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Typhoons are recurring meteorological phenomena in the southeastern coastal area of China, frequently triggering debris flows and other forms of slope failures that result in significant economic damage and loss of life in densely populated and economically active regions. Accurate prediction of typhoon-triggered debris flows and identification of high-risk zones are imperative for effective risk management. Surprisingly, little attention has been devoted to the construction of physical vulnerability curves in typhoon-affected areas, as a basis for risk assessment. To address this deficiency, this paper presents a quantitative method for developing physical vulnerability curves for buildings by modeling debris flow intensity and building damage characteristics. In this study, we selected the Wangzhuangwu watershed, in Zhejiang Province of China, which was impacted by a debris flow induced by Typhoon Lekima on August 10, 2019. We conducted detailed field surveys after interpreting remote sensing imagery to analyze the geological features and the mechanism of the debris flow and constructed a comprehensive database of building damage characteristics. To model the 2019 debris flow initiation, entrainment, and deposition processes, we applied the Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) approach and a two-dimensional debris flow model (FLO-2D). The reconstructed debris flow depth and extent were validated using observed debris flow data. We generated physical vulnerability curves for different types of building structures, taking into account both the degree of building damage and the modeled debris flow intensity, including flow depth and impact pressure. Based on calibrated rheological parameters, we modeled the potential intensity of future debris flows while considering various recurrence frequencies of triggering rainfall events. Subsequently, we calculated the vulnerability index and economic risk associated with buildings for different frequencies of debris flow events, employing diverse vulnerability functions that factored in uncertainty in both intensity indicators and building structures. We observed that the vulnerability function utilizing impact pressure as the intensity indicator tends to be more conservative than the one employing flow depth as a parameter. This comprehensive approach efficiently generated physical vulnerability curves and a debris flow risk map, providing valuable insights for effective disaster prevention in areas prone to debris flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counterweight retaining walls (CRWs) are a variant of gravity-retaining walls that feature a pressure relief platform (RP) on the backfill side to reduce total earth pressure, offering a cost-effective option compared to traditional forms. However, the intricate interactions between CRWs and backfill, coupled with the lack of clear design guidelines, have restricted their use. This study examines the behavior of CRWs in translation mode using three different centrifuge model tests, each with varying fill heights. Observations show a slightly concave slip surface through the wall heel and a nearly planar slip surface extending from the edge of the RP to the back of the wall in an active limit state. Backfill movement can be classified into translation, sliding, and stable zones. Earth pressure distribution on the upper wall follows a trapezoidal pattern, whereas the pressure on the lower wall exhibits a triangular distribution. Earth pressure on the RP is approximately linear, peaking near the RP's edge. Introducing a friction angle mobilization factor for the potential first slip surface improves accuracy in calculating earth pressure. The tests were replicated to validate the analytical model for earth pressure calculations, using the adaptive finite-element limit analysis method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are regarded as a promising alternative for energy storage due to their safety, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. Manganese dioxide is considered a promising cathode material for energy storage because of its abundant reserves and high energy density. However, its inherent low electronic conductivity and limited cycling performance due to structural instability hinder its further development. Herein, a silver and manganese dioxide composite (Ag@MnO2) enriched with oxygen vacancies was prepared by a simple liquid-phase reduction method. The introduction of silver particles facilitates the improvement of electrical conductivity, and the incorporation of oxygen vacancies helps change the surface properties of manganese dioxide, providing additional active sites for ion transport, enhancing the overall electrochemical kinetics, and further improving the battery performance. As a result, the Ag@MnO2 cathode exhibits an astonishingly high capacity of 353 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 and a capacity retention of 78% after 1500 cycles. Additionally, electrochemical and structural analyses have revealed that the Ag@MnO2 cathode undergoes a reversible and stable process of H+ and Zn2+ insertion/extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor immune escape refers to the inability of the immune system to clear tumor cells, which is one of the major obstacles in designing effective treatment schemes for cancer diseases. Although clinical studies have led to promising treatment outcomes, it is imperative to design theoretical models to investigate the long-term treatment effects. In this paper, we develop a mathematical model to study the interactions among tumor cells, immune escape tumor cells, and T lymphocyte. The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is also described by the mathematical model. Bifurcation analysis shows that there exists backward bifurcation and saddle-node bifurcation when the immune intensity is used as the bifurcation parameter. The proposed model also exhibits bistability when its parameters are located between the saddle-node threshold and backward bifurcation threshold. Sensitivity analysis is performed to illustrate the effects of different mechanisms on the backward bifurcation threshold and basic immune reproduction number. Simulation studies confirm the bifurcation analysis results and predict various types of treatment outcomes using different CAR T-cell therapy strengths. Analysis and simulation results show that the immune intensity can be used to control the tumor size, but it has no effect on the control of the immune escape tumor size. The introduction of the CAR T-cell therapy will reduce the immune escape tumor size and the treatment effect depends on the CAR T-cell therapy strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the problems of expressing and processing of multi-channel uncertain digital information with discrete real number quantity attribute. The main works are as follows: (1) The concept of ellipsoid type fuzzy number on a high-dimensional quasi-finite set (which is a kind of high dimensional discrete fuzzy numbers) is proposed and its properties are investigated. (2) A method of constructing such kind of fuzzy number which can be used to represent multi-channel uncertain or imprecise discrete digital information is given. (3) The concept of weighted centroid value of such discrete fuzzy number is introduced, a fuzzy binary relation on space of such discrete fuzzy numbers is set up, and their properties are investigated. (4) Via a specific application example, a method classifying multi-channel uncertain or imprecise discrete digital information set is established based on the results obtained by us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic wave velocity in subsurface formations typically varies both spatially and directionally, resulting in a heterogeneous and anisotropic medium. To successfully image complex structures and potential reservoirs using multichannel seismic data, high-resolution interval velocity models are required. However, most controlled-source seismic recordings lack wide-angle signals, such as diving and refracted waves that propagate through deep formations. Consequently, geophysicists rely on the traveltimes and waveforms of reflections or back-scatterings in finite-frequency and finite-offset seismograms to estimate velocity and account for possible anisotropy. Recently, wave-equation based reflection waveform inversion (RWI) has emerged as an active research topic due to its ability to recover intermediate-wavelength model components that cannot be retrieved in reflection traveltime tomography. Nevertheless, the widely used gradient-type local optimization suffers from multiparameter trade-off and slow convergence of RWI in anisotropic media. Analysis of the Fréchet derivative reveals that the sensitivity of reflections to changes in long-to-intermediate wavelengths of the anisotropic velocities is jointly controlled by the specular reflection on the interface and the radiation pattern of scattered fields concerning the model parameters along the wave paths. Anatomy of the approximate Hessian reveals characteristics of parameter coupling and spatial resolution in the context of multiparameter RWI, inspiring the development of a matrix-free Gauss–Newton algorithm based on the second-order adjoint-state method for large-scale applications. Synthetic and real data examples demonstrate that the proposed approach can appropriately handle overburden heterogeneities and anisotropies, and thus improve imaging of underlying complex structures such as dipping and small-scale faults in the deep parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel multi-node plate element with absolute node coordinate formulation (ANCF) is proposed. The nodes of the element are collocated to coincide with the in-plane integral quadrature points, which are used to calculate the elastic and inertia functions. The unevenly distributed nodes of the element are the zero points of the second-order derivative of Legendre polynomial and the boundary ends of the element. The tensor product of the two-direction univariate Lagrange interpolation is used to define the displacement field. To alleviate the locking problem, the gradient deficient setup and the second-order gradient of the thickness direction are used as the nodal coordinates. The standard continuum mechanic formulation is used to deduce the elastic forces. The proposed plate element based on the ANCF with collocated nodes is denoted as ANCF _ C element. The performance of the ANCF _ C element is verified by static, eigenfrequency and dynamic examples. The results show that the ANCF _ C element is more accurate and computationally efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has revealed that individuals with different levels of intelligence exhibit distinct patterns of event‐related potentials (ERPs) related to executive functions and temporary storage. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the relative contributions of these ERPs in predicting individual differences in fluid intelligence. This study aims to examine the extent to which ERPs associated with executive functions and temporary storage can predict individual differences in fluid intelligence. Special attention is given to determining whether electrophysiological activities of temporary storage can predict fluid intelligence after accounting for executive functions, and vice versa. Both executive attention and temporary storage were measured by two experimental tasks, while electroencephalographic data were collected simultaneously. Fluid intelligence was assessed by two established tests. To address previous inconsistencies due to small sample sizes, a relatively large sample of young adults (N = 136) was recruited. The results revealed that participants with lower fluid intelligence displayed larger P3 amplitudes in the executive functions and temporary storage tasks compared to those with higher fluid intelligence. Additionally, the amplitudes of frontal and parietal P3s elicited by both executive functions and temporary storage significantly predicted fluid intelligence. Interestingly, the frontal and parietal P3s associated with temporary storage predicted fluid intelligence beyond the contributions of executive functions, supporting the storage account of individual differences in fluid intelligence. This study provides an original and fresh understanding of how executive functions and temporary storage contribute to fluid intelligence, offering new insights into the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying intelligence. By utilizing both an electrophysiological and differential approach, we offer a fresh perspective on the neural underpinnings of executive function and temporary storage in relation to fluid intelligence. Our research uncovers compelling evidence that the ERP components associated with temporary storage predict fluid intelligence beyond the extent of executive function. Consequently, our study illuminates the neurocognitive mechanisms of individual differences in human intelligence, bringing forth new insights to this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidences show that individuals who recovered from COVID-19 can be reinfected. However, this phenomenon has rarely been studied using mathematical models. In this paper, we propose an SEIRE epidemic model to describe the spread of the epidemic with reinfection. We obtain the important thresholds R 0 (the basic reproduction number) and R c (a threshold less than one). Our investigations show that when R 0 > 1 , the system has an endemic equilibrium, which is globally asymptotically stable. When R c < R 0 < 1 , the epidemic system exhibits bistable dynamics. That is, the system has backward bifurcation and the disease cannot be eradicated. In order to eradicate the disease, we must ensure that the basic reproduction number R 0 is less than R c . The basic reinfection number is obtained to measure the reinfection force, which turns out to be a new tipping point for disease dynamics. We also give definition of robustness, a new concept to measure the difficulty of completely eliminating the disease for a bistable epidemic system. Numerical simulations are carried out to verify the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the problems of expressing and fusing multi-channel uncertain digital information is studied. The concept of a special high-dimensional fuzzy number called multi-level linear fuzzy ellipsoid number is given, and a method of constructing such high dimensional fuzzy number to express multi-channel uncertain digital information is established. Then a calculation formula of the centroid of multistage linear fuzzy ellipsoid number is deduced. And then, as an application example of multi-channel uncertain digital information fusion, a specific example is given to show ranking some objects which are characterized by multi-channel uncertain digital information by using the obtained results and the concept of fuzzy order on high dimensional fuzzy number space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The computational efficiency has been largely hindering the application of the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF). To improve the computational efficiency of the absolute nodal coordinate formulation, the collocation strategy is employed to establish the ANCF beam element. A novel ANCF beam element based on multi-node collocation (ANCF_C) is proposed. Zero points of the second-order derivative of pth-order Legendre polynomial and the boundary points in the element domain are used as nodes to discretize the beam node-wisely. Accordingly, the (p - 1) th-order Lagrange interpolation is employed for the longitudinal displacement interpolation. The elastic force and stiffness matrix are deduced based on the enhanced continuum mechanics formulation (ECMF) to avoid the locking problem. By using p-point Lobatto quadrature for the numerical integration of the elastic force and the mass matrix, the quadrature points coincide with the discretized nodes in the element. The performance of the ANCF_C is verified by both static and dynamic examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Mycoplasma gallisepticum causes respiratory disease in chickens. This study used RNA-seq to investigate the immune response of chicken embryos and chicks to infection. Weight loss and immune damage were observed in infected chickens of both ages. Transcriptome analysis revealed differentially expressed genes related to innate immunity and inflammation, with toll-like receptors and cytokine pathways playing a dominant role in the immune response. The immune response was stronger in embryos than in chicks. These findings provide valuable insights for developing disease control strategies. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a major cause of chronic respiratory diseases in chickens, with both horizontal and vertical transmission modes and varying degrees of impact on different ages. The innate immune response is crucial in resisting MG infection. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the innate immune response of chicken embryos and newly hatched chicks to MG infection using comparative RNA-seq analysis. We found that MG infection caused weight loss and immune damage in both chicken embryos and chicks. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that infected chicken embryos had a stronger immune response than chicks, as evidenced by the higher number of differentially expressed genes associated with innate immunity and inflammation. Toll-like receptor and cytokine-mediated pathways were the primary immune response pathways in both embryos and chicks. Furthermore, TLR7 signaling may play an essential role in the innate immune response to MG infection. Overall, this study sheds light on the development of innate immunity to MG infection in chickens and can help in devising disease control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a large-scale laboratory apparatus to evaluate the load transfer behavior of basal reinforced embankment fill because of soil arching and geogrid tensile force. A 3D trapdoor-like test system performed five scaled model tests using analogical soil. The instrumentation system involved multiple earth pressure cells, dial gauges, multipoint settlement gauges, and geogrid strainmeters. Comprehensive measurements were performed to investigate the evolution of soil stress and displacement at specific fill elevations with variations in the area replacement ratio and geogrid stiffness. The critical height of the soil arching was determined to be ∼1.1–1.94 times the clear pile spacing based on the soil stress and displacement profiles. The distribution of the geogrid tensile strain between and above the adjacent caps demonstrated that the maximum geogrid strains occur on top of the caps, and the tensioned geogrid effect on the load transfer efficiency was evaluated. The cap size and center-to-center pile spacing affect the pile efficacy more significantly than the stiffness of the geogrid. The measured critical heights of arching, stress concentration ratios, and geogrid strain matched those calculated by several well-recognized analytical methods. This experimental program facilitates the development of arching models that account for differential settlement impact. • A three-dimensional load transfer test system for basal reinforced embankments. • The system accommodates soil stress, displacement, and geogrid strain measurements in the fill. • Cap size, clear pile spacing, and geogrid stiffness were considered in the tests. • Soil arching and tensioned geogrid effects were assessed under differential settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem of motion blur in the inspection image of wind power generation equipment, an improved fast motion blur removal method based on deblurganv2 is proposed in this paper. Firstly, according to the characteristics of disparate local motion blur degrees and different global motion blur directions of the wind power inspection image, the real wind power fuzzy image data set is collected and produced. Secondly, according to the characteristics of the single background of the wind power inspection image and the requirements of fast and effective processing, the lightweight network Ghostnet is redesigned as the backbone network of the Deblurganv2 generator to reduce the number of network parameters and calculations. Finally, five SE channel attention mechanism layers are added to GhostNet to strengthen feature extraction, and the upsampling process is optimized through bilinear interpolation, to improve the deblurring performance of the wind power inspection image. The experimental results show that compared with other algorithms, the proposed algorithm has a higher peak signal‐to‐noise ratio and structural similarity, the network model parameters are compressed to 6.1 MB, and the reasoning speed is improved to 0.42 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-based positioning systems (GBPSs) can serve as a supplement and backup to global navigation satellite systems. GBPSs are known for their low cost and high flexibility, but most of them have difficulty in achieving rapid deployment and operation, since the coordinates of transmitters rely on external precise measurements. Several existing self-calibration methods based on carrier phase measurements require known points of GBPS transmitters or receivers, which implies dependence on external measurements. This paper proposes an autonomous coordinate establishment (ACE) method without using known reference points for GBPSs. ACE utilizes a kinematic receiver to collect carrier phase measurements and employs a three-step procedure to establish a regional coordinate system. In the first step, ACE uses the properties of matrix structures to decouple generalized ambiguities and coordinates. Then, ACE obtains the rough estimation of the transmitter coordinates via multi-dimensional scaling in the second step. In the third step, ACE refines the estimate by solving a least squares problem which would be difficult to solve without the previous two steps. Numerical simulations and a real-world experiment show that the coordinate estimation of ACE can achieve decimeter to centimeter-level accuracy. The proposed method enables rapid deployment and operation for GBPSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green and low‐cost photoluminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) were prepared by a one‐step hydrothermal method with konjac glucomannan (KGM), a natural polysaccharide, as the precursors. Then, the folic acid (FA)‐functionalized GQDs (FA‐GQDs) was formed by the amidation of GQDs with FA, and the drug carrier named as FA‐GQDs‐DOX was obtained by loading doxorubicin (DOX) on FA‐GQDs. Due to the inherent fluorescence properties of GQDs and DOX in FA‐GQDs‐DOX, the resultant samples could be used to selectively label cancer cells without external dyes, and the cellular uptake and the drug‐releasing behavior could be visualized. The coupling of FA with GQDs and the loading of DOX on FA‐GQDs were confirmed by various means. In addition, the cell imaging showed that the FA‐GQDs could be used as a fluorescent probe to recognize folate receptor (FR)‐positive cancer cells and that the FA‐GQDs‐DOX could selectively deliver DOX to FR‐positive cancer cells. As a result, the FA‐GQDs‐DOX could be applied in early diagnosis and targeted therapy of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automatic 3D reconstruction of indoor scenes is of great significance in the application of 3D-scene understanding. The existing methods have poor resilience to the incomplete and noisy point cloud, which leads to low-quality results and tedious post-processing. Therefore, the objective of this work is to automatically reconstruct indoor scenes from an incomplete and noisy point-cloud base on semantics and primitives. In this paper, we propose a semantics-and-primitives-guided indoor 3D reconstruction method. Firstly, a local, fully connected graph neural network is designed for semantic segmentation. Secondly, based on the enumerable features of indoor scenes, a primitive-based reconstruction method is proposed, which retrieves the most similar model in a 3D-ESF indoor model library by using ESF descriptors and semantic labels. Finally, a coarse-to-fine registration method is proposed to register the model into the scene. The results indicate that our method can achieve high-quality results while remaining better resilience to the incompleteness and noise of point cloud. It is concluded that the proposed method is practical and is able to automatically reconstruct the indoor scene from the point cloud with incompleteness and noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grapevine (Vitisvinifera L.) fruit ripening is a complex biological process involving a phase transition from immature to mature. Understanding the molecular mechanism of fruit ripening is critical for grapevine fruit storage and quality improvement. However, the regulatory mechanism for the critical phase transition of fruit ripening from immature to mature in grapevine remains poorly understood. In this work, to identify the key molecular events controlling the critical phase transition of grapevine fruit ripening, we performed an integrated dynamic network analysis on time-series transcriptomic data of grapevine berry development and ripening. As a result, we identified the third time point as a critical transition point in grapevine fruit ripening, which is consistent with the onset of veraison reported in previous studies. In addition, we detected 68 genes as being key regulators involved in controlling fruit ripening. The GO (Gene Ontology) analysis showed that some of these genes participate in fruit development and seed development. This study provided dynamic network biomarkers for marking the initial transcriptional events that characterizes the transition process of fruit ripening, as well as new insights into fruit development and ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ground modification technique with rigid columns and ground beams for supporting an embankment over multilayered soft soils is introduced and investigated. A fully coupled three-dimensional finite element analysis was performed to examine the effect of beam inclusion into a piled embankment system. After validating the numerical model against field measurements, the time-dependent behavior of the innovative support system was further investigated with an isolated pile-supported embankment used as a control. A three-dimensional soil arch model is proposed for piles arranged in a square pattern with beam reinforcement. The kinematics of soil arching under staged construction of embankments and subsoil consolidation illustrates that the height of the outer boundary is generally lower with ground beams, suggesting that soil arching can be more easily mobilized in this configuration than in individual pile-supported embankments. When the tops of adjacent piles are connected with ground beams, load transfer to piles becomes more efficient, preventing the arch failure at the crown and punching shear failure at pile heads. Wider pile spacing leads to an increase in size and critical height of soil arches, while the fill over tops of beams may undergo larger plastic deformation. The inclusion of beams substantially reduces post-construction settlement and accelerates the dissipation of excess pore water pressure within soft soils. Performance of piled beam-supported embankment (PBSE) was ultimately evaluated by using two efficient comparison models. Under the same area replacement ratio conditions, PBSE significantly outperforms a geosynthetic-reinforced piled embankment with pile caps. Although PBSE is little less efficient than an embankment supported by slab–pile structure, the construction cost is substantially higher for the latter. A wider application of PBSE to high-speed rails is promising but it needs to be assessed against more field evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have demonstrated that immune impairment is an essential factor in viral infection for disease development and treatment. In this paper, we formulate an age-structured viral infection model with a nonmonotonic immune response and perform dynamical analysis to explore the effects of both immune impairment and virus control. The basic infection reproduction number is derived for a general viral production rate, which determines the global stability of the infection-free equilibrium. For the immune intensity, we get two important thresholds, the post-treatment control threshold and the elite control threshold. The interval between the two thresholds is a bistable interval, where there are two immune-present infected equilibria. When the immune intensity is greater than the elite control threshold, only one immune-present infected equilibrium exists and it is stable. By assuming the death rate and virus production rate of infected cells to be constants, with the immune intensity as a bifurcation parameter, the system exhibits saddle-node bifurcation, transcritical bifurcation, and backward/forward bifurcation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a highly contagious avian respiratory pathogen characterized by rapid spread, widespread distribution, and long-term persistence of infection. Previous studies have shown that chicken macrophage HD11 cells play a critical role in the replication and immunomodulation of MG. Macrophages are multifunctional immunomodulatory cells that polarize into different functions and morphologies in response to exogenous stimuli. However, the effect of MG infection on HD11 polarization is not well understood. In this study, we observed a time-dependent increase in both the expression of the MG-related virulence protein pMGA1.2 and the copy number of MG upon MG infection. Polarization studies revealed an upregulation of M1-type marker genes in MG-infected HD11 cells, suggesting that MG mainly induces HD11 macrophages towards M1-type polarization. Furthermore, MG activated the inflammatory vesicle NLRP3 signaling pathway, and NLRP3 inhibitors affected the expression of M1 and M2 marker genes, indicating the crucial regulatory role of the NLRP3 signaling pathway in MG-induced polarization of HD11 macrophages. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of MG infection, namely the polarization of MG-infected HD11 macrophages. This discovery suggests that altering the macrophage phenotype to inhibit MG infection may be an effective control strategy. These findings provide new perspectives on the pathogenic mechanism and control measures of MG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ERCC2 plays a pivotal role in DNA damage repair, however, its specific function in cancer remains elusive. In this study, we made a significant breakthrough by discovering a substantial upregulation of ERCC2 expression in glioblastoma (GBM) tumor tissue. Moreover, elevated levels of ERCC2 expression were closely associated with poor prognosis. Further investigation into the effects of ERCC2 on GBM revealed that suppressing its expression significantly inhibited malignant growth and migration of GBM cells, while overexpression of ERCC2 promoted tumor cell growth. Through mechanistic studies, we elucidated that inhibiting ERCC2 led to cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase by blocking the CDK2/CDK4/CDK6/Cyclin D1/Cyclin D3 pathway. Notably, we also discovered a direct link between ERCC2 and CDK4, a critical protein in cell cycle regulation. Additionally, we explored the potential of TRAIL, a low-toxicity death ligand cytokine with anticancer properties. Despite the typical resistance of GBM cells to TRAIL, tumor cells undergoing cell cycle arrest exhibited significantly enhanced sensitivity to TRAIL. Therefore, we devised a combination strategy, employing TRAIL with the nanoparticle DMC-siERCC2, which effectively suppressed the GBM cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. In summary, our study suggests that targeting ERCC2 holds promise as a therapeutic approach to GBM treatment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient detection of sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6) has become an important means for the stability and security of gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) devices. In this paper, we theoretically researched the possibility of α-AsP monolayer and TiO 2 -decorated α-AsP detecting SF 6 decomposition gases using the DFT calculations. Firstly, we verified the stability of TiO 2 –AsP monolayer. The geometric configurations of α-AsP, TiO 2 -decorated α-AsP and SF 6 decomposition products (HF, SO 2 , SOF 2 and SO 2 F 2), adsorption and sensing properties, and electronic character of adsorption systems were systematically discussed. The results show that the pristine α-AsP monolayer exhibits weaker adsorptions for HF and SO 2 F 2. The decoration of TiO 2 atom significantly enhances the electronic activity of pristine α-AsP. There is a 7.67-fold increase in the adsorption ability from α-AsP to TiO 2 –AsP. Moreover, the adsorption capacity was found to be in order as SO 2 > SOF 2 > SO 2 F 2 > HF. Especially, the SO 2 /TiO 2 –AsP system showed efficient adsorption and sensing properties with adsorption energy of −2.146 eV and charge transfer of 0.204 e , based on the density of states, differential charge density and work functions. The electronic and recovery property analyses demonstrate the promising potential of the TiO 2 –AsP monolayer as a reusable sensor for detecting HF, SOF 2 , and SO 2 F 2 gases at room temperature, as well as a highly sensitive one-shot sensor for SO 2. At an elevated temperature of 898 K, the TiO 2 –AsP monolayer exhibits favorable desorption behavior for HF, SO 2 , SOF 2 and SO 2 F 2 gases. This work is meaningful to utilize a potential SF 6 decomposition sensing nanomaterial for evaluating the safe operation of GIS devices. [Display omitted] • The optimal structures of TiO 2 decorated α-AsP monolayer were obtained. • TiO 2 enhances electron transfer and interactions with SF 6 decomposed gases, improving gas sensing response. • TiO 2 decorated α-AsP exhibits excellent adsorption and gas-sensing of SF 6 decomposed gases (HF, SO 2 , SOF 2 and SO 2 F 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The gut microbiota could directly induce immune responses and affect the health of the host. In this study, we assessed changes in the gut microbiota of resistant segregated phenotypic pigs under Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus exposure. The results showed that the resistance of pigs was related to the composition of gut microbiota. The quantity and relative abundance of probiotics in resistant individuals positively affected host immunity and growth performance, whereas high levels of pathogenic bacteria in susceptible individuals were associated with poorer clinical outcomes. The results of this study suggest that gut microbiota may serve as an effective probiotic resource to provide new methods for PRRS prevention and treatment. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is one of the serious infectious diseases that threatens the swine industry. Increasing evidence shows that gut microbiota plays an important role in regulating host immune responses to PRRS virus (PRRSV). The aim of this study was to investigate gut microbiota difference between PRRSV-resistant pigs and PRRSV-suspectable pigs derived from a Tongcheng pigs and Large White pigs crossed population. PRRSV infection induces an increase in the abundance and diversity of gut microbiota. Correlation analysis showed that 36 genera were correlated with viral loads or weight gain after PRRSV infection. Prevotellaceae-NK3B31-group, Christensenellaceae-R7-group, and Parabacteroides were highly correlated with both viral load and weight gain. Notably, the diversity and abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Prevotellaceae-NK3B31-group was high in resistant pigs, and the diversity and abundance of pathogenic bacteria such as Campylobacter and Desulfovibrio were high in susceptible pigs. Gut microbiota were significantly associated with immune function and growth performance, suggesting that these genera might be related to viremia, clinical symptoms, and disease resistance. Altogether, this study revealed the correlation of gut microbiota with PRRSV infection and gut microbiota interventions may provide an effective prevention against PRRSV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, bistable viral infection systems have attracted increased attention. In this paper, we study bistability and robustness for virus infection models with nonmonotonic immune responses in viral infection systems. The results show that the existing transcritical bifurcation undergoes backward or forward bifurcation in viral infection models with nonmonotonic immune responses. Our investigation demonstrates that the backward bifurcation threshold is the elite control threshold. When the immune intensity is greater than the elite control threshold, the virus will be under elite control; when the immune intensity is less than the elite control threshold, the virus may rebound. We also give a new definition of robustness to characterize bistable systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acids are one of the simplest biomolecules and they play an essential role in many biological processes. They have been extensively used as building blocks for the synthesis of functional nanomaterials, thanks to their self-assembly capacity. In particular, amphiphilic amino acid derivatives can be designed to enrich the diversity of amino acid-based building blocks, endowing them with specific properties and/or promoting self-assembly through hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and/or π-stacking. In this review, we focus on the design of various amphiphilic amino acid derivatives able to self-assemble into different types of nanostructures that were exploited for biomedical applications, thanks to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite video scene classification (SVSC) is a challenging work in remote sensing. The main procedure of SVSC is spatial–temporal feature extraction. Unfortunately, massive numbers of dim small moving targets and the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of satellite video bring great challenges to feature extraction. It is difficult to apply traditional feature extraction methods to SVSC because they are used to classify the actions of high-quality video. According to the theory of low-rank sparse decomposition, a Low-rank Sparse Representation Two-stream Network (LSRTN) is designed to increase the classification accuracy of two-stream networks. First, we propose a Low-rank Sparse Component Analysis Network (LSCAN) to decompose satellite videos into low-rank background images and sparse moving target sequences. The LSCAN possesses the advantage of low-rank sparse decomposition to solve small targets and has the capability to adjust the features using the data. Moreover, the LSCAN can efficiently improve the feature extraction of low SNR video. Second, a two-stream structure that was proven to be effective for multiclass video classification was applied to obtain the spatial features and temporal features in each stream. Finally, a fully connected layer integrates the features to classify the satellite video scenes. To utilize the label information, we refine the loss function to adjust the degree of low-rank sparse characteristics and ensure the classification accuracy of training. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves better performance than the baseline methods for the SVSC task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF) is applied to simulate the magnetic shape memory effect. Using the absolute nodal coordinate formulation makes it possible to describe complicated or large deformation cases. The nonlinear bidirectional coupling terms between the mechanical and magnetic field are taken into account in the analysis of the single-crystalline Ni-Mn-Ga sample. A two-loop iteration procedure with variable steps is implemented to predict the magnetic-field-induced strain (MFIS) in the specimen under a changing external magnetic field and a constant auxiliary compression. In addition, the proposed approach is used to track the superelastic behavior of the magnetic shape memory alloy when subjected to a constant magnetic field. The approach effectively describes the hysteresis and superelastic phenomenon of the shape memory effect. The solution is compared here with solutions obtained using classical linear and quadratic quadrilateral elements. The deviation observed in the solution is discussed, and its cause is further clarified from a two-domain pure magnetostatic analysis of a permanent magnet. It is found that the accurate solution of such problems is associated with discontinuity of the normal component of the magnetic potential gradient across the domain interface. Special measures must be taken to make the absolute nodal coordinate formulation element compatible with the discontinuity. A mixed FEs strategy, which adopts ANCF FE in the displacement field solver and classical FE in the magnetic field solver, is proposed as an alternative option to rectify the problem, which is verified by predicting the MFIS and the dynamic mechanical response of a sample under cyclic compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lots of studies have measured motor evoked potential (MEP) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in anesthetized animals. However, in awake animals, the measurement of TMS-induced MEP is scarce as lack of sufficient restraint. So far, the explicit study of anesthesia effects on corticospinal excitability and repetitive TMS (rTMS) induced modulation is still lacking. This study aimed to: (1) measure TMS-induced MEP in both awake restrained and anesthetized rats, (2) investigate the effect of anesthesia on corticospinal excitability, and (3) on rTMS-induced modulation. Methods: MEP of eighteen rats were measured under both wakefulness and anesthesia using flexible binding and surface electrodes. Peak-to-peak MEP amplitudes, resting motor threshold (RMT) and the slope of stimulus response (SR) were extracted to investigate anesthesia effects on corticospinal excitability. Thereafter, 5 or 10 Hz rTMS was applied with 600 pulses, and the increase in MEP amplitude and the decrease in RMT were used to quantify rTMS-induced modulation. Results: The RMT in the awake condition was 44.6 ± 1.2% maximum output (MO), the peak-to-peak MEP amplitude was 404.6 ± 48.8 μV at 60% MO. Under anesthesia, higher RMT (55.6 ± 2.9% MO), lower peak-to-peak MEP amplitudes (258.6 ± 32.7 μV) and lower slope of SR indicated that the corticospinal excitability was suppressed. Moreover, under anesthesia, high-frequency rTMS still showed significant modulation of corticospinal excitability, but the modulation of MEP peak-to-peak amplitudes was weaker than that under wakefulness. Conclusions: This study measured TMS-induced MEP in both awake and anesthetized rats, and provided explicit evidence for the inhibitory effects of anesthesia on corticospinal excitability and on high-frequency rTMS-induced modulation of MEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay reports two studies on confirmatory factor analysis of speeded data with an effect of selective responding. This response strategy leads test takers to choose their own working order instead of completing the items along with the given order. Methods for detecting speededness despite such a deviation from the given order are proposed and investigated. The first study demonstrated that speededness was not detectable if the deviation was large and selected by all test takers but ignored in investigating the data. Adaptation to the selected working order restored the detectability. The second study assumed four groups of test takers selecting group-specific working orders. Detection of speededness required a confirmatory factor model with speed factors adapted to group-specific working orders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, martensite–ferrite dual‐phase high‐strength low‐alloy (HSLA) steels with a low yield ratio (YR), which is achieved through different heat‐treatment procedures, are evaluated in terms of multiple microstructures, e.g., grain size, soft‐phase proportion, and morphology. The extended austenitizing time exhibits a low YR by sacrificing both the yield and tensile strengths synchronously. By subtly regulating the tempering temperatures, the YR can be optimized from 0.93 to 0.89 after tempering at an applicable temperature. Moreover, by introducing the equivalent shape factor (ESF), the morphology effects of ferrite on the YR are investigated based on the microstructural observation and Abaqus finite element analysis. The YR is inversely proportional to the ESF of the microstructure, which can be used to guide the design of microstructural morphology. The correlation between the yield strength (YS), YR, and work hardening exponent is achieved using the Swift equation. The lower YR generates greater work hardening and reduced YS. By tuning multiple microstructures, high YS and relatively low YR are achieved via the secondary‐quenching intercritical heat treatment, which is beneficial for designing low‐yield‐ratio HSLA steels in industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A proper stability assessment of engineered cutting and embankment slopes is crucial to safe train operation and the performance management of rail infrastructure. Through the presentation of a case study, this paper develops a methodology for the safety evaluation of large-scale slope systems incorporating efficient probabilistic stability analysis of engineered slopes for a long rail line under construction. A long geotechnical slope is equally segmented into multiple consecutive sections according to the representative value of the local failure lengths of three-dimensional slopes, and each section is assessed for its probability of failure ( P f ). Soft computing by multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) is incorporated into the reliability analysis of a batch of slope segments. The construction of a MARS model requires a subset of data samples obtained from a limit equilibrium slope stability program; the validated MARS model is then used to generate the probability of failure of the rest of slope sections. The P f values for 2691 sections in total, determined by either direct probabilistic stability analysis or the MARS-derived predictive model, is subsequently introduced into a reliability-based performance evaluation of the long railway geotechnical slope system. The k-out-of-n system model is adopted to characterize the relationship between the entire system and its components concerning safety. The effect of remediation on the reliability of geotechnical system is finally explored by examining the variation characteristics of P f with a tolerable number of failure segments in the system. The proposed methodology can be readily extended to assess large-scale geotechnical systems for an operational rail line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we prepared TaTp-COF, a covalent organic framework material with porous and uniform spheres, by hydrothermally reacting 1,3,5-tris (4-aminophenyl) benzene (TaPb) with terephthalaldehyde (TpTa). TaTp-COF could significantly enhance the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of berberine (BBR), a natural plant medicine, which was related to the porous structure, the suitable voids, and the hydrogen bonding between TaTp-COF and BBR that could limit the free movement of BBR. The unique emission properties of BBR on TaTp-COF were investigated and used for the sensitive detection of BBR based on the fluorescence intensity of AIE, with a linear range of 10–100 μ mol/L (R 2 = 0.9991) and a detection limit of 0.0453 μ;mol/L. Finally, the TaTp-COF was successfully applied to the detection of BBR in real samples, achieving good recoveries and satisfactory relative standard deviations. [Display omitted] • The TaTp-COF provided suitable sites for the assembly of BBR, a natural plant medicine. • The TaTP-COF was beneficial for improving the AIE performance of BBR. • The TaTp-COF was used for the detection of BBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel near-infrared fluorescent probe, TTPB, for the detection of mitochondrial viscosity was fabricated. • TTPB had an AIE effect and mitochondrial targeting function. • TTPB could track autophagy in addition to detecting the mitochondrial viscosity. The development of fluorescent probes capable of detecting abnormal changes in cellular mitochondrial viscosity is of great significance, as these changes have been connected to many diseases. In this study, the conventional tetraphenylethylene (TPE) molecule was modified to fabricate a novel near-infrared fluorescent, TTPB, which was then used to measure the mitochondrial viscosity. Due to the introduction of TPE and pyridine groups, TTPB had an AIE effect and mitochondrial targeting function. Meanwhile, TTPB was extremely sensitive to variations in viscosity for the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) phenomenon. The logarithm of fluorescence intensity (log I 620) of the probe demonstrated an excellent linear connection with the logarithm of viscosity (log η) in the viscosity range of 1.2 ∼ 956.0 cP, indicating the probe could quantitatively detect viscosity. Moreover, TTPB was able to visually track autophagy in addition to detecting the mitochondrial viscosity in the inflammatory cell model. These results showed that the probe was anticipated to be employed for the early diagnosis of related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OOR (out-of-roundness) wheel is one of the main excitation sources causing vehicle vibration. However, the OOR wheel occurs randomly, indicating that the vibration behavior of a vehicle cannot be comprehensively evaluated using a deterministic approach. Thus, a probability analysis framework is proposed to obtain vehicle vibration characteristics while considering the randomness of the OOR wheel. The probability model of the random OOR wheel is derived by reducing the high-dimensional variables into a few independent variables of the radius, amplitude, and phase. Then, the vertical vehicle-track coupled system with OOR wheels is modelled. A DPIM (direct probability integral method) is further developed to analyze the evolution of excitation to response probabilities. Finally, the statistics of the random vibration of the vehicle are calculated. The proposed framework is verified using a numerical case. Results show that the PDF (probability density function) shape of the vehicle random vibration, induced by the Gaussian-distributed OOR wheel, deviates from the Gaussian distribution due to the nonlinear wheel/rail contact force. Instead, it exhibits a right-skewed shape, significantly impacting the dynamic performance. As the mean or coefficient of variation of the OOR wheel amplitude increases linearly, the reliability of the vehicle Sperling index experiences a quadratic or double-sloping decrease. Consequently, a maintenance threshold for OOR wheel amplitudes is given based on reliability considerations. Compared to Monte Carlo simulation, the proposed framework offers a computational efficiency improvement of at least one order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Although several studies have shown the ability of l‐glutamate (glutamate) to mitigate the stress imposed by pathogens, the underlying mechanism is still in its infancy. To gain further knowledge, this study focussed on the effect of glutamate on primary nitrogen and carbon metabolisms during apple‐Penicillium expansum interaction. The obtained result showed that glutamate could effectively restrict blue mould rot development in apples, but had no direct impact on fungal growth in vitro. The application of glutamate increased the level of nitrogen in apples, resulting in a disrupted balance of carbon and nitrogen. Consistently, the key enzymes glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) involved in the GS/GOGAT cycle, and the deaminating activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), forming 2‐oxoglutarate and ammonium from glutamate, were promptly stimulated by glutamate. Interestingly, glutamate led to considerable consumption of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates, such as isocitric acid and citric acid, accompanied by the enhancement of malate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase activities. Collectively, exogenous application of glutamate might confer blue mould resistance in apples, at least in part, by redirecting host's primary nitrogen and carbon metabolisms, such as the activation of the GS/GOGAT cycle, deaminating activity of GDH and the TCA cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the application of chemical surfactants, including cooking aids, detergents, surface sizing agents, and deinking agents as core components, is introduced in the wet end of pulping and papermaking. This method for the combined application of enzymes and surfactants has expanded, promoting technological updates and improving the effect of surfactants in practical applications. Finally, the potential substitution of green surfactants for chemical surfactants is discussed. The source, classification, and natural functions of green surfactants are introduced, including plant extracts, biobased surfactants, fermentation products, and woody biomass. These green surfactants have advantages over their chemically synthesized counterparts, such as their low toxicity and biodegradability. This article reviews the latest developments in the application of surfactants in different paper industry processes and extends the methods of use. Additionally, the application potential of green surfactants in the field of papermaking is discussed. Key points: • Surfactants as important chemical additives in papermaking process are reviewed. • Deinking technologies by combined of surfactants and enzymes are reviewed. • Applications of green surfactant in papermaking industry are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Methyl jasmonate (MeJA), which has been identified as a lipid-derived stress hormone, mediates plant resistance to biotic/abiotic stress. Understanding MeJA-induced plant defense provides insight into how they responding to environmental stimuli. Result: In this work, the dynamic network analysis method was used to quantitatively identify the tipping point of growth-to-defense transition and detect the associated genes. As a result, 146 genes were detected as dynamic network biomarker (DNB) members and the critical defense transition was identified based on dense time-series RNA-seq data of MeJA-treated Arabidopsis thaliana. The GO functional analysis showed that these DNB genes were significantly enriched in defense terms. The network analysis between DNB genes and differentially expressed genes showed that the hub genes including SYP121, SYP122, WRKY33 and MPK11 play a vital role in plant growth-to-defense transition. Conclusions: Based on the dynamic network analysis of MeJA-induced plant resistance, we provide an important guideline for understanding the growth-to-defense transition of plants' response to environment stimuli. This study also provides a database with the key genes of plant defense induced by MeJA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrier phase positioning (CPP) is crucial for precise positioning in Global Satellite Navigation Systems and has gradually been applied to ground-based narrowband positioning systems such as cellular networks and pseudolites. Existing research mainly focuses on single point positioning (SPP) or double difference positioning (DDP) modes. SPP is non-cooperative, and DDP is considered to be a dual-user cooperation requiring the deterministic model of a static reference station. In this paper, we develop a cooperative CPP (CoCPP) mode for asynchronous systems. CoCPP enables multi-user cooperation and allows both static and mobile users to participate in the cooperation. Specifically, we present the principle and algorithm of CoCPP and discuss practical considerations associated with the test of ambiguity fixing. CoCPP makes the carrier phase ambiguities become integers by double differencing and then enables cooperation gains based on ambiguity fixing. We prove that CoCPP has lower Cramer-Rao Lower Bound than SPP if the ambiguities are correctly fixed. We demonstrate that the single difference matrices and cooperating sequences are non-trivial in the case of partial ambiguity fixing for CoCPP. Simulations show that CoCPP outperforms SPP in positioning accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the impact of government subsidy policies on strengthening the shared-bikes industry in China by simulating the operation mode of Mobike using system dynamics methodology. First, we introduce four subsidy policies: equalization subsidy, stage subsidy, growth subsidy, and back-slope subsidy, and establish a system dynamics model to characterize the bike-sharing operation dynamics system considering these four government subsidies. Subsequently, we analyze the impact of the four subsidy policies on enterprise-operating activities. The simulation results indicate that different subsidy policies have different incentive objectives and characteristics. The back-slope subsidy has more positive effects on enterprise operations in the short term but requires higher cost. The influence of growth subsidy and stage subsidy on enterprises can last longer, which requires the government to timely adjust the subsidy amount. The impact of equalization subsidy on enterprises is more stable, reducing government subsidy while ensuring enterprises' regular operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In controlled‐source seismology, the standard full waveform inversion (FWI) can't reliably recover the macrovelocity structure in the deep part, if the surface seismic data lack of ultra‐long offsets and very low frequencies. Reformulating the FWI for pre‐critical reflections based on model scale separation leads to reflection waveform inversion (RWI), which aims to improve the reconstruction of low‐to‐intermediate model wavenumbers. However, the state‐of‐art RWI approaches rely on the gradient‐type optimization, resulting in slow convergence and inaccurate recovery of the deep macrovelocities. Therefore, we present a Hessian‐based second‐order optimization in the context of RWI. Based on the reflection Fréchet derivative with respect to the background model, the approximate Hessian and the point spread functions (PSFs) on toy models with two and three layers are constructed to gain physical insights about parameter coupling and spatial resolution at the scale of low‐to‐intermediate wavenumbers for finite‐offset and band‐limited data. The high‐velocity anomaly and checkerboard experiments demonstrate the benefit of incorporating the inverse approximate Hessian effect on the functional gradient. Accordingly, for large‐scale applications, we propose a matrix‐free Gauss‐Newton RWI approach, in which the Hessian‐vector product is formulated with the second‐order adjoint‐state method and an optimal updating direction is estimated in the nested inner loop to accelerate the convergence. A synthetic example and an application to the real data from East China Sea demonstrate that the proposed method can improve velocity model building and seismic imaging, especially for the deep targets. Plain Language Summary: Seismic imaging of short‐spread reflection data is an important tool to map the Earth's internal structure in regional and exploration seismology. Using reflection waveform inversion (RWI) can provide the reconstruction of the deep macrovelocities, which is critical for achieving a high‐quality seismic imaging. However, the state‐of‐art RWI suffers from slow convergence and low accuracy when using a gradient‐type optimization method. To overcome this problem, we present a second‐order optimization approach by using the adjoint‐state method. The analyses of Frechet derivatives, Hessian matrix and point spread functions reveal some novel insights about this inverse problem. A matrix‐free algorithm using second‐order adjoint state method makes the proposed Gauss‐Newton RWI feasible for large‐scale applications. The synthetic and field data examples show that this approach can provide high‐resolution recovery of the background velocity model, and thus greatly improve seismic imaging in the deep part. Key Points: New insight into the functional Hessian at the long‐wavelength scale in reflection waveform inversion (RWI)Second‐order adjoint‐state formulation for the Hessian‐vector productApplications of Gauss‐Newton reflection waveform inversion (RWI) to synthetic and real offshore data [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeze–thaw cycles in soil are driven by water migration, phase transitions, and heat transfer, which themselves are closely coupled variables in the natural environment. To simulate this complex periglacial process at different time and length scales, a multi-physics model was established by solving sets of equations describing fluid flow and heat transfer, and a dynamic equilibrium equation for phase changes in moisture. This model considers the effects of water–ice phase changes on the hydraulic and thermal properties of soil and the effect of latent heat during phase transition. These equations were then discretized by using the finite volume method and solved using iteration. The open-source software OpenFOAM was used to generate computational code for simulation of coupled heat and fluid transport during freezing and thawing of soil. A set of laboratory freezing tests considering two thermal boundary conditions were carried out, of which the results were obtained to verify the proposed model. In general, the numerical solutions agree well with the measured data. A railway embankment problem, incorporating soil hydrothermal behavior in response to seasonal variations in surface temperature, was finally solved with the finite volume-based approach, indicating the algorithm's robustness and flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) coating plays an important role in energy saving and environmental protection due to its unique reversible phase transition. To solve the daylighting issue of VO2 coating, a VO2 (M)–silicon dioxide (SiO2) composite coating is fabricated from ammonium citrato-oxovanadate(IV) by a SiO2-assisted coating method. The VO2 (M)–SiO2 composite coating possesses excellent thermochromic properties that have produced varying results, i.e. 49.2% of visible transmittance, 52.3% of transmittance reduction at 2000 nm wavelength, 12% of solar energy modulation (ΔTsol) and a phase transition temperature of 56.0 °C. Our findings may pave the way to extending the large-scale application of smart windows based on thermochromic VO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal direct liquefied diesel (DDCL) is a new alternative fuel with high cleanliness and quality. Its hydrocarbon composition and physicochemical properties are quite different from those of petrochemical diesel. In order to study the difference in evaporative burning characteristics between DDCL and diesel during the sequential burning of multiple droplets, three fuel droplets are suspended on fibers in order by a micro-injector. The first droplet was ignited by an electrode igniter, and then the sequential burning process of three droplets was captured by a high-speed camera. An automatic processing program is written based on Matlab software to calculate the equivalent diameter of each fuel droplet. The result shows that the burning process of the DDCL droplet can be divided into three stages: initial thermal expansion, steady burning, and late micro-explosion burning. DDCL is much easier to form the burning mixture and has better flammability than diesel. The droplet spacing and fuel type have significant effects on ignition delay. The square of the normalized diameter of droplets decreases linearly with time during the steady burning period, which follows the D2 law. The reduction rates of normalized squared diameter for DDCL droplets are higher than that for diesel. The pyrolysis of macromolecular components at high temperature produces many small molecules and low boiling point components, which induce the micro-explosions in the late burning stage. The micro-explosion intensity of DDCL droplets is obviously lower than that of diesel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate intercellular communication by transporting proteins. To investigate the pathogenesis of Mycoplasma gallisepticum , a major threat to the poultry industry, we isolated and characterized M. gallisepticum –produced EVs. Our study highlights the significant impact of M. gallisepticum –derived EVs on immune function and macrophage apoptosis, setting them apart from other M. gallisepticum metabolites. These EVs dose-dependently enhance M. gallisepticum adhesion and proliferation, simultaneously modulating Toll-like receptor 2 and interferon γ pathways and thereby inhibiting macrophage activation. A comprehensive protein analysis revealed 117 proteins in M. gallisepticum –derived EVs, including established virulence factors, such as GapA, CrmA, VlhA, and CrmB. Crucially, these EV-associated proteins significantly contribute to M. gallisepticum infection. Our findings advance our comprehension of M. gallisepticum pathogenesis, offering insights for preventive strategies and emphasizing the pivotal role of M. gallisepticum –derived EVs and their associated proteins. This research sheds light on the composition and crucial role of M. gallisepticum– derived EVs in M. gallisepticum pathogenesis, aiding our fight against M. gallisepticum infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a novel deconvolution‐based reverse time migration method to image lithospheric structures using teleseismic data recorded by dense seismic arrays. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on the retrieval of Green's functions (or receiver functions), the new method directly utilizes the recorded three‐component (3‐C) seismic waveforms to reconstruct subsurface wavefields, which has the advantage of avoiding the estimation and removal of source time function. Importantly, it enables the asymptotic estimation of P‐to‐S transmission conversion coefficients at the elastic discontinuities and enhances resolving power for the fine‐scale heterogeneities. Taking these improvements, we have obtained a full three‐dimensional (3‐D) high‐resolution image of the subduction zone beneath southwest Japan. This image provides a comprehensive configuration of the severely deformed subducting plate beneath the Kii Channel and Kinki Peninsula. Plain Language Summary: Wave equations based seismic imaging method theoretically possesses the most effective capacity for characterizing crustal and upper mantle strong laterally heterogeneous structures. However, its advantages have not been well manifested in the imaging of lithospheric structures, primarily due to the uncertainties introduced by the laborious data preprocessing to remove the complex source‐side effects associated with each earthquake event. To address these uncertainties, we propose a novel method to automatically eliminate source side effects by introducing a deconvolution imaging condition. This enables the direct use of three‐component seismic records only requiring some fundamental preprocessing, such as retrending, remeaning, tapering, and band‐pass filtering, to image the Earth's interior structures. Accordingly, the first attempt of full three‐dimensional elastic imaging beneath southwest Japan is intriguing, and unveils more detailed structures of the subduction zones compared to previous studies. Key Points: Deconvolution imaging condition is proposed for elastic reverse‐time migration of teleseismic waveforms with minimal data preconditioningComplex influence of source time function and long‐distance propagation of the incident wavefield is effectively handledThree‐dimensional elastic reverse time migration image beneath southwest Japan reveals more detailed structures of the Philipine Sea plate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new diterpenoid phyllostachysarin A (1) and 12 known compounds (2–13) were isolated from Isodon phyllostachys. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses including HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Function group and structures of oil and SARA fractions were tested by FTIR and NMR. • TG-DSC-FTIR-MS was used to study the thermo-oxidative behavior of heavy oil. • Heating rate has a more significant effect on LTO exothermal compared to mass loss. • Large amounts of CO 2 and aromatic ring were observed in FD and HTC than LTO. • Temperature range of ion current peaks were determined under varying heating rates. To better understand in-situ combustion (ISC) theory and reveal the oxidation behavior and mechanism of Hongqian (HQ) heavy crude oil, the thermo-oxidative characteristics and kinetics of HQ heavy oil were studied under air conditions using TG-DSC-FTIR-MS technique. According to the TG/DTG-DSC curves, the oxidation reactions of HQ heavy oil can be divided into low temperature oxidation (LTO), fuel deposition (FD) and high temperature combustion (HTC) stages. The reaction mechanism for each reaction interval was comprehensively analyzed by online FTIR and MS analysis. In FTIR spectra, H 2 O, hydrocarbon, CO 2 , CO, –COOH, and aromatic ring were observed during the oxidation process, which are used to explain the occurrence of the possible decomposition/isomerization of hydroperoxides in the later stage of LTO and the important role of light hydrocarbons evaporation, thermal oxidative cracking and polycondensation for coke formation at FD stage, coke combustion at HTC stage, as well as the possible hysteresis of dehydrogenation and aromatization at FD and HTC stages. The strong variation of activation energy with conversion degree confirms the complex oxidation reactions. MS analysis of H 2 , CH 4 , H 2 O, CO, O 2 , and CO 2 produced during oxidation process helps to verify these reaction mechanisms; and provide more information about the in-situ H 2 generation and the conditions where H 2 generation may occur as well as the generation of CO and its possible reaction mechanism in LTO reactions. These obtained data aid in a deeper insight into crude oil oxidation mechanism and provide reference for establishing accurate reaction scheme and reaction kinetic model for the precise simulation of ISC processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Luteolin inhibits Mycoplasma gallisepticum colonization and ensures the safety of chicken meat. • Luteolin restores Mycoplasma gallisepticum -induced immunocompromise. • Luteolin alleviates Mycoplasma gallisepticum -induced production performance degradation and inflammatory responses. • Luteolin inhibits the MG-activated IL-17/ NF-kB pathway. • Luteolin can be used as a safe and effective antibiotic alternative drug to treat chronic respiratory disease. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a major pathogen causing chronic respiratory disease (CRD) in chickens. Exposure to MG poses a constant threat to chicken health and causes substantial economic losses. Antibiotics are the main treatment for MG infections, but have to struggle with antibiotic residues and MG resistance. To date, no safe and more effective prevention or treatment for MG infections has been identified. Luteolin (Lut) is a natural flavonoid compound known for its excellent anti-viral, anti-bacterial, immunoregulatory, and anti-inflammatory pharmacological activities. Herein, we established an MG-infected model using partridge shank chickens and chicken-like macrophages (HD11 cells) to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of Lut against MG-induced immune damage. According to our findings, Lut significantly inhibited the expression of MG adhesion protein (pMGA1.2) in vivo and in vitro. Lut effectively mitigated the MG-induced decrease in body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, survival rate, and serum IgG and IgA levels. Lut directly repaired MG-induced spleen and thymus damage by histopathological analysis. Furthermore, network pharmacology analysis revealed that Lut most probably resisted MG infection through the IL-17/NF-kB pathway. In vivo and in vitro experiments, Lut significantly suppressed the increase in key protein IL-17A, TRAF6, p-p65, and p-IkBα in the IL-17/NF-kB pathway. Meanwhile, Lut markedly alleviated MG-induced the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, pro-apoptotic genes caspase3 and caspase9, while promoting the expression of anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. In summary, Lut effectively suppressed MG colonization, alleviated MG-induced the production performance degradation, inflammatory responses, and immune damage by inhibiting the IL-17/ NF-kB pathway. This study indicates Lut can serve as a safe and effective antibiotic alternative drug for preventing and treating MG-induced CRD. It also provides new evidence to explore the molecular mechanisms of MG infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, three new triangular fully parameterized thick plate/shell elements are proposed based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation. The volume parameters and corresponding independent volume gradient vectors are used to simplify the element construction. The node-wise structural parameter is adopted to circumvent the slope discontinuity issue associated with the volume gradient vectors. Two three-node elements inherit the interpolation strategy in the membrane direction of a well verified thin plate element. For the thickness direction, linear and quadratic interpolation are used in the three-node elements. Inspired by the quadrilateral plate elements with gradient vectors only along thickness direction, a six-node triangular element is presented with quadratic interpolation in both membrane and thickness direction. Three static analyses with large deformation and one dynamic analysis are conducted to evaluate the performance of the new elements. It concludes that the three-node element with linear interpolation in the thickness direction performs not well due to the incompatible/low interpolation in the thickness direction. The other two elements show good accuracy in all the numerical tests. Though the six-node element exhibits slightly higher accuracy than the quadratic three-node element, its DOFs are much more than the quadratic three-node element, which makes it less attractive. • ANCF thick triangular elements with ability to model initially curved shell structure. • Straightforward transformation between the element and the Bézier triangular patch. • A 6-node higher order element without the volume gradient slope discontinuity issue is constructed. • New elements exhibit higher accuracy compared with the existing ANCF thick triangular elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]