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Objective was to analyze the clinical and imaging features of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia to enhance its diagnostic accuracy. Methods: We systematically reviewed the cases of Chlamydia psittaci diagnosed by next-generation sequencing at the Hunan University of Medicine General Hospital between March 2019 and June 2024, summarizing and analyzing their clinical characteristics and imaging features. Results: A total of 50 cases that met the inclusion criteria were ultimately included in the study analysis. The median age of the patients was 62.96± 11.08 years. Notably, 46 patients (92%) had potential exposure to birds or poultry. Forty-six patients (92%) temperature ≥ 39.0 °C, 37 patients (74%) had cough, 34 patients (68%) had moist rale, and 39 patients (78%) had a relatively slow pulse. Laboratory tests indicated that over 70% of patients exhibited elevated infection markers, accompanied by abnormalities in liver and renal function, electrolyte levels, and cardiac enzymes. Meanwhile, the patient's white blood cell count was normal. Chest CT (Computed Tomography) frequently revealed flaky shadows (94%), thoracic effusions (68%), and thickened pleura (54%). Bronchoscopy revealed significant bronchial mucosal hyperemia, swelling (93.478%), and reduced secretion (56.522%). A total of 44 patients (88%) showed a gradual improvement over 12 days. Forty patients (80%) were treated with doxycycline. Fifty patients were classified into two groups according to whether severe pneumonia occurred after admission. WBC (white blood cell), N% (percentage of neutrophils), NLR (Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), PLR (platelet/lymphocyte ratio), SII (platelet*Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio), and PCT (procalcitonin) are indicators that suggest severe cases. Conclusion: The combination of the following indicators is expected to aid in diagnosis of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia: opportunities to come into contact with birds or poultry, high fever, relatively slow pulse, and elevated infection indicators accompanied by organ injury. Treatment with doxycycline was effective and resulted in favorable prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the prediction of ground loss rate during soft-soil shield tunneling using Peck’s back analysis method and XGBoost model. Bayesian optimization is employed to determine optimal hyperparameters, ensuring comprehensive and efficient model tuning. The XGBoost model is compared with Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) models to benchmark its performance. The results demonstrate the superior accuracy and robustness of the XGBoost model. Also, the results show that the soil properties and the grouting factors of the excavation face affect the duration of the instantaneous settlement of the ground surface. There is a specific correlation between the depth-to-diameter ratio, the coefficient of variation in the advancing speed of the shield machine, the maximum surface subsidence, and the ground loss rate. The prediction model of the ground loss rate based on the combined approach of Peck back analysis and eXtreme Gradient Boosting and Bayesian optimization has high reliability in soft-soil layers, and this method can provide a specific reference for predicting construction risk in related projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats (Chiroptera), the second largest group of mammals, are known for their unique immune system and their ability to act as vectors for various zoonoses. Bats also act as important carriers of fungi, which include plant, animal, and human pathogens. Their roosting areas, foraging behaviors, and even migration routes make bats ideal vectors for fungi. We isolated 75 culturable fungal species from bats in Yunnan Province, China, with 36 species representing known pathogens of plants, animals, and humans, while 39 species are non-pathogenic fungi. Among these species, 77% (58 species) belonged to Ascomycota, 9% (seven species) belonged to Basidiomycota, and 13% (10 species) belonged to Mucoromycota. Even though several taxonomic studies on fungi associated with bats have been published, studies exploring the role of bats as fungal vectors are lacking. This study discusses the fungi host-specific traits and pathogenicity and the impact and ecological significance of bats as fungal vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-voltage organic solar cells (OSCs) have received increasing attention because of their promising applications in tandem devices and indoor photovoltaics, but the trade-off between energy loss and charge generation induced by exciton binding energy (Eb) has become one of the biggest bottlenecks limiting the development of this field. Here, a wide bandgap (WBG) nonfullerene acceptor BTA503 with reduced Eb is designed by changing the phenyl side chain on the central core of Cl-BTA5 to an alkyl chain. The diverse π-π interactions and enhanced molecular stacking of BTA503 are responsible for its reduced Eb. Furthermore, both the diminished charge recombination and the fast exciton dissociation caused by the small Eb favor the generation of more charge carriers for the PTQ10:BTA503 combination. The efficient Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and multiple π-π stacking patterns provide additional charge transfer and transport pathways. Ultimately, the PTQ10:BTA503-based OSC device achieves a VOC of 1.112 V and a PCE of 12.70%, which is higher than that of PTQ10:Cl-BTA5 (PCE=10.92%). Simultaneously, the thick film (~300 nm) binary device of PTQ10:BTA503 achieves a PCE of 10.13% with a VOC of 1.102 V, which is the best result for thick film high-voltage OSCs. More importantly, the ternary device of PTQ10: BTA503:Cl-BTA5 (1:0.9:0.1) realizes a champion PCE of 13.12% with a VOC of 1.126 V. Our study demonstrates that it is an effective strategy to reduce Eb of A2-A1-D-A1-A2 type WBG acceptors by modulating the side chains on D unit, which further favors the corresponding devices to obtain world-record PCE and improves their potential for commercial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Psittacosis is a zoonosis caused by Chlamydia psittaci, the clinical manifestations of Psittacosis range from mild illness to fulminant severe pneumonia with multiple organ failure. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of Chlamydia psittaci infection diagnosed based on metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS), as well as the risk factors affecting the progress of Chlamydia psittaci infection, in order to improve the effect of therapeutics. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients infected with chlamydia psittaci in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2021 to December 2021. The patient's past medical history, clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, chest CT results, treatment status, and prognosis data were collected. we also investigated both the pathogenic profile characteristics and the lower respiratory tract microbiota of patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia using mNGS. Results: All cases of Chlamydia psittaci in our research have been confirmed by mNGS. Among 46 cases of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia, Poultry exposure was reported in 35 cases. In severe cases of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia, Neutrophils, Procalcitonin (PCT), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Hydroxybutyrate Dehydrogenase (HBDH), Creatine Kinase Isoenzymes-B (CK-MB) and D-Dimer levels were remarkably higher than that of non-severe cases, except for lymphocytes (all P < 0.05). Chest CT scans showed Bilateral (77.8%), multiple lobar lungs (85.2%), pleural effusions (44.4%) involvement in those suffering from severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia, whereas its incidence was 0%, 21.1% and 10.5% in non-severe patients, respectively (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that higher lymphocyte concentrations (OR 0.836, 95% CI 0.714–0.962, P = 0.041) were the only protective factor for survival. mNGS results indicated that 41.3% of patients (19/46) had suspected coinfections with a coinfection rate of 84.2% (16/19) in the severe group, much higher than that in the non severe group (p < 0.05). No significantly different profiles of lower respiratory tract microbiota diversity were found between non severe group and severe group. Conclusion: A history of poultry exposure in patients can serve as an important basis for diagnosing Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia, and patients with severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia are more likely to develop elevated inflammatory biomarkers as well as elevated cardiac markers. Higher lymphocyte concentrations are protective factors associated with severe C. psittaci pneumonia. The higher proportion of patients with coinfections in our study supports the use of mNGS for comprehensive early detection of respiratory infections in patients with C. psittaci pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, improved physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) with hard constraints (PINNs-H) are introduced to simulate the variation of the excess pore water pressure in the nonlinear consolidation problems with continuous drainage boundary conditions. In the PINNs-H, we modify the network architecture to automatically satisfy the corresponding initial and boundary conditions accurately, and obtain high-precision soil consolidation behaviors. The accuracy and effectiveness of the presented PINNs-H are demonstrated on two examples of the nonlinear consolidation models. Specifically, the results indicate that based on less training data, we may better predict the consolidation behaviors through the PINNs-H. Furthermore, the training data required by the PINNs-H is significantly less than the grid point data of the finite difference method (FDM), and the PINNs-H exhibits a better memory advantage. For the inverse problem, we find that on the basis of less observed data of the excess pore water pressure, the PINNs can provide a great estimate to the interface parameters of the continuous drainage boundary conditions, and effectively resist the noise interference. We also use the PINNs and PINNs-H to identify the nonlinear factor, and reveal that PINNs-H can provide high-precision predicted results, whereas the PINNs fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platycladus orientalis is a significant woody plant for phytoremediation in heavy metals contaminated soils. The growth and tolerance of host plants under the lead (Pb) stress were enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). To evaluate the adjustment by AMF on growth and activity of antioxidant system of P. orientalis under Pb stress. The two-factor pot experiment was conducted with three AM fungal treatments (noninoculated, Rhizophagus irregularis, and Funneliformis mosseae) and four Pb levels (0, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg kg−1). AMF increased dry weight, phosphorus uptake, root vitality, and total chlorophyll content of P. orientalis in spite of Pb stress. Compared with nonmycorrhizal treatments, mycorrhizal P. orientalis had lower H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents under Pb stress. AMF increased Pb uptake in roots and decreased the Pb translating to the shoots yet under Pb stress. Total glutathione and ascorbate in roots of P. orientalis were decreased by AMF inoculation. Mycorrhizal P. orientalis had higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities in shoots and roots than nonmycorrhizal counterparts. Mycorrhizal P. orientalis under Pb stress showed higher expression of PoGST1 and PoGST2 in roots than that in CK treatments. Future studies will explore the function of induced tolerance genes by AMF of P. orientalis under Pb stress. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) decreased the reduced toxicity of lead to Platycladus orientalis under lead stress, including improving growth, root activity, photosynthesis, and antioxidant system activity, while reducing its oxidative damage. At the same time, lead inhibited the symbiosis between AMF and Platycladus orientalis. Inoculation of AMF improved the growth of P. orientalis and decreased the Pb accumulation and damage to P. orientalis under Pb stress. AMF improved the antioxidant system and relevant genes expression of P. orientalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transverse isotropy of soil induced by geological processes over a long period has attracted considerable attention, which can lead to significant differences in the origination, propagation and attenuation of the stand waves compared with purely isotropic soil. Considering that the circular geometry is most common in many engineering, an analytical investigation of the dynamic behavior of a rigid disk resting on the transversely isotropic soil layer overlying the rigid bedrock under forced horizontal displacements is presented in this paper. Firstly, the governing equations of soil motion are established based on the elasticity theory of cylindrical coordinate system. Secondly, a set of partial differential equations for this class of problems are decoupled to ordinary differential forms by virtue of complete potential functions, Fourier expansion method and Hankel transform technique. Furthermore, the displacements, strains and stresses formulation in term of the spatial domain under general boundary conditions are obtained with success. For validation, dynamic boundary value problems in the finite‐layered soil containing transversely isotropic materials are degenerated to the isotropic solution corresponding to elastic half‐space. After that, various examples are also included to investigate the influence of the elastic modulus ratio, shear modulus ratio and thickness of soil layer on the dynamic response of the system. The numerical results suggest that the soil anisotropy and soil layer thickness have a non‐neglectful effect on the horizontal dynamic vibration of the rigid disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To facilitate the loading and targeted delivery of drugs, the camptothecin with negatively charged is used for the intercalation of Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH with fluorescent property. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the basal spacing (27.3 Å) of the intercalated sample is significantly greater than that of the initial Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH (8.6 Å), implying the intercalation of the carboxylate-type camptothecin in the interlayer of the Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH. The in vitro release assay in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at pH of 7.4 reveals that the camptothecin shows a sustained release and the release is up to 900 min. The cumulative concentration (C) of the releasing camptothecin versus time (t) is fitted by the ExpDec2 Model, and is consistent with the equation: C=A1exp(-t/t1)+A2exp(-t/t2) + C0 (R2 = 0.99886). In addition, the fluorescent signals of the drug delivery system differ significantly during delivery and release of camptothecin, by which the delivery and release of camptothecin may be "recognized". Cytotoxicity assay confirms that the Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH loaded with the carboxylate-type camptothecin takes an obvious anticancer effect against HepG2 cancer cell, and the anticancer effect is better than that of the pure lactone-type camptothecin, which is very different from the prevailing view that the carboxylate camptothecin has no anticancer activity. Highlights: The intercalation of Camp into Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH. Drug delivery system exhibited different fluorescence during drug delivery and release. The carboxylate-type Camp intercalated in the Eu3+-doped LDH exhibited obvious anticancer effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous drainage boundary is widely accepted to overcome the shortcoming of the traditional assumption of fully permeable or impermeable drainage boundary in consolidation theories. This study presents an analytical solution for one‐dimensional small‐strain nonlinear consolidation of saturated multi‐layered soil with constant consolidation coefficients under continuous drainage boundary condition. The proposed solution is validated by comparison with the existing solutions in literature, which shows that the existing solutions are special cases of this solution. A parametric study performed on saturated four‐layered soil with continuous drainage boundary indicates that the interface parameter and the loading stress ratio have great influences on the nonlinear consolidation of saturated multi‐layered soil. The present solution can be effectively applied to provide more reasonable design for soil foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of heavy metals in river sediment poses a major threat to ecological safety. The Xiaoqing River originates in western Jinan, with higher population density and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in its basin compared to the Shandong province average. This study analyzed the spatial characteristics, ecological risk, human health risk, and contamination sources of heavy metals by collecting sediment samples from Xiaoqing River. We use the methods such as geo-accumulation index (Igeo), ecological risk assessment based on the interval number sorting method, and health risk assessment to evaluate the risk of heavy metals in sediments. The research finding suggests heavy metals including Pb, As, Ni, and Cr are low ecological risks, while Hg and Cd have reached high and extreme ecological risks. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis were used to analyze the correlation and sources of different heavy metals. The six heavy metals were categorized into three groups. Factor 1, comprising Hg, Cr, and Pb, was identified as a mixed source with a contribution rate of 37.76%. Factor 2 is an agricultural source and comprises Ni, Cd, and As with a contribution rate of 27.05%. Factor 3 includes Pb and Ni contributing to 15.30% as a natural source. This study offers valuable insights for the prevention of heavy metal pollution, as well as promoting sustainable urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment is an important carrier of evidence about environmental evolution which receives huge volumes of organic material originated from both anthropogenic and natural sources. In this study, based on sedimentary chronology, the vertical trends of particle size distribution, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and their stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) in the sediment core of the nuclear power sea in southwest Daya Bay were analyzed, and the distribution characteristics and contribution ratios of different sources of organic matter in the sedimentary environment over the past 70 years were resolved using a Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR). TOC, TN, δ13C, and δ15N ranged from 0.89 to 1.56%, 0.09 to 0.2%, − 22.3 to − 20.6‰, and 4.38 to 6.51‰, respectively. The organic matter in the sediment is controlled by a mixture of terrestrial input and marine autochthonous, the proportion of organic matter from terrestrial sources increases, while that from marine sources decreases in the sediment core, which persists from 1960 to 2000, yet organic matter from marine sources still dominates. The first signs of increased primary productivity occurred in 1960, and it was primarily due to agricultural activity. After the 1980s, the rapid increase in population around Daya Bay, the construction of nuclear power plants, the rise of aquaculture, and the quick expansion of industrial bases were all major factors that changed the ecological environment of Daya Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-translational modifications affect protein functions and play key roles in controlling biological processes. Plants have unique types of O -glycosylation that are different from those of animals and prokaryotes, and they play roles in modulating the functions of secretory proteins and nucleocytoplasmic proteins by regulating transcription and mediating localization and degradation. O -glycosylation is complex because of the dozens of different O -glycan types, the widespread existence of hydroxyproline (Hyp), serine (Ser), and threonine (Thr) residues in proteins attached by O -glycans, and the variable modes of linkages connecting the sugars. O -glycosylation specifically affects development and environmental acclimatization by affecting diverse physiological processes. This review describes recent studies on the detection and functioning of protein O -glycosylation in plants, and provides a framework for the O -glycosylation network that underlies plant development and resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural or artificial brittle solids have numerous randomly distributed microcracks inside. The thermal treatment temperature has an essential effect on the microcrack growth and the shear fracture properties of brittle solids under compression. However, there are few studies on the correlation between thermal treatment temperature, microcrack extension, and shear fracture properties of brittle solids under compression. An analytical model is proposed to evaluate the effect of thermal treatment temperature on the microcrack-induced shear fracture properties (e.g., cohesion, internal friction angle, and shear strength) of brittle solids in compression. The model consists of the micro–macro-model relating microcracks growth, the functions for initial damage and fracture toughness versus temperature, and the Mohr–Coulomb strength criterion. The functions for initial damage and fracture toughness versus temperature are determined from relevant experiments. The sensitivity of thermal treatment temperature, and microcrack parameters to the shear fracture properties of the solid is discussed. A critical angle of the initial crack making the shear strength minimum is found. The experimental research results verify the rationality of the analytical model. This proposed model will have an important theoretical help for the engineering evaluation of brittle solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the vertical and horizontal impedances of soil radial heterogeneity was studied theoretically based on the series convergence and transfer matrix methods. The soil around the pile was assumed to be composed of two homogeneous soil zones in three-dimensional axisymmetric space, that is, a disturbed inner boundary zone and an outer semi-infinite undisturbed zone. Moreover, the shear moduli of the inner perturbed and the outer unperturbed zones were correlated with a specific parabolic function. Then, the soil vertical and horizontal impedances in the radially inhomogeneous boundary zone were derived based on the series convergence and transfer matrix methods using the stress and displacement continuity conditions and the infinite boundary condition. Finally, the impedance errors and applicable range of two methods are discussed. The main findings can be categorized as: (1) when analysing a soil radial heterogeneous site, the influence of the shear modulus ratio of the inner and outer zones, the ratio of the thickness of boundary zone to the pile radius, soil density and pile radius should be taken into account; (2) when 0.8 ≤ G i / G 0 ≤ 1.0 and 1 ≤ t m / r 0 ≤ 4 , the error between the series convergence method and transfer matrix method is within 10%, while the error is approximately 15% when 0.4 ≤ G i / G 0 ≤ 0.7 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) causes parrot fever in humans. Development of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) enables the identification of C. psittaci. Methods: This study aimed to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of parrot fever cases in China. A multi-center observational study was conducted in 44 tertiary and secondary hospitals across 14 provinces and municipalities between April 2019 and October 2021. Results: A total of 4545 patients with complicated or atypical pulmonary infection were included in the study, among which the prevalence of C. psittaci was determined to be 2.1% using mNGS. The prevalence of C. psittaci was further determined across demographic groups and types of specimens. It was significantly higher in patients with senior age (2.6% in those > 50 years), winter-spring (3.6%; particularly in December, January, and February), and southwestern (3.4%) and central and southern China (2.7%) (each P < 0.001). Moreover, the prevalence was the highest in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) (2.9%), compared with sputum (1.1%) and peripheral blood specimens (0.9%). Additionally, co-infection of principal microorganisms was compared. Certain microorganisms were more likely to co-infect in parrot fever cases, such as Candida albicans in BALF (26.7%) and peripheral blood (6.3%), compared with non-parrot fever cases (19.7% and 1.3%); however, they did not significantly differ (each P > 0.05). Conclusion: Parrot fever remains low in patients with complicated or atypical pulmonary infection. It is likely to occur in winter-spring and southwestern region in China. BALF may be the optimal specimen in the application of mNGS. Co-infection of multiple microorganisms should be further considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a cross-river tunnel of Wuhan Metro Line 8, we present a two-dimensional discrete element model for shield attitude adjustment considering the effect of overbreak cutters. The shield shell mechanics under the influence of over-excavation rate, over-excavation orientations, and overburden load are simulated, and the tunneling mechanics law and the ultimate range during the adjustment of the shield attitude are investigated. The simulation results indicate the following: (1) The greater the over-excavation rate, the smaller the force exerted by the soil layer in the negative direction of the shield movement; therefore, increasing the over-excavation rate is helpful in expanding the range of shield attitude adjustment. (2) The shield is stressed symmetrically while conducting positive and negative horizontal adjustments in the soil layer, which has a symmetrical distribution, but vertical upward adjustment is more difficult than vertical downward adjustment. (3) With the increase in overburden load, the space of the shield attitude adjustment is gradually reduced at the same over-excavation rate. A good engineering application was achieved in this project using the simulation model. It is recommended to use the attitude adjustment method by controlling the tunneling parameters. In difficult situations such as high overlying loads, the over-excavation cutter can be used to assist in adjusting the shield attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A protostylid is a relatively rare dental developmental aberration characterized as an extra cusp located on the mesial half of the buccal surface of the molars. A protostylid is rarely to be reported due to its low rate of occurrence. This case report describes a patient referred for endodontic treatment due to the presence of a protostylid on the buccal surface of the maxillary first molar that induced apical periodontitis. Case presentation: A 53-year-old female reported a 3-month history of pain of chewing with her upper left posterior teeth over 3 months. In the clinical examination, an abraded anomalous cusp-like structure was found on the buccal surface of tooth 26, Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) revealed a supernumerary cusp with an intact root canal inside, which was fused with the mesiobuccal (MB) root canal in the middle of the root. In addition, extensive periapical radiolucency was observed around tooth 26. The tooth was diagnosed as apical periodontitis, and endodontic treatment was performed. The initial lesion in tooth 26 gradually healed over 1 year of observation. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this case is the first to describe the endodontic management of a maxillary first molar with a protostylid and advances our understanding of supernumerary cusps. This case provides a reference for the treatment of protostylid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple rootstock genotypes confer different levels of tolerance to apple replant disease (ARD) and vigour to a newly replanted apple tree. A hybrid management system of rotating the rootstock genotype planted between successive generations and inter-row planting in the alleyways of orchards may minimise the severity of ARD symptoms. High-throughput sequencing of the fungal ITS and bacterial 16S rDNA regions was used to investigate the diversity, and differential taxa present in soils displaying symptoms of ARD. Candidate pathogens and beneficial microorganisms were correlated with the above-ground establishment of each rootstock genotype in a UK cider orchard. Our results suggest that the same rootstock or rootstock with closely related parentage to the previous rootstock had more severe ARD symptoms. Planting in the alleyway appeared an effective strategy to minimise the severity of symptoms irrespective of rootstock genotype. The planting location effect had a higher contribution to the variation in the rhizosphere microbiome than that of the rootstock genotype. No predicted causal agents for ARD could be identified to a taxonomic level to predict their function but two species associated with mycorrhizae, Pteridiospora spinosispora and Paraglomus laccatum were identified as inversely correlated with ARD severity and could be candidate beneficial species for apple, warranting further investigation and research. Our findings suggest that planting in the alleyways and planting rootstocks genetically dissimilar to the previously planted rootstock can be beneficial for tree establishment. We have also identified species inversely associated with ARD severity, making candidates for future research to test the antagonistic effect of the species against ARD pathogens in apple roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Three Di19-4 genes were identified in mango. Overexpression of MiDi19-4B in A. thaliana promoted earlier flowering and enhanced drought, salt, and ABA resistance. Drought-induced protein 19 (Di19) is a drought-induced protein that is mainly involved in multiple stress responses. Here, three Di19-4 genes (MiDi19-4A/B/C) in mango (Mangifera indica L.) were identified, and the coding sequences (CDS) had lengths of 684, 666, and 672 bp and encoded proteins with 228, 222, and 224 amino acids, respectively. The promoters of the MiDi19-4 genes contained phytohormone-, light-, and abiotic stress-responsive elements. The MiDi19-4 genes were expressed in every tissue and highly expressed in leaves. Moreover, MiDi19-4 genes were highly correlated with the vegetative growth period and induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) or salt stress. MiDi19-4B displayed the highest expression during the vegetative growth period and then showed decreased expression, and MiDi19-4B was highly expressed at both the late stage of the vegetative growth period and the initial stage of the flowering induction period. The 35S::GFP–MiDi19-4B fusion protein was located in the cell nucleus. The transgenic plants ectopically expressing MiDi19-4B exhibited earlier flowering and increased expression patterns of FRUITFULL (AtFUL), APETALA1 (AtAP1), and FLOWERING LOCUS T (AtFT). The drought and salt tolerance of MiDi19-4B transgenic plants was significantly increased, and these plants showed decreased sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA) and considerably increased expression levels of drought- and salt-related genes and ABA signalling pathway genes. Additionally, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) experiments revealed that the MiDi19-4B protein interacted with CAULIFLOWER (MiCAL1), MiCAL2, MiAP1-1, and MiAP1-2. Taken together, these results highlighted the important regulatory roles of MiDi19-4B in tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses and in flowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision making is a complex cognitive process that recruits a distributed network of brain regions, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). Recent work suggests that communication between these structures, as well as activity of cells expressing dopamine (DA) D2 receptors (D2R) in the NAcSh, are necessary for some forms of decision making; however, the contributions of this circuit and cell population during decision making under risk of punishment are unknown. The current experiments addressed this question using circuit-specific and cell type-specific optogenetic approaches in rats during a decision making task involving risk of punishment. In experiment 1, Long-Evans rats received intra-BLA injections of halorhodopsin or mCherry (control) and in experiment 2, D2-Cre transgenic rats received intra-NAcSh injections of Cre-dependent halorhodopsin or mCherry. Optic fibers were implanted in the NAcSh in both experiments. Following training in the decision making task, BLAfiNAcSh or D2R-expressing neurons were optogenetically inhibited during different phases of the decision process. Inhibition of the BLAfiNAcSh during deliberation (the time between trial initiation and choice) increased preference for the large, risky reward (increased risk taking). Similarly, inhibition during delivery of the large, punished reward increased risk taking, but only in males. Inhibition of D2R-expressing neurons in the NAcSh during deliberation increased risk taking. In contrast, inhibition of these neurons during delivery of the small, safe reward decreased risk taking. These findings extend our knowledge of the neural dynamics of risk taking, revealing sex-dependent circuit recruitment and dissociable activity of selective cell populations during decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the previous studies of rigid disk–soil dynamics, the soil under the foundation is usually treated as a poroelastic half‐space medium. However, the waves due to the vibration of rigid disk can reflect and refract back and forth between the finite soil layer and rigid bedrock, which would significantly influence the soil deformation and flow of the rigid disk–soil system. In order to overcome the shortcoming, this paper presents an analytical solution to determine the response of the rigid disk subjected to harmonic horizontal loads resting on poroelastic soil layer overlying rigid bedrock. The displacements and stresses field of the disk and soil are obtained by virtue of the Hankel transform method, dual integral equations method. Furthermore, the rationality and accuracy of the developed solution are confirmed in comparison with the previous studies. Based on the obtained solutions, numerical examples are performed to the effects of the thickness and permeability of poroelastic soil layer on the dynamic response of the rigid disk–soil system in the physical domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further investigate the nonlinear creep properties of soft soils and the effect of variable loading, a one‐dimensional (1D) nonlinear creep consolidation system of soft soils under construction load is established, including time‐dependent drainage (TDD) boundary, elastic‐viscous‐plastic deformation, non‐Darcy flow (NDF), and self‐weight stress. The consolidation problem is presented by virtue of the finite volume method, and the associated calculation program is compiled. The efficiency of the numerical solutions is validated by comparing the degenerated solution against analytical, semi‐analytical, and numerical solutions. Then the influences of construction load and nonlinear creep model parameters on consolidation are studied. The results show that TDD boundary and construction load significantly affect consolidation, and the larger the loading rate and interface parameter, the faster soil's overall dissipation process of excess pore‐water pressure (EPP). Meanwhile, at the earlier consolidation stage, considering the secondary consolidation effect will cause an increase in excess pore‐water pressure (EPP). Prolonging the construction period, decreasing the interface parameter, considering the self‐weight stress, or increasing the non‐Newtonian index will all aggravate this phenomenon. Additionally, the TDD boundary, construction load, and non‐Newtonian index flow (NNIF) are not a determinant for final soil settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large size embedded foundation is widely used in the engineering, but the finite thickness of soil layer underlying this foundation is usually neglected in design, which leads to the non‐negligible error of calculation. By virtue of Biot's elastodynamic theory, this paper proposes a simple method to discuss the horizontal dynamic response of the cylindrical rigid foundation partially embedded in a poroelastic soil layer. First, based on the Novak plane strain model, the shaft resistance from the surrounding soil is simulated and solved. Second, the foundation end soil is assumed as a continuous medium of finite thickness, whose initial mechanism is derived from the dynamic interaction between the rigid disk and soil. Finally, the horizontal dynamic response factor is calculated by adopting newton's second law. Several cases are set to verify the rationality of the presented solution and to develop the analysis of key parameters. The numerical results suggest that the soil layer thickness has a significant influence on the dynamic vibration of the embedded foundation, and its effect is consistent with that of poroelastic half‐space when the thickness exceeds certain value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study proposes a new non‐destructive testing method (NDT), namely the apparent wave velocity of piles (AWVP) inverse analysis method, to solve the detection problem of the gradually varying cross‐sectional defects (cracks or necking) and the material property defects (concrete disintegration or steel corrosion) of piles. The analytical solution of the AWVP has been derived based on the additional mass model. The rationality and accuracy of the theoretical model have been validated through the comparisons with the experiment results. The variation mechanism of the AWVP due to the presence of soil has been clarified. A parametric study is conducted to investigate the major factors to determine the variation tendency of the AWVP. The optimum working conditions and parameter combinations of the AWVP based NDT method have been recommend. The main conclusions can be drawn as: (1) the variation of the AWVP with respect to frequency can be generally divided into a sensitive zone and a stable zone. (2) The AWVP initially decreases rapidly with the frequency within the sensitive zone, however when the frequency decreases to the stable zone, this decline tendency becomes much smaller. (3) Although the AWVP varies extensively within the frequency sensitive zone, this frequency range can substantially relax the requirements for the parametric accuracy of the pile–soil system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study establishes a 3-D simulation model based on a real project, which reveals the problem that the metro structure deformation induced by unilateral excavation without any support exceeds the safety threshold. According to the metro structure deformation warning area, this study proposes a support technology that combines cover plate braces and diagonal steel braces. The research shows that the lateral deformation reduction ratio of the metro station under the diagonal steel brace is about 10% – 20%. The deformation reduction ratio under the cover plate brace is about 35% – 40%. To ensure construction safety, this study adopts the optimal support combination of 3 cover plates and 6+9+11 steel pipes. Monitoring feedback and simulation prediction shows that the comprehensive support system can reduce structural deformation by 56.1%, and effectively control the deformation within a safe range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We aimed to describe psittacosis pneumonia and risk factors for developing severe pneumonia in this multicenter clinical study. Methods We collected the data of psittacosis pneumonia cases diagnosed with metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) assay from April 2018 to April 2022 in 15 tertiary hospitals in China. Results A total of 122 patients were enrolled; 50.0% had a definite history of bird exposure. In 81.2% of cases, onset happened in autumn or winter. The common symptoms were fever (99.2%), cough (63.1%), fatigue (52.5%), shortness of breath (50.0%), chills (37.7%), central nervous system symptoms (36.9%), myalgia (29.5%), and gastrointestinal tract symptoms (15.6%). Laboratory tests showed that >70% of cases had elevated C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate aminotransferase, and >50% had hyponatremia and hypoproteinemia. The most common imaging finding was consolidation (71.3%), and 42.6% of cases met the criteria for severe pneumonia. Age >65 years and male sex were the risk factors for severe pneumonia. The effective proportion of patients treated with tetracyclines was higher than that of fluoroquinolones (66/69 [95.7%] vs 18/58 [31.0%]; P <.001), and the median defervescence time was shorter. After medication adjustment when the diagnosis was clarified, 119 of 122 (97.5%) patients were finally cured and the other 3 (2.5%) died. Conclusions Psittacosis pneumonia has a high rate of severe disease. Proven diagnosis could be rapidly confirmed by mNGS. Tetracycline therapy had a rapid effect and a high cure rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of traditional Peking opera facial masks often relies on hand painting by experienced painters, which restricts the inheritance and development of this intangible cultural heritage. Current research mainly focuses on the digital reconstruction and storage of existing Peking opera facial masks, while high-quality facial mask generation technology is still in an infancy stage. In this paper, different deep learning frameworks are improved for learning features of Peking opera facial masks and generating new masks, which can effectively promote the creative application of Peking opera facial masks. First, using different data enhancement methods, an improved Style Generative Adversarial Network-2 (StyleGAN2) can learn implicit and explicit features of Peking opera facial masks and automatically generate new facial masks. In addition, an image translation framework for joint cross-domain communication under weak supervision is used to translate face sketches and color reference maps to an intermediate feature domain, and then synthesize new facial masks through an image generation network. The experimental results show that the generated Peking opera facial masks have good local randomness and excellent visual quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing Incidence X-ray Diffraction (GIXD) has been established as a powerful tool for the structural characterization of thin films. However, indexing of the experimentally observed diffraction peaks without prior knowledge of the involved crystal lattices has turned out as a challenging task. During the last years a series of works were published which introduce indexing methods for different methods of GIXD experiments. Static GIXD measurements are performed at fixed sample positions for thin films with preferred orientation of the crystallites relative to the substrate surface but without any in-plane order. Rotated GIXD measurements use rotation of the thin film sample about the substrate normal and collect for each rotation angle a single detector image. This method is used for crystals with azimuthal alignments within the thin film. A comprehensive mathematical framework is developed which provides the assignment of Laue indices to the individual diffraction peaks. The algorithms are even reduced from the three-dimensional case to two-dimensional representation of the experimental results. Despite the fact that GIXD experiments provide only a limited number of diffraction peaks, indexing became possible even for thin film crystals with low symmetry, different preferred orientations and multiple azimuthal alignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adjacent excavation may have a negative influence on the existing tunnel underneath. Thus, it is important to evaluate the response of the tunnel due to adjacent excavation. However, there is little report about using the Kerr foundation model to simulate the tunnel‐soil interaction. Meanwhile, the Timoshenko beam, which can take the tunnel shearing effect into consideration, is more suitable to estimate the behavior of the tunnel. To simulate the interaction between soil and tunnel, the existing tunnel is simplified as a Timoshenko beam lying on the Kerr foundation model, and a simplified theoretical method is proposed to calculate the response of the existing tunnel induced by adjacent excavation. The proposed method is validated by two field case studies. Results indicate that the predictions given by the proposed method show great agreement with field measurements and it is more accurate to evaluate the tunnel‐soil interaction compared with the previous method. The further parametric study shows that the relative position between excavation and tunnel, the ground Young's modulus, the depth of existing tunnel centerline, and length and width of excavation are both significant factors governing the tunnel response induced by adjacent excavation, while the influence of tunnel shear stiffness and skew between tunnel and excavation are slight. The proposed method can be applied to predict the potential risk of existing tunnels induced by adjacent excavation in relevant engineering projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still a huge challenge for bone regenerative biomaterial to balance its mechanical, biological and biodegradable properties. In the present study, a new composite material including treated dentin matrix (TDM) and α-calcium sulphate hemihydrate (α-CSH) was prepared. The optimal composition ratio between TDM and α-CSH was explored. The results indicate that both components were physically mixed and structurally stable. Its compressive strength reaches up to 5.027 ± 0.035 MPa for 50%TDM/α-CSH group, similar to human cancellous bone tissues. Biological experiments results show that TDM/α-CSH composite exhibits excellent biocompatibility and the expression of osteogenic related genes and proteins (ALP, RUNX2, OPN) is significantly increased. In vivo experiments suggest that the addition of TDM for each group (10%, 30%, 50%) effectively promotes cell proliferation and osteomalacia. In addition, 50% of the TDM/α-CSH combination displays optimal osteoconductivity. The novel TDM/α-CSH composite is a good candidate for certain applications in bone tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the 16 collected well-documented excavation cases of the Hangzhou metro basement, the standard parameters of the basement, the standard excavation process, and the standard soil layer are established. With the above parameters, a standard three-dimensional finite element model about Hangzhou metro basement excavation by PLAXIS 3D software is subsequently established. The small strain hardening constitutive model considering the characteristics of small strain of soil and unloading of excavation is adopted for the numerical analysis of basement excavation. By comparing the ground surface settlement (GSS) given by the numerical model with the field measurement results and the published empirical solution, the validity of the established numerical model was checked. The characteristics of GSS were further analyzed. The results indicated that as the excavated depth exceeded 7 m, the distribution of transverse GSS changes from cantilever to ″three segment broken line.″ The longitudinal GSS is largely affected by the corner effect and the excavation depth. Subsequently, an innovative simplified method considering the excavation process was presented to calculate both the transverse and longitudinal GSS outside excavation. The research results could provide a new approach to reasonably predict the GSS caused by basement excavation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of foundation pit excavation, different retaining structures and support stiffness may lead to different deformation modes of retaining structures. The soil displacement cause by the deformation of the retaining structure is calculated by the virtual image technique. Meanwhile, the collaborative deformation model for rotation and dislocation is introduced to analyze the tunnel longitudinal deformation caused by different deformation modes as well as the tunnel maximum displacement equivalent field, and two case verifications are carried out. The study shows that there is a large difference in the size and distribution law of the soil displacement field caused by different enclosure structure deformation modes. The horizontal displacement of soil caused by the cantilever type always shows a "cantilever type" curve with increasing horizontal distance from the enclosure structure, while the composite type, inner convex type and kicker type develop from the "bow" to the "cantilever type" curve. The vertical displacement field of the soil is in the shape of a "spoon" and the soil exhibits a certain bulge deformation below the critical depth. The critical depths of the composite type and inner convex type are similar, while the kick type is the largest and the cantilever type is the smallest. The influence area of the maximum horizontal displacement of the tunnel outside the pit of the inner convex type and the composite type is basically the same. The influence area of the cantilever mode is the smallest, while the influence depth of the kick-in mode is higher than that of the other three deformation modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drug delivery systems with fluorescent labeling have been developed as a promising strategy for marking delivery and release of the drugs. For this purpose, a drug delivery system based on Eu3+-doped MgAl-layered double hydroxide (Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH), as a carrier of 5-fluorouracil, was designed for marking the delivery and release of 5-fluorouracil. Various characterizations, including X-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescent spectroscopy, have been performed. It was found that the 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) was successfully intercalated (or loaded) into the Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH and the 5-Fu loaded on the carrier was about 23.2%. Then, the Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH loaded with 5-Fu was dispersed in potassium phosphate-based buffer solution (pH = 7.4) to release of 5-Fu. Results revealed that the cumulative concentration (C) of the released 5-Fu versus the release time (t) fitted with the logistic model and conformed to the equation: C = a + (b − a)/[1 + (t/t0)3]. It took 300 min for the drug carrier to release of the 5-Fu completely. Fluorescent study suggested that the red emissions at 595 and 620 nm of the Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH greatly decreased after the 5-Fu loaded into the Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH, and then recovered and even became stronger after the release of 5-Fu from the carrier. This fluorescent change may be a favorable signal for "detecting" the delivery and release of 5-Fu. Thus, the present Eu3+-doped MgAl-LDH may be a promising candidate for drug delivery system with fluorescent labeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic—inorganic hybrid two dimensional (2D) lead halide perovskites (LHPs) are tunable quantum wells that exhibit a set of intriguing structural and physical properties including soft and dynamic lattices, organic—inorganic epitaxial heterointerfaces, quantum and dielectric confinements, strong light—matter interactions, and large spin—orbit coupling, which enable promising perspectives for optoelectronics, ferroelectrics, and spintronics. While the properties of 2D LHPs bear some resemblance of the 3D LHPs, they are often drastically altered due to the reduced dimensionality and the complex interactions between organic and inorganic components. In this review, we discuss the influences of the reduced dimensionality and the organic—inorganic interplays on the structural stability and distortion of the inorganic lattices, inversion symmetry of the crystal structure, electronic band structures, excitonic physics, and carrier—phonon interactions in 2D LHPs. An emphasis is placed on the relationships between the crystal structures and photophysical properties. Future perspectives on the opportunities of hybrid quantum wells are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent reports provide evidence that contaminated healthcare environments represent major sources for the acquisition and transmission of pathogens. Antimicrobial coatings (AMC) may permanently and autonomously reduce the contamination of such environmental surfaces complementing standard hygiene procedures. This review provides an overview of the current status of AMC and the demands to enable a rational application of AMC in health care settings. Firstly, a suitable laboratory test norm is required that adequately quantifies the efficacy of AMC. In particular, the frequently used wet testing (e.g. ISO 22196) must be replaced by testing under realistic, dry surface conditions. Secondly, field studies should be mandatory to provide evidence for antimicrobial efficacy under real-life conditions. The antimicrobial efficacy should be correlated to the rate of nosocomial transmission at least. Thirdly, the respective AMC technology should not add additional bacterial resistance development induced by the biocidal agents and co- or cross-resistance with antibiotic substances. Lastly, the biocidal substances used in AMC should be safe for humans and the environment. These measures should help to achieve a broader acceptance for AMC in healthcare settings and beyond. Technologies like the photodynamic approach already fulfil most of these AMC requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Side-chain engineering has been demonstrated as an effective method for fine-tuning the optical, electrical, and morphological properties of organic semiconductors toward efficient organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, three isomeric non-fullerene small molecule acceptors (SMAs), named BTP-4F-T2C8, BTP-4F-T2EH and BTP-4F-T3EH, with linear and branched alkyl chains substituted on the α or β positions of thiophene as the side chains, were synthesized and systematically investigated. The results demonstrate that the size and substitution position of alkyl side chains can greatly affect the electronic properties, molecular packing as well as crystallinity of the SMAs. After blending with donor polymer D18-Cl, the prominent device performance of 18.25% was achieved by the BTP-4F-T3EH-based solar cells, which is higher than those of the BTP-4F-T2EH-based (17.41%) and BTP-4F-T2C8-based (15.92%) ones. The enhanced performance of the BTP-4F-T3EH-based devices is attributed to its stronger crystallinity, higher electron mobility, suppressed biomolecular recombination, and the appropriate intermolecular interaction with the donor polymer. This work reveals that the side chain isomerization strategy can be a practical way in tuning the molecular packing and blend morphology for improving the performance of organic solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a general interfacial thermal contact model is proposed to investigate the heat conduction characteristics at the interface of bilayered saturated soils. The semianalytical solutions of thermal consolidation of the bilayered saturated soils considering thermo‐osmosis effect under ramp‐type heating are derived by using the Laplace transform. Then, the expressions of the temperature increment, excess pore water pressure, and displacement are obtained in time domain by using the Crump's method. Comparisons are performed to verify the rationality of the obtained solutions, and the influences of contact transfer coefficient, partition coefficient, and the thermo‐osmosis coefficient on the thermal consolidation of the bilayered saturated soil are illustrated and discussed. Neglecting the thermal contact resistance would overestimate the thermal consolidation behavior of the bilayered saturated soils. The calculated excess pore water pressure and displacement considering thermo‐osmosis effect are much larger than those without thermo‐osmosis effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The torsional low strain integrity test (TLSIT) is now regarded as the most potent alternative to the longitudinal wave test for the existing pile evaluation. However, the lack of the 3D wave theory for the TLSITs greatly hinders the application of this method. This paper establishes a coupled 3D soil‐pile model based on the continuum theory. A corresponding analytical solution of the dynamic pile response is derived and subsequently verified through the comparisons against the 1D wave theory and the Finite Difference Method. The proposed model exhibits the transverse wave interferences and finds: (1) The transverse wave interference that occurred during the TLSITs can be seen gradually alleviated from the pile center to the pile edge. (2) The larger the pile dimensions are, the greater the transverse wave interference would be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the principle of the top-pressing pile driver, a self-designed indoor model device is proposed to investigate the interface effect of piling pressure. The experiments are conducted to examine the effects of the pile diameter and the soil layers on the leading and lagging depths of the pile tip. Meanwhile, to test the interface effect in the sandy soil with different strengths, a numerical model of particle flow is developed based on the discrete element method. The soil displacement and tip resistance in the layer of upper soft, lower hard and the layer of upper hard, lower soft are obtained in the model. Then, the range of the plastic zone at the pile tip is deduced through the logarithmic spiral rule, and the interface effect in layered soil is analytically examined. Finally, the leading and lagging depth will be discussed theoretically. The proposed methodology and the conclusions can guide the mechanism of jacked pile driving and the optimum design of pile foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although two-dimensional (2D) layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been widely used as efficient nanoagents for biological diagnosis and treatment, they have been found to be inert as photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, we report the defect engineering of ultrathin 2D CoMo-LDH and NiMo-LDH nanosheets as highly active inorganic PSs for PDT in the third near-infrared (NIR-III) window. Hydrothermal-synthesized 2D CoMo-LDH and NiMo-LDH nanosheets are etched via a simple acid treatment to obtain defect-rich CoMo-LDH and NiMo-LDH nanosheets. Importantly, the defect-rich CoMo-LDH nanosheets exhibit much higher activity (~97 times) for generation of reactive oxygen species than that of the pristine CoMo-LDH nanosheets under a NIR-III 1567 nm laser irradiation. Therefore, after modification with polyethylene glycol, the defect-rich CoMo-LDH nanosheets can be used as an efficient inorganic PS for PDT to efficiently induce cancer cells apoptosis in vitro and eradicate tumors in vivo under 1567 nm laser irradiation. Defect engineering of 2 dimensional layered double hydroxide sheets improves their photocatalytic activity. Here, the authors etch sheets in acid and show that the etched sheets generate substantially more reactive oxygen species that untreated sheets and the treated sheets can be used to kill cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the one-dimensional rheological consolidation problem of multilayered soils subjected to different time-dependent loadings and continuous permeable boundary conditions. First, by introducing fractional calculus, the conventional Merchant constitutive model is modified to the fractional derivative Merchant (FDM) model, and the newly established model is introduced to describe the rheological characteristics of soil. Subsequently, to simplify the solving process of the consolidation equation, the Laplace transform is utilized to convert the partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations, and the analytical solutions in the Laplace domain are obtained. Furthermore, the solutions in the time domain are obtained by using Abate's fixed Talbot method (AFT method), which is one of the numerical Laplace inversion methods, and the corresponding computer program for the AFT method is attached. A comparison between the degenerated results of this study and those in the literature suggests that the present solutions are more general and applicable. Finally, several instances are provided to study the impacts of model parameters on the consolidation phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the project in this paper, the maximum slope of the large-diameter shield tunneling is 27.4‰. A refined numerical model that takes into account the construction loads and the hardening of synchronous grout during the shield tunneling with a large slope was established. The influence of tunneling on the ground settlement and the force characteristics of the segmental lining has been achieved, the results of which have been compared with those of the on-site monitoring. Based on the three-dimensional image theory, the analytical formulae for calculating ground settlement have been proposed and revised. The variation of the ground surface settlement obtained from the numerical simulation in this paper is in good agreement with that obtained from the field measurement. The proposed analytical formula is applicable for the ground settlement prediction, especially for the Pearl River Delta stratum. Based on the numerical simulation, it is found that the positions of the maximum principal stress of the segment are close to the measured positions of the crack and dilapidation. The maximum compressive stress and maximum tensile stress at these locations are both increased compared with those when the segment is newly assembled. Affected by the radial restraint force of the hard rock formation on the segment, the horizontal convergence of the segment at the tunnel springline is very small, and the phenomenon of upward floating of the segment under the strong slurry pressure is consistent with the monitoring results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, all-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) based on polymerized small molecule acceptors (PSMAs) have achieved significant progress. Ternary blending has proven to be an effective strategy to further boost the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the all-PSCs. Herein, a new A-DA'D-A small-molecule acceptor-based PSMA (named as PYCl-T) was designed and synthesized, which possesses similar polymer backbone with the widely used PY-IT, but with chlorine substitution on the A-end groups in the A-DA'D-A structure. PYCl-T was then employed as the third component into the PM6:PY-IT system and the ternary all-PSCs based on PM6:PY-IT:PYCl-T demonstrated a high PCE of 16.62% (certified value of 16.3%). Moreover, the PCE of 15.52% was realized in the enlarged ternary all-PSCs with effective area of 1 cm2, indicating the great potential in large-scale applications. Moreover, the optimized ternary blend films of PM6:PY-IT:PYCl-T show excellent thermal stability at 150 °C. This work demonstrates that the utilization of a ternary blend system involving two well-compatible PSMA polymer acceptors is an effective strategy to boost the performance of the all-PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]