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ObjectiveWhen the CVT is running at high speeds, the force relation between its components is very complex, and when the speed exceeds 8 000 r/min, the metal sheet is prone to wear, resulting in a sharp decrease in the service life of the CVT. Studying the strength and wear of metal strips and metal sheets under high-speed conditions is of great significance for the application and development of CVT in electric vehicles.MethodsThe mechanical model of the metal strip under high-speed conditions was established, and the influence of different speed ratios and rotational speeds on the stress and wear of metal sheets was simulated and analyzed by the Ansys Workbench software, and verified by simulation tests.ResultsThe results show that the stress of the metal sheet increases with the increase of the speed ratio at high speed, and the side wear of the metal sheet increases.

Background Doctor-patient communication is one of the core abilities of general practitioners. Dophisticated doctor-patient communication skills are the basis for building a harmonious doctor-patient relationship, and help to improve patients' sense of gain and satisfaction in seeking medical treatment. However, the communication ability of general practitioners in China is generally low, it is necessary to explore a training mode of doctor-patient communication that adapts to China's national conditions and meets the communication needs of general practitioners in China to improve the communication ability between doctors and patients. Objective To explore the application effect of salon training based on the Calgary-Cambridge Guide in the training of doctor-patient communication ability of resident doctors in standardized training of general practitioners, and to provide reference for the construction of doctor-patient communication training system. Methods Forty cases of general practitioners in Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital Standardized general practice training from 2019 to 2020 were selected as the research object, and randomly divided into salon group and control group, with 20 cases in each group. Salon group used salon training mode based on Calgary-Cambridge guidelines for doctor-patient communication training, while the control group was set as blank control. Before the training and one week after the training, the standardized patient (SP) model was adopted to clinical reception in the two groups, and the doctor-patient communication evaluation scale (SEGUE) was used to evaluate the level of doctor-patient communication, and the training effects of the two groups were compared. Results Finally, 28 cases were included, including 15 cases in the salon group and 13 cases in the control group. After the training, the score of the SEGUE scale of the training doctors in the salon group increased from (11.80±4.36) to (18.07±4.11), and that of the training doctors in the control group increased from (12.15±4.63) to (14.46±3.71). The score of SEGUE scale in Sharon group after training was significantly different from that before training (t=3.250, P< 0.001). There was no significant difference in the score of SEGUE scale between the control group after training and before training (t=2.582, P=0.624). After training, 25 items in the SEGUE scale were analyzed, and the difference between the salon group and the control group was statistically significant (P

Under the condition of high speed, the deformation of the pulley will cause the metal strip to shift along the cone of the pulley, which will aggravate the wear between the various parts of the CVT, which will seriously affect the service life and transmission efficiency of the CVT. Therefore, the mechanical model of the pulley under the condition of high speed was established, the influence of speed ratio, torque, speed and other factors on the axial deformation of the CVT pulley was analyzed by using the finite element method, and the test was verified. The results show that the axial deformation of the pulley decreases with the increase of the speed ratio, and decreases first and then increases with the increase of torque and speed, and the test results are consistent with the analysis results.

Aiming at the problems such as low structural bearing efficiency, structural weight gain, heavy load and cabin noise caused by high rear backbraced engine in BWB layout, based on novel materials and pultruded rod stitched efficient unitized structure(PRSEUS), a multi-disciplinary optimization design method for unconventional circular body structures with aerodynamic, noise, vibration and technological constraints was studied to improve the bearing efficiency and lightweight of structures. Based on the adaptive agent model construction technology, an agent model for the performance analysis of the aerodynamic and noise subsystem of the airframe structure is established to predict the aerodynamic load and noise performance of the airframe structure, and the basic requirements of the aerodynamic and noise performance are transformed into constraints such as geometric size and mechanical response, so that the multi-disciplinary problems are concentrated in a set of finite element analysis model with efficient mathematical programming method. The time-consuming problem of multi-disciplinary high-precision model analysis is solved, and the multi-disciplinary optimization design of the wing-body integrated body structure is realized. Through the finite element analysis of the body structure, the bearing efficiency of the structure has been greatly improved, and the weight loss rate of the central body structure has reached 8.7% under the premise of meeting the constraints of various disciplines.

Abstract As an emerging multi‐energy consumption subject, data centres (DCs) are bound to become crucial energy users for integrated energy systems (IES). Therefore, how to fully tap the potential of the collaborative operation between DCs and IES to improve total energy efficiency and economic performance is becoming a pressing need. In this article, the authors research an optimization coordinated by the energy scheduling and information service provision within the scenario of an integrated energy system with a data centre (IES‐DC). The mathematical model of IES‐DC is first established to reveal the energy conversion process of the electricity‐heat‐gas IES and the DC's energy consumption affected by the scale of active IT equipment. For dynamical providing multi‐energy and computing service by coordinating scheduling energy and information equipment, the formulations of IES‐DC scheduling, which is described as a Markov decision process (MDP), are presented, and it is solved by introducing the twin‐delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3), which is a model‐free deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm. Finally, the numerical studies show that compared with benchmarks, the proposed method based on the TD3 algorithm can effectively control the operation of energy conversion equipment and the number of active servers in IES‐DC.

The rapid growth of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) presents new development opportunities for power systems and energy storage devices. This paper presents a novel integrated Green Building Energy System (GBES) by integrating photovoltaic-energy storage electric vehicle charging station (PV-ES EVCS) and adjacent buildings into a unified system. In this system, the building load is treated as an uncontrollable load and primarily utilized to facilitate the consumption of surplus photovoltaic (PV) power generated by EVCS. First, a strategy for determining the maximum value of the energy storage system (ESS) capacity is presented. Subsequently, to coordinate the charging and discharging plans of ESS, and EVs, a bi-objective optimization model was established focusing on GBES power purchase costs and the load peak-valley difference. The proposed GBES efficiently utilizes the integrated energy system comprising charging stations and adjacent buildings, maximizing the use of photovoltaic energy and external power grids during low-cost periods. In experiments, we compare the proposed optimized charging strategy with the unordered charging case, the simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method for coordinating ESS and EVs charging can respectively reduce the cost of purchased power by 33.2% and the peak-to-valley difference in load by 47.6%.

Abstract [Objective] The study aims to understand the distribution of the species of Schistochila in Guangxi, which not only adding new data for the study of bryophytes in Guangxi, but also adding data for the conservation of bryophyte diversity in China. [Methods] Through recent field surveys and examining specimens of Schistochila from Guangxi Herbarium (IBK), the species diversity was determined by morphological observation and literature review. [Results] Ten specimens of Schistochila from Guangxi were found, and three species of Schistochila in Guangxi were confirmed, namely Schistochila sciurea (Nees) Schiffn.,S. aligera (Nees & Blume) J.B. Jack & Steph., and S. blumei (Nees) Trevis. [Conclusion] Schistochilaceae and Schistochila are reported as new records to Guangxi at the levels of family and genus, respectively. S. sciurea is firstly reported to the bryoflora of China. Description of S. sciurea and diagnostic characters of S. aligera and S. blumei are provided based on the specimens. Each species is accompanied by vouchers, distribution information, and a color plate.

[Objective] Current research mainly focuses on long-term frequency studies in non-karst areas, but there is insufficient research on hydrochemical sampling frequency under different rainfall levels in karst areas Inorder on determining the optimal sampling frequency of hydrochemistry at different rainfall levels in Karst small watersheds. [Methods] Based on high-frequency electrical conductivity (EC) data of different rainfall levels (heavy rainstorm, heavy rain and moderate rain) with a 1 hour interval from June 2022 to July 2023 in the typical Karst small watershed of the central Guizhou Plateau, low-frequency data of 2~15 hours were resampled. Combined with various evaluation indicators and catastrophe point theory, the optimal sampling frequency of hydrochemistry under different rainfall levels in the Karst small watershed was determined. [Results] (1) Due to the influence of geological background, the hydrochemistry response to rainfall in the small watershed of the Karst area is characterized by rapid rise and fall, and the loss of sampling error is large. (2) Factors such as I60 (maximum 60 min rainfall intensity), the number of rain-free days, and the amount of rainfall all impacted the hydrological process, which in turn altered the characteristics of hydrochemical changes and ultimately affected the sampling frequency; (3) It was recommended to use a sampling frequency of 4 hours during heavy rain events, a frequency of 5 hours during moderate rain events when I60>10 mm/h, and 6 hours frequency when I60 was small (I60

Abstract Corrosion of electrocatalysts during electrochemical operations, such as low potential - high potential cyclic swapping, can cause significant performance degradation. However, the electrochemical corrosion dynamics, including structural changes, especially site and composition specific ones, and their correlation with electrochemical processes are hidden due to the insufficient spatial-temporal resolution characterization methods. Using electrochemical liquid cell transmission electron microscopy, we visualize the electrochemical corrosion of Pd@Pt core-shell octahedral nanoparticles towards a Pt nanoframe. The potential-dependent surface reconstruction during multiple continuous in-situ cyclic voltammetry with clear redox peaks is captured, revealing an etching and deposition process of Pd that results in internal Pd atoms being relocated to external surface, followed by subsequent preferential corrosion of Pt (111) terraces rather than the edges or corners, simultaneously capturing the structure evolution also allows to attribute the site-specific Pt and Pd atomic dynamics to individual oxidation and reduction events. This work provides profound insights into the surface reconstruction of nanoparticles during complex electrochemical processes.

Abstract This report presents liquid metal-based infrared-modulating materials and systems with multiple modes to regulate the infrared reflection. Inspired by the brightness adjustment in chameleon skin, shape-morphing liquid metal droplets in silicone elastomer (Ecoflex) matrix are used to resemble the dispersed “melanophores”. In the system, Ecoflex acts as hormone to drive the deformation of liquid metal droplets. Both total and specular reflectance-based infrared camouflage are achieved. Typically, the total and specular reflectances show change of ~44.8% and 61.2%, respectively, which are among the highest values reported for infrared camouflage. Programmable infrared encoding/decoding is explored by adjusting the concentration of liquid metal and applying areal strains. By introducing alloys with different melting points, temperature-dependent infrared painting/writing can be achieved. Furthermore, the multi-layered structure of infrared-modulating system is designed, where the liquid metal-based infrared modulating materials are integrated with an evaporated metallic film for enhanced performance of such system.

ObjectiveTo analyze the distribution of Bacillus cereus （B. cereus） and vomiting toxin gene （ces） in cooked rice samples which simulated contaminated by raw vegetables， and provide basic data for prevention of food poisoning caused by B.cereus.MethodsFifty raw vegetable samples were collected in this study. Simulate method was as contaminated “freshly cooked rice” with 0.85% physiological saline solution from washing raw vegetables， and then place it in a 30 ℃ 70% RH environment for 24 h to prepare a sample of “contaminated rice”. Plate counting， real time PCR and digital PCR were performed for raw vegetable and “contaminated rice” samples. Statistical analysis was performed on the detection rates grouped by different vegetable types for raw vegetable samples and “contaminated rice” contaminated with them.ResultsThe detection ratios of B.cereus， ces gene and Bac16s RNA gene in raw vegetables was 80.00% （40/50）， 0（0/50） and 10.00%（5/50）. The detection ratios of B.cereus， ces gene and Bac16s RNA gene in “contaminated rice” was 94.00% （47/50）， 14.00% （7/50） and 90.00% （45/50）. There was significant difference in the detection ratio of B.cereus between raw vegetables collected from agricultural markets and farmland（χ2=11.063， P=0.000 88 correction）， and the difference in the detection rates of Bac16s RNA gene and ces genes in “contaminated rice” contaminated with the two groups of raw vegetables mentioned above is statistically significant（χ2=3.926， P=0.047 5 correction； χ2=5.444， P=0.019 6 correction）. Seven “contaminated rice” were tested positive for the ces gene using real time PCR， with Ct values ranging from 24.12 to 37.73， and digital PCR results ranging from 6.8 copes/μL-6.2×106 copes/μL.ConclusionCooked rice samples which simulated contaminated by raw vegetables might be has the etiology characteristics that lead to a risk of food poisoning caused by B.cereus.

Direct harvesting of abundant solar thermal energy within organic phase-change materials (PCMs) has emerged as a promising way to overcome the intermittency of renewable solar energy and pursue high-efficiency heating-related applications. Organic PCMs, however, generally suffer from several common shortcomings including melting-induced leakage, poor solar absorption, and low thermal conductivity. Compounding organic PCMs with single-component carbon materials faces the difficulty in achieving optimized comprehensive performance enhancement. Herein, this work reports the employment of hybrid expanded graphite (EG) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to simultaneously realize leakage-proofness, high solar absorptance, high thermal conductivity, and large latent heat storage capacity. The PCM composites were prepared by directly mixing commercial high-temperature paraffin (HPA) powders, EG, and CNTs, followed by subsequent mechanical compression molding. The HPA-EG composites loaded with 20 wt% of EG could effectively suppress melting-induced leakage. After further compounding with 1 wt% of CNTs, the form-stable HPA-EG20-CNT1 composites achieved an axial and in-plane thermal conductivity of 4.15 W/m K and 18.22 W/m K, and a melting enthalpy of 165.4 J/g, respectively. Through increasing the loading of CNTs to 10 wt% in the top thin layer, we further prepared double-layer HPA-EG-CNT composites, which have a high surface solar absorptance of 92.9% for the direct conversion of concentrated solar illumination into storable latent heat. The charged composites could be combined with a thermoelectric generator to release the stored latent heat and generate electricity, which could power up small electric devices such as light-emitting diodes. This work demonstrates the potential for employing hybrid fillers to optimize the thermophysical properties and solar thermal harvesting performances of organic PCMs.

Abstract A PID‐inspired accelerated distributed optimal control algorithm is proposed for the economic dispatch problem of a multi‐bus DC microgrid, which contains both conventional generators (CGs) and renewable generators (RGs). Firstly, a constrained optimization problem with the aim of minimizing the power generation cost of the DC microgrid is established. To solve the optimization problem, an accelerated distributed optimal control algorithm in the discrete‐time domain is proposed. The convergence speed of the proposed algorithm is significantly improved compared to the existing distributed optimization algorithms without acceleration terms. More importantly, the communication cost is greatly reduced. The proposed algorithm is in a fully distributed manner, which means each controller only relies on the limited information from neighbouring controllers to achieve optimal cooperative control and bus voltage regulation across multiple buses. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is validated through numerical simulations.

Objective: This study aimed to establish a method for the Preparation of matrix reference material for carbaryl residues in Chinese yam flour. Methods: Yam powder containing menafyl was prepared by homogenized, freeze-dried, ground, sifted, mixed and packaged. A liquid chromatography-series mass spectrometer was used for detection, and the isotope internal standard curve method was used for quantification. Through the process of equalization stability evaluation, cooperative setting and uncertainty evaluation, the matrix reference material of the expected yam powder was obtained. Results: The property value and expanded uncertainty of carbaryl was (1.04±0.10) mg/kg (k=2). Conclusion: It could be used for food laboratory method verification, quality control and other activities.

Chinese cabbage is an important vegetable from both a nutritional and an economic standpoint, with the leafy head serving as the primary harvested organ. However, the nutrient accumulation as well as influencing factors within the leafy head have not yet been elucidated. Thus, the distribution of metabolites (soluble sugars, minerals, carotenoids, vitamin C, flavonoid compounds, glucosinolates, and total phenolic compounds) were investigated in different leaf layers of Chinese cabbage with varying head types. The results showed that the inner leaves consistently displayed markedly higher levels of fructose and glucose when contrasted with the outer leaves. Similarly, there was an accumulation of glucosinolates in the inner leaves. By contrast, however, the antioxidants content exhibited a consistent decline from the outer leaves towards the central core, in line with the diminishing antioxidant capacity. This descending trend was also apparent in the mineral content, encompassing calcium, sodium, magnesium and sulfur. These results will provide dietary instruction, especially for consumers who have particular dietary needs.

Abstract Detecting the critical points of phase transitions and their driver factors in complex systems from data is a very challenging task. In these regards, the dynamic network biomarker/marker (DNB) method derived from the bifurcation theory is currently very popular, but a unified criterion to pick the most appropriate DNBs is lacking. Here, we propose a giant-component-based DNB (GDNB) method inspired by the percolation theory, that directly selects the largest DNB as the transition core to reflect the progress of the transition. We test the effectiveness of this scheme to detect transitions on three distinct systems, differing in terms of interactions and transitions: Monte Carlo simulations of the 2D Ising model, molecular dynamics simulations of protein folding, and measured gene expression time course in mouse muscle regeneration. These results suggest that the GDNB method inherits all the advantages of the DNB method, while it improves the interpretability at a reduced computational complexity.

Objective To construct a urinary retention risk assessment scale for patients after primary hip replacement and test its reliability and validity. Methods The item pool of the scale was formed by combining literature review, semi-structured interview, Delphi expert letter consultation and pre-survey. A total of 27 patients who underwent primary hip replacement in a Class A tertiary specialized hospital in Chongqing from July to August 2021 were subjected with convenience sampling for pre-investigation. Then 114 patients who underwent primary hip replacement from August 2021 to June 2022 were selected for item analysis and reliability and validity test to further verify the stability of the scale structure. Results A risk assessment scale for urinary retention after primary hip replacement was constructed, which included 3 dimensions and 12 items. The content validity index of the scale was 0.800, Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.758, and test-retest reliability was 0.935. The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the diagnostic threshold of urinary retention risk assessment scale for patients with primary hip replacement was 17, the AUC was 0.704 (95%CI 0.578~0.830), the sensitivity was 63.6%, and the specificity was 71.8%. The scale grading results were as follows: 17≤ total score

Abstract Control of convection plays an important role in heat transfer regulation, bio/chemical sensing, phase separation, etc. Current convection controlling systems generally depend on engineered energy sources to drive and manipulate the convection, which brings additional energy consumption into the system. Here the use of human hand as a natural and sustainable infrared (IR) radiation source for the manipulation of liquid convection is demonstrated. The fluid can sense the change of the relative position or the shape of the hand with the formation of different convection patterns. Besides the generation of static complex patterns, dynamic manipulation of convections can also be realized via moving of hand or finger. The use of such sustainable convections to control the movement of a floating “boat” is further achieved. The use of human hands as the natural energy sources provides a promising approach for the manipulation of liquid convection without the need of extra external energy, which may be further utilized for low‐cost and intelligent bio/chemical sensing and separation.

Pectin cellulose grafted with glycidyltrimethylammoniochloride (GTMAC) was successfully obtained following the processes of depectinfibrillation and cellulose cationization using ordinary Shatian pomelo peel produced in Yongzhou, Hunan, as the raw material. This is the first report on a new type of functionalized sodium alginate-immobilized material prepared from the fibers of pomelo peel. The material was prepared by combining modified pomelo peel cellulose and sodium alginate following the processes of physical and chemical double cross-linking. The prepared material was used to embed the target bacteria to achieve the biodegradation of p-aniline. The concentration of CaCl2 was adjusted when the alginate gelled, and the alginate to yuzu peel cellulose ratio was tuned. The immobilized material-embedded bacteria help achieve the best degradation effect. Bacteria are embedded during the process of the degradation of aniline wastewater, and the functionalization of the cellulose/sodium alginate-immobilized material results in unique surface structure performance. The performance of the prepared system is better than that of the single sodium alginate-based material characterized by a large surface area and good mechanical properties. The degradation efficiency of the system is improved significantly for the cellulose materials, and the prepared materials can potentially find applications in the field of bacteria-fixed technology. HIGHLIGHTS Pomelo peel fiber was extracted for the first time and used in the preparation of immobilized material.; By combining with sodium alginate, the specific surface area of the fixed material can be increased by the pomelo peel fiber with a spiral tube shape and rough surface.; The cationic-modified pomelo peel fiber can improve the mechanical properties and stability of the immobilized material by ionic bonding.;

Inorganic hydrated salt phase change materials (PCMs) hold promise for improving the energy conversion efficiency of thermal systems and facilitating the exploration of renewable thermal energy. Hydrated salts, however, often suffer from low thermal conductivity, supercooling, phase separation, leakage and poor solar absorptance. In recent years, compounding hydrated salts with functional carbon materials has emerged as a promising way to overcome these shortcomings and meet the application demands. This work reviews the recent progress in preparing carbon-enhanced hydrated salt phase change composites for thermal management applications. The intrinsic properties of hydrated salts and their shortcomings are firstly introduced. Then, the advantages of various carbon materials and general approaches for preparing carbon-enhanced hydrated salt PCM composites are briefly described. By introducing representative PCM composites loaded with carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, graphene oxide, graphene, expanded graphite, biochar, activated carbon and multifunctional carbon, the ways that one-dimensional, two-dimensional, three-dimensional and hybrid carbon materials enhance the comprehensive thermophysical properties of hydrated salts and affect their phase change behavior is systematically discussed. Through analyzing the enhancement effects of different carbon fillers, the rationale for achieving the optimal performance of the PCM composites, including both thermal conductivity and phase change stability, is summarized. Regarding the applications of carbon-enhanced hydrate salt composites, their use for the thermal management of electronic devices, buildings and the human body is highlighted. Finally, research challenges for further improving the overall thermophysical properties of carbon-enhanced hydrated salt PCMs and pushing towards practical applications and potential research directions are discussed. It is expected that this timely review could provide valuable guidelines for the further development of carbon-enhanced hydrated salt composites and stimulate concerted research efforts from diverse communities to promote the widespread applications of high-performance PCM composites.

Energy conservation, emission reduction and vigorous development of new energy are inevitable trends in the development of the power industry, but factors such as energy storage loss, solar energy loss and line loss in real power situations have led the problem to a complex direction. To address these intricacies, we use a more precise modeling approach of power loss and propose a collaborative optimization method integrating the Deep-Q-Network (DQN) algorithm with the multi-head attention mechanism. This algorithm calculates weighted features of the system’s states to compute the Q-values and priorities for determining the next operational directives of the energy system. Through extensive simulations that replicate real world microgrid (MG) scenarios, our investigation substantiates that the optimization methodology presented here effectively governs the distribution of energy resources. It accomplishes this while accommodating uncertainty-induced losses, ultimately achieving the economic optimization of MG. This research provides a new approach to deal with problems such as energy loss, which is expected to improve economic efficiency and sustainability in areas such as microgrids.

The full face electric control drill rod adding device and control system are designed. The mechanical arm device of the device realizes the automatic conveying and auxiliary makeup functions of drill pipe, and solves the safety problems during manual pipe adding and auxiliary makeup; the drill pipe silo of the device has the functions of drill pipe storage, queue movement and convenient rod patching, which solves the problems of frequent manual handling of drill pipes, high labor intensity and low safety; the anti misoperation logic control loop of the device control system eliminates the mechanical collision problem that may be caused by misoperation; the single condition pressure limiting circuit of the device control system solves the problem that the maximum demand load depends on experience when making up is difficult to judge; the electric control of the device control system not only realizes the sequence logic control of the whole process of the rod adding, but also realizes the interlocking of the rod adding and drilling action, further improves the safety of the electric control operation. The full section electric control drill pipe adding device can realize the functions of one key pipe adding and automatic makeup, and it is convenient to fill the drill pipe. Compared with the manual installation of drill pipe, the efficiency is improved, the safety is significantly improved, the labor intensity of workers is significantly reduced, and the hidden danger of wrong operation is eliminated.

Abstract Background and purpose The complications of radical surgery for cervical cancer can increase patient suffering and affect their quality of life. This retrospective study assessed the safety of radical hysterectomy (RH) with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) by observing the complications of patients with cervical cancer who underwent this procedure in a single centre over 10 years. Our findings may provide experience and evidence for preventing and reducing complications. Methods A total of 2226 cervical cancer patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. All patients underwent RH + PLND. Intraoperative injury to adjacent tissues and short-term and long-term complications were recorded to analyze factors associated with the occurrence of complications. Results Postoperative complications occurred in 34.41% (766/2226) of patients, including 7.68% of patients with injury to adjacent tissues, 31.45% with short-term complications, and 2.96% with long-term complications. Age, tumor size, invasion depth, parametrial invasion, lymph vascular space invasion (LVSI), lymph node metastasis, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and surgical procedure were closely associated with the postoperative complications of RH + PLND (P IB2, and who underwent open surgery were more prone to complications.

Glossiness is an important quality-related trait of Chinese cabbage, which is a leafy vegetable crop in the family Brassicaceae. The glossy trait is caused by abnormal cuticular wax accumulation. In this study, on the basis of a bulked segregant analysis coupled with next-generation sequencing (BSA-seq) and fine-mapping, the most likely candidate gene responsible for the glossy phenotype of Chinese cabbage was identified. It was subsequently named Brcer2 because it is homologous to AtCER2 (At4g24510). A bioinformatics analysis indicated a long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1) transposable element (named BrLINE1-RUP) was inserted into the first exon of Brcer2 in HN19-G via an insertion-mediated deletion mechanism, which introduced a premature termination codon. Gene expression analysis showed that the InDel mutation of BrCER2 reduced the transcriptional expression levels of Brcer2 in HN19-G. An analysis of cuticular waxes suggested that a loss-of-function mutation to BrCER2 in Chinese cabbage leads to a severe decrease in the abundance of very-long-chain-fatty-acids (> C28), resulting in the production of a cauline leaf, inflorescence stem, flower, and pistil with a glossy phenotype. These findings imply the insertion of the LINE-1 transposable element BrLINE1-RUP into BrCER2 can modulate the waxy traits of Chinese cabbage plants.

In recent years, the reduction of high carbon emissions has become a paramount objective for industries worldwide. In response, enterprises and industries are actively pursuing low-carbon transformations. Within this context, power systems have a pivotal role, as they are the primary drivers of national development. Efficient energy scheduling and utilization have therefore become critical concerns. The convergence of smart grid technology and artificial intelligence has propelled transformer load forecasting to the forefront of enterprise power demand management. Traditional forecasting methods relying on regression analysis and support vector machines are ill-equipped to handle the growing complexity and diversity of load forecasting requirements. This paper presents a BERT-based power load forecasting method that leverages natural language processing and image processing techniques to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of transformer load forecasting in smart grids. The proposed approach involves using BERT for data preprocessing, analysis, and feature extraction on long-term historical load data from power grid transformers. Multiple rounds of training and fine-tuning are then conducted on the BERT architecture using the preprocessed training datasets. Finally, the trained BERT model is used to predict the transformer load, and the predicted results are compared with those obtained based on long short-term memory (LSTM) and actual composite values. The experimental results show that compared with LSTM method, the BERT-based model has higher short-term power load prediction accuracy and feature extraction capability. Moreover, the proposed scheme enables high levels of accuracy, thereby providing valuable support for resource management in power dispatching departments and offering theoretical guidance for carbon reduction initiatives.

Objective To explore the expression and significance of serum DKK1 in patients with gastric cancer. Methods We selected 170 gastric cancer patients (gastric cancer group) and 170 subjects with non-gastric cancer during the same period (control group). ELISA was used to detect the DKK1 level. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance, and we analyzed the relation between DKK1 level and age, gender, family history of gastric cancer, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, tumor size, TNM stage, infiltration depth, lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, vascular invasion, perineural invasion. Results The serum DDK1 level in GC patients was higher than that in control group (P < 0.0001). ROC curve showed that the possible optimal cut-off value of DKK1 for gastric cancer patients was 167.8 pg/ml, AUC was 0.908, sensitivity was 80.59%, and specificity was 84.71%. There was no significant relation between the serum DKK1 level and age, gender, family history of gastric cancer, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, tumor size, liver metastasis, vascular invasion or distant metastasis (all P > 0.05). However, DKK1 level was significantly related with TNM stage, infiltration depth, lymph node metastasis and perineural invasion (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Serum DKK1 level is higher in gastric cancer patients than that of control group and related with the severity of lesions, which indicates that serum DKK1 may be a potential biomarker for gastric cancer screening.

The IR radiation from human hand can selectively interact with grating patterns in the generation of distinct IR structural colors, which can be used for human-machine interaction with flexible interaction distance in low or no light conditions.

The basic design principles and structural characteristics of the feeding device of drilling rig in underground coal mine are analyzed. According to the demand of long-stroke, a feeding device by the series and parallel combination cylinder is developed, the theoretical calculation method of key parameters of the feeding device is given, and the changes of effective feeding force and pulling force are analyzed by fitting curve. The analysis shows that the effective feeding force and pulling force decrease with the increase of wear. The maximum feeding force and pulling force of the drilling rig were tested, and the validity of the theoretical calculation method was verified.

Abstract Graphene‐based composites show great potential in the development of lightweight functional devices and systems, and polymers are usually used as binders to enhance the mechanical properties of these composites. Due to the low thermal conductivity of the polymer and the high inherent interfacial thermal resistance between polymer and graphene, however, the developed devices and systems generally possess low thermal conductivity, which seriously limits their further thermal‐related applications. Here, a lightweight two‐phase heat transport device (TPHTD) based on a vapor‐liquid phase transition‐based heat transfer by using a graphene‐based composite material as the casing is generated. The graphene‐based TPHTD has high thermal conductivity of up to 1408 W (mK)−1 and realizes ultra‐high specific thermal conductivity of ≈5600 W (mKg)−1. This graphene‐based device with lightweight and high heat transfer capacity offers new opportunities for efficient thermal management of compact, portable, or wearable electronic and power systems.

This review summarized the technical route and development process of matrix reference materials in China, and the current research progress of steroid hormone matrix reference materials were also introduced. The problems existing in the development and production of matrix reference materials in China and the future development are prospectsed.

Abstract Background To analyze the risk factors for pedicle screw invasion of the proximal facet joint after lumbar surgery. Methods From January 2019 to January 2021, 1794 patients with lumbar degenerative disease, such as lumbar disc herniation, lumbar spinal stenosis and lumbar spondylolisthesis, were treated at our hospital. In all, 1221 cases were included. General data (sex, age, BMI), bone mineral density, proximal facet joint angle, degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, isthmic lumbar spondylolisthesis and fixed segment in the two groups were recorded. After the operation, vertebral CT of the corresponding surgical segments was performed for three-dimensional reconstruction and evaluation of whether the vertebral arch root screw interfered with the proximal facet joint. The included cases were divided into an invasion group and a noninvasion group. Univariate analysis was used to screen the risk factors for pedicle screw invasion of the proximal facet joint after lumbar surgery, and the selected risk factors were included in the logistic model for multivariate analysis. Results The single-factor analysis showed a significant difference in age, BMI, proximal facet joint angle, degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, and fixed segment (P 28 kg/m2 (P 45°: P 28 kg/m2), proximal facet joint angle (35 ~ 45°, > 45°), degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, isthmic lumbar spondylolisthesis and fixed segment (lower lumbar spine) are independent risk factors for pedicle screw invasion of the proximal facet joint after lumbar surgery. Compared with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, facet joint intrusion is more likely in isthmic lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Abstract Background Pedicle screw invasion of the proximal articular process will cause local articular process degeneration and acceleration, which is an important factor affecting adjacent segment degeneration. Although lumbar spondylolisthesis is a risk factor for screw invasion of the proximal joint, there is no clear conclusion regarding the two different types of spondylolisthesis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the influence of pedicle screw placement on proximal facet invasion in the treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis and isthmic spondylolisthesis. Methods In total, 468 cases of lumbar spondylolisthesis treated by decompression and fusion in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Among them, 238 cases were degenerative spondylolisthesis (group A), and 230 cases were isthmic spondylolisthesis (group B). Sex, age, body mass index, bone mineral density, preoperative visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, postoperative VAS and ODI scores at 1 month and 3 months, and angle of the proximal facet joint at the last follow-up were recorded and compared between the two groups. The degree of pedicle screw invasion of the proximal facet joint was graded and compared by the SEO grading method. Results There were no significant differences in sex, age, body mass index, bone mineral density, preoperative VAS and ODI scores, or proximal facet joint angle between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS and ODI scores between the two groups at 1 month and 3 months after the operation (P > 0.05). The VAS score of group A at the last follow-up was 1 (1,2). The VAS score of group B at the last follow-up was 3 (1,3). The ODI score of group A at the last follow-up was 6(4,26). The ODI score of group B at the last follow-up was 15(8,36). The VAS and ODI scores of the two groups at the last follow-up were significantly different (P < 0.05). According to the SEO grading method, the invasion of the proximal articular process by pedicle screw placement in group A involved 320 cases in grade 0, 128 cases in grade I and 28 cases in grade II. In group B, there were 116 cases in grade 0, 248 cases in grade I and 96 cases in grade II, with a significant difference (P < 0.01). Conclusion In summary, a certain number of cases involving screws invading the proximal facet joint occurred in the two different types of lumbar spondylolisthesis, but the number in the isthmic spondylolisthesis group was significantly higher than that in the degenerative spondylolisthesis group, which caused more trauma to the proximal facet joint and significantly affected the patient prognosis.

The Light-Oxygen-Voltage 2 (LOV2) domain of Avena Sativa phototropin 1 (AsLOV2) protein is one of the most studied domains in the field of designing photoswitches. This is due to the several unique features in the AsLOV2, such as the monomeric structure of the protein in both light and dark states and the relatively short transition time between the two states. Despite that, not many studies focus on the effect of the secondary structures on the drastic conformational change between the light and dark states. In this study, we focus on the role of A’α helix as a key player in the transition between both states using various computational tools as: 1.5 μs molecular dynamics simulations for each configuration, Markov state model, different machine learning techniques, and community analysis. The impact of the A’α helix was studied on the atomistic level by introducing two groups of mutations, helicity enhancing mutations (T406A and T407A) and helicity disrupting mutations (L408D and R410P), as well as on the overall secondary structure by using the community analysis. Maintaining the N-terminal hydrogen bond network was found to be essential for the transition between the two states. Via in-depth hydrogen bonding and contact analysis we were able to identify key residues (Thr407 and Arg410) involved in the functional conformational switch and their impact on the overall protein dynamics. Moreover, the community analysis highlighted the significant role of the β sheets in the overall protein allosteric process.

BackgroundTo enrich the probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains and expand the commercialization of new fermented juice products, we have identified two LAB strains with excellent potential in fermenting apple juice from pickles.MethodsThe two strains were morphologically, physiologically, and genetically characterized. The strains’ fermentation performance and alterations in volatile aroma components of apple juice and ability to survive in a simulated gastrointestinal environment were evaluated.ResultsTwo strains were identified as Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (WFC 414) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (WFC 502). The growth of WFC 414 and WFC 502 in apple juice for 48 h reached 8.81 and 9.33 log CFU/mL, respectively. Furthermore, 92% and 95% survival rates were achieved in 2 h simulated gastric juice, and 80.7 and 83.6% survival rates in 4 h simulated intestinal juice. During the fermentation, WFC 414 and WFC 502 reduced the soluble sugars and total polyphenols in apple juice, and consumed malic acid to produce large amounts of lactic acid (3.48 and 5.94 mg/mL). In addition, the esters and aldehydes were reduced, and the production of alcohols, acids and ketones was elevated in the apple juice fermented by both strains.ConclusionThese results show that WFC 414 and WFC 502 have great potential applications in the fermented fruit juice industry.

In the current study, we explore coarse-grained simulations and atomistic molecular dynamics together with binding energetics scanning and cryptic pocket detection in a comparative examination of conformational landscapes and systematic characterization of allosteric binding sites in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2, BA.2.75 and XBB.1 spike full-length trimer complexes with the host receptor ACE2. Microsecond simulations, Markov state models and mutational scanning of binding energies of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2 and BA.2.75 receptor binding domain complexes revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the BA.2.75 variant and significant dynamic differences between these Omicron variants. Molecular simulations of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike full-length trimer complexes with the ACE2 receptor complemented atomistic studies and enabled an in-depth analysis of mutational and binding effects on conformational dynamic and functional adaptability of the Omicron variants. Despite considerable structural similarities, Omicron variants BA.2, BA.2.75 and XBB.1 can induce unique conformational dynamic signatures and specific distributions of the conformational states. Using conformational ensembles of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike trimer complexes with ACE2, we conducted a comprehensive cryptic pocket screening to examine the role of Omicron mutations and ACE2 binding on the distribution and functional mechanisms of the emerging allosteric binding sites. This analysis captured all experimentally known allosteric sites and discovered networks of inter-connected and functionally relevant allosteric sites that are governed by variant-sensitive conformational adaptability of the SARS-CoV-2 spike structures. The results detailed how ACE2 binding and Omicron mutations in the BA.2, BA.2.75 and XBB.1 spike complexes modulate the distribution of conserved and druggable allosteric pockets harboring functionally important regions. The results are significant for understanding the functional roles of druggable cryptic pockets that can be used for allostery-mediated therapeutic intervention targeting conformational states of the Omicron variants.

Recent years have witnessed a growing trend in the participation of renewable energy on the generation side and relatively high peak loads on the demand side, which makes it gradually challenging for traditional methods concentrating separately on the generation side to maintain system balance. Load resources, with potentialities to provide faster and more economical responses to balance signals, are able to make contributions to system balance through demand response(DR) programs in addition. With the reformation and development of the electricity market, load aggregators(LAs) pear as representatives of small-scale customers and generations to meet response limitations and participate in DR programs. The LA in this paper, which aggregates residential customers and a PV system with battery energy storage(BES) units, balances the power by optimal scheduling and bidding in Day-ahead(DA) and real-time(RT) markets based on real-time electricity price(RTP). And the objective of this paper is to maximize the profits of LA. A majority of papers use deterministic methods for the modeling of renewable generations and residential loads. However, influenced by multiple factors, the actual renewable outputs and residential responsive loads towards real-time electricity prices are unavoidably uncertain. These uncertainties bring risks to LA’s scheduling and bidding strategies, which results in the reduction of LA’s profits. A stochastic model based on the scenario generation method is adopted to reflect the uncertainties of customers’ responsive loads and the PV system’s outputs. The objective profit function turns out to be a risk function influenced by uncertain factors and the risk control method conditional risk at value(CVaR) is integrated to obtain optimal solutions for this maximization problem. Case studies have verified the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

Objective To determine the effects of glutamine-enhanced nutritional intervention on the tolerance of early postoperative nutritional support and on the inflammatory response in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery. Methods A total of 113 elderly patients admitted to our hospital due to hip fracture from January 2019 to December 2020 were recruited in this study. According to the order of admission, they were divided into control group (n=57, routine nutrition intervention) and experimental group (n=56, nutritional intervention program with adjuvant glutamine enhancement). The incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting, first postoperative anal exhaust time, first postoperative feeding time, thirst/hunger visual scale scores in 1 h before and after surgery, and serum levels of total protein, albumin and C-reactive protein, neutrophil percentage and white blood cell count on the third day after surgery were compared between the 2 groups. Results No reflux aspiration occurred in the both groups. There were no statistical differences between the 2 groups in the preoperative and postoperative 1-hour scores of thirst vision scale, preoperative 1-hour score of hunger vision scale, and the serum levels of total protein and albumin on the third postoperative day. The experimental group had significantly lower C-reactive protein level on the third day after operation (P < 0.05), earlier first exhaust of anus and first feeding (P < 0.01), higher postoperative 1-hour score of hunger vision scale (P < 0.05), and lower incidences of nausea and vomiting (P < 0.05) when compared with the control group. Conclusion The adjuvant fortified glutamine nutrition intervention program is helpful to improve the early postoperative enteral nutrition tolerance and to reduce postoperative inflammatory response in elderly patients after hip fracture surgery.

Abstract Background GPRIN1 may be a novel tumor regulator, but its role and mechanism in tumors are still unclear. Methods First, a pan‐cancer correlation analysis was conducted on the expression and prognosis of GPRIN1 based on the data downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Second, the Starbase database was used to predict the upstream miRNAs and lncRNAs of GPRIN1, and the expression analysis, survival analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to screen the microRNA (miRNAs)/long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that had a correlation with kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) or lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Third, the CIBERSORT algorithm was employed to calculate the proportion of various types of immune cells, and then the R packages were used for evaluating the relation between GPRIN1 expression and tumor immune cell infiltration as well as between GPRIN1 and the immune cell biomarker. Finally, the correlation analysis was made on GPRIN1 and immune checkpoints (CD274, CTLA4, and PDCD1). Results The pan‐cancer analysis suggested that GPRIN1 was up‐expressed in KIRP and LUAD, and it correlated with poor prognosis. LINC00894/MMP25‐AS1/SNHG1/LINC02298/MIR193BHG‐miR‐140‐3p was likely to be the most promising upstream regulation pathway of GPRIN1. Upexpression of LINC00894/MMP25‐AS1/SNHG1/LINC02298/MIR193BHG and downexpression of miR‐140‐3p were found relevant with poor outcomes of KIRP and LUAD. GPRIN1 expression was significantly correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration, immune cell biomarkers, and immune checkpoints. Conclusions The competitive endogenous (ceRNA) of miR‐140‐3p‐GPRIN1 axis and its upstream lncRNAs are closely related to KIRP and LUAD, and might affect the prognosis and therapeutic effect of KIRP and LUAD.

Objective To investigate the effect of down-regulation of ribosomal protein l15 (rpl15) gene on early hematopoietic development in zebrafish. Methods The rpl15 morphilino antisense oligo (MO) was designed and synthesized to down-regulate the expression of rpl15 by microinjection into embryo of zebrafish (0~0.75 hpf) at the unicellular stage. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to verify the effectiveness of down-regulating rpl15 gene. The development of the injected (MO) and wild-type (WT) groups were observed separately using a somatic microscope. O-dianisidine staining was used to detect the expression of hemoglobin. qRT-PCR was used to detect the changes in the expression of the red lineage-specific transcription factors hbae3 and hbbe1. Whole embryo in situ hybridization and qRT-PCR were performed to detect the changes in the expression of key transcription factors of early hematopoietic development such as red lineage-specific transcription factor gata1, myeloid transcription factor pu.1, granulocyte marker mpo, targeted he matopoietic marker transcription factors runx1 and c-myb, and primitive group cell hematopoietic markers scl and lmo2. TUNEL assay was used to detect the changes of apoptosis in hematopoietic group. Results Microinjection of rpl15 MO successfully down-regulated the expression of rpl15 in zebrafish, and the MO-injected group exhibited abnormal phenotypes such as body segment curvature, developmental delay, and pericardial edema when compared with the control group. Hemoglobin synthesis was significantly reduced in the MO group than the control group. The results of in situ hybridization indicated that the expression of gata1 was significantly reduced (P < 0.05), but the mRNA levels of pu.1, mpo, runx1, c-myb and lmo2 were not affected, while that of scl was obviously reduced (P < 0.05). TUNEL assay showed no significant change in apoptosis of hematopoietic progenitor cells. Conclusion Down-regulation of rpl15 inhibits the early hematopoietic development of zebrafish, and it may be related to the significantly reduced expression of gata1 and scl.

The commercial active dry yeast strains used for cider production in China are far behind the requirements of the cider industry development in recent decades. In this study, eight yeasts, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Pichia bruneiensis, and Pichia kudriavzevii, were screened and assessed by growth performance, methanol production, aroma analysis, and their transcriptive characterization. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains WFC-SC-071 and WFC-SC-072 were identified as promising alternatives for cider production. Strains WFC-SC-071 and WFC-SC-072 showed an excellent growth capacity characterized by 91.6 and 88.8% sugar utilization, respectively. Methanol production by both strains was below 200 mg/L. Key aroma compounds imparting cider appreciably characteristic aroma increased in cider fermented by strains WFC-SC-071 and WFC-SC-072. RT-qPCR analysis suggested that most genes associated with growth capacity, carbohydrate uptake, and aroma production were upregulated in WFC-SC-071 and WFC-SC-072. Overall, two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains are the optimal starters for cider production to enable the diversification of cider, satisfy the differences in consumer demand, and promote cider industry development.

Abstract Smart city has obtained increasing attention from both academic and industry which has the potential to improve human living standards. A smart city consists of a great number of smart devices which are generating large amounts of data and emerging applications all the time. However, the computing capacity of smart devices are limited. Fortunately, the emergence of MEC can solve the above problem. However, the resources of edge servers in MEC are limited and the capabilities of edge servers are heterogeneous. It is important to improve the average resource utilization of all edge servers and keep load balancing of edge server cluster simultaneously. On the other hand, quite a few numbers of applications are delay-sensitive, it is necessary to ensure the security of these applications. In this paper, we consider joint optimization of mobile device and edge server in MEC-enabled smart city, improving the overall performance of the system. Technically, a new multi-objective computation offloading method is implemented to reduce time consumption, energy consumption, and keep load balancing of edge servers, as well as increase average resource utilization of edge servers while meeting the deadline constraint of delay-sensitive applications. Sufficient experiments have been conducted to prove the effectiveness and superiority of our proposed method in different scenarios.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes for patients with stage IB2/IIA2 cervical squamous cell carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with radical surgery. Methods A total of 68 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma were randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 35) and the control group (n = 33). The patients in the experimental group received paclitaxel plus cisplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy for two cycles, then underwent radical hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy at 2 weeks post-chemotherapy. The control group only underwent radical hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy after the diagnosis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The toxic and side effects of chemotherapy in the experimental group were observed. Also, the operation method, operation time, blood loss, grade of wound healing, complications, and postoperative pathology were noted in the two groups. Primary foci and pelvic lymph node recurrence and distant metastasis were observed, and 3-year and 5-year survival rates were calculated. Results Only one patient in the experiment had grade III bone marrow suppression; no other grade III and IV chemotherapy toxic reactions were observed. The operation was successfully completed in all patients. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, placement of the ureteral catheter, bladder injury, ureteric injury, postoperative urinary tub, pelvic drainage tube indwelling time, anal exhaust time, postoperative complications, and metastatic ratio of lymph nodes were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). The number of dissected lymph nodes, deep myometrial invasion, and vascular tumor emboli showed a significant difference in the experimental group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The 3-year disease-free survival (82.9% vs 81.9%), 5-year disease-free survival (71.4% vs 60.6%), 3-year overall survival (91.4% vs 87.8%), and 5-year overall survival (82.9% vs 75.6%) were not statistically significantly different between the experimental group and the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusions Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in IB2/IIA2 stage cervical squamous cell carcinoma showed low toxic side effects. Radical surgery after chemotherapy is safe and feasible. It plays a coordinating role in reducing the tumor infiltration depth of the deep muscle layer and the incidence of vascular tumor emboli, reducing the use of postoperative adjuvant therapy, and improving the quality of life of patients, but does not improve the 3-year/5-year survival rate.