Search

Recently, Tl3XSe4 (Abbreviated as TlXSe; X = V, Ta, Nb) crystals have been found to exhibit ultra low lattice thermal conductivities κl (∼0.15 W/mK at 300 K), ultra high figure of merit ZT (3 ∼ 4 at 300 K) and thus show great potentials in the fields of thermoelectric and engineering thermal management. Generally, thermal insulation devices and thermoelectric devices are used in harsh working environment, such high/low temperature, high pressure and so on. In order to further evaluate the industrial application values of TlXSe crystals, in this work, we explored their thermal transport behaviors under high pressures based on first-principles calculations method. The results show that TlXSe materials can maintain structural stability under high pressure up to 8 GPa, and their κl values increase about 2 ∼ 4 times under the high pressure of 0 ∼ 8 GPa. The increases of κl values are mainly due to the co-coupling effects of the increased phonon harmonicity and decreased phonon anharmonicity caused by high pressures. For all that, the κl values of TlXSe compounds are still below 0.5 W/mK at 300 K under the high pressure of 0 ∼ 8 GPa, which are also lower than those of most thermal insulation and thermoelectric materials. This work highlights the future potential applications of TlXSe crystals in thermal management, thermoelectric and many other fields, and thus provides useful information for further experimental and theoretical studies.

The ecological transformation of the marine industry is an important path to achieve the green development of marine economy and the goal of "double carbon", and digital technology is an important boosting factor for the ecological transformation of the marine industry. Taking Qingdao, a node city of the Maritime Silk Road, as an example, this paper comprehensively summarizes the data of foreign digital technologies applied in the ecological transformation of marine industry, and selects the key marine industries of Qingdao as follows. This paper analyzes the status quo of marine fishery, marine transportation, marine biological medicine and coastal tourism, and puts forward suggestions on the ecological transformation of marine industry aided by digital technology in combination with the characteristics of marine industry in Qingdao, so as to comprehensively improve the ecological level of marine industry in Qingdao and realize the sustainable development of marine industry.

In the induction heating of airport pavement to remove snow and ice, soft magnetic geopolymer composite (SMGC) can be used to gather the dissipated electromagnetic energy, thus enhancing the energy utilization efficiency. The aim of this work is to analyze the influence mechanism of iron powder content on the electromagnetic and mechanical performance of SMGC, so as to provide theoretical guidance for the design of soft magnetic layer within airport pavement structure. The results show that the increase of iron powder content reduces the resistance and magnetoresistance of SMGC by decreasing the content of non-magnetic phases between iron powder. However, the reduction of iron powder spacing also provides a shorter transmission path for the inter-particle eddy currents in the SMGC specimen, which enhances the exchange coupling between iron powder, thus increasing the electromagnetic loss. Therefore, the compatibility between magnetic permeability and electromagnetic loss should be considered comprehensively in the mix design of SMGC. In addition, although iron powder can enhance the mechanical properties of SMGC by improving the density of geopolymer matrix, the excessive amount of iron powder can lead to a weak interfacial transition zone between geopolymer matrix and iron powder. According to the induction heating results, optimized SMGC can improve the energy transfer efficiency of induction heating by 24.03%.

Complex diamond/Cu composites prepared using diffusion bonding by spark plasma sintering (SPS) can realize the full potential of such composites. However, a high thermal conductivity (TC) cannot be achieved due to the diffusion-bonded interface's low bond strength and acoustic mismatch. An intermetallic compound Cu2Ti and a carbide TiC were generated on the diffusion-bonded interface after adding a titanium (Ti) interlayer. The intermetallic compound Cu2Ti and carbide TiC change the mechanical bonding into chemical bonding between diamond and Cu, significantly improving the interfacial bond strength as the diffusion-bonded interface's shear strength increased from 44.94 to 61.23 MPa. And the shear fracture changes from brittle to ductile approximately to that of the Cu matrix. In the meantime, the phonon-regulating effect of the carbide TiC enables interfacial TC in the diamond/TiC/Cu structure to be stronger than that in the diamond/Cu structure. The Ti interlayer can improve the bond strength of the SPS diffusion-bonded interface and acoustic matching of diamond/Cu composites as the TC increased from 347.73 W/(m·K) to 483.37 W/(m·K), which is 86.47% of the base metal.

Abstract Van der Waals interactions with transition metal dichalcogenides were shown to induce strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in graphene, offering great promises to combine large experimental flexibility of graphene with unique tuning capabilities of the SOC. Here, we probe SOC-driven band splitting and electron dynamics in graphene on WSe2 by measuring ballistic transverse magnetic focusing. We found a clear splitting in the first focusing peak whose evolution in charge density and magnetic field is well reproduced by calculations using the SOC strength of ~ 13 meV, and no splitting in the second peak that indicates stronger Rashba SOC. Possible suppression of electron-electron scatterings was found in temperature dependence measurement. Further, we found that Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations exhibit a weaker band splitting, suggesting that it probes different electron dynamics, calling for a new theory. Our study demonstrates an interesting possibility to exploit ballistic electron motion pronounced in graphene for emerging spin-orbitronics.

Abstract Abnormal high temperature (HT) caused by global warming threatens plant survival and food security, but the effects of HT on plant organ identity are elusive. Here, we show that Class II TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1/CYCLOIDEA/ PCF (TCP) transcription factors redundantly protect ovule identity under HT. The duodecuple tcp2/3/4/5/10/13/17/24/1/12/18/16 (tcpDUO) mutant displays HT-induced ovule conversion into carpelloid structures. Expression of TCP4 in tcpDUO complements the ovule identity conversion. TCP4 interacts with AGAMOUS (AG), SEPALLATA3 (SEP3), and the homeodomain transcription factor BELL1 (BEL1) to strengthen the association of BEL1 with AG-SEP3. The tcpDUO mutant synergistically interacts with bel1 and the ovule identity gene seedstick (STK) mutant stk in tcpDUO bel1 and tcpDUO stk. Our findings reveal the critical roles of Class II TCPs in maintaining ovule identity under HT and shed light on the molecular mechanisms by which ovule identity is determined by the integration of internal factors and environmental temperature.

Abstract Reservoir inventories are essential for investigating the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on water scape changes. They provide fundamental data sources to explore the sustainability and management efficiency of water resources. However, publicly released reservoir inventories are currently limited to a single temporal domain. As a result, the effectiveness of governmental policy implementation on water resources remains to be explored due to the lack of multi-time datasets. In this study, we generated a reservoir inventory for China for the years 2016 and 2021 with an overall accuracy of 99.71%. The reservoirs were visually interpreted from annually composited Landsat images, and each reservoir is represented by a polygon with attributes of reservoir name, area and storage capacity. About 10.32% of the reservoirs have increased storage capacity from 2016 to 2021, while 22.73% have decreased. Most provinces and river basins in China have expanded their accumulated storage capacity from 2016 to 2021.

Introduction: Hyperactivated histone deacetylases (HDACs) act as epigenetic repressors on gene transcription and are frequently observed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although multiple pharmacological HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) have been developed, none is available in human HCC. Objectives: To investigate the pharmacological effects of a fangchinoline derivative HL23, as a novel HDACi and its molecular mechanisms through TXNIP-mediated potassium deprivation in HCC. Methods: Both in vitro assays and orthotopic HCC mouse models were used to investigate the effects of HL23 in this study. The inhibitory activity of HL23 on HDACs was evaluated by in silico studies and cellular assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was conducted to confirm the regulation of HL23 on acetylation mark at TXNIP promoter. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis together with bioinformatic analysis were conducted to identify the regulatory mechanisms of HL23. The clinical significance of TXNIP and HDACs was evaluated by analysing publicly available database. Results: HL23 exerted compatible HDACs inhibition potency as Vorinostat (SAHA) while had superior anti-HCC effects than SAHA and sorafenib. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed HL23 significantly suppressed HCC progression and metastasis. HL23 significantly upregulated TXNIP expression via regulating acetylation mark (H3K9ac) at TXNIP promoter. TXNIP was responsible for anti-HCC activity of HL23 through mediating potassium channel activity. HDAC1 was predicted to be the target of HL23 and HDAC1lowTXNIPhigh could jointly predict promising survival outcome of patients with HCC. Combination treatment with HL23 and sorafenib could significantly enhance sorafenib efficacy. Conclusion: Our study identified HL23 as a novel HDACi through enhancing acetylation at TXNIP promoter to trigger TXNIP-dependent potassium deprivation and enhance sorafenib efficacy in HCC treatment.

Anaplasma capra is an emerging tickborne human pathogen initially recognized in China in 2015; it has been reported in ticks and in a wide range of domestic and wild animals worldwide. We describe whole-genome sequences of 2 A. capra strains from metagenomic sequencing of purified erythrocytes from infected goats in China. The genome of A. capra was the smallest among members of the genus Anaplasma. The genomes of the 2 A. capra strains contained comparable G+C content and numbers of pseudogenes with intraerythrocytic Anaplasma species. The 2 A. capra strains had 54 unique genes. The prevalence of A. capra was high among goats in the 2 endemic areas. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the A. capra strains detected in this study were basically classified into 2 subclusters with those previously detected in Asia. Our findings clarify details of the genomic characteristics of A. capra and shed light on its genetic diversity.

BiFeO3-BaTiO3 based ceramics are considered to be the most promising lead-free piezoelectric ceramics due to their large piezoelectric response and high Curie temperature. Since the piezoelectric response of piezoelectric ceramics just appears after poling engineering, in this work, the domain evolution and microscopic piezoresponse were observed in-situ using piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and switching spectroscopy piezoresponse force microscopy (SS-PFM), which can effectively study the local switching characteristics of ferroelectric materials especially at the nanoscale. The new domain nucleation preferentially forms at the boundary of the relative polarization region and expands laterally with the increase of bias voltage and temperature. The maximum piezoresponse (Rs), remnant piezoresponse (Rrem), maximum displacement (Dmax) and negative displacement (Dneg) at 45 V and 120 °C reach 122, 69, 127 pm and 75 pm, respectively. Due to the distinct effect of poling engineering in full domain switching, the corresponding d33 at 50 kV/cm and 120 °C reaches a maximum of 205 pC/N, which is nearly twice as high as that at room temperature. Studying the evolution of ferroelectric domains in the poling engineering of BiFeO3-BaTiO3 ceramics provides an insight into the relationship between domain structure and piezoelectric response, which has implications for other piezoelectric ceramics as well.

In order to better satisfy the energy saving requirements of residential buildings in China, this paper proposes a model based on MABC-BP, which performs multi-objective optimization of residential building energy saving to further improve the energy-saving effect. Firstly, in view of the limitations of the traditional ABC algorithm, it was proposed to utilize the particle swarm algorithm to improve the artificial bee colony algorithm, so as to improve the optimal search performance of the traditional bee colony. Then, the parameters of back propagation (BP) neural network were optimized by the improved artificial bee colony algorithm. Finally, using the parameters of a building’s exterior wall, roof and ground as a base, the BP neural network was trained, and the trained BP neural network was utilized to realize the multi-objective prediction of residential building energy saving. Simulation results show that the BP neural network with optimized parameters has good prediction results with an average error value of 0.005. Compared with the original BP neural network, the optimized BP network has better convergence and solution. Compared with the ABC-BP algorithm model, the optimized BP algorithm model achieves better optimization results when optimizing the optimization target selected by the experiment. The above simulation results verify the superiority of the design and the necessity of optimization in this paper, which has certain application value.

Abstract This paper investigates the existence of positive solutions for a class of fractional boundary value problems involving an improper integral and the infinite-point on the half-line by making use of properties of the Green function and Avery–Peterson fixed point theorem. In addition, an example is presented to illustrate the applicability of our main result.

Abstract Background We aimed to assess the performance of the risk assessment questionnaire and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in a population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program to provide timely evidence for tailored screening strategies in China. Methods This analysis was conducted using data from Beijing Cancer Screening Prospective Cohort Study (BCSPCS). A risk assessment questionnaire and FIT were selected as the primary screening methods, and participants with any positive results were referred to undergo a diagnostic colonoscopy. Results From 2015 to 2020, 148,636 Beijing residents aged 40–69 years were invited from designated communities, with 147,807 finishing the risk assessment questionnaire and 115,606 (78.2%) completing the FIT. Among the 42,969 (29.1%) high-risk CRC participants, 23,824 (55.4%) underwent colonoscopy. One year after enrollment, all subjects were linked to the Beijing Cancer Registry (BCR) database and 241 cases of CRC were confirmed. The CRC incidence rate was 58.2/100,000 for the low-risk arm and 418.9/100,000 for the high-risk arm. For participants who underwent colonoscopy, 91 CRC cases were detected, with a detection rate of 91.9% and 63.7% of them were early-stage cases. Furthermore, the sensitivities of utilizing the risk assessment questionnaire alone, FIT alone, combined risk assessment questionnaire and FIT were 75.7%, 50.1%, and 95.1%, and the specificities were 75.3%, 87.3%, and 70.7%, respectively. Conclusion The Beijing CRC screening program can effectively detect early-onset CRC; however, the compliance with colonoscopy still needs to be improved.

To clarify the mechanism of resistance of Bacillus velezensis TP-1 to gray mold, a marker strain TP-1R was screened for resistance to 300 μg/mL of rifampicin by an antibiotic marker method in this study. The genetic stability of the resistance of the marker strains and their antagonism to gray mold of grapes were studied, and their colonization in grapes and their effect on the activity of defence enzymes in the grapes were analysed. The results showed that the labeled strain could still grow stably in the medium containing rifampicin after 15 times of subculture, and the antagonistic effect of the labeled strain against gray mold was not significantly different from that of the original strain. The colonization amount of the labeled strain reached the peak of 4.32×106 CFU/g on the 15th day of storage (20 ℃), and was still 3.11×106 CFU/g on the 30th day of storage, indicating that strain TP-1 could be stably colonized on grapes. Inoculation of strain TP-1 fermentation broth could effectively inhibit the occurrence of gray mold and resultantly reduced the decay rate of grapes. During storage, the activity of grape defence enzymes PAL, PPO and APX increased first and then decreased, and the activity of the three enzymes in the group treated with the antagonistic bacterium TP-1 was significantly higher than CK (P

Bozhong Sag, the largest hydrocarbon generation sag in the Bohai Bay Basin, is characterized by presence of the third member of the Shahejie Formation (E2s3), which serves as a significant source rock. While previous studies have provided insights into the source material, sedimentary environment, and thermal maturity of the E2s3 source rocks, further investigation is required to deepen our understanding of sedimentary events and biological sources. In this research, nine mudstone core samples from the southwestern Bozhong Sag were thoroughly analyzed using organic-inorganic geochemistry and organic petrology. The results reveal the following key findings: (1) The middle and lower sections of the third member of the Shahejie Formation are characterized by high-quality source rocks, with the lower section exhibiting superior quality. The increase in water salinity during warm and humid climates, and the detection of 24-n-propylcholestane compounds reflected the occurrence of transgression events in the E2s3. These transgressions gradually increased from the lower sections to the middle sections of the E2s3. (2) The studied samples exhibit abundant presence of 4α-methyl-24-ethylcholestanes, 24-n-propylcholestanes, 2α-methylhopanes, oleananeabundant algainite, and a small amount of vitrinite. This diversity of hydrocarbon-forming organisms in the E2s3 source rocks is evident. (3) The moderate marine incursion in the lower part of the E2s3 results in nutrient elements that promote the flourishing of bacteria and algae, providing an abundant material basis for the formation of high-quality source rocks. However, the large-scale marine incursion in the middle of the E2s3 weakens water eutrophication, resulting in a decrease in the quality of source rocks compared to the lower part of the E2s3.

Abstract The synthesis of amides is a key technology for the preparation of fine and bulk chemicals in industry, as well as the manufacture of a plethora of daily life products. Furthermore, it constitutes a central bond-forming methodology for organic synthesis and provides the basis for the preparation of numerous biomolecules. Here, we present a robust methodology for amide synthesis compared to traditional amidation reactions: the reductive amidation of esters with nitro compounds under additives-free conditions. In the presence of a specific heterogeneous nickel-based catalyst a wide range of amides bearing different functional groups can be selectively prepared in a more step-economy way compared to previous syntheses. The potential value of this protocol is highlighted by the synthesis of drugs, as well as late-stage modifications of bioactive compounds. Based on control experiments, material characterizations, and DFT computations, we suggest metallic nickel and low-valent Ti-species to be crucial factors that makes this direct amide synthesis possible.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as powerful regulators of adipocyte differentiation, fat metabolism and gene expression. However, the functional roles and mechanisms of lncRNAs in these processes remain unclear. Here, we identified a novel antisense transcript, named APMAP-AS, transcribed from adipocyte membrane-associated protein (APMAP) in the pig genome. APMAP-AS and APMAP were highly expressed in retroperitoneal adipose of obese pigs, compared with that in control pigs. Using a bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) adipogenic differentiation model, we found that APMAP-AS positively regulated adipogenic differentiation. APMAP-AS had the potential to form an RNA–RNA duplex with APMAP, and increased the stability of APMAP mRNA. Additionally, APMAP-AS promoted lipid metabolism and inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors. These findings of a natural antisense transcript for a regulatory gene associated with lipid synthesis might further our understanding of lncRNAs in driving adaptive adipose tissue remodeling and preserving metabolic health.

Abstract Organelles are shaped by curvature-generating proteins, which include the reticulons and REEPs that are involved in forming the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A conserved REEP subfamily differs from the ER-shaping REEPs in abundance and membrane topology and has unidentified functions. Here, we show that Rop1, the single member of this family in the fission yeast Schizosacharomyces pombe, is crucial for the macroautophagy of organelles and cytosolic proteins. Rop1 is needed for the formation of phagophores, cup-like structures consisting of two closely apposed membrane sheets that encapsulate cargo. It is recruited at early stages to phagophores and is required for their maturation into autophagosomes. Rop1 function relies on its ability to generate high membrane curvature and on its colocalization with the autophagy component Atg2 that is thought to reside at the phagophore rim. We propose that Rop1 facilitates the formation and growth of the double-membrane structure of the autophagosome.

Aims: Previous studies have suggested that selenium as a trace element is involved in bone health, but findings related to the specific effect of selenium on bone health remain inconclusive. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis by including all the relevant studies to elucidate the association between selenium status (dietary intake or serum selenium) and bone health indicators (bone mineral density (BMD), osteoporosis (OP), or fracture). Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched to retrieve relevant articles published before 15 November 2022. Studies focusing on the correlation between selenium and BMD, OP, or fracture were included. Effect sizes included regression coefficient (β), weighted mean difference (WMD), and odds ratio (OR). According to heterogeneity, the fixed-effect or random-effect model was used to assess the association between selenium and bone health. Results: From 748 non-duplicate publications, 19 studies were included. We found a significantly positive association between dietary selenium intake (β = 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00 to 0.07, p = 0.029) as well as serum selenium (β = 0.13, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.26, p = 0.046) and BMD. Consistently, those with higher selenium intake had a lower risk of OP (OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.72, p = 0.001), and patients with OP had a significantly lower level of serum selenium than healthy controls (WMD = -2.01, 95% CI -3.91 to -0.12, p = 0.037). High dietary selenium intake was associated with a lower risk of hip fracture (OR = 0.44, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.52, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Selenium was positively associated with BMD and inversely associated with OP; dietary selenium intake was negatively associated with hip fracture. The causality and therapeutic effect of selenium on OP needs to be investigated in future studies. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(7):423–432.

Abstract The estimation of spacecraft pose is crucial in numerous space missions, including rendezvous and docking, debris removal, and on-orbit maintenance. Estimating the pose of space objects is significantly more challenging than that of objects on Earth, primarily due to the widely varying lighting conditions, low resolution, and limited amount of data available in space images. Our main proposal is a new deep learning neural network architecture, which can effectively extract orbiting spacecraft features from images captured by inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) for pose estimation of non-cooperative on orbit spacecraft. Specifically, our model enhances spacecraft imaging by improving image contrast, reducing noise, and using transfer learning to mitigate data sparsity issues via a pre-trained model. To address sparse features in spacecraft imaging, we propose a dense residual U-Net network that employs dense residual block to reduce feature loss during downsampling. Additionally, we introduce a multi-head self-attention block to capture more global information and improve the model’s accuracy. The resulting tightly interlinked architecture, named as SU-Net, delivers strong performance gains on pose estimation by spacecraft ISAR imaging. Experimental results show that we achieve the state of the art results, and the absolute error of our model is 0.128 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ to 0.4491 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ , the mean error is about 0.282 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ , and the standard deviation is about 0.065 $$^{\circ }$$ ∘ . The code are released at https://github.com/Tombs98/SU-Net .

Abstract Background Photothermal therapy (PTT) is taken as a promising strategy for cancer therapy, however, its applicability is hampered by cellular thermoresistance of heat shock response and insufficient accumulation of photothermal transduction agents in the tumor region. In consideration of those limitations, a multifunctional “Golden Cicada” nanoplatform (MGCN) with efficient gene delivery ability and excellent photothermal effects is constructed, overcoming the thermoresistance of tumor cells and improving the accumulation of indocyanine green (ICG). Results Down-regulation of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) makes tumor cells more susceptible to PTT, and a better therapeutic effect is achieved through such cascade augmented synergistic effects. MGCN has attractive features with prolonged circulation in blood, dual-targeting capability of CD44 and sialic acid (SA) receptors, and agile responsiveness of enzyme achieving size and charge double-variable transformation. It proves that, on the one hand, MGCN performs excellent capability for HSP70-shRNA delivery, resulting in breaking the cellular thermoresistance mechanism, on the other hand, ICG enriches in tumor site specifically and possesses a great thermal property to promoted PTT. Conclusions In short, MGCN breaks the protective mechanism of cellular heat stress response by downregulating the expression of HSP70 proteins and significantly augments synergistic effects of photothermal/gene therapy via cascade augmented synergistic effects.

Abstract Background Acute respiratory infections (ARI) in Cúcuta -Colombia, have a comparatively high burden of disease associated with high public health costs. However, little is known about the epidemiology of these diseases in the city and its distribution within suburban areas. This study addresses this gap by estimating and mapping the risk of ARI in Cúcuta and identifying the most relevant risk factors. Methods A spatial epidemiological analysis was designed to investigate the association of sociodemographic and environmental risk factors with the rate of ambulatory consultations of ARI in urban sections of Cúcuta, 2018. The ARI rate was calculated using a method for spatial estimation of disease rates. A Bayesian spatial model was implemented using the Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation approach and the Besag-York-Mollié specification. The risk of ARI per urban section and the hotspots of higher risk were also estimated and mapped. Results A higher risk of IRA was found in central, south, north and west areas of Cúcuta after adjusting for sociodemographic and environmental factors, and taking into consideration the spatial distribution of the city’s urban sections. An increase of one unit in the percentage of population younger than 15 years; the Index of Multidimensional Poverty and the rate of ARI in the migrant population was associated with a 1.08 (1.06—1.1); 1.04 (1.01—1.08) and 1.25 (1.22—1.27) increase of the ARI rate, respectively. Twenty-four urban sections were identified as hotspots of risk in central, south, north and west areas in Cucuta. Conclusion Sociodemographic factors and their spatial patterns are determinants of acute respiratory infections in Cúcuta. Bayesian spatial hierarchical models can be used to estimate and map the risk of these infections in suburban areas of large cities in Colombia. The methods of this study can be used globally to identify suburban areas and or specific communities at risk to support the implementation of prevention strategies and decision-making in the public and private health sectors.

Abstract Time series prediction of river water quality is an important method to grasp the changes of river water quality and protect the river water environment. However, due to the time series data of river water quality have strong periodicity, seasonality and nonlinearity, which seriously affects the accuracy of river water quality prediction. In this paper, a new hybrid deep neural network model is proposed for river water quality prediction, which is integrated with Savitaky-Golay (SG) filter, STL time series decomposition method, Self-attention mechanism, and Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN). The SG filter can effectively remove the noise in the time series data of river water quality, and the STL technology can decompose the time series data into trend, seasonal and residual series. The decomposed trend series and residual series are input into the model combining the Self-attention mechanism and TCN respectively for training and prediction. In order to verify the proposed model, this study uses opensource water quality data and private water quality data to conduct experiments, and compares with other water quality prediction models. The experimental results show that our method achieves the best prediction results in the water quality data of two different rivers.

Abstract Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked, incurable, degenerative neuromuscular disease that is exacerbated by secondary inflammation. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most common base modification of RNA, has pleiotropic immunomodulatory effects in many diseases. However, the role of m6A modification in the immune microenvironment of DMD remains elusive. Methods Our study retrospectively analyzed the expression data of 56 muscle tissues from DMD patients and 26 from non-muscular dystrophy individuals. Based on single sample gene set enrichment analysis, immune cells infiltration was identified and the result was validated by flow cytometry analysis and immunohistochemical staining. Then, we described the features of genetic variation in 26 m6A regulators and explored their relationship with the immune mircoenvironment of DMD patients through a series of bioinformatical analysis. At last, we determined subtypes of DMD patients by unsupervised clustering analysis and characterized the molecular and immune characteristics in different subgroups. Results DMD patients have a sophisticated immune microenvironment that is significantly different from non-DMD controls. Numerous m6A regulators were aberrantly expressed in the muscle tissues of DMD and inversely related to most muscle-infiltrating immune cell types and immune response-related signaling pathways. A diagnostic model involving seven m6A regulators was established using LASSO. Furthermore, we determined three m6A modification patterns (cluster A/B/C) with distinct immune microenvironmental characteristics. Conclusion In summary, our study demonstrated that m6A regulators are intimately linked to the immune microenvironment of muscle tissues in DMD. These findings may facilitate a better understanding of the immunomodulatory mechanisms in DMD and provide novel strategies for the treatment.

Grasshoppers pose a significant threat to both natural grassland vegetation and crops. Therefore, comprehending the relationship between environmental factors and grasshopper occurrence is of paramount importance. This study integrated machine learning models (Maxent) using the kuenm package to screen MaxEnt models for grasshopper species selection, while simultaneously fitting remote sensing data of major grasshopper breeding areas in Inner Mongolia, China. It investigated the spatial distribution and key factors influencing the occurrence of typical grasshopper species in grassland ecosystems. The modelling results indicate that a typical steppe has a larger suitable area. The soil type, above biomass, altitude, and temperature, predominantly determine the grasshopper occurrence in typical steppes. This study explicitly delineates the disparate impacts of key environmental factors (meteorology, vegetation, soil, and topography) on grasshopper occurrence in typical steppes. Furthermore, it provides a methodology to guide early warning and precautions for grasshopper pest prevention. The findings of this study will be instrumental in formulating future management measures to guarantee grass ecological environment security and the sustainable development of grassland.

In order to evaluate the influences of the topology design of a Halbach Magnet Array (HA) on the performance of a motor, a PMSM with an outer coreless rotor using a Halbach Magnet Array (HAORPMSM) is proposed in this article. The design parameters of the HA could be separated into dividing methods per pole, magnet thickness, and initial magnetization direction angle. The phase Back-EMF under constant mechanical speed is chosen as the index to measure the performance of the motor. To start with, different dividing methods of the HA are evaluated. After that, the influence of thickness considering the utilization of the magnet is studied. Lastly, the relationship between initial magnetization direction and motor manufacturing is represented. The results show that the HA design meets the optimized performance considering the balance of the amount of magnet usage and manufacturing when using specific HA parameters.

This study on the warm-sector heavy rainfall event in Guangzhou on 7 May 2017, examined the effects and mechanisms of incorporating 30 m high-resolution land surface data into its numerical simulation. The updated 1km numerical model, integrating 30 m high-resolution land surface data, successfully captured the initiation, back-building, and organized development of warm-sector convections in Huadu and Zengcheng District. The analysis revealed that the high spatial resolution of the surface data led to a reduced urban area footprint (urban −6.31%), increased vegetation cover (forest 11.63%, croplands 1%), and enhanced surface runoff (water 2.77%) compared with a model’s default land cover (900 m). These changes mitigated the urban heat island (UHI) effect within the metropolitan area and decreased the surface sensible heat flux. This reduction contributed to a pronounced temperature gradient between Huadu Mountain and the urban area. Additionally, a stronger high-pressure recirculation and sea–land breezes facilitated the transport of warm and moist air from the sea inland, creating a humid corridor along the sea–land interface. The consistent influx of warm and moist air near the mountain front, where strong temperature gradients were present, forcibly triggered warm-sector convection, intensifying its organization. This study highlighted the critical role of high-resolution land surface data in the accurate numerical simulation of warm-sector heavy rainfall.

A shaking table test of a 1/60 scale cross-fault bridge model considering the effects of soil–bridge interactions was designed and implemented, in which the bridge model was placed in two individual soil boxes to simulate the bridge across a strike-slip fault. Three seismic ground motion time-histories with permanent displacements were selected as input excitations to investigate the influence of seismic ground motions with different frequency characteristics on the seismic response of the testing soil–bridge model. The one-side input method was used to simulate the seismic response of bridges across faults. The seismic responses of the soil and bridge in terms of acceleration, strain, and displacement were analyzed. The test results show that the one-side input method can simulate the seismic response of the main girder displacements well and the displacements and strains of piers and piles of the bridge structure spanning a fault. The strain responses at near-fault pile foundations are much larger than those farther away from the fault. Compared with other bridges, the cross-fault bridge is more prone to torsional and displacement responses during earthquakes. Surface fault rupture can lead to permanent inclination of the bridge piers, which should be paid more attention to in the practical engineering design of the bridges. Soil–bridge interactions can suppress the amplification effect of soil on ground motions. The test results can provide a reference for future research and the design of cross-fault bridges.

To meet the requirements of amphibious exploration, ocean exploration, and military reconnaissance tasks, a pneumatic amphibious soft bionic robot was developed by taking advantage of the structural characteristics, motion forms, and propulsion mechanisms of the sea lion fore-flippers, inchworms, Carangidae tails, and dolphin tails. Using silicone rubber as the main material of the robot, combined with the driving mechanism of the pneumatic soft bionic actuator, and based on the theory of mechanism design, a systematic structural design of the pneumatic amphibious soft bionic robot was carried out from the aspects of flippers, tail, head–neck, and trunk. Then, a numerical simulation algorithm was used to analyze the main executing mechanisms and their coordinated motion performance of the soft bionic robot and to verify the rationality and feasibility of the robot structure design and motion forms. With the use of rapid prototyping technology to complete the construction of the robot prototype body, based on the motion amplitude, frequency, and phase of the bionic prototype, the main execution mechanisms of the robot were controlled through a pneumatic system to carry out experimental testing. The results show that the performance of the robot is consistent with the original design and numerical simulation predictions, and it can achieve certain maneuverability, flexibility, and environmental adaptability. The significance of this work is the development of a pneumatic soft bionic robot suitable for amphibious environments, which provides a new idea for the bionic design and application of pneumatic soft robots.

Ferroelectric materials, with their spontaneous electric polarization, are renewing research enthusiasm for their deployment in high-performance micro/nano energy harvesting devices such as triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). Here, the introduction of ferroelectric materials into the triboelectric interface not only significantly enhances the energy harvesting efficiency, but also drives TENGs into the era of intelligence and integration. The primary objective of the following paper is to tackle the newest innovations in TENGs based on ferroelectric materials. For this purpose, we begin with discussing the fundamental idea and then introduce the current progress with TENGs that are built on the base of ferroelectric materials. Various strategies, such as surface engineering, either in the micro or nano scale, are discussed, along with the environmental factors. Although our focus is on the enhancement of energy harvesting efficiency and output power density by utilizing ferroelectric materials, we also highlight their incorporation in self-powered electronics and sensing systems, where we analyze the most favorable and currently accessible options in attaining device intelligence and multifunctionality. Finally, we present a detailed outlook on TENGs that are based on ferroelectric materials.

The reproducing kernel particle method (RKPM) is one of the most universal meshless methods. However, when solving three-dimensional (3D) problems, the computational efficiency is relatively low because of the complexity of the shape function. To overcome this disadvantage, in this study, we introduced the dimension splitting method into the RKPM to present a hybrid reproducing kernel particle method (HRKPM), and the 3D Helmholtz equation is solved. The 3D Helmholtz equation is transformed into a series of related two-dimensional (2D) ones, in which the 2D RKPM shape function is used, and the Galerkin weak form of these 2D problems is applied to obtain the discretized equations. In the dimension-splitting direction, the difference method is used to combine the discretized equations in all 2D domains. Three example problems are given to illustrate the performance of the HRKPM. Moreover, the numerical results show that the HRKPM can improve the computational efficiency of the RKPM significantly.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure can contribute to photoaging of skin. Cornus officinalis is rich in ursolic acid (UA), which is beneficial to the prevention of photoaging. Because UA is hardly soluble in water, the Cornus officinalis extract (COE) was obtained using water as the antisolvent to separate the components containing UA from the crude extract of Cornus officinalis. The effect of COE on UVB damage was assessed using Caenorhabditis elegans. The results showed that COE could increase the lifespan and enhance the antioxidant enzyme activity of C. elegans exposed to UVB while decreasing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. At the same time, COE upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes and promoted the migration of SKN-1 to the nucleus. Moreover, COE inhibited the expression of the skn-1 downstream gene and the extension of the lifespan in skn-1 mutants exposed to UVB, indicating that SKN-1 was required for COE to function. Our findings indicate that COE mainly ameliorates the oxidative stress caused by UVB in C. elegans via the SKN-1/Nrf2 pathway.

This paper experimentally investigates the performance of piezoelectric force actuators. Using the same encapsulated piezoelectric stack, an inertial-type actuator and a frame-type actuator are constructed for performance comparison. The experimental results are also used to validate the recently established actuator models, whilst the mechanical and piezoelectrical parameters of the models are experimentally identified. The performance of the actuators is described by the transmitted force(s) and input power flow from the actuators to the base structure with reference to the same electrical input voltage to the stack. The validation is deemed successful due to the strong agreement observed between the measured and predicted actuator performances. Additionally, it is discovered that the frame-type actuator has the capacity to produce significantly higher transmitted forces and input power flow to the base structure compared to the inertial-type actuator. The mechanism underlying the performance disparity between these two types of actuators is also examined. This paper clarifies the mechanism, shedding light on the design and optimization of piezoelectric actuators.

Previously, the types of impacts of land–atmosphere interactions have scarcely been clarified systematically. In this article, we present a classification of these impacts based on modeling boundary layer variables/parameters, which is grouped into local, regional, and remote impacts. In the narrow sense, land surface processes (LSPs) influence the atmospheric state via vertical land–atmosphere coupling at local scales, which is referred to as local LSP impacts. However, local LSP impacts can lead to the advection effect due to the horizontal heterogeneity in the parameters over a region, which can be defined as regional LSP impacts. Furthermore, remote LSP impacts on the regional atmospheric state are induced by some land/sea surface variables/parameters over remote key areas of the Earth’s surface, which are conventionally taken as strong signals of climate variation. Of the three impacts, local impacts are the most important essential, as the other two types of impacts are derived from these impacts. We describe the quantification of local impacts based on our previous studies from the perspective of modeling approaches, and we discuss some issues related to these impacts. Previous investigations showed that local LSP impacts are mostly stronger than regional LSP impacts, e.g., the diabatic process is dominant in the physical processes responsible for daily maximum temperatures, and two first-order physical processes including vertical diffusion largely induce changes in surface wind speed in China. Finally, some aspects for future research are noted. This study provides insights into the research on land–atmosphre interactions at different scales.

The x%Ni/Sm2O3-MnO (x = 0, 10, 15, 20) catalysts derived from SmMn2O5 mullite were prepared by solution combustion and impregnation method; auto-thermal reforming (ATR) of acetic acid (HAc) for hydrogen production was used to explore the metal-support effect induced by Ni loadings on the catalytic reforming activity and product distribution. The 15%Ni/Sm2O3-MnO catalyst exhibited optimal catalytic performance, which can be due to the appropriate Ni loading inducing a strong metal–support interaction to form a stable Ni/Sm2O3-MnO active center, while side reactions, such as methanation and ketonization, were well suppressed. According to characterizations, Sm2O3-MnO mixed oxides derived from SmMn2O5 mullite were formed with oxygen vacancies; nevertheless, loading of Ni metal further promoted the formation of oxygen vacancies, thus enhancing adsorption and activation of oxygen-containing intermediate species and resulting in higher reactivity with HAc conversion near 100% and hydrogen yield at 2.62 mol-H2/mol-HAc.

Due to the poor thermal stability of the lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) electrolyte system, commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are difficult for normal operation at high temperatures above 55 °C. The limitation of the LiPF6 electrolyte severely limits the practical application of LIBs under extremely high temperatures conditions. Here, a high-concentration electrolyte based on lithium bis(fluorosufonyl)imide (LiFSI) as electrolyte salt and ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC) as solvent is proposed, which possesses superior electrochemical stability and thermal stability. The LiCoO2/graphite (Gr) pouch battery with the LiFSI high-concentration electrolyte (5.0 mol L−1 (M)) has been shown excellent cycling performance even at 100 °C, an impressive capacity retention of 87.7 % can be still maintained after 100 cycles at 1.0 C-rate. The superior high temperatures performance is mainly attributed to the unique solvated structure, along with the robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) rich in anions. This work presents an effective strategy for promoting the development of high-temperature lithium-ion batteries.

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), products of alginate degradation by endotype alginate lyases, possess favorable biological activities and have broad applications. Although many have been reported, alginate lyases with homogeneous AOS products and secretory production by an engineered host are scarce. Herein, the alginate lyase AlyC7 from Vibrio sp. C42 was characterized as a trisaccharide-producing lyase exhibiting high activity and broad substrate specificity. With PelB as the signal peptide and 500 mM glycine as the additive, the extracellular production of AlyC7 in Escherichia coli reached 1122.8 U/mL after 27 h cultivation in Luria-Bertani medium. The yield of trisaccharides from sodium alginate degradation by the produced AlyC7 reached 758.6 mg/g, with a purity of 85.1%. The prepared AOS at 20 μg/mL increased the root length of lettuce, tomato, wheat, and maize by 27.5%, 25.7%, 9.7%, and 11.1%, respectively. This study establishes a robust foundation for the industrial and agricultural applications of AlyC7.

Nowadays, magnetic materials are also drawing considerable attention in the development of innovative energy converters such as triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), where the introduction of magnetic materials at the triboelectric interface not only significantly enhances the energy harvesting efficiency but also promotes TENG entry into the era of intelligence and multifunction. In this review, we begin from the basic operating principle of TENGs and then summarize the recent progress in applications of magnetic materials in the design of TENG magnetic materials by categorizing them into soft ferrites and amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys. While highlighting key role of magnetic materials in and future opportunities for improving their performance in energy conversion, we also discuss the most promising choices available today and describe emerging approaches to create even better magnetic TENGs and TENG-based sensors as far as intelligence and multifunctionality are concerned. In addition, the paper also discusses the integration of magnetic TENGs as a power source for third-party sensors and briefly explains the self-powered applications in a wide range of related fields. Finally, the paper discusses the challenges and prospects of magnetic TENGs.

The mechanobiological response mechanism of the fenestrae of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) to the physical stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) remains unclear. We investigated how the mechanical properties of their substrates affect the LSECs’ fenestrae by the nitric oxide (NO)-dependent pathway and how they relate to the progression of hepatic sinus capillarization during liver fibrosis. We detected different stiffnesses of ECM in the progress of liver fibrosis (LF) and developed polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAM) substrates to simulate them. Softer stiffness substrates contributed to LSECs maintaining fenestrae phenotype in vitro. The stiffness of liver fibrosis tissue could be reversed in vivo via treatment with anti-ECM deposition drugs. Similarly, the capillarization of LSECs could be reversed by decreasing the ECM stiffness. Our results also indicate that the NO-dependent pathway plays a key regulatory role in the capillarization of ECM-LSECs. Our study reveals ECM-induced mechanotransduction of capillarized LSECs through a NO-dependent pathway via a previously unrevealed mechanotransduction mechanism. The elucidation of this mechanism may offer precise biomechanics-specific intervention strategies targeting liver fibrosis progression.

In this study, a compact and low-power-consumption quantum random number generator (QRNG) based on a laser diode and a hybrid chip with integrated silicon photonics is proposed and verified experimentally. The hybrid chip’s size is 8.8 × 2.6 × 1 mm3, and the power of the entropy source is 80 mW. A common-mode rejection ratio greater than 40 dB was achieved using an optimized 1 × 2 multimode interferometer structure. A method for optimizing the quantum-to-classical noise ratio is presented. A quantum-to-classical noise ratio of approximately 9 dB was achieved when the photoelectron current is 1 μA using a balance homodyne detector with a high dark current GeSi photodiode. The proposed QRNG has the potential for use in scenarios of moderate MHz random number generation speed, with low power, small volume, and low cost prioritized.

In advancing the transition of the energy sector toward heightened sustainability and environmental friendliness, biopolymers have emerged as key elements in the construction of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) due to their renewable sources and excellent biodegradability. The development of these TENG devices is of significant importance to the next generation of renewable and sustainable energy technologies based on carbon-neutral materials. This paper introduces the working principles, material sources, and wide-ranging applications of biopolymer-based triboelectric nanogenerators (BP-TENGs). It focuses on the various categories of biopolymers, ranging from natural sources to microbial and chemical synthesis, showcasing their significant potential in enhancing TENG performance and expanding their application scope, while emphasizing their notable advantages in biocompatibility and environmental sustainability. To gain deeper insights into future trends, we discuss the practical applications of BP-TENG in different fields, categorizing them into energy harvesting, healthcare, and environmental monitoring. Finally, the paper reveals the shortcomings, challenges, and possible solutions of BP-TENG, aiming to promote the advancement and application of biopolymer-based TENG technology. We hope this review will inspire the further development of BP-TENG towards more efficient energy conversion and broader applications.

The accurate assessment of peanut seed plumpness is crucial for optimizing peanut production and quality. The current method is mainly manual and visual inspection, which is very time-consuming and causes seed deterioration. A novel imaging technique is used to enhance the detection of peanut seed fullness using a non-destructive soft X-ray, which is suitable for the analysis of the surface or a thin layer of a material. The overall grayscale of the peanut is similar to the background, and the edge of the peanut seed is blurred. The inaccuracy of peanut overall and peanut seed segmentation leads to low accuracy of seed plumpness detection. To improve accuracy in detecting the fullness of peanut seeds, a seed plumpness detection method based on level set and multi-threshold segmentation was proposed for peanut images. Firstly, the level set algorithm is used to extract the overall contour of peanuts. Secondly, the obtained binary image is processed by morphology to obtain the peanut pods (the peanut overall). Then, the multi-threshold OTSU algorithm is used for threshold segmentation. The threshold is selected to extract the peanut seed part. Finally, morphology is used to complete the cavity to achieve the segmentation of the peanut seed. Compared with optimization algorithms, in the segmentation of the peanut pods, average random index (RI), global consistency error (GCE) and variation of information (VI) were increased by 10.12% and decreased by 0.53% and 24.11%, respectively. Compared with existing algorithms, in the segmentation of the peanut seed, the average RI, VI and GCE were increased by 18.32% and decreased by 9.14% and 6.11%, respectively. The proposed method is stable, accurate and can meet the requirements of peanut image plumpness detection. It provides a feasible technical means and reference for scientific experimental breeding and testing grading service pricing.

During the compaction process of HMA pavement, it is common to spray cold water on the wheel of a road roller to prevent the mixture from sticking to the wheel, which might deteriorate the bonding strength between the asphalt binder and aggregate, and consequently lead to surface polishing of the pavement. This paper aims to demonstrate whether the water used during the compaction process affects the surface performance of HMA pavement. In this study, the black pixel ratio and mass loss ratio were used to evaluate the water effect on the surface performance of asphalt pavement, considering the water consumption, molding temperature and long-term ageing process. The test results indicated that the water used during the compaction process would increase the risk of surface polishing of HMA pavement. This adverse effect became more significant if the HMA samples were prepared using greater water consumption, a greater molding temperature and a long-term ageing process. Moreover, there exists a certain correlation between the black pixel ratio and mass loss ratio, and their relationships were demonstrated by the experimental results in this study. It is recommended that further research concentrates on the influencing mechanism and the treatment strategy for the adverse effect caused by the water used during the compaction process. The use of more types of asphalt binders, aggregate and methodologies is also recommended in further studies.

To reduce the friction loss and the piston-knocking noise from the perspective of the design of the cylinder bore profile, the piston-ring cylinder bore (PRCB) dynamic model of an L6 diesel engine was developed using AVL-Excite-Piston & Rings. Based on the full-scale test method, the effects of bore taper, starting height of tapered profile, and ellipticity on the friction power and knocking energy of the PRCB system were investigated, and the optimization of the design of the bore profile was carried out with the objectives of minimizing the system’s friction power and the peak knocking kinetic energy. The results showed that the taper of the cylinder bore has the greatest influence on the system’s friction power and the peak knocking kinetic energy, followed by the starting height of the conical profile. For the peak knocking kinetic energy of the piston, there was an obvious interaction between the taper and the starting height of the conical profile. When the taper was 35 μm and 45 μm, the peak knocking kinetic energy showed a decreasing and then increasing trend with the increase in the starting height of the profile, and when the taper was 55 μm the peak knocking kinetic energy monotonically was decreased with the increase in the starting height of the conical profile. The optimization results showed that the system’s friction power was decreased by 15.05% and the peak knocking kinetic energy was decreased by 21.41% for a taper degree of 55 μm, a tapered profile starting height of 31 mm, and an ellipticity of 50 μm compared to the initial cylindrical cylinder bore.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) breeding for improved fruit quality emphasizes selecting for desirable taste and characteristics, as well as enhancing disease resistance and yield. Seed germination is the initial step in the plant life cycle and directly affects crop productivity and yield. ERECTA (ER) is a receptor-like kinase (RLK) family protein known for its involvement in diverse developmental processes. We characterized a Micro-Tom EMS mutant designated as a knock-out mutant of sler. Our research reveals that SlER plays a central role in controlling critical traits such as inflorescence development, seed number, and seed germination. The elevation in auxin levels and alterations in the expression of ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3 (ABI3) and ABI5 in sler seeds compared to the WT indicate that SlER modulates seed germination via auxin and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Additionally, we detected an increase in auxin content in the sler ovary and changes in the expression of auxin synthesis genes YUCCA flavin monooxygenases 1 (YUC1), YUC4, YUC5, and YUC6 as well as auxin response genes AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 5 (ARF5) and ARF7, suggesting that SlER regulates fruit development via auxin signaling.

CeO2 is widely used in the field of chemical–mechanical polishing for integrated circuits. Morphology, particle size, crystallinity, and Ce3+ concentration are crucial factors that affect polishing performance. In this study, we successfully synthesized two novel triangular CeO2 abrasives with similar particle sizes (600 nm) but different morphologies and Ce3+ concentrations using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method with high-concentration raw materials, and no surfactants or template agents were added. It is generally believed that CeO2 with a higher Ce3+ concentration leads to better polishing performance. However, the results of polishing indicate that CeO2 synthesized at 200 °C, despite its lower Ce3+ concentration, demonstrates outstanding polishing performance, achieving a polishing rate of 324 nm/min, and the Sa of Si wafers decreased by 3.6% after polishing. This suggests that, under similar particle size conditions, the morphology of CeO2 plays a dominant role in the mechanical effects during the polishing process. Additionally, compared to commercial polishing slurries, the synthesized samples demonstrated better polishing performance. This indicates that, in CMP, the pursuit of smaller spherical abrasives may not be necessary. Instead, the appropriate shape and particle size can better balance the material removal rate and surface roughness.

Regeneration agents play a critical role in modifying the mechanical properties and durability of RAP asphalt mixtures. This paper aimed to develop a castor oil-based asphalt regeneration agent. The effects of this regeneration agent on the pavement performance of laboratory-aged asphalt and an RAP asphalt mixture were comparatively studied by a series of laboratory tests. For the developed castor oil-based asphalt regeneration agent, the weight ratio of the castor oil to dibutyl phthalate was determined as 1:4. Moreover, the regeneration effectiveness of the castor oil-based regeneration agent was tested on three laboratory-aged asphalt binders and an RAP asphalt binder; the penetration, softening point and ductility of the RAP asphalt binder recovered to 83 dmm, 50.3 °C, and more than 100 cm, respectively. The optimum content of the regeneration agent was 5% by the weight of the aged asphalt binder. Furthermore, the castor oil-based regeneration agent could effectively restore the pavement performance of an RAP asphalt mixture. In this study, the RAP percentage can reach up to 60% by the weight of the HMA mixture using the castor oil-based asphalt regeneration agent according to the Chinese specification.