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Abstract: Virtual manufacturing (VM) is one of the research focuses in manufacturing at present. By analyzing and modeling the forming process of workpiece and the error sources contributing to machining precision of workpiece in turning operation, the cutter trajectory and attitude representation (CTA_Rep) is presented to characterize the geometric errors of machined workpiece in VM. Then a surface topography simulation model is established to simulate the surface finish profile generated after a turning operation. This representation is implemented in the Virtual Machining and Measuring Cell (VMMC) developed by the authors to represent and predict the geometric errors of workpiece. Satisfactory results are obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Jejunal nutrition is currently used as a fundamental therapeutic measure for acute pancreatitis. Its impact on pancreatic exocrine secretion (PES) is still on dispute. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of jejunal nutrition on PES and illuminate whether NTS is involved in the regulation of PES. Firstly, we established experimental acute cutaneous pancreatitis (ACP) and acute necrotic pancreatitis (ANP) rat models, and measured the volume and protein levels of pancreatic fluid in normal and pancreatitis rats, and found that pancreatitis rats had a significantly lower pancreatic fluid volume and protein level than the normal rats. Then, we gave 0.3 mol/l maltose and 3% saline as jejunal nutrition were given to the two groups, respectively, and found that the jejunal nutrition did not increase the PES levels in both groups. In addition, we analyzed c-Fos expression in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), and found c-Fos expression in NTS was stronger in rats who were given the jejunal nutrition than in those who were not. These findings suggest that jejunal nutrition excites vagal afferent nerve fibers at pancreatitis rats, and the excitation can be transmitted to medulla oblongata, but do not induce changes in PES. It is likely that the central integration mechanism, pathway of vagal efferent nerve or status of effector in acute pancratitis may be different from normal physiological conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic value of MRI for the uterotubal junctional pregnancies during the first trimester. Methods: This retrospective study involved 59 patients (January 2016 to July 2021) with a preoperative imaging diagnosis of uterotubal junctional pregnancy. Using operative and pathological reports as the reference standard, we identified 22 patients with upper-lateral intracavitary (angular) pregnancy and 37 patients with interstitial pregnancy. Two senior radiologists, blinded to the patients' information, reviewed the MRI images and determined each MRI feature based on the original interpretation criteria. Any disagreement was resolved by discussion to achieve a consensus. The sensitivity and specificity of each MRI feature were calculated according to the reference standard. Results: The endometrial thickness in the upper-lateral intracavitary pregnancy group was larger than in the interstitial group (p = 0.001). The cutoff value of the endometrial thickness was 11.5 mm with a sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve that were 77.3%, 64.9%, and 0.743, respectively. Two key features to diagnose upper-lateral intracavitary pregnancy were "medial free edge" and "medial free edge plus above-cutoff endometrial thickness." The sensitivity and specificity of the medial free edge were 100% and 94.9%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the medial free edge plus above-cutoff endometrial thickness were 77.3% and 100%, respectively. The key feature to diagnose interstitial pregnancy was an "intact lateral junctional zone," of which the sensitivity and specificity were 94.6% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: MRI can be used to differentiate the upper-lateral intracavitary pregnancy and interstitial pregnancy during the first trimester. Key Points: • We demonstrated MRI diagnostic criteria for the interstitial pregnancy and upper-lateral intracavitary pregnancy. • MRI might be used to identify the complex interstitial pregnancies, those with a gestational sac protruding into the uterine cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal phosphides have been widely used as electrocatalysts for water splitting. In particular, cobalt phosphide electrocatalysts play an important part in the oxygen evolution reaction. Here, two kinds of CoP with different nanostructures, CoP-MA and CoP-GC (MA = methylamine and GC = guanidine carbonate), were successfully prepared by a two-step method, including calcination of the corresponding Co-based metal formate frameworks, [Amine][Co(HCOO)3] (Amine = CH3NH3 and C(NH2)3), in air and the subsequent low temperature phosphating process. As OER catalysts, the CoP nanostructures show strong electrochemical structure-dependent properties. Electrochemical tests show that nanoparticle based CoP-MA micro-cubes required an overpotential of 340 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, while nanosheet based CoP-GC micro-cubes only required an overpotential of 310 mV at the same current density. Importantly, the two CoP micro-cubes have a similar morphology but different structures, providing a direct side-by-side evaluation of their OER activities. The comparisons of the same metal phosphide OER catalysts with the same morphology but different structures are of great significance in identifying the key material characteristics that lead to high activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a novel flux weakening scheme for five-phase PMSM with active harmonic currents injection. The conventional flux weakening control schemes applied in the five-phase PMSM do not consider the voltage limit drop in the fundamental subspace due to the harmonic current controller. Thus, the derivation between the reference current trajectory and actual current trajectory would cause the current distortion when applying deadbeat current controller (DBCC). This article analyses the precise voltage limit circles considering the voltage drop caused by the resistance and harmonic currents control at first. Then, a feed-forward flux weakening control algorithm is designed to optimize the current trajectory online. The gradient descent method is used to ensure the converge speed and stability of the optimized current trajectory. Thirdly, the peak value of phase currents would be clipped by the harmonic currents to prevent the inverter current limit, where a new non-linear harmonic current controller is designed to precisely control the harmonic currents. Finally, the DBCC and modified SVPWM technology are utilized to generate the duty cycle. The proposed improved flux weakening control strategy is successfully implemented in an interior five-phase PMSM, and the performance demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ce and Zr stabilize the ThMn 12 structure and increase the total magnetic moment. • With Ce content increasing, the amount of soft α-(Fe,Co,Ti) phase is suppressed. • Orientation relationship of two phases: [00–1] 1:12 //[1 0 0] 1:9 and (0 2 0) 1:12 //(0 1 0) 1:9. Recently ThMn 12 -type samarium iron alloys have been promising materials for permanent magnets. Due to the high abundance and low cost, Ce as a possible stabilizer can be introduced into ThMn 12 -type alloys. The effect of Ce doping on the magnetic moment and phase stability in Ti-lean (Ce,Sm,Zr)(Fe,Co,Ti) 12 compounds were predicted by the first-principles calculations. The Ce x Sm 0.8-x Zr 0.2 (Fe 0.8 Co 0.2) 11.5 Ti 0.5 (x = 0–0.8) alloys with ThMn 12 structure were produced by strip-casting into flakes by a wheel speed of 1.5 m/s and annealed at 1000 °C for 24 h. The Ce 0.8 Zr 0.2 (Fe 0.8 Co 0.2) 11.5 Ti 0.5 annealed flake shows a high saturation magnetization value of 13.6 kGs at room temperature. With the increase of Ce substitution in the annealed flakes, the content of α-(Fe,Co,Ti) phase decreases and the saturation magnetization increases. The 1:12 phase and the 1:9 phase have an orientation relationship that can be expressed as [0 0 –1] 1:12 //[1 0 0] 1:9 and (0 2 0) 1:12 //(0 1 0) 1:9. Besides, annealing process promotes the formation of 1:12 phase transformed from 1:9 phase. Coercivity is expected to be improved by obtaining uniform microstructure and suppressing the formation of soft α-(Fe,Co,Ti) phase in the ThMn 12 -based alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Heavy metal pollution poses a significant risk to human health and wreaks havoc on agricultural productivity. Phytoremediation, a plant‐based, environmentally benign, and cost‐effective method, is employed to remove heavy metals from contaminated soil, particularly in agricultural or heavy metal‐sensitive lands. However, the phytoremediation capacity of various plant species and germplasm resources display significant genetic diversity, and the mechanisms underlying these differences remain hitherto obscure. Given its potential benefits, genetic improvement of plants is essential for enhancing their uptake of heavy metals, tolerance to harmful levels, as well as overall growth and development in contaminated soil. In this study, we uncover a molecular cascade that regulates cadmium (Cd2+) tolerance in cotton, involving GhRCD1, GhbHLH12, GhMYB44, and GhHMA1. We identified a Cd2+‐sensitive cotton T‐DNA insertion mutant with disrupted GhRCD1 expression. Genetic knockout of GhRCD1 by CRISPR/Cas9 technology resulted in reduced Cd2+ tolerance in cotton seedlings, while GhRCD1 overexpression enhanced Cd2+ tolerance. Through molecular interaction studies, we demonstrated that, in response to Cd2+ presence, GhRCD1 directly interacts with GhbHLH12. This interaction activates GhMYB44, which subsequently activates a heavy metal transporter, GhHMA1, by directly binding to a G‐box cis‐element in its promoter. These findings provide critical insights into a novel GhRCD1–GhbHLH12–GhMYB44–GhHMA1 regulatory module responsible for Cd2+ tolerance in cotton. Furthermore, our study paves the way for the development of elite Cd2+‐tolerant cultivars by elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing the genetic control of Cd2+ tolerance in cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Verticillium dahliae, a soil‐borne fungal pathogen, compromises host innate immunity by secreting a plethora of effectors, thereby facilitating host colonization and causing substantial yield and quality losses. The mechanisms underlying the modulation of cotton immunity by V. dahliae effectors are predominantly unexplored. In this study, we identified that the V. dahliae effector Vd6317 inhibits plant cell death triggered by Vd424Y and enhances PVX viral infection in Nicotiana benthamiana. Attenuation of Vd6317 significantly decreased the virulence of V. dahliae, whereas ectopic expression of Vd6317 in Arabidopsis and cotton enhanced susceptibility to V. dahliae infection, underscoring Vd6317's critical role in pathogenicity. We observed that Vd6317 targeted the Arabidopsis immune regulator AtNAC53, thereby impeding its transcriptional activity on the defense‐associated gene AtUGT74E2. Arabidopsis nac53 and ugt74e2 mutants exhibited heightened sensitivity to V. dahliae compared to wild‐type plants. A mutation at the conserved residue 193L of Vd6317 abrogated its interaction with AtNAC53 and reduced the virulence of V. dahliae, which was partially attributable to a reduction in Vd6317 protein stability. Our findings unveil a hitherto unrecognized regulatory mechanism by which the V. dahliae effector Vd6317 directly inhibits the plant transcription factor AtNAC53 activity to suppress the expression of AtUGT74E2 and plant defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Largest GBS genome sequence sample of Chinese infants. • Baseline data for GBS surveillance and vaccine impact evaluation. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in young infants worldwide. This study aimed to investigate candidate GBS vaccine targets, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance determinants. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize invasive GBS isolates from infants < 3 months of age obtained from a multicenter population-based study conducted from 2015 to 2021 in China. Overall, seven serotypes were detected from 278 GBS isolates, four (Ia, Ib, III, V) of which accounted for 97.8 %. We detected 30 sequence types (including 10 novel types) that were grouped into six clonal complexes (CCs: CC1, CC10, CC17, CC19, CC23 and CC651); three novel ST groups in CC17 were detected, and the rate of CC17, considered a hyperinvasive neonatal clone complex, was attached to 40.6 % (113/278). A total of 98.9 % (275/278) of isolates harbored at least one alpha-like protein gene. All GBS isolates contained at least one of three pilus backbone determinants and the pilus types PI-2b and PI-1 + PI-2a accounted for 79.8 % of the isolates. The 112 serotype III/CC17 GBS isolates were all positive for hvgA. Most of the isolates (75.2 %) were positive for serine-rich repeat glycoprotein determinants (srr1 or srr2). Almost all isolates possessed cfb (99.6 %), c1IE (100 %), lmb (95.3 %) or pavA (100 %) gene. Seventy-seven percent of isolates harboured more than three antimicrobial resistance genes with 28.4 % (79/278) gyr A quinolone resistance determinants mutation, 83.8 % (233/278) carrying tet cluster genes and 77.3 % (215/278) carrying erm genes which mediated fluoroquinolone, tetracycline and clindamycin resistance, respectively." The findings from this large whole-genome sequence of GBS isolates establish important baseline data required for further surveillance and evaluating the impact of future vaccine candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is a major abiotic stress factor that negatively impacts plant growth, development, and crop yield, severely limiting agricultural production and economic development. Cotton, a key cash crop, is commonly cultivated as a pioneer crop in regions with saline-alkali soil due to its relatively strong tolerance to salt. This characteristic renders it a valuable subject for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying plant salt tolerance and for identifying genes that confer salt tolerance. In this study, focus was placed on examining a salt-tolerant variety, E991, and a salt-sensitive variety, ZM24. A combined analysis of transcriptomic data from these cotton varieties led to the identification of potential salt stress-responsive genes within the glutathione S-transferase (GST) family. These versatile enzyme proteins, prevalent in animals, plants, and microorganisms, were demonstrated to be involved in various abiotic stress responses. Our findings indicate that suppressing GhGSTF9 in cotton led to a notably salt-sensitive phenotype, whereas heterologous overexpression in Arabidopsis plants decreases the accumulation of reactive oxygen species under salt stress, thereby enhancing salt stress tolerance. This suggests that GhGSTF9 serves as a positive regulator in cotton's response to salt stress. These results offer new target genes for developing salt-tolerant cotton varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, SCAPS-1D simulation software (Version: 3.3.10) was employed to enhance the efficiency of CsSnX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. By fine-tuning essential parameters like the work function of the conductive glass, the back contact point, defect density, and the thickness of the light absorption layer, we effectively simulated the optimal performance of CsSnX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) all-inorganic perovskite solar cells under identical conditions. The effects of different X-site elements on the overall performance of the device were also explored. The theoretical photoelectric conversion efficiency of the device gradually increases with the successive substitution of halogen elements (Cl, Br, I), reaching 6.09%, 17.02%, and 26.74%, respectively. This trend is primarily attributed to the increasing size of the halogen atoms, which leads to better light absorption and charge transport properties, with iodine (I) yielding the highest theoretical conversion efficiency. These findings suggest that optimizing the halogen element in CsSnX3 can significantly enhance device performance, providing valuable theoretical guidance for the development of high-efficiency all-inorganic perovskite solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is one of the most important serovars among nontyphoidal Salmonella. The inappropriate and over usage of antimicrobials in clinical and animal husbandry has increased the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). Diverse mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as plasmids, insertion sequences and integrons also have a crucial role in the rapid dissemination of multidrug resistance (MDR) bacteria. This study aimed to screen and analyze the genetic environment of MGEs carried by S. Typhimurium, and to clarify the multidrug resistance dissemination mechanism in S. Typhimurium. The results showed that, out of 255 S. Typhimurium isolates, 62 isolates, were screened out for the presence of IncHI2 plasmid by PCR amplification, of which 61 isolates were carrying both IS 26 and class 1 integron. All the 61 isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial and 58 were MDR. The correlation between plasmids and antimicrobial resistance components was determined by conjugation, antimicrobial susceptibility test, PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT) and S1-PFGE experiment. The results of PBRT revealed that 15 transconjugants harboring two kinds of plasmid incompatibility groups including HI2 and I1. Further, S1-PFGE validated the presence of HI2 plasmid in 13 and I1 plasmid in 2 transconjugants, which was about 200–300 kb and 80–100 kb in size, respectively. Whole genome sequencing revealed that no significant difference (P > 0.05) was found at the number of antimicrobial resistance gene categories among 15 donor isolates, and ST34 was the predominant sequence type. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete plasmid sequences revealed 15 IncHI2 plasmids in this study clustered in two different clades and clustered together with other IncHI2 plasmids isolated from China, suggesting that the prevalence and dissemination of IncHI2 plasmids from diverse sources and regions. Four kinds of IS elements-class 1 integron arrangement patterns were identified in the 15 conjugative IncHI2-plasmids, of which three patterns were characterized to be complex IS 26 -class 1 integron arrangement and the other one was IS 256 -class 1 integron arrangement. Overall, these results suggested that IncHI2 was one of the major plasmid lineages presented in the MDR S. Typhimurium strains. Furthermore, the presence of complex IS elements-class 1 integrons and resistance genes co-located on IncHI2 plasmids contributed to the prevalence and rapid dissemination of multidrug resistance genes in Salmonella. • 61 of 255 S. Typhimurium isolates were triple-positive for IncHI2, IS 26 and intI1 , 95.1% were MDR. • 15 triple-positive isolates were fully genome sequenced including IncHI2 plasmid. • Phylogenetic analysis showed 15 IncHI2 plasmids clustered into 2 clades. • 4 IS-class 1 integron arrangement patterns with diverse MRRs were identified in IncHI2 plasmids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carbon micro- and nanofibers were prepared by using gyration. • The distribution of fiber diameter showed a normal law with 400-600 nm. • GO changes the orderly arrangement of fibers into a network structure. • The conductivity of carbon nanofibers is greatly improved by adding GO. • When GO was added, the electrode showed excellent electrochemical performance. In this paper, graphene oxide (GO) were added into polyacrylonitrile to prepare carbon nanofiber by using gyration and subsequent carbonization process as to improve their electrochemical properties. The microstructure and electrochemical properties of prepared carbon nanofiber samples were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical workstation, respectively. The effects of the addition amount of graphene oxide and carbonation temperature on the microstructure and electrochemical properties of composite carbon nanofibers were studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric elastomer (DE) is one type of promising field-activated electroactive polymer. However, its significant electromechanical actuated properties are always obtained under a giant electric voltage, which greatly restricts the potential applications of DE. In the present work, the well-constructed core-shell TiO2@SiO2 nanoparticles were fabricated by using the classical Stöber method. A series of TiO2@SiO2 nano-architectures-filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites were prepared via solution blending and compression-molding procedures. Benefiting from the additional SiO2 shell, both the interfacial compatibility between fillers and matrix and core-shell interfacial interaction can be improved. The TiO2@SiO2/PDMS nanocomposites exhibit a significantly enhanced in-plane actuated strain of 6.08% under a low electric field of 30 V · μm−1 at 16 vol.% TiO2@SiO2 addition, which is 180% higher than that of neat PDMS. The experimental results reveal that the well-designed core-shell structure can play an important role in both improving the electromechanical actuated property and maintaining a good flexibility of DE composites. This research provides a promising approach for the design of the novel composites with advanced low-field actuated electromechanical property in next generation DE systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We highlight the recent advances of the regulatory mechanisms of ELF3 and ELF4 in plants. • ELF3 and ELF4 are involved in the circadian clock by integrating light and temperature signals to the central oscillator. • ELF3 and ELF4 interact with multiple proteins to repress the transcription of diverse targets. The circadian clock is an endogenous timekeeper system that generates biological rhythms of approximately 24 h in most organisms. EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) and ELF4 were initially identified as negative regulators of flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana. They were then found to play crucial roles in the circadian clock by integrating environmental light and ambient temperature signals and transmitting them to the central oscillator, thereby regulating various downstream cellular and physiological processes. At dusk, ELF3 acts as a scaffold, interacting with ELF4 and the transcription factor LUX ARRHYTHMO (PHYTOCLOCK1) to form an EVENING COMPLEX (EC). This complex represses the transcription of multiple circadian clock-related genes, thus inhibiting hypocotyl elongation and flowering. Subsequent studies have expanded knowledge about the regulatory roles of the EC in thermomorphogenesis and shade responses. In addition, ELF3 and ELF4 also form multiple complexes with other proteins including chromatin remodeling factors, histone deacetylase, and transcription factors, thus enabling the transcriptional repression of diverse targets. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of ELF3 and ELF4 in plants and discuss directions for future research on ELF3 and ELF4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which demonstrated the 15N labeling of DNA fragments with single 15N. Experimental section of the study; Conclusion reached.

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) are low cost with a promising theoretical capacity and inherent safety, and thus have drawn increasing attention as prospective energy storage devices in large‐scale energy storage systems. However, severe dendrite growth and side reaction problems hinder the practical application of ZIBs. Here, molecular sieves with ordered mesoporous channels are constructed to tailor the local electrolyte solvation structure on the zinc surface. Different high‐concentration solvation structures can be realized by adjusting the pore diameter of the molecular sieve, and the optimal pore geometry is a mesoporous channel with a diameter of 2.5 nm that induces the formation of a locally concentrated electrolyte and affords a lower Zn2+ de‐solvation energy in Mobil composition of matter number 41 (MCM41). The resulting MCM41‐Zn anode exhibits high cycling stability for Zn stripping/plating under different current densities (over 1800 h at 1 mA cm–2, 1 mAh cm–2, and 2200 h at 5 mA cm–2, 1 mAh cm–2). Moreover, the CaV8O20·nH2O//MCM41‐Zn full cell shows a high capacity of 274.2 mAh g−1 and a long lifespan (no capacity decay after 1000 cycles at 4 A g–1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intervertebral disc is the largest avascular organ of the body. Vascularization of the disc has been typically regarded as a pathological feature of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, the underlying mechanism of vascularization in IDD is still unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the role of AF cell derived exosome (AF-exo) in the interaction with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and its potential role in the regulation of vascularization in IDD. Human AF tissues were obtained from patients with IDD and idiopathic scoliosis. The AF-exo were isolated and identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanoparticle trafficking analysis (NTA) and Western blotting. Then, the AF-exo were used for HUVECs cultures. The migration of HUVECs was observed in 2D and 3D cultures. The inflammatory phenotype of HUVECs was examined by Real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Additionally, apoptosis of HUVECs were analyzed by flow cytometry. Here, we for the first time found that AF cells could secrete AF-exo and that the AF-exo could be phagocytosed by HUVECs. Additionally, we found that degenerated AF-exo exerted pro-vascularization effect on HUVECs by promoting cell migration (in 2D and 3D cultures) and inflammatory factor expression including IL-6, TNF-α, MMP-3, MMP-13 and VEGF, whereas the application of non-degenerated AF-exo demonstrated inverse effects. These results showed that AF-exo is an essential regulator mediating intercellular communication between AF cells and HUVECs, suggesting its important role in vascularization in the intervertebral disc. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a transboundary viral disease that threatens more than 1.74 billion goats and sheep in approximately 70 countries globally. In 2015, the international community set the goal of eradicating PPR by 2030, and, since then, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) have jointly developed and implemented the Global Control and Eradication Strategy for PPR. Here, data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Statistical Database (FAOSTAT), the OIE World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS), Regional Roadmap Meetings, and countries' responses to PPR Monitoring and Assessment Tool (PMAT) questionnaires were analyzed to inform on current progress towards PPR eradication. OIE recorded the use of over 333 million doses of vaccine in 12 countries from 2015 to 2018, 41.8% of which were used in Asia and 58.2% in Africa. Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 12,757 PPR outbreaks were reported to OIE: 75.1% in Asia, 24.8% in Africa, and 0.1% in Europe. The number of global outbreaks in 2019 fell to 1218, compared with 3688 in 2015. Analysis of vaccine use and PPR outbreaks in countries indicates that disease control strategies, particularly vaccination campaigns and vaccine distribution strategies, still require scientific evaluation. It is imperative that vaccination is undertaken based on the epidemiology of the disease in a region and is coordinated between neighboring countries to restrict transboundary movements. Strengthening surveillance and post-vaccination sero-monitoring at the national level is also essential. The PPR vaccine stock/bank established by FAO, OIE, and other partners have improved the quality assurance and supply of vaccines. However, to achieve PPR eradication, filling the funding gap for vaccination campaigns and other program activities will be critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a Cu-C/HDS structural-coupling self-lubricating coating (SSC) was successfully prepared on an H13 hot-work die steel (HDS) by wire electrical discharge machining and vacuum pressure thermal-diffusion welding. The effect of structural parameters as well as microstructure, composition and microhardness on the tribological properties of the SSC was investigated in detail. In the SSC, the self-lubricating units (SUs) distribute alternately with the HDS units (HDSUs) to form a striped coupling structure. The HDSUs have a microstructure consisting ofγ-Fe, martensite, (Fe, Cr, V) and Cr-rich carbides, and the SUs consist primarily of the Cu-matrix and graphite. Distinctive microstructures determine that the hardness of the HDSUs is much higher than that of the SUs. As a result, microhardness with alternating softness and hardness occurs on the surface of the SSC. The tribological properties of the SSCs were evaluated through the reciprocating friction and wear test and compared with the HDS substrate and the Cu C coating at room temperature. The results show that the SSCs exhibit considerably better antifriction properties compared to the HDS substrate. Even some samples are better than the pure Cu C coating. This result is attributed mainly to the positive role of the SUs and the synergistic effect between the coupling units. The tribological properties of SSCs have a close relationship with the fill ratio and the width ratio. With the increase in the fill ratio and the width ratio, the friction coefficient of the SSC first decreases and then increases slightly, while the wear rate presents mainly an overall upward trend. It mainly involves the supply of lubricants and the wear dominance of the SUs. Moreover, when the self-lubrication property of the SSC is determined by the fill ratio or the width ratio, choosing a smaller width for the SU is beneficial to improve the wear resistance. • A Cu-C/HDS structural-coupling self-lubricating coating is successfully prepared. • The coating shows a good self-lubrication due to the synergistic effect of component units. • The tribological property of coating can be regulated by fill and width ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the causes of the decline in bee population has attracted intensive attention worldwide. The indiscriminate use of agrochemicals is a persistent problem due to their physiological and behavioural damage to bees. Glyphosate and its commercial formulation stand out due to their wide use in agricultural areas and non-crop areas, such as parks, railroads, roadsides, industrial sites, and recreational and residential areas, but the mode of action of glyphosate on bees at the molecular level remains largely unelucidated. Here, we found that the numbers of differentially expressed genes and metabolites under glyphosate commercial formulation (GCF) stress were significantly higher in Apis cerana cerana than in Apis mellifera ligustica. Despite these differences, the number of differentially expressed transcripts increased following an increase in the GCF treatment time in both A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica. GCF exerted adverse impacts on the immune system, digestive system, nervous system, amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, growth and development of both bee species by influencing their key genes and metabolites to some extent. The expression of many genes involved in immunity, agrochemical detoxification and resistance, such as antimicrobial peptides, cuticle proteins and cytochrome P450 families, was upregulated by GCF in both bee species. Collectively, our results indicate that both A. cerana cerana and A. mellifera ligustica strive to mitigate the pernicious effects caused by GCF by regulating detoxification and immune systems. Moreover, A. cerana cerana might be better able to withstand the toxic effects of GCF with lower fitness costs than A. mellifera ligustica. Our work will contribute to elucidating the deleterious physiological and behavioural impacts of GCF on bees. Unlabelled Image • Bees were fed with glyphosate commercial formulation (GCF). • GCF had adverse impacts on the digestive system and development of bees. • Bees regulate detoxification and immune system to mitigate pernicious effects. • A. cerana cerana might be better able to withstand GCF than A. mellifera ligustica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosomes secreted by microglia have been found to play a role in neurovascular unit injury under the ischemic/hypoxic state. However, the modulatory effect of exosomes shuttled miRNAs produced by microglia in endothelial cells remains undefined. Here, an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model was constructed both in microglia and brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC). The exosomes secreted by microglia were isolated, and the exosomal miRNA profile was detected. Next, gain- and loss- functions of miR-424-5p, one of the most differentially expressed miRNAs in microglia derived exosomes, were conducted in BMEC. The results demonstrated that exosomes from OGD-activated microglia aggravated OGD induced BMEC viability and integrity damage as well as the loss of vascular formation. While the damaging effects were markedly attenuated by inhibiting miR-424-5p. In addition, miR-424-5p overexpression significantly aggravated OGD induced BMEC damage and permeability. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-424-5p targeted the FGF2 mediated STAT3 signaling pathway, which was verified via dual luciferase activity assay and RIP experiment. Furthermore, in vivo experiments in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model mice were conducted. The results revealed that inhibition of miR-424-5p markedly reduced neurological dysfunctions and endothelial cell injury induced by MCAO. The above results confirmed that exosomes from OGD activated microglia induced significant cell damage and permeability of BMEC, in which the upregulated miR-424-5p in the exosomes functioned by regulating FGF2/STAT3 pathway. Unlabelled Image • Exosomes from OGD-indudced microglia aggravated BMEC injury; • Inhibiting miR-424-5p shuttled in the microglial exosomes significantly ameliorated BMEC injury; • MiR-424-5p targeted FGF2 and inhibited FGF2mediated STAT3 signaling pathway; • Inhibition of miR-424-5p markedly reduced neurological dysfunctions and endothelial cell injury induced by MCAO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Du, J.; Zhao, H., and Xue, Y.F., 2020. Flow field simulation and experimental analysis of flue guide plate of marine desulfurization tower. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 396-400. (Coconut Creek, Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. In this paper, the exhaust gas of marine diesel engine under rated condition is taken as the research object, the newer version of fluent18.0 software is used as the platform, the self-defined function and SO2 absorption model are compiled by using C++software and double membrane theory, and the compiled self-defined function is imported through UDF interface. The uneven distribution of flue gas and the phenomenon of sticking to the wall in the side feed desulfurization tower lead to the reduction of desulfurization efficiency. The number and position of the guide plates in the flue of the marine desulfurization tower need not be simulated and optimized. Through the analysis and comparison of the velocity flow field and SO2 mass fraction cloud chart, the desulfurization efficiency of zero to three guide plates is 94.31%, 95%, 96.84% and 97.63% respectively. Then, compared with the experimental data, and the difference of simulation results is small, which has great practical value and theoretical significance for optimizing desulfurization tower and improving sodium alkali desulfurization system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Du, J.; Zhao, H., and Xue, Y.F., 2020. Flow field simulation and experimental analysis of flue guide plate of marine desulfurization tower. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 396-400. (Coconut Creek, Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. In this paper, the exhaust gas of marine diesel engine under rated condition is taken as the research object, the newer version of fluent18.0 software is used as the platform, the self-defined function and SO2 absorption model are compiled by using C++software and double membrane theory, and the compiled self-defined function is imported through UDF interface. The uneven distribution of flue gas and the phenomenon of sticking to the wall in the side feed desulfurization tower lead to the reduction of desulfurization efficiency. The number and position of the guide plates in the flue of the marine desulfurization tower need not be simulated and optimized. Through the analysis and comparison of the velocity flow field and SO2 mass fraction cloud chart, the desulfurization efficiency of zero to three guide plates is 94.31%, 95%, 96.84% and 97.63% respectively. Then, compared with the experimental data, and the difference of simulation results is small, which has great practical value and theoretical significance for optimizing desulfurization tower and improving sodium alkali desulfurization system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum (Al) based coatings fabricated using arc spraying are usually employed as anti-corrosion coatings in the marine environment, coupled with post-treated sealing on their surfaces. In this investigation, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) particles were added in Al coatings using cored wire arc spraying, in which UHMWPE were employed as sealants, instead of post-sealing treatment. The microstructures of in-flight particles and singly deposited particles were characterized to reveal microstructure evolution mechanisms of cored wires. The microstructures of composite coatings were also analyzed to discuss the self-sealing mechanism of UHMWPE particles. Neutral salt spraying and electrochemical analysis were employed to reveal corrosion thermodynamics and kinetics of composite coatings. The results show that UHMWPE particles presented two structures in composite coatings. The melted UHMWPE thin films sited at the interfaces of Al particles, played as sealants, contributing to the increase of corrosion resistance. Incompletely melted UHMWPE particles also existed in composite coatings, due to the protective effect of Al-UHMWPE core-shell structures formed in spraying. The strategy fabricating Al-UHMWPE composite coatings gives bright insight into a new route to develop marine self-sealing induced anti-corrosion coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a conventional and persistent topic, a single bubble freely ascending in Newtonian liquids is investigated based on its shape and motion predictions using the strategy of machine learning. The dataset for training, validating, and testing neural networks is composed of the current experimental results and the extensively collected data from previous research works, which covers a broad range of dimensionless parameters that are 10 − 3 ≤ R e ≤ 10 5 , 10 − 2 ≤ E o ≤ 10 3 , 10 − 5 ≤ W e ≤ 10 2 , and 10 − 14 ≤ M o ≤ 10 7 . The novel models of the aspect ratio E and drag coefficient C D are proposed based on a backpropagation neural network. The comparisons of the conventional correlations indicate that the new E model presents a significant superiority. This E model also has a good capability to predict the minimum E as about 0.26 that is consistent with the theoretical value E W e → ∞ ≈ 0.25. Moreover, the C D models are divided into E-independent and E-dependent types. The performances of these two type models are quite similar and both agree well with the experimental results. The errors of the C D predictions for Re > 1 are mostly in the range of ± 20 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed and synthesized the Janus-type TA nucleosides (1–3) by using a transglycosylation protocol. Surprisingly, the subtle translocation of the ribose from N8 to N1 by about 230 pm in space leads to the formation of entirely different shaped superstructures, micro-flowers for J-AT and nano-bundles for J-TA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Method minimizes engine variation and deterioration effects on false alarm rates. • Feature mapper addresses class imbalance in online tuning. • Feature filter prevents weight collapse in online tuning. • Real fault data confirms method's real-time diagnosis potential in aero-engines. Condition-based maintenance of aero-engines requires real-time gas-path fault diagnosis, which is crucial for reducing costs and enhancing aircraft attendance. It is imperative to ensure a low false alarm rate in fault diagnosis algorithms. Inherent variations between engines and age-related performance deterioration can lead to an increase in false alarms, necessitating online algorithm tuning. However, insufficient fault data in online tuning may lead to class imbalance and algorithmic forgetfulness of fault features, compromising effectiveness. To tackle this issue, this paper introduces a novel hybrid diagnosis algorithm that utilizes feature filtering and mapping. This method entails an engine model, a feature extractor, a feature filter, a fault classifier, and several feature mappers. The feature mappers are designed to generate fault features based on the incoming fault free data for rebalancing the tuning dataset. And the feature filter is introduced to prevent weight collapse during the online tuning. Validation through a 400-hour life cycle simulation test and a real data test indicate that the method outperforms the benchmark methods. It overcomes the class-imbalanced learning problem, showcasing its potential for aero-engine gas-path fault diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a reliable technique for cancer detection, with the potential to improve accuracy in identifying cancerous tissue through effective use of OCT image data. We proposed an optimized depth resolution estimation based optical attenuation coefficient (OAC) mapping method to reduce the error effect caused by discretization without considering whether the light is completely attenuated or not. The attenuation coefficient maps of gastric tissue were reconstructed using this method. Features were extracted from these maps using gray-level co-occurrence matrix and gray histogram, and a support vector machine was employed as a classifier for identifying gastric cancer tissues. The recognition accuracy achieved was 98.60%, which was higher than the 94.30% accuracy in the control group without OACs. This approach enhances the utilization of OCT image information and improves its practical application ability by increasing the recognition accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of Tortuous 3D -CsPbI3 Films at Low Temperature by CaI2 as Dopant for Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells Mater. i B 2019 b , I 29 i , 1808986 In the originally published version of the article, the non-perovskite CsPbI SB 3 sb phase was referred to as " -CsPbI SB 3. sb " However, in most current reports, the non-perovskite CsPbI SB 3 sb phase is widely represented as " -CsPbI SB 3 sb ". To maintain consistency in usage of the term, all instances of " -CsPbI SB 3 sb " refers to " -CsPbI SB 3 sb ". [Extracted from the article]

There is clear evidence of severe honeybee declines in recent years, and parallel declines of plant community and crop productivity that rely on them. Different stresses, including heat stress, are among the primary drivers of this decline. However, the mechanisms by which honeybees respond to heat stress are elusive. Though heat shock proteins (Hsps) play important roles in heat stress response, the function of DnaJs (a subfamily of Hsps) is unclear. Here, we aimed to determine the underlying regulatory mechanism of honeybees to heat stress mediated by DnaJs. We found that several DnaJ genes, including DnaJA1 , DnaJB12 and DnaJC8 , are key for honeybee heat tolerance. DnaJA1 and DnaJB12 are cytoplasmic proteins, and DnaJC8 is a nuclear protein. The expression of DnaJA1 , DnaJB12 and DnaJC8 was induced at different levels under short-term and long-term heat stress. Phenotypic analysis indicated that DnaJA1 , DnaJB12 and DnaJC8 knockdown attenuated honeybee heat resistance. In addition, DnaJA1 participated in the heat stress response by upregulating many heat-inducible genes at the transcriptome-wide level, especially LOC108002668 and LOC107995148. Importantly, the upregulation of LOC108002668 and LOC107995148 was significantly repressed under heat stress when DnaJA1 was knocked down. We also found that knockdown of DnaJA1 , DnaJB12 and DnaJC8 decreased antioxidant defense ability and increased the degree of oxidative damage in the honeybee. Taken together, our results indicate that DnaJ genes play important roles under heat stress in the honeybee. Overexpression of DnaJ genes may protect honeybees from heat stress-induced injuries and increase their survival rate. Unlabelled Image • DnaJ genes play important roles in heat stress response in honeybee. • Upregulation of DnaJ genes, such as DnaJA1 , DnaJB12 and DnaJC8 , is essential for honeybee survival under heat stress. • DnaJ family proteins improved honeybee heat tolerance by regulating the antioxidant defense system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New technique using SMA is proposed to apply external prestressing at local areas. • Precast prestressing plate (PPP) is effective in applying local prestressing. • Curved SMA is effective in developing self-anchorage mechanism. • Connecting PPP to concrete using steel anchors and/or epoxy is effective. Concrete prestressing techniques have been widely used in various structural applications. However, the application of local prestressing has been limited due to complexities related to the on-site implementation of anchorage devices and mechanical jacking systems. In this work, a novel method is introduced to apply local prestressing using curved Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) reinforcement. The experimental part of the study involves casting and prestressing a mortar plate with embedded curved prestrained SMA wire. The prestressing of the SMA wire is conducted by applying temperature using electrical resistivity. Next, an experimental study is carried out to explore the feasibility of using a mortar plate with embedded SMA as a precast prestressing plate (PPP) for existing concrete. A comparison is carried out between different installation methods to ensure effective connection between the PPP and concrete. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and strain gage measurements are adopted to monitor the value and distribution of prestress in specimens. The experimental results are used to validate a Finite Element (FE) model of the SMA-reinforced PPP. The model is used to conduct a parametric study to explore the effect of SMA geometric configuration on the prestressing level. The experimental and numerical results show that the proposed prestressing technique is valid and can be used effectively for local prestressing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular hydrogel delivery systems have attracted widely attention owing to incorporating various therapeutic agents in carriers to decrease unpredictable toxicities, improve curative efficacy, and protect drug bioactivity. Nonetheless, the dual-functional supramolecular hydrogel integrating localized delivery and antineoplastic activities in one system have rarely observed. In this study, we successfully developed a novel supramolecular hydrogel, isoguanosine-borate-guanosine (isoGBG), with reversibly and dynamic borate ester bonds formed via boric acids and diols derived from nature products guanosine and isoguanosine in one pot by following a simple procedure. Both in vivo and in vitro results demonstrated that the isoGBG hydrogel not only displays excellent stability, self-healing properties and biocompatibility, but also has highly anti-tumor activities through inducing tumor cell apoptosis and excellent inhibition effect of tumor recurrence. These findings suggested that isoGBG hydrogel can serve as a dual-function hydrogel system integrating drug carrier and anti-cancer compound in one system, which provided a promising strategy for the design of functional supramolecular hydrogel in the local management of cancer in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, little is known about soil improvement by biochar in seasonally frozen soil areas. It is not clear whether the effects of biochar application on soil physical properties differ based on application period. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the effects of biochar on soil structure and water retention in cold regions during different application periods. Three biochar applications during different periods were set up through field trials (A: in the early stage of freezing, B: in the middle period of thawing and C: addition of half of the biochar in the early stage of freezing and other half in the middle period of thawing), including four biochar application rates (3, 6, 9 and 12 kg·m−2), and no biochar was applied as a control (CK). The results showed that the selection of the biochar application period had a significant effect on the soil structure, but there was no significant difference in the stability of the soil structure. Biochar significantly increased the total porosity (TP) and the content of aggregates with diameters >0.25 mm in the soil, and all 9 kg·m−2 biochar treatments showed the best structural stability index. The improvement of the soil structure led to the enhancement of the water storage capacities. The plant available water content (PAWC) increased from 0.0638 to 0.0927–0.1767 cm3·cm−3, and this result was significantly related to the increases in soil TP and large aggregates (LAs: >2 mm). The optimum field capacity (FC = 0.372 cm3·cm−3) was obtained when the applied amount was 9 kg·m−2. This was beneficial for the stable storage of soil moisture. However, compared with the CK, none of the treatments in area B increased the liquid water content in the field soil. In summary, we suggest that treatment C9 is the most suitable method for application in seasonally frozen soil areas. Unlabelled Image • Explore an efficient and reasonable way to apply method of biochar • Applied periods and freeze-thaw process are the key for improving soil structure • Biochar application at 3 kg·m−2 rate inhibited soil shrinkage most notably. • Response relationships of soil structure on water retention was explored. • Under field conditions, not all carbon treatments increase soil water content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods are a great threat to Pakistan with increasing concern. As the consequences of increased extreme weather related to climate change, Pakistan experiences severe floods almost every year. This study aims to explore and analysis the actual inundated situation, magnitude, the possible causes of the 2022 devastating floods, and future trends. We presented an enhanced nationwide flood mapping method and compared with other pixel-based image processing techniques including active contours and change detection. These algorithms were applied to Sentinel-1 Ground Range Detected (GRD) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery (10 m spatial resolution) with various land types and inundation scenarios in Pakistan, and were evaluated using other reference flood products. Accuracy evaluation analysis demonstrated that our algorithm has high robustness and accuracy, with the overall accuracy (OA) higher than 0.83 and critical success index (CSI) up to 0.91, and is suitable for automated flood monitoring in near real time. Nearly one-third of the lands were flooded in 2022, and more than half were inundated croplands. Punjab and Sindh provinces were the most severely affected regions, with the proportions of inundated area in 2022 (21.26% and 20.55%) nearly twice of that in 2010 (11.40% and 12.70%), indicating an intensified flooding trend. Analysis of possible influential factors showed that the intense and cumulative rainfall during the monsoon season (June to August) was the major cause of the 2022 flood event. Although the snow melted rapidly in June (the average change in snow depth is ∼10 mm), the overall ablation contributed insignificant amount to the flood water. The glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) induced by abnormal April–May heatwave provide water flowed into the tributaries of the Indus River, but are difficult to spread for thousands of kilometers from mountains to the plain downstream. The combination of the intrinsic arid climate and extreme floods exacerbate the already severe situation. • This paper presents an automated method based on tile thresholding and fuzzy logic. • The inundation in Punjab and Sindh in 2022 are nearly twice of that in 2010. • The cumulative rainfall is the major cause of the 2022 flood event. • The snow melting and GLOFs are likely small relative to the flood water gains. • These observations imply an intensified flooding and water cycle in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants have evolved sophisticated signaling networks to adjust flowering time, ensuring successful reproduction. Two crucial flowering regulators, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and CONSTANS (CO), play pivotal roles in regulating flowering across various species. Previous studies have indicated that suppressing Gossypium hirsutum CONSTANS-LIKE 2 (GhCOL2), a homolog of Arabidopsis CO, leads to delayed flowering in cultivated cotton. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, a yeast one-hybrid and dual-LUC expression assays were used to elucidate the molecular mechanism through which GhCOL2 regulates the transcription of GhHD3A. RT-qPCR was used to examine the expression of GhCOL2 and GhHD3A. Our findings reveal that GhCOL2 directly binds to CCACA cis-elements and atypical CORE (TGTGTATG) cis-elements in the promoter regions of HEADING DATE 3 A (HD3A), thereby activating GhHD3A transcription. Notably, GhCOL2 and GhHD3A exhibited high expression levels in the adult stage and low levels in the juvenile stage. Interestingly, the expression of GhCOL2 and GhHD3A varied significant between the two cotton varieties (Tx2094 and Maxxa). In summary, our study enhances the understanding of the molecular mechanism by which cotton GhCOL2-GhHD3A regulates flowering at the molecular level. Furthermore, it contributes to a broader comprehension of the GhCOL2-GhHD3A model in G. hirsutum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clinical value and molecular characteristics of tumor differentiation in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unclear. There is a lack of a related molecular classification prediction system based on pathological images for precision medicine. Methods: Integration of epidemiology, genomics, experiments, and deep learning to clarify the clinical value and molecular characteristics, and develop a novel OSCC molecular classification prediction system. Results: Large-scale epidemiology data (n = 118,817) demonstrated OSCC differentiation was a significant prognosis indicator (p < 0.001), and well-differentiated OSCC was more chemo-resistant than poorly differentiated OSCC. These results were confirmed in the TCGA database and in vitro. Furthermore, we found chemo-resistant related pathways and cell cycle-related pathways were up-regulated in well- and poorly differentiated OSCC, respectively. Based on the characteristics of OSCC differentiation, a molecular grade of OSCC was obtained and combined with pathological images to establish a novel prediction system through deep learning, named ShuffleNetV2-based Molecular Grade of OSCC (SMGO). Importantly, our independent multi-center cohort of OSCC (n = 340) confirmed the high accuracy of SMGO. Conclusions: OSCC differentiation was a significant indicator of prognosis and chemotherapy selection. Importantly, SMGO could be an indispensable reference for OSCC differentiation and assist the decision-making of chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the association between periodontitis, all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality, and its prognostic utility among adults with diabetes. Materials and Methods: Periodontal health records were retrieved from the NHANES database for 4297 participants with diabetes aged >30 years at baseline during 1988–1994, 1999–2004 and 2009–2014. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for moderate/severe periodontitis with all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality in participants with diabetes. Area under the curve (AUC) was used to assess predictive value. Results: During a median follow‐up of 15.41 years, 1701 deaths occurred. After multivariate adjustments, moderate/severe periodontitis was significantly associated with increased risk of all‐cause (HR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.07–1.50; p =.005) and cardiovascular disease (CVD)‐related (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03–1.76, p =.031) mortality in participants with diabetes. The absolute risk difference based on the cumulative incidence information was 0.022 (5‐year, 95% CI: 0.021–0.023) and 0.044 (10‐year, 95% CI: 0.041–0.048). Periodontitis improved the prediction of all‐cause (AUC: 0.652; 95% CI: 0.627–0.676) and CVD‐related (AUC: 0.649; 95% CI: 0.624–0.676) mortality over standard risk factors (all‐cause: AUC: 0.631; 95% CI: 0.606–0.656; CVD‐related: AUC: 0.629; 95% CI: 0.604–0.655). Conclusions: Moderate/severe periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of all‐cause and CVD‐related mortality in adults with diabetes. Periodontitis might represent a marker for residual risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Manganese ion (Mn2+) is reported to promote the antitumor immune response by activating the cGAS‐STING pathway, but it is unknown whether Mn2+ can prevent the malignant transformation of precancerous lesions. The effects of Mn2+ in treating oral leukoplakia (OLK) were explored in this work. Methods: Peripheral blood Mn analysis of the patients was performed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP–AES). A coculture model of dendritic cells (DCs)/macrophages, CD8+ T cells, and dysplastic oral keratinocytes (DOKs) was employed to analyze the role and mechanism of Mn2+ in a simulated OLK immune microenvironment. Western blot, RT–PCR, flow cytometry, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were adopted to detect the mechanism of Mn2+ in this model. 4‐nitroquinoline oxide (4NQO)‐induced OLK mice were used to assess the role of Mn2+ in suppressing OLK progression, and a novel Mn2+‐loaded guanosine‐tannic acid hydrogel (G‐TA@Mn2+ hydrogel) was fabricated and evaluated for its advantages in OLK therapy. Results: The content of Mn in patients' peripheral blood was negatively related to the progression of OLK. Mn2+ promoted the maturation and antigen presentation of DCs and macrophages and enhanced the activation of CD8+ T cells in the coculture model, resulting in effective killing of DOKs. Mechanistic analysis found that Mn2+ enhanced the anti‐OLK immune response by activating the cGAS‐STING pathway. Moreover, Mn2+ suppressed the development of 4NQO–induced carcinogenesis in the mouse model. In addition, the G‐TA@Mn2+ hydrogel had better anti‐OLK effects. Conclusions: Mn2+ enhanced the anti‐OLK immune response by activating the cGAS‐STING pathway, and the G‐TA@Mn2+ hydrogel is a potential novel therapeutic approach for OLK treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

City modeling and generation have attracted an increased interest in various applications, including gaming, urban planning, and autonomous driving. Unlike previous works focused on the generation of single objects or indoor scenes, the huge volumes of spatial data in cities pose a challenge to the generative models. Furthermore, few publicly available 3D real-world city datasets also hinder the development of methods for city generation. In this paper, we first collect over 3,000,000 geo-referenced objects for the cities of New York, Zurich, Tokyo, Berlin, Boston, and several other large cities. Based on this dataset, we propose AETree, a tree-structured auto-encoder neural network, for city generation. Specifically, we first propose a novel Spatial-Geometric Distance (SGD) metric to measure the similarity between building layouts and then construct a binary tree over the raw geometric data of the building based on the SGD metric. Next, we present a tree-structured network whose encoder learns to extract and merge spatial information from the bottom-up iteratively. The resulting global representation is reversely decoded for reconstruction or generation. To address the issue of long-dependency as the level of the tree increases, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Cell is employed as a basic network element of the proposed AETree. Moreover, we introduce a novel metric, Overlapping Area Ratio (OAR), to quantitatively evaluate the generation results. Experiments on the collected dataset demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms baseline models, such as LayoutTransformer and LayoutVAE, in terms of key metrics. Specifically, the proposed model achieves a Jensen–Shannon Divergence (JSD) of 0.0033, compared to 0.0041 and 0.0061 for LayoutTransformer and LayoutVAE, respectively. Similarly, for the Overall Accuracy Rate (OAR), the proposed model scores 1.66, significantly better than 28.24 and 19.01 for the baseline models Furthermore, the latent features learned by AETree can serve downstream urban planning applications. Project webpage is available at https://ai4ce.github.io/RealCity3D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiphysics modeling and analysis are classic but vital problems for permanent magnet brushless (PMBL) machine design. Bulk of studies give analysis but lack modeling guidelines, comparisons, and rational validations. Accordingly, the principal objective of this article is to systematically investigate the accuracy and rationality among five proposed multiphysics models. Also, it will offer guidelines of modeling and progressive validation for in-depth PMBL machine design optimization from multidisciplinary aspects of electromagnetic, mechanical, vibration, and control. A combined mathematical modeling, finite element analysis, cosimulation, experimental coupling methodological approach is carried out. As a critical phenomenon, electromechanical vibration necessitates theoretical analysis of modified excitation forces considering inverter-side harmonics. Based on a typical spoke-type PMBL machine prototype and tests, the performances under different operation modes are verified, which serve as the prerequisite of vibration prediction. Finally, parallel comparisons between multiphysics simulation and experimental results verify the accuracy and rationality of proposed models, and a balance between model complexity and accuracy is thus presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing the propeller aerodynamic performance is of vital importance for research and improvement of unmanned aerial vehicles. This paper presents the design requirements for a propeller for rotorcraft unmanned aerial vehicles and an analysis of a model for calculating propeller aerodynamic performance. Based on blade element momentum theory, the aerodynamic force of a blade element is analyzed and used. The symmetric airfoil NACA 0012 is used as an example to verify the validity of the model. An experimental system for propeller aerodynamic performance is designed and built to test the aerodynamic performance of six types of the propeller from a single manufacturer (APC). Data-processing software is also developed to draw curves and perform single-step calculations of three propellers' parameters: airfoil resistance power, induced velocity, and efficiency. The results of the experiment indicate that both the thrust and torque of the propeller increase with rotational speed, propeller diameter, and propeller pitch. The research is of great significance to select more suitable propellers for unmanned aerial vehicles and the further improvement of the performance of unmanned aerial vehicles' dynamical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to analyze the effects of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on the indexes of liver fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, and also to observe the effects on liver enzymes and liver fat. Methods: This meta‐analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 statistical software. Results: SGLT2 inhibitors could significantly reduce the level of hepatic fibrosis index: fibrosis‐4 (mean difference [MD] 0.25, 95% CI −0.39 to −0.11, p = 0.0007); serum type Ⅳ collagen 7s (MD 0.32, 95% CI −0.59 to −0.04, p = 0.02); and ferritin (MD 26.7, 95% CI 50.64, 2.76, p = 0.03). SGLT2 inhibitors could significantly reduce the level of liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase (MD 3.49, 95% CI −5.1 to 1.58, p < 0.0001); aspartate aminotransferase (MD 3.64, 95% CI −5.10 to −2.18, p < 0.00001); and glutamate aminotransferase (MD 7.13, 95% CI −12.95 to −1.32, p = 0.02). SGLT2 inhibitors could significantly reduce the level of liver fat: liver‐to‐spleen attenuation ratio (MD 0.16, 95% CI 0.10–0.22, p < 0.00001); magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MD 1.97, 95% CI −3.49 to −0.45, p = 0.01); liver controlled attenuation parameter (MD 0.29, 95% CI −26.95 to −13.64, p < 0.00001); liver fat score (MD 0.55, 95% CI 1.04 to −0.05, p = 0.03); and liver fat index (MD 11.21, 95% CI −16.53 to −5.89, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: SGLT2 inhibitors could improve liver fibrosis, liver enzymes, liver fat, and metabolic indexes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic cubic CsPbI3 perovskite (α‐CsPbI3) has been widely explored for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to its thermal stability and suitable bandgap of 1.73 eV. However, α‐CsPbI3 usually requires high synthesis temperatures (>320 °C). Additionally, it usually undergoes phase transition to the nonperovskite structure phase (β‐CsPbI3), which results in poor photoelectric performance in devices. In this study, it is first found that the tortuous 3D CsPbI3 phase (γ‐CsPbI3) can be prepared and used for PSCs by solution process without any additive at low temperature (60 °C). The γ‐CsPbI3 exhibits suitable bandgap of 1.75 eV and favorable photoelectric properties. However, γ‐CsPbI3 is a metastable phase and easily transforms into β‐CsPbI3 in ambient moisture. In order to improve the stability of γ‐CsPbI3, calcium ions (Ca2+) with a relatively small radius of 100 pm are used to partially substitute lead ions (119 pm). This research proves that Ca2+ can effectively improve the stability of the γ‐CsPbI3 at room temperature. By optimizing the doping concentration of Ca2+ (CsPb1−xCaxI3, x is from 0% to 2%), the Ca2+‐doped γ‐CsPbI3 PSCs achieve a hysteresis‐free J–V curve and a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exact mathematical modeling of electric machines has always been an effective tool for scholars to understand the working principles and structure requirements of novel machine topologies. This paper provides an analytical modeling method—the harmonic modeling method (HMM)—for two types of consequent-pole magnetic-geared machines, namely the single consequent-pole magnetic-geared machine (SCP-MGM) and the dual consequent-pole magnetic-geared machine (DCP-MGM). By dividing the whole machine domain into different ring-like subdomains and solving the Maxwell equations, the magnetic field distribution and electromagnetic parameters of the two machines can be obtained, respectively. The two machines were applied in the propulsion systems of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The electromagnetic performances of two machines under different operating conditions were also compared. It turns out that the DCP-MGM can reach a larger electromagnetic torque compared to that of the SCP-MGM under the same conditions. Finally, the predicted results were verified by the finite element analysis (FEA). A good agreement can be observed between HMM and FEA. Furthermore, HMM can also be applied to the mathematical modeling of other consequent-pole electric machines in further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the structure and magnetic properties of (NdPr)[sub15]Fe[sub77](B[sub1-x]C[subx])[sub8] alloys. Correlation of the Curie temperature and welting point of the alloy with the carbon content.

In order to meet the growing demands for high specific performance in advanced composite system, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are widely utilized to endow composite with optimized properties. However, the performance improvement is always impeded by CNTs aggregation. Herein, two typical urchin‐liked SiO2‐CNTs hybrid (SCH) and SiO2@SiO2‐CNTs hybrid (SSCH) were synthesized by utilizing chemical vapor deposition. SCH and SSCH filled polyethylene (PE) nanocomposites were fabricated by solution‐blending and hot‐compression. The electrical, dielectric, rheological, and thermal behaviors of the composites were carefully studied. Both composites showed the low percolation threshold that below 0.5 wt%. By adding 1 wt% hybrid, the electrical conductivity of composites were enhanced by 12 orders of magnitude. Moreover, the self‐strengthened SSCH was preferred to form homogeneous dispersion in polymer matrix, leading to a slightly negative influence on processability. All these features provide a reasonable route for designing CNTs‐filled composites with advanced structural or highly conductive properties in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has been widely applied for the remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil. However, the effect of biochar on the transport of petroleum degradation bacteria has not been studied. A typical Gram-positive petroleum degradation bacteria- Corynebacterium variabile HRJ4 was used to study the effect of different biochars on bacterial transport and retention. Results indicated that the addition of biochar in sand was effective for reducing the transport of bacteria and poplar sawdust biochar (PSBC) had a stronger hinder effect than corn straw biochar (CSBC). The hindrance was more evident with pyrolysis temperature of biochar raised from 300°C to 600°C, which was attributed to the increase of specific surface area (309 times). The hindrance effect also enhanced with higher application rate of biochar. Furthermore, the reduction of HRJ4 transport was more obvious in higher (25 mmol/L) concentration of NaCl solution owing to electrostatic attraction enhancement. The adsorption of biochar to HRJ4 was defined to contribute to the hindrance of HRJ4 transport mainly. Combining the influence of feedstocks and pyrolysis temperature on HRJ4 transport, it suggested that specific surface area had the greatest effect on HRJ4 transport, and pore-filling, electrostatic force also contributed to HRJ4 retained in quartz sand column. At last, phenol transportation experiment indicated that the restriction of biochar on HRJ4 enhanced the phenol removal rate in the column. This study provides a theoretical basis for the interaction of biochar and bacteria, which is vital for the remediation of oil-contaminated soil and groundwater in the field. Graphical Abstract Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the remarkable advances in the research field of asymmetric catalytic oxidation reactions via hypervalent iodines with simple procedures, high level of efficiency and stereoselectivity and the development of their highly scalable, environmentally benign, and sustainable protocols under the greener organocatalysis paradigm for further industrial translations remains a long-standing challenge in synthetic organic chemistry and process engineering over the past few decades. Herein, we design and synthesize a new library of conformationally flexible and recyclable aryl iodine catalysts by utilization of (i) industrial waste (chloramphenicol base) as the scaffold and (ii) inexpensive amino acid residue (threonine) as the chiral source. Our chiral aryl iodine(III) catalysts bearing H-bond donors and a tunable chiral pocket have been successfully applied in diverse, robust asymmetric oxidative transformations, e.g., dearomatization, spirolactonization, direct C(sp2)–H/C(sp3)–H cross coupling, and fluoridation. Our processes feature a column isolation-free approach, easy-handling operation, and upscaling synthesis with the catalysts being facilely recycled, in particular via precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the Higgs discovery, precise measurements of the Higgs properties and the electroweak observables become vital for the experimental particle physics. A powerful Higgs/Z factory, the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) is proposed. The Particle Flow oriented detector design is proposed to the CEPC and a Particle Flow algorithm, Arbor is optimized accordingly. We summarize the physics object reconstruction performance of the Particle Flow oriented detector design with Arbor algorithm and conclude that this combination fulfills the physics requirement of CEPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]