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In this work, the dynamics of a prototypical heavy–light–heavy abstract reaction, Cl(2P) + HCl → HCl + Cl(2P), is investigated both by constructing a new potential energy surface (PES) and by rate coefficient calculations. Both the permutation invariant polynomial neural network method and the embedded atom neural network (EANN) method, based on ab initio MRCI-F12+Q/AVTZ level points, are used for obtaining globally accurate full-dimensional ground state PES, with the corresponding total root mean square error being only 0.043 and 0.056 kcal/mol, respectively. In addition, this is also the first application of the EANN in a gas-phase bimolecular reaction. The saddle point of this reaction system is confirmed to be nonlinear. In comparison with both the energetics and rate coefficients obtained on both PESs, we find that the EANN is reliable in dynamic calculations. A full-dimensional approximate quantum mechanical method, ring-polymer molecular dynamics with a Cayley propagator, is employed to obtain the thermal rate coefficients and kinetic isotopic effects of the title reaction Cl(2P) + XCl→ XCl + Cl(2P) (H, D, Mu) on both new PESs, and the kinetic isotope effect (KIE) is also obtained. The rate coefficients reproduce the experimental results at high temperatures perfectly but with moderate accuracy at lower temperatures, but the KIE is with high accuracy. The similar kinetic behavior is supported by quantum dynamics using wave packet calculations as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the synthesis of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, which have applications in pharmacology and materials science. It discusses various methods for synthesizing these compounds, with a focus on the use of earth-abundant metals like iron and cobalt as catalysts. The authors explain the mechanisms involved in these reactions and highlight the advantages of using earth-abundant metals. While these methods have been used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules, there are still challenges to overcome, and more research is needed to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly catalytic systems. [Extracted from the article]

This study aimed to develop and internally validate a nomogram model for assessing the risk of intraoperative hypothermia in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy. This study is a retrospective study. A total of 530 patients who undergoing VATS lobectomy from January 2022 to December 2023 in a tertiary hospital in Wuhan were selected. Patients were divided into hypothermia group (n = 346) and non-hypothermia group (n = 184) according to whether hypothermia occurred during the operation. Lasso regression was used to screen the independent variables. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of hypothermia during operation, and a nomogram model was established. Bootstrap method was used to internally verify the nomogram model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the discrimination of the model. Calibration curve and Hosmer Lemeshow test were used to evaluate the accuracy of the model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical utility of the model. Intraoperative hypothermia occurred in 346 of 530 patients undergoing VATS lobectomy (65.28%). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, serum total bilirubin, inhaled desflurane, anesthesia duration, intraoperative infusion volume, intraoperative blood loss and body mass index were risk factors for intraoperative hypothermia in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy (P < 0.05). The area under ROC curve was 0.757, 95% CI (0.714–0.799). The optimal cutoff value was 0.635, the sensitivity was 0.717, and the specificity was 0.658. These results suggested that the model was well discriminated. Calibration curve has shown that the actual values are generally in agreement with the predicted values. Hosmer–Lemeshow test showed that χ2 = 5.588, P = 0.693, indicating that the model has a good accuracy. The DCA results confirmed that the model had high clinical utility. The nomogram model constructed in this study showed good discrimination, accuracy and clinical utility in predicting patients with intraoperative hypothermia, which can provide reference for medical staff to screen high-risk of intraoperative hypothermia in patients undergoing VATS lobectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study on the hypolipidemic effect of turmeric combined with hawthorn on C57BL/6 obese mice and its possible mechanism. C57 mice were fed with 60% high‐fat diet for 8 weeks to establish an obesity model, and 4 mice were slaughtered to verify whether the modeling was successful. The successful mice were divided into model group (HFD), positive group (high fat feed group [HFD] + simvastatin group [SIM]), turmeric group (HFD + TUR), hawthorn group (HFD + HAW), and para‐medicine group (HFD + para‐drug group [DOU]) for 4 weeks by gavage intervention. Different intervention groups had certain lipid‐lowering effects, and the para‐medicine group showed significant differences (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001) in reducing serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, glutamic acid transaminase (ALT), glutamic acid transaminase (AST), and increasing high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol. In the para‐medicine group, the protein expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ, fatty acid synthase, platelet‐reactive protein receptor 36, and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α were significantly downregulated, and the protein expression of carnitine palmitoyl transferase1 and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α protein expression (p < 0.01, p < 0.001), thus suggesting that turmeric and hawthorn are superior to turmeric and hawthorn alone in enhancing lipid metabolism‐related mechanisms. Combined effects of turmeric and hawthorn improve lipid metabolism in mice, protect the liver, and improve the protein expression of liver‐related genes. This study can lay the theoretical basis for the future association of medicinal food products and the development of related weight loss products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the impact of different drying methods on the selection of thin-layer drying kinetic models, parameters, and quality for Exocarpium Citreic Grandis. This study investigates the drying characteristics, index constituents content, and microscopic structures of Exocarpium Citreic Grandis slices, subjected to three drying techniques: HAD (at 50, 60, 70 ∘ C), VD (at 50, 60, 70 ∘ C), and MVD (at 1000, 1500, 2000W). A thin-layer drying kinetic model was established. The findings demonstrated that the drying process was primarily dominated by the falling rate phase. When the drying temperature was 70 ∘ C and the microwave power was 2000W, the HAD VD, and MVD took 120, 360, and 20 minutes respectively. By fitting six commonly used thin-layer drying models, it was discovered that the optimal mathematical models for HAD, VD, and MVD were the Page model, the Logarithmic model, and the Page model, respectively. The highest average R 2 values were 0.9963, 0.9965, and 0.9964, and the lowest average RMSE values were 0.01782, 0.01704, and 0.0174 respectively. The effective diffusion coefficient increased with the drying temperature and microwave power, with MVD having the maximum coefficient. As the temperature and microwave power increased, the contents of naringin and rhoifolin decreased. However, the naringin content in MVD was 23.05% and 45.71% higher compared to hot air and VD respectively. The cross-section of Exocarpium Citreic Grandis dried via microwave vacuum exhibited a porous honeycomb structure with uniformly distributed spaces and larger pores, reflecting an expansion effect. The HAD process also resulted in a honeycomb-like structure, but with smaller pores. The VD process resulted in a layered structure with significant cell collapse. Microwave vacuum drying demonstrates superior energy efficiency and product quality compared to hot air and vacuum drying methods. The study finds that microwave drying does not have a destructive impact on the active compounds of Exocarpium Citreic Grandis. To facilitate large-scale, continuous production, microwave drying can be practically applied in industrial processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ tumor vaccines (ISTVs) hold great potential in tumor immunotherapy, however, three major obstacles, including inadequate endogenous antigen uptake by dendritic cells (DCs), weak T‐cell immune responses, and stubborn immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), still need to be fully addressed. Herein, a trifecta nanovaccine (TriNV) with TME‐responsive transformable ability is developed to tri‐boost antitumor immunity. First, sufficient endogenous tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs) are liberated in situ after immunogenic cell death is induced via TriNV‐based photoimmunotherapy. In the TME, soft‐transformed TriNV improves the uptake of TAAs by DCs to enhance acquired immunity. Second, the self‐adjuvating TriNV and the TME‐responsive released Mn2+ synergistically promote DC maturation and macrophage M1 polarization by augmenting the stimulator of interferon genes activation to further amplify T‐cell immune responses. Moreover, the decomposition of MnO2 within the core of TriNV exhausts glutathione and facilitates O2 release to alleviate hypoxia in the TME, thereby overcoming the chemical obstacles of the TME to further mitigate immunosuppression. Thus, TriNV remarkably eradicates primary tumors and inhibits distant metastasis, thus demonstrating great potential as a feasible and effective ISTV nanoplatform for combating poorly immunogenic solid tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides with chiral structures have attracted great attentions in the field of optoelectronic functional materials, especially for nonlinear optics. To date, second harmonic generation (SHG) properties of several classes of chiral hybrid halides with different metal ions have been reported. However, SHG‐active tin(II)‐based chiral materials are rarely explored, hindering deep understandings of the relationship between their structures and SHG properties. Herein, Sn2+ ions are successfully introduced into chiral hybrid perovskites, and four new species of chiral hybrid perovskites (R/S‐α‐PEA)SnX3 (X = Cl and Br, PEA = phenylethylammonium) are obtained. The as‐grown crystals are in P212121 space group, with highly distorted [SnX6] octahedral units forming 1D chain structures in the lattice, due to the effect of stereochemically active lone pair 5s2 electrons in Sn2+. Such crystals have an SHG response of ≈1.4× Y‐cut α‐quartz for (S‐α‐PEA)SnBr3 and ≈0.9× Y‐cut α‐quartz for (S‐α‐PEA)SnCl3 at 1020 nm excitation, with high polarization ratio of SHG signals as well as wide bandgaps and transparency windows in the meanwhile. This work opens up a new platform for discovering more novel tin(II)‐based chiral perovskites with superior nonlinear optical properties in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although underwater submerged launching has been rigorously investigated for decades, there remains a dearth of comprehensive understanding regarding the underwater interior ballistic characteristics for varying barrel lengths. To address this knowledge gap, the present study aims to explore, via numerical simulations, the initial velocity of interior ballistics, projectile drag, and the mechanism of initial flow field formation at the muzzle under various barrel lengths, thereby considering the influence of differing barrel lengths. The five distinct lengths of barrels are expressed as dimensionless ratios of the weight of water column in front of the projectile to the weight of the projectile in order to be more general. Five different ratios of water-to-projectile weight are investigated: 1.0, 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, and 2.0, all possessing identical diameters and evaluated under equivalent launch conditions. Different ratios significantly impact muzzle velocity, with shorter barrels yielding higher muzzle velocities, while ensuring complete propellant combustion. Further investigations indicate that variations in drag constitute the fundamental cause of initial velocity changes. Furthermore, it is observed that barrels of different lengths exhibit identical characteristics at the point of maximum drag. The initial flow field at the muzzle exhibits considerable variations in terms of length, profile dimensions, and intensity. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into exploring the mechanism of submerged launching and will be utilized to investigate the optimal barrel length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) is an advanced and promising technology for fabricating micro structures. This method is effectively applicable for non-conductive hard and brittle materials micromachining, such as glass and ceramics. However, the ceramics high melting point and intense heat exchange effects during microchannel fabrication lead to the easy dissipation of thermal energy and the difficulty in processing. To address this issue and expanded the ECDM processing range. This paper dedicated to the investigation of the material removal mechanism and process characteristics for the alumina ceramic surfaces microchannels preparation. Firstly, this study explained the difference of the ECDM critical applied voltage and gas film generation mechanism by analyzing the volt-ampere characteristic curve of 20 wt% NaOH electrolyte with a tool immersed depth of 2 mm and 10 mm respectively. Then, a thermal removal finite element model (FEM) for ECDM was developed. The heat cumulative and intermittent cooling effects applied on the alumina ceramic surface dominated the materiel removal. Additionally, it can be found that the microchannel machining accuracy and bottom surface quality depended on the Gaussian heat source characteristics, gas film formation mechanism, heat accumulation effect, and temperatures spatial and temporal distribution. And a series of single factor experiments for evaluating the parametric studies such as the effect of discharge frequency, applied voltage, duty ratio and tool feed rate on the fabricated microchannel performance are executed. Finally, the complex three-dimensional structures of cross microchannel grid and zigzag microchannel array with variable depth were successfully fabricated on aluminum oxide ceramic surface. Notably, the results highlighted and enriched the ECDM stability, consistency and applicability for alumina ceramic surface microchannel fabrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circβ-catenin, our first reported circRNA, has been reported to mediate tumorigenesis in various cancers. However, its biological functions and underlying mechanisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unknown. Methods: The qRT-PCR examination was used to detect the expression of circβ-catenin, miR-197-3p, and CTNND1 in cells and human tissues. Western blot was conducted to detect the protein expression levels. The biological function of circβ-catenin was verified by MTT, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays. The in vivo effects of circβ-catenin were verified by nude mice xenograft and metastasis models. The regulatory network of circβ-catenin/miR-197-3p/CTNND1 was confirmed via dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assays. Results: In the present study, circβ-catenin was found to promote CRC cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circβ-catenin served as miRNA decoy to directly bind to miR-197-3p, then antagonized the repression of the target gene CTNND1, and eventually promoted the malignant phenotype of CRC. More interestingly, the inverted repeated Alu pairs termed AluJb1/2 and AluY facilitated the biogenesis of circβ-catenin, which could be partially reversed by EIF4A3 binding to Alu element AluJb2. Conclusions: Our findings illustrated a novel mechanism of circβ-catenin in modulating CRC tumorigenesis and metastasis, which provides a potential therapeutic target for CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt efflorescence is one of the critical problems for the preservation of immovable silicate relics. Salt efflorescence mainly comes from continuous cycles of crystallization/dissolution or hydration/dehydration of salts in confined pores in silicate relics. Many protocols have been developed in attempts to alleviate possible salt damages with minor success because of endless water and salt feed from underground. In this study, we propose and design a novel technique for salt damage prevention and protection of immovable relics. Materials with higher water-absorbing ability than matrix are applied to control the water and salt migration direction in simulated sand samples. The distribution of moisture content on the surface of sand is followed by hyperspectral imaging. It appears that water and salt molecules will preferentially transport towards positions containing higher water-absorbing material. Both organic and inorganic high water-absorbing materials show effective in controlling the water and salt migration direction, which provides a new approach for the prevention and protection of salt efflorescence in silicate cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantitatively analyze the impact of climate variability and human activities on grassland productivity of China's Qilian Mountain National Park, this study used Carnegic-Ames-Stanford Approach model (CASA) and Integrated Vegetation model improved by the Comprehensive and Sequential Classification System (CSCS) to assess the trends of grassland NPP from 2000 to 2015, the residual trend analysis method was used to quantify the impact of human activities and climate change on the grassland based on the NPP changes. The actual grassland NPP accumulation mainly occurred in June, July and August (autumn); the actual NPP showed a fluctuating upward trend with an average increase of 2.2 g C·m-2 a-1, while the potential NPP increase of 1.6 g C·m-2 a-1 and human-induced NPP decreased of 0.5 g C·m-2 a-1. The annual temperature showed a fluctuating upward trend with an average increase of 0.1°C 10a-1, but annual precipitation showed a fluctuating upward trend with an average annual increase of 1.3 mm a-1 from 2000 to 2015. The area and NPP of grassland degradation caused by climate variability was significantly greater than that caused by human activities and mainly distributed in the northwest and central regions, but area and NPP of grassland restored caused by human activities was significantly greater than that caused by climate variability and mainly distributed in the southeast regions. In conclusion, grassland in Qilian Mountain National Park showed a trend of degradation based on distribution area, but showed a trend of restoration based on actual NPP. Climate variability was the main cause of grassland degradation in the northwestern region of study area, and restoration of grassland in the eastern region was the result of the combined effects of human activities and climate variability. Under global climate change, the establishment of Qilian Mountain National Park was of great significance to the grassland's protection and the grasslands ecological restoration that have been affected by humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has important clinical implications for guiding therapy. Impaired amyloid beta (Aβ) clearance is critical in the pathogenesis of sporadic AD, and blood monocytes play an important role in Aβ clearance in the periphery. However, the mechanism underlying the defective phagocytosis of Aβ by monocytes in AD remains unclear. Methods: Initially, we collected whole blood samples from sporadic AD patients and isolated the monocytes for RNA sequencing analysis. By establishing APP/PS1 transgenic model mice with monocyte-specific cystatin F overexpression, we assessed the influence of monocyte-derived cystatin F on AD development. We further used a nondenaturing gel to identify the structure of the secreted cystatin F in plasma. Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and laser scanning confocal microscopy were used to analyse the internalization of Aβ by monocytes. Pull down assays, bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy were used to determine the interactions and potential interactional amino acids between the cystatin F protein and Aβ. Finally, the cystatin F protein was purified and injected via the tail vein into 5XFAD mice to assess AD pathology. Results: Our results demonstrated that the expression of the cystatin F protein was specifically increased in the monocytes of AD patients. Monocyte-derived cystatin F increased Aβ deposition and exacerbated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Furthermore, secreted cystatin F in the plasma of AD patients has a dimeric structure that is closely related to clinical signs of AD. Moreover, we noted that the cystatin F dimer blocks the phagocytosis of Aβ by monocytes. Mechanistically, the cystatin F dimer physically interacts with Aβ to inhibit its recognition and internalization by monocytes through certain amino acid interactions between the cystatin F dimer and Aβ. We found that high levels of the cystatin F dimer protein in blood contributed to amyloid pathology and cognitive deficits as a risk factor in 5XFAD mice. Conclusions: Our findings highlight that the cystatin F dimer plays a crucial role in regulating Aβ metabolism via its peripheral clearance pathway, providing us with a potential biomarker for diagnosis and potential target for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is prone to metastasis and recurrence after surgery, which is one of the main causes for its poor treatment and prognosis. Therefore, it is essential to identify biomarkers associated with metastasis and recurrence in CRC. DNA methylation has a regulatory role in cancer metastasis, tumor immune microenvironment (TME), and prognosis and may be one of the most valuable biomarkers for predicting CRC metastasis and prognosis. We constructed a diagnostic model and nomogram that can effectively predict CRC metastasis based on the differential methylation CpG sites (DMCs) between metastatic and non-metastatic CRC patients. Then, we identified 17 DMCs associated with progression free survival (PFS) of CRC and constructed a prognostic model. The prognosis model based on 17 DMCs can predict the PFS of CRC with medium to high accuracy. The results of immunohistochemical analysis indicated that the protein expression levels of the genes involved in prognostic DMCs were different between normal and colorectal cancer tissues. According to the results of immune-related analysis, we found that the low-risk patients had better immunotherapy response. In addition, high risk scores were negatively correlated with high tumor mutation burden (TMB) levels, and patients with low TMB levels in the high-risk group had the worst PFS. Our work shows the clinical value of DNA methylation in predicting CRC metastasis and PFS, as well as their correlation with TME, immunotherapy, and TMB, which helps understand the changes of DNA methylation in CRC metastasis and improving the treatment and prognosis of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SM4 cryptographic algorithm is a block cipher algorithm issued by China's state cryptographic administration and has become an international standard. We implement the quantum circuits of SM4 block cipher by optimizing the number of qubits and the value of depth-times-width. The quantum circuits of the S-box are first studied. According to the algebraic structure of the S-box, four kinds of improved quantum circuits of S-box are presented for different phases in SM4 based on composite field arithmetic. In order to optimize the number of qubits, we implement the quantum circuit of SM4 by connecting the quantum subcircuits in series. The implemented quantum circuit of SM4 only uses 260 qubits, which is the least number of qubits used not only in implementing the SM4 quantum circuit, but also in implementing the block cipher algorithms with 8-bit S-box, 128-bit plaintext and 128-bit secret key. When optimizing the value of depth-times-width, we achieve it through parallel implementation. The trade-off quantum circuit uses a total of 288 quantum bits, and the Toffoli depth is 1716. The depth-times-width is 49,4208, which is less than the existing best value 82,5792. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The X C O factor is defined as X C O = N (H 2) / W 12 C O . It is useful for estimating cloud mass. However, there is only limited research on how the X C O factor varies within a single cloud. Employing 12 C O (J = 1-0) and 13 C O (J = 1-0) spectral data, we computed an X C O factor of 3.6 × 10 20 cm − 2 (K km s−1)−1 for luminous gas of the N55 region. Our analysis revealed a V-shaped correlation between the X C O factor and H 2 column densities, while the relationship with excitation temperature exhibited obscurity. This suggests that the CO-to- H 2 conversion is not consistent on small scale (∼1 pc). Additionally, we found that star formation activity has little influence on the variability in the X C O factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous studies, the time evolution information is missed in deducing the time-integrated polarizations of gamma-ray burst prompt emission. Here, it is considered and the time-integrated polarizations is investigated through the summation of the time-resolved ones. The statistical properties of the distribution of the time-integrated polarization degree (Π) can be read from the q– Π curve, where q ≡ θ V /θ j . θ V and θ j are the observational and jet half-opening angles, respectively. Hence, only the q– Π curves are studied. In addition to a toroidal magnetic field in the radiation region, an aligned field is also discussed. We found the predicted time-integrated polarization degree is around |$(40\!-\!50)\,\, \mathrm{ per\,cent}$| for High-energy Polarimetry Detector (HPD) onboard POLAR-2 and is roughly |$(30\!-\!40)\,\, \mathrm{ per\,cent}$| for its Low-energy Polarimetry Detector (LPD). Therefore, Π value detected by the HPD will be larger than that of the LPD in statistics and the result of the former estimations will underestimate the value of Π in an ordered field. There are mainly two types of the q –Π curve profiles, corresponding to two ordered magnetic field configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China, the world's largest developing country, low back pain (LBP) is a common public health issue affecting workability. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically assess the risk factors of LBP in the Chinese population. Methods: Four English language and four Chinese databases were searched, and cross-sectional studies on the risk factors for LBP in Chinese populations were identified and collected. The search timeframe covered the period from the establishment of the database to November 2023. Two researchers independently reviewed the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the risk of bias. Begg's and Egger's tests were used to evaluate publication bias. Results: Fifteen cross-sectional studies involving 86,575 people were included. Seven risk factors for LBP were identified. Six risk factors were statistically significant: Cigarette smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15, 2.08, P = 0.004, I2 = 72%), body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m² (OR = 4.51; 95% CI: 3.36, 6.07, P < 0.00001, I2 = 8%), female sex (OR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.25, 1.90, P < 0.0001, I2 = 63%), vibration exposure at work (OR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.34, P = 0.006, I2 = 84%), working overtime (OR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.12, 5.91, P = 0.03, I2 = 85%), and lack of exercise (OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.62, 3.78, P < 0.0001, I2 = 0%). One risk factor that was not statistically significant was standing for long periods (OR = 1.02; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.26, P = 0.88, I2 = 73%). Conclusions: This study found that smoking, a BMI ≥ 28 kg/m², female sex, vibration exposure at work, working overtime, and lack of exercise may be risk factors for LBP in the Chinese population. Because the included studies were cross-sectional and the certainty of the evidence was very low, the results need to be interpreted cautiously. Multicentre, high-quality studies should be conducted in the future. To reduce the prevalence of LBP, the Chinese government and hospitals must develop early screening programs and implement effective preventive and interventional measures. Trial registration: This study is registered in the PROSPERO database (No. CRD42023447857). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fillers play a decisive role in the mechanical properties of polymer composites. In this paper, different particle sizes of nitroguanidine were obtained to regulate the internal filler structure of triple‐base propellants (TBP) to improve their mechanical response in different environments. A series of morphological and structural characterizations on nitroguanidine (NQ) particles were conducted using techniques. The results indicated that the obtained NQ particles maintained a high level of crystalline quality while preserving their molecular integrity. The mechanical properties of TBP were systematically evaluated under various loading conditions, including cryogenic tensile, compressive, and impact loads, as well as dynamic thermomechanical effects. Additionally, three‐point bending simulations were employed to elucidate the mechanical responses and damage mechanisms. Under axial tensile and compressive loads, reducing the particle size of NQ significantly enhanced the tensile and compressive strength. The maximum tensile strength and compressive strength can reach 344.62 MPa and 104.79 MPa. Moreover, the compressive failure mode transitioned from cracking to axial shrinkage. Conversely, when subjected to radial bending loads, TBP exhibited contrasting behavior, including a decrease in the glass transition temperature from 84.73°C to 76.93°C and a non‐monotonic trend in impact strength (initially increasing from 4.96 to 8.85 kJ/m2 and then decreasing to 2.27 kJ/m2). This study provides valuable insights into the mechanical performance of TBP, supporting the development of high‐energy, high‐strength TBP formulations. Highlights: SEM analysis confirms the pronounced orientation effect of rod‐like NQ.The orientation and particle size of NQ decide TBP's radial impact resistance.Submicron NQ enhances the compression resistance property of TBP.Submicron NQ brings about a shift in the microscopic damage morphology of TBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAs a crucial form of non-verbal communication, facial expressions can convey an individual’s emotional state through a combination of facial muscle movements and provide an effective approach to understanding emotional shifts among group members to a certain extent. However, in real-time collaborative environments, the increasing influx of audiovisual information can overwhelm an individual’s limited visual attention, making it challenging to observe and analyze other group members’ facial expressions continually. The failure to promptly recognize and interpret facial expressions can disrupt individual and group-level comprehension and evaluation of emotional dynamics during collaborative interactions, consequently hindering subsequent emotion management and communication. This article delves into the classification of facial expression information and its formation mechanism to thoroughly analyze the relationship between group members’ emotional perceptions and expressions in the collaboration process. Leveraging the YOLO-FaceV2 face detection model, FaceNet face recognition model, and CERN expression recognition model, we present a novel Collaborative Emotion Analysis Framework (CEAF) for multi-person facial expression recognition. By employing Web real-time communication technology, this framework is integrated into an online group meetings system, which can identify the faces and expressions of the participants and provide real-time visual analysis of their expression information. After the conclusion of the meeting, the system can perform an emotional evaluation with pre-defined operators, providing invaluable insights into the emotional dynamics of the group and individual members throughout the collaborative process. Ultimately, validation through an online meeting instance indicates that this system can facilitate groups in interpreting emotional changes among collaborative group members to a considerable extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional physics-based mathematical models of viscoelastic (VE) damper often exhibit different degrees of prediction errors under complex working conditions, whereas data-driven approaches have shown significant potential for overcoming such problems, and have not been introduced into any study to describe the dynamic mechanical properties of VE damper. In this paper, the architecture of microsphere model is adopted to represent the spatial distribution of molecular chain structure of VE damping material, which is categorized into free chains and elastic chains. Then, the physics-informed neural network surrogates are introduced to describe the statistical stress–strain behaviors of free chains and elastic chains. Finally, by constructing the physics-constrained loss function based on the combination of physics-based model and data-driven model, a physics-constrained data-driven model is proposed to characterize the dynamic mechanical behaviors of VE damper used for structure vibration control. Based on the existing experimental data, the prediction ability and robustness of the proposed model are comparatively verified, the results reveal that the proposed model can accurately reflect the stiffness and energy dissipation of VE damper under different ambient temperatures, excitation frequencies, and deformation conditions. This study proves the potential of physics-informed neural network theory in characterizing the complex mechanical behaviors of VE damper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Citrus bacterial canker (CBC) is a serious bacterial disease caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) that adversely impacts the global citrus industry. In a previous study, we demonstrated that overexpression of an Xcc‐inducible apetala 2/ethylene response factor encoded by Citrus sinensis, CsAP2‐09, enhances CBC resistance. The mechanism responsible for this effect, however, is not known. In the present study, we showed that CsAP2‐09 targeted the promoter of the Xcc‐inducible WRKY transcription factor coding gene CsWRKY25 directly, activating its transcription. CsWRKY25 was found to localize to the nucleus and to activate transcriptional activity. Plants overexpressing CsWRKY25 were more resistant to CBC and showed higher expression of the respiratory burst oxidase homolog (RBOH) CsRBOH2, in addition to exhibiting increased RBOH activity. Transient overexpression assays in citrus confirmed that CsWRKY25 and CsRBOH2 participated in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) bursts, which were able to restore the ROS degradation caused by CsAP2‐09 knockdown. Moreover, CsWRKY25 was found to bind directly to W‐box elements within the CsRBOH2 promoter. Notably, CsRBOH2 knockdown had been reported previously to reduce the CBC resistance, while demonstrated in this study, CsRBOH2 transient overexpression can enhance the CBC resistance. Overall, our results outline a pathway through which CsAP2‐09‐CsWRKY25 transcriptionally reprograms CsRBOH2‐mediated ROS homeostasis in a manner conducive to CBC resistance. These data offer new insight into the mechanisms and regulatory pathways through which CsAP2‐09 regulates CBC resistance, highlighting its potential utility as a target for the breeding of CBC‐resistant citrus varieties. Significant Statement: In the present study, we identify a pathway in which CsAP2‐09 and CsWRKY25 form a transcription factor cascade, transcriptionally reprogramming CsRBOH2‐mediated reactive oxygen species homeostasis and citrus bacterial canker (CBC) resistance. Our study explores new insights into the mechanistic role of CsAP2‐09 and the associated regulatory network, extending the potential value of CsAP2‐09 in the breeding of CBC‐tolerant citrus plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychological distress pre-operatively, at 3, 6, and 12 months in patients who underwent lumbar spine fusion surgery. Methods: A total of 440 patients received instrumented lumbar spine fusion were enrolled. Psychological distress was evaluated using the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ) and the Modified Zung Depressive Index (ZDI). The results of lumbar fusion surgery were evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA-29), and the visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Psychological distress was reported among 23% of patients and 7, 5.5, and 4.0% of the patients preoperatively, at 3, 6, and 12 months after lumbar surgery, respectively. The mean MSPQ score decreased from 8.78 (before surgery) to 4.30, 3.52, and 3.43 at 3, 6 and 12 months in after surgery, respectively, in patients with psychological distress patients (p < 0.001). The mean ZDI score decreased from 17.78 to 12.48, 10.35, and 9.61 (p < 0.001). The mean ODI score decreased from 22.91 to 11.78, 10.13, and 9.96 (P < 0.001). The mean JOA score increased from 13.65 to 22.30, 23.43, and 23.61 (P < 0.001). The mean low back pain (LBP) VAS score decreased from 4.48 to 1.96, 1.52, and 1.51 (P < 0.001); moreover, the mean leg pain (LP) VAS score decreased from 5.30 to 1.30, 1.04, and 1.03 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Patients with psychological distress may experience surgical intervention benefits equal to those of ordinary patients. Moreover, reduced pain and disability after surgical intervention may also alleviate psychological distress. Hence, we highly recommend that patients with psychological distress undergo surgical intervention as normal patients do, but appropriate screening measures and interventions are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation to hypoxia has attracted much public interest because of its clinical significance. However, hypoxic adaptation in the body is complicated and difficult to fully explore. To explore previously unknown conserved mechanisms and key proteins involved in hypoxic adaptation in different species, we first used a yeast model for mechanistic screening. Further multi‐omics analyses in multiple species including yeast, zebrafish and mice revealed that glycerophospholipid metabolism was significantly involved in hypoxic adaptation with up‐regulation of lysophospholipid acyltransferase (ALE1) in yeast, a key protein for the formation of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine [DPPC (16:0/16:0)], which is a saturated phosphatidylcholine. Importantly, a mammalian homolog of ALE1, lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1), enhanced DPPC levels at the cell membrane and exhibited the same protective effect in mammalian cells under hypoxic conditions. DPPC supplementation effectively attenuated growth restriction, maintained cell membrane integrity and increased the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor under hypoxic conditions, but unsaturated phosphatidylcholine did not. In agreement with these findings, DPPC treatment could also repair hypoxic injury of intestinal mucosa in mice. Taken together, ALE1/LPCAT1‐mediated DPPC formation, a key pathway of glycerophospholipid metabolism, is crucial for cell viability under hypoxic conditions. Moreover, we found that ALE1 was also involved in glycolysis to maintain sufficient survival conditions for yeast. The present study offers a novel approach to understanding lipid metabolism under hypoxia and provides new insights into treating hypoxia‐related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) is widely used in marine antifouling coatings due to its low surface energy property. However, certain drawbacks of PDMS coatings such as poor surface adhesion, weak mechanical properties, and inadequate static antifouling performance have hindered its practical applications. Herein, condensation polymerization is utilized to prepare PDMS‐based polythiamine ester (PTUBAF) coatings that consist of PDMS, polytetrahydrofuran (PTMG), 2, 3, 5, 6‐tetrafluoro‐1, 4‐benzenedimethanol (TBD) as the main chains and isobornyl acrylate(IBA) as the antifouling group. The surface adhesion to the substrate is enhanced due to the hydrogen bond between the coated carbamate group and the hydroxyl group on the surface of the substrate. Mechanical properties of PTUBAF are significantly improved due to the benzene ring and six‐membered ring biphase hard structure. The strong synergistic effect of bactericidal groups and low surface energy surface endows the PTUBAF coating with outstanding antifouling performance. Due to the low surface energy surface, the PTUBAF coatings are also found to possess excellent anti‐corrosion. Furthermore, since the PTUBAF coatings exhibit a visible light transmittance of 91 %, they can applied as protective films for smartphones. The proposed method has the potential to boost the production and practical applications of silicone‐based coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. One big challenge with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is that the intense acoustic interference generated by HIFU irradiation overwhelms the B-mode monitoring images, compromising monitoring effectiveness. This study aims to overcome this problem using a one-dimensional (1D) deep convolutional neural network. Approach. U-Net-based networks have been proven to be effective in image reconstruction and denoising, and the two-dimensional (2D) U-Net has already been investigated for suppressing HIFU interference in ultrasound monitoring images. In this study, we propose that the one-dimensional (1D) convolution in U-Net-based networks is more suitable for removing HIFU artifacts and can better recover the contaminated B-mode images compared to 2D convolution. Ex vivo and in vivo HIFU experiments were performed on a clinically equivalent ultrasound-guided HIFU platform to collect image data, and the 1D convolution in U-Net, Attention U-Net, U-Net++, and FUS-Net was applied to verify our proposal. Main results. All 1D U-Net-based networks were more effective in suppressing HIFU interference than their 2D counterparts, with over 30% improvement in terms of structural similarity (SSIM) to the uncontaminated B-mode images. Additionally, 1D U-Nets trained using ex vivo datasets demonstrated better generalization performance in in vivo experiments. Significance. These findings indicate that the utilization of 1D convolution in U-Net-based networks offers great potential in addressing the challenges of monitoring in ultrasound-guided HIFU systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic hollow spheres and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) resin are essential for the fabrication of ultra‐low dielectric constant laminates for high‐frequency printed circuit boards. The poor bonding between ceramic hollow spheres and PTFE is the fundamental obstacle to the homogeneity of the composite. In this work, the broken ceramic hollow spheres were first removed by flotation, and then the surface of the floated hollow spheres was modified using different silane coupling agents at various concentrations. By comprehensively considering the results of the orthogonal experiment, the optimal coupling agent is determined to be 3‐(methacryloyloxy) propyltrimethoxysilane (KH560). The effect of KH560 content, ethanol/water volume ratio, and pH value on the dielectric constant, dielectric layer density, water absorption, and Z‐axis thermal expansion coefficient of the parallel samples was investigated in detail. The optimum surface modification parameters are found to be 6 wt % KH560, an ethanol/water volume ratio of 9 : 1 and a pH of 4. Under optimum technological conditions, the fabricated composites exhibit superior properties with dielectric constant less than 2, indicating a potential application in high performance high frequency copper clad laminates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most abundant polyester materials used in daily life and it is also one of the culprits of environmental pollution. ICCG (F243I/D238C/S283C/Y127G) is a quadruple mutant of leaf-branch compost cutinase (LCC) displaying outstanding performance in hydrolyzing PET and holding a great potential in further applications. Substrate concentration is one of the important factors affecting the catalytic degradation efficiency. The conventional fast equilibrium theory holds that the degradation rate reaches the maximum and tends to be stable with the increase of substrate concentration, however, in practice, too much substrate will inhibit the catalytic reaction. In this study, the substrate inhibitory effect of PET plastic particles with different particle sizes on ICCG was evaluated. Combined with kinetic constant analysis, the optimal PET particle size was determined to be 300 μm. Meanwhile, several mutants (Y95K, M166S and H218S) of ICCG were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis. The effect of substrate concentration on mutant was studied under the condition of optimal reaction particle size. This study provides a strategy for obtaining high-efficiency PET degradation mutants and a new possibility of environmentally friendly plastic degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delineating the process of hydrothermal alteration is crucial for effectively enhancing exploration strategies and better understanding the gold mineralization process. Rutile, with its capacity to accommodate a wide range of trace elements including high-field-strength elements and base metals, serves as a reliable fluid tracer in ore systems. As one of the most significant gold ore concentrations globally, Jiaodong boasts a gold reserve exceeding 5500 t. The Xincheng gold deposit is a world-class high-grade mine, boasting a proven gold reserve exceeding 200 t, and stands as one of the largest altered-type gold deposits in the vast gold province of the Jiaodong Peninsula, Eastern China. In this study, rutile (Rt1,2,3) was identified in the K-feldspar alteration, sericitization, and pyrite–sericite–quartz alteration stages of the Xincheng gold deposit in Jiaodong based on petrographic characteristics. Rt1 coexists with hydrothermal K-feldspar and quartz, while Rt2 coexists with minerals such as sericite, quartz, muscovite, and pyrite. Rt3 is widely distributed in hydrothermal veins and is primarily associated with minerals including quartz, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and sericite. Raman spectroscopy, EPMA, and LA-ICP-MS analysis were conducted to investigate the characteristics and evolution of altered hydrothermal fluids. This study indicates that the Zr vs. W and Nb/V vs. W diagrams suggest that Rt1 is of magmatic–hydrothermal origin, while Rt2 and Rt3 are of metamorphic–hydrothermal origin. Notably, the W content in Rt2 and Rt3 is significantly higher than in Rt1 (<100 ppm), suggesting a close relationship between the W content in rutile and mineralization. The three types of rutile exhibit significantly different concentrations of trace elements such as W, V, Nb, Zr, Sn, and Fe, displaying distinct bright spots and elemental zoning characteristics in backscattered electron images and surface scans. These features arise from the isomorphic substitution of Ti4+. While Rt1 exhibits no significant element exchange with the hydrothermal fluids, Rt2 and Rt3 show a stronger substitution of W, Nb, V, and Fe, indicating a gradual enrichment of F and Cl in the fluids. This process activates and transports these elements into the fluids, leading to their continuous accumulation within the system. From Rt1 to Rt3, the increasing concentrations of Fe and W, along with the negative Eu anomaly, suggest a decrease in fluid temperature and oxygen fugacity during the alteration and mineralization process. The gradual increase in the contents of REEs and high-field-strength elements such as W, V, Nb, and Sn indicates that the hydrothermal fluids are enriched in F and Cl, exhibiting weak acidity. The nature of the fluids during hydrothermal alteration is closely related to the composition of rutile, making it a promising tool for studying hydrothermal alteration and related mineralization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study gives the element compositions and Pb isotope ratios of three lead ingots and three bronze artefacts unearthed from Yinxu, Anyang, Henan province, and two lead vessels from Zhengxiaozhuang tomb, Anhui province, China. The results of composition analysis show that three lead ingots in Yinxu may be the primary product of lead smelting. The lead wares unearthed in Zhengxiaozhuang tomb could be a kind of Mingqi‐funerary replicas. The results of Pb isotope analysis indicate that the culture exchanges between the Central Plains and the Jianghuai area in the late Shang dynasty. The decrease of bronzes with the highly radiogenic lead is consistent with the increase of Pb content in Yinxu bronzes simultaneously, which could be related to the change of lead source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Aims] The goal was to evaluate the effect of phosphorus mining on the endophytic bacterial community of surrounding crops and vegetables and screen beneficial bacteria. [Methods] 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess endophytic bacterial diversity, community, and metabolic function variations in surrounding plants, including Glycine max, Triticum aestivum, and Lactuca sativa. [Results] The results showed that phosphorus mining caused a decline in the endophytic bacterial diversity of plants, including the Shannon and Simpson indices (P < 0.05). Rhizobium was significantly enriched in lettuce, soybean, and wheat roots in the phosphate mining area compared with corresponding samples from a nonphosphate mining area (P < 0.05). The metabolic function prediction based on Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States showed that endophytic bacteria in lettuce, soybean, and wheat roots developed various strategies to cope with phosphorus mining stress. We further isolated 11 endophytic bacteria from the three plant types, of which Enterobacter sp. P35, Pseudomonas aeruginosa P33, and Rhizobium pusense P25 showed strong resistance to multiple heavy metals. Several endophytic bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa P33, Sphingomonas panni P15, and Bacillus cereus P3, showed multiple growth-promoting properties for plants. [Conclusions] To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the effects of phosphate mining on endophytic bacteria in human food sources (vegetables and crops), providing a comprehensive understanding of the ecological effects of phosphate mining. The results also highlight the need to pay attention to the easily neglected effect of phosphorus mining on the microecology and provide a basis for screening bacteria for remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, energy sharing has attracted a lot of attention. However, the intermediate platforms in centralized energy‐sharing methods cause the rapid growth of communication complexity and the risk of privacy leakage. Unlike complex energy‐sharing market mechanisms, in this paper, a simple and efficient distributed energy sharing for microgrids (MGs) is proposed, where game theory is employed to form flexible prices for prosumers and only local information is used to improve the privacy protection of prosumers. First, prosumers located in different areas are characterized more precisely and a two‐tier carbon emission cost model is built. Next, a game‐theory‐based distributed energy‐sharing model is proposed, where a flexible pricing mechanism is developed to enable prosumers to independently reach price agreements and achieve supply–demand balance within MGs. In the process, optimization models for obtaining equilibrium are formed and only local information is needed. However, solving these optimization models is generally time‐consuming. So, a distributed optimization method based on weighted subgradients is proposed to accelerate the equilibrium‐finding process. Finally, four cases are designed, and simulation results demonstrate that the prosumers' costs of our method are reduced by 7.5%–22.5% compared to the costs obtained by feed‐in tariff. Moreover, in the case of solving the distributed trading model for an MG at a 24‐h time scale, the iteration numbers of our method are only 38.9% and 49.3% of the two traditional solving methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to consider the fractional delayed evolution equation of order γ ∈ (1 , 2) in ordered Banach space. In the absence of assumptions about the compactness of cosine families or related sine families, the existence results of positive solutions are studied by using some fixed point theorems and monotone iterative method under the conditions that nonlinear function satisfies the non-compactness measure conditions and some appropriate growth conditions or order conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine whether different aspects lead to a heterogeneous distribution of soil fungi, we investigated artificially established alpine grasslands in the Muli mining area in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Employing high-throughput sequencing techniques, we analyzed the composition, diversity, and function of soil fungal communities across various aspects (flat, East-facing, South-facing, West-facing, North-facing). We also examined their relationships with environmental factors. Soil fungal communities of restored alpine grasslands differed significantly across aspects in terms of the dominant phyla, classes and species level. Compared with No aspect, the Shannon index of fungi respectively decreased by 2.99%, 19.32%, 19.37% and 10.56% for East aspect, South aspect, West aspect and North aspect, respectively, and the Chao1 index of fungi respectively decreased by-2.44%, 35.50%, 42.15% and 3.21%, respectively. A total of 22 different types of fungi were identified in the study area. Predictive analysis, based on PICRUSt2, indicated that the primary functions of the fungal communities across different aspects were aerobic respiration I (cytochrome c) and aerobic respiration II (cytochrome c). Among the environmental variables, total phosphorus (P) and total nitrogen (N) were the principal factors influencing the fungal community composition.In conclusion, aspect plays a significant role in shaping the composition of fungal communities and also affects their overall diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoroacetamide (FAM) has been employed as a rodenticide for an extended duration, leading to a multitude of incidents involving human ingestion poisoning. Currently, FAMs have been prohibited by nations globally; however, there are still instances of their illegal usage. Conventional instrument methods are characterized by their time-consuming nature and complex operational procedures, rendering them inadequate for meeting urgent diagnostic needs in patients with acute FAM poisoning. Therefore, there is an immediate need to develop a prompt, user-friendly, and precise immunoassay method for the diagnosis of acute poisoning induced by FAM. A lateral flow immunochromatography assay (LFIA) was developed in this study for the visual detection of FAMs in blood samples, representing the first report of such an approach. The method exhibited a cut-off value of 0.5 mg/mL under the optimized conditions, enabling the entire FAM detection process in blood samples to be completed within a mere 8 min without any pretreatment requirements. Notably, the results were easily discernible by visual inspection alone. These results indicate that the developed LFIA holds great promise as a convenient and rapid diagnostic tool for FAM poisoning diagnosis, thereby offering valuable support for subsequent treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Homegardens are small-scale land use systems with significant implications for local livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development due to their diverse flora and fauna. Conducting homegarden surveys enables researchers to gain insights into the traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous communities, preserve homegarden biodiversity, and promote sustainable livelihoods. This study has two objectives: first, to collect, record, and organize data on homegarden plants and related traditional knowledge from three communities in the Laershan Plateau, and second, to analyze the species and functional diversity of homegarden plants in the region while exploring the factors that contribute to the heterogeneous distribution of these plants among the communities of three townships. Methods: This research employed field surveys in the Laershan Miao Autonomous Region in Xiangxi, China, from September 2021 to August 2023. Data were collected through observation and semi-structured interviews. The study utilized descriptive statistics and quantitative analysis, including the Relative Importance Value (RI), Use Value Index (UV), Jaccard Index (JI), and Comprehensive Index of Land Use Degree (La), to examine the diversity of local homegarden plants and related traditional knowledge, as well as community heterogeneity. Results: The study area exhibited rich biodiversity, with 152 plant species recorded belonging to 62 families and 124 genera. These findings highlight the importance of homegarden plants in maintaining ecological balance and enhancing system resilience against disturbances. Homegarden plants serve multiple functions such as food, ornamental, medicinal, and fodder purposes, with edible and trade plants having the most abundant knowledge. Furthermore, this research revealed that communities with similar forest resource compositions may have similar homegarden plant compositions, demonstrating the connection between cultural exchange among different communities and patterns of plant species distribution. Conclusions: The Laershan region boasts diverse homegarden plant species crucial for ecological balance and resilience. Their multifunctionality reflects human impact. Plant diversity varies with residents' lifestyles, needs, and cultural exchanges. The close connection between plants and local life is clear. Factors like resource distribution, cultural exchange, and lifestyle influence plant distribution. Further research is needed for conservation and sustainable development. Future research should focus on culturally valuable plant species and traditional knowledge applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical microcavities are known for their strongly enhanced light–matter interactions. Whispering gallery mode (WGM) microresonators have important applications in nonlinear optics, single-mode output, and biosensing. However, there are few studies on resonance modes in the ultraviolet spectrum because most materials with high absorption properties are in the ultraviolet band. In this study, the performance of a microdisk cavity based on boron nitride (BN) was simulated by using the Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The WGM characteristics of a single BN microdisk with different sizes were obtained, wherein the resonance modes could be regulated from 270 nm to 350 nm; additionally, a single-mode at 301.5 nm is achieved by cascading multiple BN microdisk cavities. Moreover, we found that a BN microdisk with a diameter of 2 μm has a position-independent precise sensitivity for the nanoparticle of 140 nm. This study provides new ideas for optical microcavities to achieve single-mode management and novel coronavirus size screening, such as SARS-CoV-2, in the ultraviolet region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is one of the most promising candidates for vacuum‐ultraviolet photodetectors (VUV PDs). However, the efficient and low‐cost fabrication of large‐area hBN‐PDs still encounters challenges. Herein, a cost‐effective route is proposed for fast and scalable fabrication of high‐performance VUV PDs via hBN nanosheet (BNNS) films. BNNSs are peeled from bulk hBN and self‐assembled into large‐area ordered films. In such PDs, junction barriers are present at the contact interfaces of BNNSs and give the PDs a “light‐induced reduction of junction barrier height” working mechanism. The number of junction barriers are qualitatively adjusted by designing the size of BNNSs to optimize the performance of the devices. The performance of ultralow dark current (0.27 pA@80 V), high detectivity (3.42 × 1011 Jones), and fast response speed (20.97/17.69 ms) for 185 nm VUV light is achieved by a fabricated PD. Analysis based on the Schottky contact model proves that the large photoresponse is mainly attributed to the reduction of the barriers and series resistance on illumination. Meanwhile, a physical model is established to describe the working process of such PDs, of which conductivity is dominated by the junction barriers. Besides, a flexible PD is also fabricated, depicting excellent stability, and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsed electric treatment (PET) is a promising method for improving properties due to its clean, efficient, convenient, eco-friendly, and sustainable characteristics, thereby satisfying the target of carbon emission reduction and high-quality production. Previous studies have mainly focused on precipitate phases. In contrast, we place a primary emphasis on exploring the microstructural aspects to elucidate the reasons behind the performance enhancement of CuCrZr through PET. In this work, the properties and microstructure after PET in the cold-rolling CuCrZr alloy plate were investigated, and the mechanisms of PET were also revealed. The strength, strain, and electrical conductivity of CuCrZr alloy are increased by ~ 19.5%, ~ 186%, and ~ 73.1%, respectively. The improvement of the above properties is due to PET which can tailor the distribution of dislocation, achieve grain refinement, and promote the transformation of different textures. It is worth noting that dislocations move from the interior to around the grain boundary and gradually annihilate at high temperature with the increasing voltage of PET. At the same time, the current can enhance the < 111 > and < 101 > orientations and increase the volume fraction of {112} < 011 > texture and {112} < 110 > texture. Compared with traditional heat treatment, properties can be better improved under the proper processing parameters of PET. And the PET can induce the CuCrZr alloy to recrystallize at a low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

α,β‐Unsaturated compounds are one of the most important functional compounds. Due to their unique property and versatile utility, they usually occur as the key intermediates for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and biological materials. Thus, their synthesis has attracted more attentions than before. The early approaches to α,β‐unsaturated compounds are mainly about transition‐metal‐free methods, such as halogenation‐dehydrohalogenation methods and strong oxidants methods (organosulfur, organoselenium, benzoquinone). Subsequently, palladium and the other transition‐metals catalyzed dehydrogenation of carbonyl compounds appeared respectively. In this review, transition‐metal‐catalyzed α,β‐dehydrogenation is discussed, which is categorized by functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size of support in heterogeneous catalysts can strongly affect the catalytic property but is rarely explored in light‐driven catalysis. Herein, we demonstrate the size of TiO2 support governs the selectivity in photothermal CO2 hydrogenation by tuning the metal‐support interactions (MSI). Small‐size TiO2 loading nickel (Ni/TiO2‐25) with enhanced MSI promotes photo‐induced electrons of TiO2 migrating to Ni nanoparticles, thus favoring the H2 cleavage and accelerating the CH4 formation (227.7 mmol g−1 h−1) under xenon light‐induced temperature of 360 °C. Conversely, Ni/TiO2‐100 with large TiO2 prefers yielding CO (94.2 mmol g−1 h−1) due to weak MSI, inefficient charge separation, and inadequate supply of activated hydrogen. Under ambient solar irradiation, Ni/TiO2‐25 achieves the optimized CH4 rate (63.0 mmol g−1 h−1) with selectivity of 99.8 %, while Ni/TiO2‐100 exhibits the CO selectivity of 90.0 % with rate of 30.0 mmol g−1 h−1. This work offers a novel approach to tailoring light‐driven catalytic properties by support size effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size of support in heterogeneous catalysts can strongly affect the catalytic property but is rarely explored in light‐driven catalysis. Herein, we demonstrate the size of TiO2 support governs the selectivity in photothermal CO2 hydrogenation by tuning the metal‐support interactions (MSI). Small‐size TiO2 loading nickel (Ni/TiO2‐25) with enhanced MSI promotes photo‐induced electrons of TiO2 migrating to Ni nanoparticles, thus favoring the H2 cleavage and accelerating the CH4 formation (227.7 mmol g−1 h−1) under xenon light‐induced temperature of 360 °C. Conversely, Ni/TiO2‐100 with large TiO2 prefers yielding CO (94.2 mmol g−1 h−1) due to weak MSI, inefficient charge separation, and inadequate supply of activated hydrogen. Under ambient solar irradiation, Ni/TiO2‐25 achieves the optimized CH4 rate (63.0 mmol g−1 h−1) with selectivity of 99.8 %, while Ni/TiO2‐100 exhibits the CO selectivity of 90.0 % with rate of 30.0 mmol g−1 h−1. This work offers a novel approach to tailoring light‐driven catalytic properties by support size effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gear transmission system is one of the essential subsystems of railway vehicles. The wheel polygonalization can affect the gear transmission system's condition monitoring and fault diagnosis, causing fatigue failure of the gear system and influencing driving safety. Therefore, to explore the mechanism of the wheel polygonalization in the gear system, this paper develops a Lagrangian form dynamic model of a railway vehicle with a gear transmission system. The model validation uses the data from the field test. The analysis explores the influence of the wheel polygonal fault on the gear transmission system under the traction condition. The results indicate that the wheel polygonal fault has amplitude/frequency modulation effects on the time/frequency response of the gear system. Also, the wheel polygonal fault causes the envelope of the speed curve to fluctuate periodically at a low frequency under traction conditions. The waveform asymmetry is gradually apparent as the traction continues. In the non-resonant region, the statistical analysis of the rotational speed fluctuation illustrates that the order of the wheel polygonal fault has more impact on the rotational speed fluctuation than the amplitude. Besides, in the resonance region, the eigenvalues of the system determine the magnitude of the amplitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve implant stability parameters, including pedicle screw (PS) outer diameter, thread depth, and pitch, by finite element analysis. Insertion and pullout of the PS were simulated by finite element analysis, and the precision of simulation was evaluated by comparison with mechanical tests. Influences of the parameters on the maximum insertion torque and maximum pullout force were analyzed by computational simulations, including single-factor analysis and orthogonal experiments. The simulation results agreed with the mechanical test results. The order of parameters influencing insertion torque and pullout force was outer diameter > pitch > thread depth. When the pilot hole diameter is 0.1 mm larger than the inner diameter of the PS, the calculated Pearson correlation coefficient between the maximum insertion torque and maximum pullout force was r = 0.99. The optimized PS had a maximum insertion torque of 485.16 N·mm and a maximum pullout force of 1726.33 N, 23.9% and 9.1% higher, respectively, than the values of standard screws. The presently used models are feasible for evaluating the implant stability of PSs. The maximum insertion torque and maximum pullout force of PSs are highly correlated and can be improved by increasing the outer diameter and decreasing pitch. Although with the parameters of the PS, pedicle size and bone mineral density are 2 additional factors to consider for better implant stability. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-border technology mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are critical strategic decisions for emerging multinational enterprises (EMNEs) seeking to gain competitive advantage. While previous research has examined the net effect of relative technological size on the innovation performance of EMNEs, their theoretical hypotheses and empirical results have been inconsistent. These studies fall short in explaining how relative technological size enhances innovation performance under conditions of acquirer knowledge absorptive capacity (comprising knowledge base and R&D investment) and macro-institutional contexts (comprising host country institutional quality and diplomatic relations). Utilising a sample of 44 listed firms in mainland China from 2008 to 2018, and employing the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach, our research reveals the relationship between different configurations of these influencing factors and the innovation performance of EMNEs. Our findings suggest that the mechanism by which relative technological size affects innovation performance is contingent upon the conditions of knowledge absorptive capacity and macro-institutional contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractEcotourism interpretation pertains to vital public education regarding environmental conservation. At present, there is no professional standard or system for interpretation in this domain, which potentially hinders the goals of geoheritage, and species preservation. To address this shortcoming, two categories of ecotourism (flora and fauna), are selected and broken down into the three main interpretation issues: common biotic names, local Chinese biotic terms, and ecological processes. Effective Chinese-to-English interpretation is identified through analysis of interpreted texts and their originals, on the basis of which a taxonomy of reliable interpretation strategies is proposed. The main difficulties confronted were scientific terminology, sentence structure, and culture. This analysis presented adopts a corpus-based approach that systematically investigates the interpretation language used in geoparks, providing representative and comprehensive views into ecotourism interpretation. We found that, generally, literal interpretation can be used. However, other strategies are essential for achieving effective interpretations, particularly regarding textual representations of flora and fauna processes. Informed by Hu’s Eco-Translatology, a taxonomy of effective strategies is developed and recommended for use by ecotourism translators and interpreters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work has presented gas sensors based on indium tin oxide (ITO) for the detection of SO2 and NO2. The ITO gas-sensing material was deposited by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. The properties of gas sensing could be improved by increasing the ratio of SnO2. The response characteristics of the gas sensor for detecting different concentrations of NO2 and SO2 were investigated. In the detection of NO2, the sensitivity was significantly improved by increasing the SnO2 ratio in ITO by 5%, and the response and recovery time were reduced significantly. However, the sensitivity of the sensor decreased with increasing SO2 concentration. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, the gas-sensitive response mechanisms were different in the atmosphere of NO2 and SO2. The NO2 was adsorbed by ITO via physisorption but the SO2 had a chemical reaction with the ITO surface. The gas selectivity, temperature dependence, and environmental humidity of ITO-based gas sensors were systematically analyzed. The high detection sensitivity for acidic gas of the prepared sensor presented great potential for acid rain monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We report a patient with extensive subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a middle cerebral artery pseudoaneurysm from a foreign body that had been left for two decades. Case presentation: A 74-year-old male patient from Han nationality was admitted to the emergency department of our hospital with impaired consciousness for 1 hour. Cranial computed tomography examination indicated a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage with intraventricular blood accumulation, and a high-density short strip dense shadow was seen in the M1 segment of the right middle cerebral artery, considering the possibility of a foreign body. Subsequently, a cerebral angiography was suggested; the foreign body was seen through the right middle cerebral artery, and the aneurysm was seen in the lower wall, so a pseudoaneurysm was considered. The emergent surgical intervention involved the clipping of the pseudoaneurysm and intracranial extraction of the foreign body. Unfortunately,the patient ultimately expired due to severe pulmonary infection. Conclusion: Intracranial pseudoaneurysm caused by foreign body has been rarely reported previously, and microsurgical treatment of an intracranial pseudoaneurysm caused by a foreign body is a good choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive digital exhibits (IDEs) in science museums are widely used to improve visitor engagement. The human–computer interaction characteristics of such exhibits play a key role in holding the attention of visitors, especially children. To determine these characteristics of IDEs and their effects on child engagement, 60 representative digital exhibits in two science museums were selected and analyzed, and eight characteristics were identified and scored. The holding time of the children was measured at each exhibit, and the average holding time (AHT) across exhibits was calculated. Then, the correlations between the IDE characteristics and engagement levels of the children were evaluated. The results show that three characteristics, namely, competition, social interaction, and visitor control, of IDEs have important effects on child engagement. The reasons for these results were also analyzed, and design considerations and principles for IDEs were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of industrial Internet has resulted in significant changes in industrial manufacturing system architecture. In this study, a system architecture suitable for small‐scale personalized production lines is proposed. The core of this architecture is a three‐layer structure comprising the Internet layer, data layer, and field control layer. The system facilitates the transmission of user‐specific product demands from the Internet to the production line, where the production equipment achieves personalized production through motion control. This system architecture for production lines integrates industrial Internet and smart manufacturing technologies, reducing the complexity of the enterprise system architecture and enhancing the flexibility of the system compared to large‐scale personalized production systems. The effectiveness of this system architecture was validated using a flexible yogurt filling production line and lays a foundation for the transformation of industrial manufacturing from the tradition system to a personalized production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]