting a chiral edge current, but the experimental evidence is still lacking. In this work, we report a direct observation of the WF in circuit systems. We find that WFs manifest as topological spin textures analogous to the half skyrmion, half-skyrmion pair, and Néel skyrmion structures, depending on their mass. Transformations of different WF states are realized by tuning the electric elements. We further experimentally observe the propagation of chiral edge current along the domain-wall separating two circuits with contrast fractional Chern numbers. Our work provides experimental evidence for WFs in topolectrical circuits. The nontrivial analogy between the WF state and the skyrmionic structure builds an intimate connection between the two burgeoning fields. The Wilson fermion is a particle in the theory of quantum chromodynamics that allows to solve the fermion doubling problem. Here the authors use topolectrical circuits to simulate Wilson fermions, and realize nontrivial topological phases characterized by different Chern numbers, including quantum anomalous semimetal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a quantum image steganography algorithm based on HSI color space embedding technique. To increase the security of sensitive information, a three-dimensional hyperchaotic system incorporating sinusoidal mapping, Henon mapping, and Cubic mapping using the cascade modulation method is first presented. Additionally, a brand-new steganography algorithm built on the HSI color space embedding method is suggested in this study. The effective pixel information of three channels can be concentrated in one intensity channel by converting color images from RGB to HSI, which decreases the null domain steganography algorithm's time and space complexity. In the meantime, a successful quantum steganography circuit is created. The simulation and numerical analysis results show that the algorithm has good invisibility, security, and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) dual-functional radar-communication (DFRC) system, a new DFRC transmission waveform is designed in this paper, The MIMO-DFRC system transmits radar detection waveform to targets and communication signals to downlink users simultaneously using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) chirp multi-channel orthogonal signals. Firstly, considering the key performance indicators of communication and sensing, an optimization model is established to minimize the joint function of downlink multi-user interference (MUI), waveform similarity and CRB under the constraint of total transmit power, and the tradeoff parameter is introduced to adjust the priority of communication and radar performance, and the penalty parameter is introduced to adjust the weight of reference waveform similarity and CRB. The constrained optimization problem can be further reduced to a non-convex quadratic constrained quadratic programming problem, which can be solved by semidefinite relaxation (SDR) technique. The global optimal solution can be obtained by transforming the constrained optimization problem into a semi-definite programming problem (SDP) by rank one approximation. The numerical results show that the designed DFRC transmission waveform can achieve better detection performance without sacrificing the communication performance in the real scenario, and the performance indicators of the new DFRC transmission waveform are significantly better than that of the traditional DFRC transmission waveform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective elastic properties of composites with double periodic nanofibers are studied theoretically. Based on the Gurtin–Murdoch surface elasticity theory, the elastic field in the nanocomposite can be expanded by applying a functional variational method to a unit cell. The analytical solution of the effective anti-plane shear modulus of the periodic nanocomposites is presented. The convergence of the analytical results is discussed. The comparisons of the obtained macroscopic and nanoscale solutions with the existing results show the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. Based on the analytical solution obtained, the size effect of the effective properties of the periodic nanocomposites is discussed. The effects of the period ratio of microstructure, the fiber/matrix stiffness matching and the nanoporous volume fraction on the effective shear modulus of the nanocomposites are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Perforation is a common complication during endoscopic resection (ER) of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (gGISTs) associated with secondary infections, sepsis, hospitalization time and cost. However, the risk factors of perforation remain controversial. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for perforation during ER of gGISTs. Methods: This retrospective case–control study included consecutive patients with gGISTs who underwent ER between June 2009 and November 2021 at the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the risk factors for perforation. Sensitivity analyses with propensity scoring (PS) were performed to evaluate the stability of the independent effects. Results: In total, 422 patients with gGISTs were included. The following factors were associated with perforation during ER: in the non-intraluminal growth patterns (all confounders adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.39, 95% CI 2.99–9.72, P < 0.001), in the gastric fundus (aOR 2.25, 95% CI 1.40–3.60, P = 0.007), sized ≥ 2 cm (aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.04–2.77, P = 0.035), in the lesser curvature (aOR 0.12, 95% CI 0.05–0.27, P < 0.001), and in the gastric cardia (aOR 0.13, 95% CI 0.04–0.50, P = 0.003). The PS analysis confirmed the stable independent effects of these identified risk factors. Conclusions: ERs of gGISTs in non-intraluminal growth patterns, in the gastric fundus, and with larger tumor size were independent risk factors for perforation. While tumors in the lesser curvature or gastric cardia were independent protective factor for perforation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial and temporal deformation patterns and deformation control indicators of high-fill foundations directly affect the design, construction and operational safety of high-fill projects. In situ monitoring can comprehensively reflect the deformation of high-fill during and after construction. In this paper, we have first designed and installed an integrated wireless remote monitoring system for high-fill to achieve real-time dynamic monitoring of settlement, pore water pressure and soil pressure of the fill foundation. Based on the monitoring results of nearly one year of the construction period and two years after construction, it was found that the deformation amount and deformation rate of the high-fill foundation showed a non-linear growth relationship with the filling rate and filling height. The settlement deformation of the high-fill foundation during the loading period was mainly dominated by the original foundation soil, accounting for 54.4% of the total settlement on average; the settlement deformation during the post-construction period was mainly dominated by the filling body, accounting for 77.04% of the total settlement on average, and the settlement deformation during the post-construction period mainly occurred in the first year after construction. The analysis of the deformation mechanism suggests that the deformation of the filling body is dominated by exhaust consolidation during the loading period and drainage consolidation during the post-construction period; the deformation of the original foundation soil is dominated by drainage consolidation during the loading period and drainage consolidation develops slowly during the post-construction period. It is recommended that the original foundation should be reinforced before the large area filling construction, and that the filling rate should be strictly controlled during construction. The research results can provide a scientific basis for deformation calculation and stability assessment of high-fill foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A helical actuator driven by biased shape memory alloy (SMA) patterns embedded into a soft composite ribbon base is presented in this work. Instead of common U-shape SMA wires, a single SMA wire is woven into planar patterns, which enable helical deformation of the composite ribbon from an initially flat geometry. An analytical static model is established for accurate and rapid prediction of the helical reconfiguration arising from the shape memory effect of woven SMA patterns, followed by validation of the static model using the finite element method (FEM). The finite element results are compared with the analytical solutions given by this static model, which show a high agreement. Parametric study of the influences of eight independent design variables on the dependent helical parameters, such as combined curvatures, pitches, and helical angles, is completed. It is found that the helically deformed geometry is mainly dominated by diameters, biased positions, inclined angles, and numbers of skewed segments of the SMA wire. Fabrication and in-situ experimental test of a prototype of such helical actuators qualitatively demonstrate its dramatic three-dimensional (3D) spiral reconfiguration from a two-dimensional (2D) flat ribbon. Such SMA patterns will allow more diverse designs of soft actuators for a wider range of robotic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Antibiotics are emerging contaminants and widely used in human healthcare, livestock, and aquaculture. The toxicity posed by antibiotics and their mixtures in sediments depends on their bioavailability. Now, the bioavailability of organic materials can be determined accurately by the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique. This technique was used for the first time ever in this study to evaluate in detail the integral toxicity of antibiotics in sediments to aquatic biota. Zhelin Bay was selected as a case study, because it is the largest mariculture area in eastern Guangdong, South China. Two antibiotics, chlortetracycline (CTC) (A) and sulfachlorpyridazine (SCP), were detected at average concentrations of 2.83 and 1.14 ng/ml, respectively. The other fifteen antibiotics were undetectable. The single risk assessment based on the risk quotient (RQ) of CTC and SCP shows that a relatively low risk has occurred. After this careful assessment of probabilistic ecotoxicological risks, the combined toxicity of antibiotic mixtures (CTC and SCP) clearly indicates that the toxicity probability of surface sediments to aquatic organisms was relatively low (0.23%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key problem in slope-stability analysis, searching for potential sliding surfaces has attracted the attention of experts and scholars for a long time. However, the commonly used sliding surface curves are only considered in terms of shape approximation and lack physical significance. The search process involved in stability analysis of multi-level slopes is complex and a large amount of calculation is required. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a new sliding surface form based on physical interpretation of the brachistochrone, and establishes a search model for the brachistochrone sliding surface of a multi-level loess slope. At the same time, in order to further expand the search range and find a more ideal potential sliding surface curve shape and position with a lower safety factor, we recommend continuing the sliding-surface search after the brachistochrone is improved. We compared the calculation results for the position of the potential sliding surface and the stability safety factor with the corresponding results for an arc sliding surface (in combination with a calculation example) to verify its rationality. The approach offered here not only provides a new choice of sliding surface curve form for slope-stability analysis, but also significantly improves search efficiency for potential sliding surfaces of multi-level loess slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new type of lightweight structure, metallic lattice structure has higher stiffness and strength to weight ratio. To freely obtain 316L lattice structures with designed cell structure and adjustable porosity, additive manufacturing combined with investment casting was conducted to fabricate the 316L lattice structures with Kelvin cell. The compression simulation of 316L lattice structures with different porosities was carried out by using the finite element method. The numerical simulation results were verified by compression experiment, and the simulated results were consistent with the compression tests. The compressive mechanical properties of 316L lattice structures are directly related to porosity and independent of strut diameters. The 316L lattice structures with Kelvin cell have a smooth stress-strain curve and obvious plastic platform, and the hump stress-strain curves are avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there are few studies on the earth pressure of anchored-frame structures with consideration to prestresses. Based on previous research, this study determined the potential slip angle of the slope with consideration to prestresses under the assumption of a smooth surface and extreme value of the anti-slip coefficient. The horizontal layer method was used to solve the active earth pressure of the supported structures with prestressed anchors. On the basis of the above-mentioned investigation, the effect of prestresses on the earth pressure was analyzed and compared through theoretical calculation and finite element simulation. The factors influencing the earth pressure were analyzed with consideration to the prestresses. The results reveal that, after considering the effect of prestresses, the earth pressure on the supported structures increases, and the influence of the soil strength parameters on the earth pressure weakens under the influence of prestresses. The effect of changing the anchor spacing on the earth pressure is the same as the effect of changing the prestresses on the earth pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: GhSCL13-2A, a member of the PAT1 subfamily in the GRAS family, positively regulates cotton resistance to Verticillium dahliae by mediating the jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signaling pathways and accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Verticillium wilt (VW) is a devastating disease of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) that is primarily caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae. Scarecrow-like (SCL) proteins are known to be involved in plant abiotic and biotic stress responses, but their roles in cotton defense responses are still unclear. In this study, a total of 25 GhPAT1 subfamily members in the GRAS family were identified in upland cotton. Gene organization and protein domain analysis showed that GhPAT1 members were highly conserved. GhPAT1 genes were widely expressed in various tissues and at multiple developmental stages, and they were responsive to jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethylene (ET) signals. Furthermore, GhSCL13-2A was induced by V. dahliae infection. V. dahliae resistance was enhanced in Arabidopsis thaliana by ectopic overexpression of GhSCL13-2A, whereas cotton GhSCL13-2A knockdowns showed increased susceptibility. Levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and JA were also increased and SA content was decreased in GhSCL13-2A knockdowns. At the gene expression level, PR genes and SA signaling marker genes were down-regulated and JA signaling marker genes were upregulated in GhSCL13-2A knockdowns. GhSCL13-2A was shown to be localized to the cell membrane and the nucleus. Yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation assays indicated that GhSCL13-2A interacted with GhERF5. In Arabidopsis, V. dahliae resistance was enhanced by GhERF5 overexpression; in cotton, resistance was reduced in GhERF5 knockdowns. This study revealed a positive role of GhSCL13-2A in V. dahliae resistance, establishing it as a strong candidate gene for future breeding of V. dahliae-resistant cotton cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroid-type phytohormones that not only control growth and development but also responses to biotic and abiotic stressors in plants. However, little is known about the function of BRs in the protection of tea against the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum fructicola causing anthracnose disease. Here, we revealed that 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) could improve tea resistance against C. fructicola, which was linked to the EBR-induced accumulation of lignin in tea leaves. Time-course of the relative expression of ITS/Cs18SrDNA showed that its expression increased after the inoculation with C. fructicola; however, EBR pretreatment significantly decreased the ITS/Cs18SrDNA expression at 3, 24 and 96 h postinoculation. Following an initial increase in 3 h postinoculation, lignin content significantly decreased from 6 to 24 h postinoculation with C. fructicola. In contrast to inoculation with only C. fructicola, exogenous EBR pretreatment significantly increased lignin contents throughout the postinoculation period. According to the qRT-PCR assay, EBR and C. fructicola differentially regulated the expression of 14 genes involved in the phenylpropanoid and lignin-specific pathways. Moreover, the activity of peroxidase (POD), a central enzyme in the final phase of lignin biosynthesis increased significantly at 3 h postinoculation with EBR treatment. Gene expression analysis revealed that EBR induced CsMYB4-like expression possibly to activate the transcription of CsPOD5-like gene responsible for lignin biosynthesis in response to C. fructicola. These findings suggest that EBR plays a positive role in disease resistance by inducing lignin synthesis, which may have potential application for the prevention of C. fructicola in tea plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To provide an overview of the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on visual electrophysiology referral patterns and the subsequent effect this may have on patients. Methods: All electrodiagnostic tests performed at Kensington Vision and Research Centre, Toronto Canada, in a 3-month period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (1 September 2019 to 30 November 2019) were compared to a 3-month period after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (1 September 2021 to 30 November 2021). Results: A total of 502 patients had electrodiagnostic testing carried out in the designated time periods: 292 in the time period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and 210 patients after. There was a significant change in the reason for referral in patients pre-COVID compared to post-COVID (p = 0.004). There was a 43% reduction in referrals for drug monitoring, 25% reduction for hereditary pathology and a 27% increase in acquired pathology after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before. Conclusions: There was a substantial decrease in the total number of patients referred after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-COVID with inherited retinal pathology and drug monitoring patients being 2 populations most affected by the disruption to healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocrine disruptors have been reported to be associated with hearing ability. However, the association between personal care and consumer product chemicals, known as commonly detected endocrine disruptors, and age-related hearing loss still remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between exposure to 7 personal care and consumer product chemicals and hearing thresholds in middle-aged and elderly people. A nationally representative cross-sectional study was performed. Eight hundred forty-five adults aged over 45 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included in this study. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and the k-medoid cluster analysis were used to evaluate the mixture effect of exposure to 7 chemicals on pure-tone average (PTA). Exposure to these chemicals was negatively associated with PTA. 2,5-Dichlorophenol had the greatest contribution to the mixture effect. The mixture effect was stronger in women, elderly people. Four pooled clusters were identified according to 7 chemicals exposures. Cluster 4 (high TCS exposure) showed a lower HFPTA (P = 0.00258) than cluster 3 (the lowest exposure cluster, as a reference). Our study provides evidence that exposure to personal care and consumer product chemicals might be inversely associated with PTA. More studies are needed to fully understand the association of exposure to these chemicals with hearing threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anionic surfactant wastewater has an irreversible effect on aquatic animals and plants. In this paper, the oxidation of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) by electro-Fenton system was researched. The results demonstrated that HO2· had a weak ability to oxidize SDBS; ·OH was the primary active substance for oxidizing SDBS. The broken bond sites of SDBS molecules oxidized by the active substances were analyzed by using the concept density functional theory. The calculation results indicated that ·OH initially attacked the C3-C11 bond in the SDBS molecule, and then ·OH underwent addition reactions, forming two typical structures: aromatic sodium p-hydroxybenzene sulfonate and aliphatic linear alkanes. Phenol and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were selected to study their oxidation behaviors in the electro-Fenton system. It can reflect the oxidation process of the products after the SDBS molecule was broken. The main active substance for oxidizing phenol in the electro-Fenton cathode chamber was ·OH, but the main active substance for oxidizing SDS was HO2·. Unlike the ·OH produced by the cathode, the Pt(·OH) produced by the anode had no effect on the removal of SDBS. Nevertheless, Pt(·OH) exhibited an excellent oxidation effect on SDBS bond-breaking products. The research results clarified the mechanisms of SDBS oxidation in electro-Fenton system and the direction of regulation for the reaction path. It is believed that promoting the ·OH generated at the cathode makes SDBS bond breakage a key step in the electro-Fenton oxidation of SDBS. It provided a theoretical basis for enhancing the current efficiency of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel–concrete bond is instrumental in transferring tensile forces to the concrete via the bond stresses, whose values and distribution along a steel bar vary with the level of the load applied to the reinforcement. To study the profile of the strains in the reinforcement, the variation of the bond-stress distribution is considered and the bond stresses are introduced according to Model Code 2010. The transfer length where the bond stresses are active is shown to be a function of the slip in the cracked sections. This slip can be evaluated from the concrete strains based on the plane-section hypothesis to take care of the strain compatibility between the concrete and the reinforcement. The equilibrium of the internal forces, the constitutive laws of the materials and the bond stress-slip law make it possible to model the kinematic interaction between the concrete and the reinforcement. An iterative algorithm is proposed to calculate the steel strains, and the effectiveness of the numerical procedure is checked against the test data coming from simply-supported RC beams tested in this research project or available in the literature. The results show that the nonlinear evolution of steel–concrete slip close to the cracks may increase the transfer length of the bond stresses by 50% under increasing loads, and the steel strains by up to 90% along the bonded length. As a result, the steel-strain profile becomes a slightly-nonlinear function of the load, which is also markedly affected by the crack pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damage of pillars induced by blasting mining of mine room is vital to mining safety; however, the effect of blasting damage on the pillars' stability is often neglected and not clear enough. To reveal the blasting damage characteristics of pillars in deep mining, the SPH-FEM-coupled method was employed to realize the dynamic simulation based on a three-dimensional model of fan-pattern boreholes, and the blasting damage characteristics of pillars under different in situ stress and different lateral pressure coefficients were studied. The results indicate that in the central section of blast holes, the tensile stress generated by blasting load is restrained by the in situ stress, which will reduce the damage depth of pillars, but the section where the blasting damage is maximum is not always located in the blast hole center, the in situ stress will make the maximum damage section closer to the free surface, and the strength of pillars will be overestimated that is dangerous for safety production due to ignoring the blasting damage. In order to ensure the pillar stability and reduce the influence of blasting damage on pillars, the safety distance at different buried depths was suggested and the optimization of detonation sequence was proposed. The research can provide a certain reference for the stability analysis of blasting excavation in the deep mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mathematical foundation of quantum mechanics is built on linear algebra, while the application of nonlinear operators can lead to outstanding discoveries under some circumstances, such as the prediction of positron, a direct outcome of the Dirac equation which stems from the square-root of the Klein-Gordon equation. In this article, we propose a model of square-root higher-order Weyl semimetal (SHOWS) by inheriting features from its parent Hamiltonians. It is found that the SHOWS hosts both "Fermi-arc" surface and hinge states that respectively connect the projection of the Weyl points on the side surface and arris. We theoretically construct and experimentally observe the exotic SHOWS state in three-dimensional (3D) stacked electric circuits with honeycomb-kagome hybridizations and double-helix interlayer couplings. Our results open the door for realizing the square-root topology in 3D solid-state platforms. The topological properties of square-root Weyl semimetals are derived from the square of the Hamiltonian. Here, the authors propose a tight-binding model for a square-root higher-order Weyl semimetal hosting both Fermi-arc surface and hinge states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threat and extinction memories are crucial for organisms' survival in changing environments. These memories are believed to be encoded by separate ensembles of neurons in the brain, but their whereabouts remain elusive. Using an auditory fear-conditioning and extinction paradigm in male mice, here we discovered that two distinct projection neuron subpopulations in physical proximity within the insular cortex (IC), targeting the central amygdala (CeA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), respectively, to encode fear and extinction memories. Reciprocal intracortical inhibition of these two IC subpopulations gates the emergence of either fear or extinction memory. Using rabies-virus-assisted tracing, we found IC-NAc projection neurons to be preferentially innervated by intercortical inputs from the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), specifically enhancing extinction to override fear memory. These results demonstrate that IC serves as an operation node harboring distinct projection neurons that decipher fear or extinction memory under the top-down executive control from OFC. Ensembles of fear and extinction memories compete and interact to drive opposing behaviors. Here the authors identified insular cortical circuits as an executive gateway that decipher between fear and extinction memories via distinct subcortical pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of imidazole ionic liquids (IILs) on the whole process of coal spontaneous combustion (CSC). Three IILs, [EMIm][BF4], [BMIm][BF4], and [BMIm][NO3], were selected to carry out thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG–DSC) thermal analysis experiments on long-flame coal. The mass change curve (TG) and enthalpy change curve (DSC) of the coal oxidation process were determined. The characteristic temperatures and stages of the whole process of CSC were also divided by TG and DSC curves, respectively. The influence of IILs on the mass and enthalpy changes were analyzed. Then, the inhibition effect of different IILs on the whole process and each stage of CSC were calculated based on the thermal release, and the inhibition strength of anion and cation was discriminated. From the TG curve, the characteristic temperatures (except T2) and stages of the treated coal moved toward the high-temperature region of the CSC process compared with the raw coal, the whole mass loss behavior lags behind the raw coal significantly, and the mass loss in the combustion stage is smaller than that of the raw coal. From the DSC curve, the characteristic temperatures (except TD4) of the treated coal are higher than that of the raw coal, and the thermal release at each stage is lower. Although IILs have a slight facilitating on the accelerated oxidation stage of CSC. However, in general, IILs not only inhibit the occurrence and development of CSC mass loss behavior, but also cause the thermal behavior to end earlier and thermal release reduced. The inhibition effect of the three IILs on spontaneous combustion of long-flame coal is as follows: [EMIm][BF4] > [BMIm][NO3] > [BMIm][BF4], with inhibition effects of 26.5%, 19.4%, and 4.8%, respectively. The inhibition effect on CSC of cation [EMIm]+ is better than that of [BMIm]+, anion [NO3]– is better than that of [BF4]–, and the inhibition strength of cation was superior to the anion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Angioplasty using drug-coated balloon (DCB) for treatment of symptomatic vertebral artery origin stenosis (VAOS) is promising, but of uncertain benefit. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of using DCB in the treatment of severe VAOS. Methods: This study included 20 patients with severe VAOS treated with DCB alone between April 2018 and December 2019. Vascular death, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and stroke related to the responsible artery within 30 days after procedure were recorded as primary endpoints. Restenosis, late TIA, and stroke related to VAOS and satisfied clinical outcome [modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤ 2] were documented at follow-up visit as secondary endpoints. Results: Of 20 patients, 16 were performed DCB dilation successfully, and 4 were excluded due to further bailout stenting. After the procedure, no adverse event occurred within 30 days. Ten of 16 patients achieved residual VAOS (rVAOS) < 50% (lower rVAOS group), and the remaining 6 patients achieved rVAOS ≥ 50% but < 70% (higher rVAOS group). During follow-up, vertebral artery origin restenosis was detected in 3 (18.8%) of 16 patients by ultrasound. Among the 3 patients with restenosis, 2 were belonged to the higher rVAOS group, which might indicate a tendency that the more severe the residual stenosis, the higher the restenosis rate. All patients had no complaint in the whole follow-up period (median, 7 months; InterQuartile Range, 1–18 months). Conclusions: Angioplasty using DCB for VAOS may be feasible, safe, and effective. The degree of residual stenosis after using DCB alone may affect the restenosis rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual selection echoed by the sex ratio is a critical issue in evolution and reproductive biology studies, and the second sex ratio (sex ratio at birth, SRB) is an important evaluation indicator for sex regulation. However, broad debates on sex ratio at birth exist due to the lack of a clear spatiotemporal genealogical database. This study explicitly tests the Trivers and Willard's hypothesis stating that parents with good social conditions tend to show a male-biased SRB. Using a database of Chinese imperial families from 211BC to 1912 (2142 years) which avoids the spatiotemporal confusion of data thanks to its clear boundaries and long timespan, we found that a proportion of males at birth was 0.54. In particular, the results indicate that the empresses generated a significantly higher male-biased SRB than the concubines within the imperial harems (0.61 vs 0.53), while the SRB of concubines was not higher than ordinary people (0.53 vs 0.52). A significant difference of SRB before and after empress coronation (0.48 vs 0.65) was detected, indicating that the change to a higher social status is the leading cause of a biased SRB. These findings suggest that mothers with privileged instant social conditions tend to generate more boys than girls. In other words, a higher maternal social rank during the conception period, instead of rich resources, forms the primary mechanism regulating the SRB. Significance statement: Adaptive sex ratio has been a debatable topic difficult to clearly verify since the publication of Trivers and Willard Hypothesis in 1973, which proposes that parents who have good conditions should produce more male offspring. The one reason is that the validity and sample size of the databases used contained unavoidable confounding noise, both genealogically and genetically. To overcome these issues, we specifically compiled a historical database of Chinese imperial families, which are characterized by a confined mating harem and unique eunuch system, guaranteeing biological and genetic purity with precise genealogical relationships and genetic linkages between the parents and the offspring. Thus, this is an extraordinary effort to clarify the hypotheses proposed by TWH and other hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether amino acids act on cellular insulin signaling remains unclear, given that increased circulating amino acid levels are associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here, we report that phenylalanine modifies insulin receptor beta (IRβ) and inactivates insulin signaling and glucose uptake. Mice fed phenylalanine-rich chow or phenylalanine-producing aspartame or overexpressing human phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (hFARS) develop insulin resistance and T2D symptoms. Mechanistically, FARS phenylalanylate lysine 1057/1079 of IRβ (F-K1057/1079), inactivating IRβ and preventing insulin from promoting glucose uptake by cells. SIRT1 reverse F-K1057/1079 and counteract the insulin-inactivating effects of hFARS and phenylalanine. F-K1057/1079 and SIRT1 levels in white blood cells from T2D patients are positively and negatively correlated with T2D onset, respectively. Blocking F-K1057/1079 with phenylalaninol sensitizes insulin signaling and relieves T2D symptoms in hFARS-transgenic and db/db mice. These findings shed light on the activation of insulin signaling and T2D progression through inhibition of phenylalanylation. Whether amino acids act on cellular insulin signaling remains unclear. Here, the authors find that phenylalanine modifies insulin receptor beta (IRβ) and inactivates insulin signaling and glucose uptake and positively correlated with T2D onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing technology has significant potential for the development of advanced compliant mechanisms for precision manipulations owing to the advantage of realizing complex monolithic structures. By overcoming the limitations of traditional manufacturing technologies, this study develops a novel spatial spiral-based flexure hinge that aims to have a large stroke and high accuracy. In particular, the ∞-shaped configuration was adopted along the width direction of the flexure hinge by adjusting the spiral diameters. Owing to the excellent deformation capability and geometric constraints of the spatial spiral structure, the developed flexure hinge is capable of deflecting up to 90° with a small axis drift. The stiffness model of the flexure hinge was derived based on the elastic beam theory to illustrate the load–deflection relationships. The characteristics of the flexure hinge were further verified by finite element simulations and experiments on an additive manufactured prototype. Compared with the traditional flexure hinge, the developed design demonstrates a higher range and accuracy of rotation and a better ability to preserve the rotation center position but smaller compliance, which demonstrates a significant potential for emerging applications, including optical adjustments, biomedical operations, and robot joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]