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To understand the self‐priming characteristics of a self‐priming pump, a closed‐loop piping system that includes the self‐priming pump, valve, tank, and piping system is established. The acceleration–constant speed operation processes of the impeller are controlled through a user‐defined function that ensures that the computational model and startup conditions are consistent with the real situation. Based on numerical calculations of the self‐priming process with two different self‐priming heights, the gas–liquid distributions during the self‐priming startup process are obtained. The results show that the self‐priming startup process can be divided into three stages: rapid inhalation, oscillating exhaust, and accelerated exhaust. Under the two self‐priming heights, the time required for the rapid inhalation and accelerated exhaust stages is basically the same. Thus, the difference in self‐priming time is mainly concentrated in the oscillating exhaust stage. The rate at which the liquid level rises in the vertical pipe is not proportional to the self‐priming height, and the difference in the self‐priming time is not proportional to the change in the self‐priming height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve efficient and durable oil-water emulsion separation, the membranes possessing high separation efficiency and mechanical strength attract extensive attention and are in great demand. In present study, a kind of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-based bilayer membrane was fabricated by electrospinning fibrous PTFE (fPTFE) on an expanded PTFE (ePTFE) substrate. The morphological observation revealed that the fibrous structure of the fPTFE layer could be tailored by controlling the formulation of spinning solution. The addition of appropriate polyoxyethylene (PEO) would make the fibers in the fPTFE layer finer and more uniform. As a result, the compounded membrane exhibited a small pore size of approximately 1.25 µm and a substantial porosity nearing 80%. This led to super-hydrophobicity, characterized by a high water contact angle (WCA) of 149.8°, and facilitated rapid oil permeation. The water-in-oil emulsion separation experiment further confirmed that the compounded membrane not only had a high separation efficiency closing 100%, but such an outstanding separation capacity could be largely retained, either through multiple cycles of use or through strong acid (pH=1), strong alkali (pH=12), or high-temperature (100 °C) treatment. Additionally, the mechanical behavior of the bilayer membrane was basically contributed by that of each layer in terms of their volume ratio. More significantly, the poor creep resistance of fPTFE layer was suppressed by compounding with ePTFE substrate. Hence, this study has laid the groundwork for a novel approach to create PTFE-based compounded membranes with exceptional overall characteristics, showing promise for applications in the realm of emulsion separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the flow characteristics in front chamber and rear chamber in pump mode and pump as turbine mode, a 3D computational model of a centrifugal pump was established, including the front and rear chamber. Based on Realizable k-ε turbulence model, numerical calculations of incompressible flow were carried out for internal viscous flow in two operating modes. Further analysis was conducted on the flow stability and hydraulic losses under two modes using energy gradient theory and entropy production theory. The numerical simulation results are within reasonable error compared to the experimental results in pump operation mode, which ensures the reliability of the numerical calculation method. The results indicate that the volumetric efficiency in both two modes is on an upward trend with increasing flow, but the volumetric efficiency of the pump mode is more significantly affected by changes in flow; the distribution patterns of dimensionless circumferential velocity and dimensionless radial velocity in the front and rear chambers under two operating modes are similar, but the distribution pattern of dimensionless radial velocity in the front chamber in turbine mode is significantly different from other operating conditions; flow instability is most likely to occur at the outlet of impeller, and the energy loss in clearance of wear-rings is greater than that in the pump chamber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beurling density plays a key role in the study of frame-spectrality of normalized Lebesgue measure restricted to a set. Accordingly, in this paper, the authors study the s-Beurling densities of regular maximal orthogonal sets of a class of self-similar spectral measures, where s is the Hausdorff dimension of its support and obtain their exact upper bound of the densities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of a correct level in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) remains a common problem and is critically important to the effectiveness of this surgical treatment. Surgery is invasive, and extended laminectomy may lead to secondary surgical complications. The application of diffuse tensor imagining (DTI) and paraspinal mapping (PM) in addition to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) may be helpful in this respect. However, the superiority of cMRI + DTI over cMRI+ (DTI or PM) in reducing decompression has not yet been established. We compared the surgical levels, determined by cMRI + DTI and cMRI+ (DTI or PM) (self-control). Treatment outcome measurements were performed at two weeks, three months, six months, and twelve months postoperatively. The surgical levels determined by cMRI ± DTI showed less than that determined by cMRI± (DTI or PM) with statistically significant differences (p value = 0.0199) and cMRI ± PM with no statistically significant differences (p value = 0.5503). The effectiveness of cMRI ± DTI in the reduction of the surgical levels in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is superior than that of cMRI± (DTI or PM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method was developed to upcycle spent-LIBs cathode into Co-doped NiFe carbonate hydroxide hydrate (Co/NFCH-FF) as an efficient oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst. Co doping endows the nanosheets with a unique edge effect to enhance electric fields and accumulate hydroxide ions at edge during OER process, leading to superior OER performance. [Display omitted] The recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has received increasing attention for environment and resource reclamation. Converting LIBs wastes into high-efficiency catalysts is a win-win strategy for realizing resource reclamation and addressing sustainable energy challenges. Herein, we developed a simple method to upcycle spent-LIBs cathode powder into Co-doped NiFe carbonate hydroxide hydrate (Co/NFCH-FF) as a low-cost and efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst. The optimized Co/NFCH-FF electrode appears very competitive OER performances with low overpotentials of 201 and 249 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively, a small Tafel slope of 48.4 mV dec−1, and a high long-term stability. Moreover, we reveal that the existence of Co atoms leads to the formation of a crystalline/amorphous (c/a) interface at the Co/NFCH nanosheet edge, inducing the nanosheets possess a unique edge effect to enhance electric fields and accumulate hydroxide ions (OH–) at the edge during the OER process. Benefiting from edge effect, Co/NFCH-FF shows outstanding intrinsic activity. Furthermore, Co atoms as dopants stabilize the electronic structure of Co/NFCH-FF, enabling Co/NFCH-FF to exhibit excellent catalytic stability. This work provides an effective strategy for converting the end-life LIBs to high-performance multicomponent OER electrocatalysts and proposes new insights into the mechanism of enhanced catalytic activity of Co/NFCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the unsteady Bernoulli equation for the piping system and the angular momentum equation for the rotor, derives here a theoretical model to predict the startup performance of a pump as turbine (PAT). This model is effective for predicting the instantaneous evolution characteristics of the main performance parameters of PAT during startup, and these changings are initially faster and then slowly as a whole. The effect of the rotor moment of inertia and the final stabilized rotational speed of PAT on evolution characteristics of parameters is opposite. The rotational speed, head, hydraulic power, and conversion efficiency show a upward rising trend with the startup time, whereas the flow rate and hydraulic head loss display a downward trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tryptophan (Trp) metabolism plays a crucial role in influencing the development of digestive system tumors. Dysregulation of Trp and its metabolites has been identified in various digestive system cancers, including esophageal, gastric, liver, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. Aberrantly expressed Trp metabolites are associated with diverse clinical features in digestive system tumors. Moreover, the levels of these metabolites can serve as prognostic indicators and predictors of recurrence risk in patients with digestive system tumors. Trp metabolites exert their influence on tumor growth and metastasis through multiple mechanisms, including immune evasion, angiogenesis promotion, and drug resistance enhancement. Suppressing the expression of key enzymes in Trp metabolism can reduce the accumulation of these metabolites, effectively impacting their role in the promotion of tumor progression and metastasis. Strategies targeting Trp metabolism through specific enzyme inhibitors or tailored drugs exhibit considerable promise in enhancing therapeutic outcomes for digestive system tumors. In addition, integrating these approaches with immunotherapy holds the potential to further enhance treatment efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the plasma polymerization reaction of fluorocarbon gases, with specific focus on three monomers: tetrafluoromethane, hexafluoroethane, and octafluorocyclobutane. Optical emission spectroscopy was employed to observe species within the glow discharge, while detecting plasma species in fluorocarbon plasma polymerization. Fluorocarbon plasma polymerized films surface morphology and roughness were scrutinized using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Chemical bonding on film surfaces was probed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Experimental outcomes highlight the essential role of chemical interactions between fluorocarbon plasma and monomers, with film surface composition inferred from fluorocarbon ratio analysis. These analyses improve the understanding of fluorocarbon-to-carbon ratio and duty cycle contributions to plasma polymerized film growth, which promises advancements in the ability to tailor fluorocarbon films to specific applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A single injection of local anaesthetic (LA) in the erector spinae plane block (ESPB) can reduce pain after modified radical mastectomy (MRM) surgery, but the duration of analgesia is affected by the duration of the LA. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of continuous ESPB on acute and chronic pain and inflammatory response after MRM surgery. Methods: In this prospective, randomised, controlled trial, we will recruit 160 patients, aged 18–80 years, scheduled for elective MRM surgery under general anaesthesia. They will be randomly assigned to two groups: a continuous ESPB group (group E) and a sham block group (group C). Both groups of patients will have a nerve block (group C pretended to puncture) and an indwelling catheter fixed prior to surgery. Electronic pumps containing LA are shielded. The primary outcome is the total consumption of analgesic agents. The secondary outcomes include the levels of inflammation-related cytokines; the occurrence of chronic pain (post-mastectomy pain syndrome, PMPS); static and dynamic pain scores at 2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h postoperatively; and post-operative and post-puncture adverse reactions. Discussion: Analgesia after MRM surgery is important and chronic pain can develop when acute pain is prolonged, but the analgesic effect of a nerve block with a single injection of LA is limited by the duration of drug action. The aim of this trial is to investigate whether continuous ESPB can reduce acute pain after MRM surgery and reduce the incidence of chronic pain (PMPS), with fewer postoperative analgesic drug-related complications and less inflammatory response. Continuous ESPB and up to 12 months of follow-up are two innovations of this trial. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (https://www.chictr.org.cn/) ChiCTR2200061935. Registered on 11 July 2022. This trial is a prospective registry with the following registry names: Effect of ultrasound-guided continuous erector spinae plane block on postoperative pain and inflammatory response in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the majority of data mining tasks, feature selection serves as an essential pre-processing step. The most important attributes are selected to lower the dimensionality reduction of data set and enhance the precision of classification. Natural heuristic algorithms are extensively employed in the realm of encapsulated feature selection. Based on the wrapper feature selection method, seven natural heuristic algorithms are used to solve feature selection problems and perform performance comparison, which include Slime Mold Algorithm (SMA), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), Harris Hawks Optimization Algorithm (HHO), Marine Predator Algorithm (MPA), Butterfly Optimization Algorithm (BOA), Cuckoo Search (CS) and Firefly Algorithm (FA). At the same time, performance tests are carried out on 21 standard UCI data sets to verily the functionality of various algorithms, and the convergence curves and accuracy boxplots of 7 natural heuristic algorithms on 21 data sets are given. The simulation outcomes were assessed utilizing the mean and standard deviation of fitness, as well as the number of chosen features, and the running time, with the optimal value in bold. By comparing the comprehensive performance indexes, MPA obtained the maximum mean fitness value in most data sets (16 data sets), followed by FA (6 data sets). SMA obtained the best performance and finds the minimum eigenvalues (20 data sets) in multiple data sets and has an advantage in computing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to investigate the cultural and psychological factors that significantly affect teachers' intention to accept VR technology and use it long-term in their classes in elementary and secondary schools. The extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) model effectively measured such factors in this context. We conducted a questionnaire survey with 351 elementary and secondary school teachers in four provinces in China and analyzed their responses utilizing Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. The results of this work showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and hedonic motivation significantly impacted continued usage intention. However, the habit did not promote continued usage intention. Based on the results, research on VR classroom application guidance and teachers' professional development with VR technology applications should be strengthened. Meanwhile, increasing the publicity of integrating VR technology into classroom teaching, creating a favorable climate for VR technology adoption, and enhancing the fun of VR technology can also contribute to teachers' continued VR technology usage intention in classroom teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe erosion wear is found on valve spools, which threatens the safety and reliability of these units. The use of the plasma beam spraying surfacing method can significantly improve the corrosion resistance and sealing performance of hydraulic valve spools, reduce material waste, and reduce maintenance costs. The effects of the co-addition of CeO2 and SiC particles on the morphology, surface cracks, microstructure, precipitated phases, and wear property of plasma-beam-sprayed Fe55-based coatings on 1025 steel were investigated using OM, EDS, ultra-deep field microscopy, and a wet sand rubber wheel friction tester, respectively. The dendrite exhibited a directional growth pattern perpendicular to the substrate and the transitional states of the microstructure with the co-addition of CeO2 and SiC particles. CeO2 or SiC reduced the liquid phase diffusion coefficient DL of Cr and C and resulted in a decrease in the G/R ratio. The dendrites changed into equiaxed grains. The main phase composition of the Fe55 welding layer was Cr7C3, γ-Fe. The martensite in the surfacing layer and the carbides formed Cr7C3, which can improve the hardness of the surfacing layer. The grain boundaries consisted mainly of a reticular eutectic structure. The uniform distribution of the Cr7C3 hard phase in the Fe55+1.5 wt% SiC+0.01 wt% CeO2 resulted in a uniformly worn surface. The sub-wear mechanisms during the friction process were micro-ploughing and micro-cutting. The hardness and toughness of Fe55+1.5 wt% SiC+0.01 wt% CeO2 were well-matched, avoiding excessive micro-cutting and microplastic deformation. A low content of CeO2 could lead to the formation of equiaxed grain and effectively improve the uniformity of the microstructure. The wear-resistant layer of Fe55+1.5 wt% SiC+0.01 wt% CeO2 can effectively improve the service life and long-term sealing performance of the valve spools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines critical ethnographic and archival elements of Paradise Camp, Yuki Kihara's highly celebrated Aotearoa New Zealand national pavilion at the Venice Biennial in 2022. Through its scenography that in Kihara's words is "fa'afabulous," consisting of archival collages drawn from museum collections and staged photography made after Gauguin's paintings in collaboration with queer Sāmoan communities, we argue that Kihara's heavily annotated version of a so-called paradise assembled within Paradise Camp offers a 'potential museum' that reconnects the missing links between colonial registrations of the past with today's queer Sāmoan lives. This queer Indigenous reconfiguration of a fabulous paradise, which refuses imperial understandings of Pacific people and geographies, seems central to Paradise Camp 's queer 'camp' effects, much like an eye roll that dethrones authority. Therefore, we propose that such an artist-fabulated museum lays claims to an Oceanic sovereignty, and broadly fosters a shared world for Fa'afafine and queer Pasifika peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on transient characteristics of pump as turbines during atypical startup has not been deeply explored yet. In order to reveal the transient characteristics of a small centrifugal pump reversing as turbine during startup process in this paper, the transient hydraulic performance experiments are conducted for three steady rotational speed cases. Under the condition of each case, three, five and, three valve opening scenarios are completed to measure the performance. The dimensionless analysis are also employed so as to better reveal transient behavior of the pump as turbine during atypical startup. The results show that the rise rate of each performance parameter is different, wherein the shaft power and rotational speed have the fastest rising rate, followed by the flow rate, and the head rise is the slowest. It is clearly seen that the shock phenomenon in static pressure easily occurs at the outlet of pump as turbine. With the increase of valve opening, the dimensionless flow rate, head and, power coefficient all show the evolution trend of gradually increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a recently discovered class of non-coding RNAs with a length of more than 200 nucleotides. Dysregulation of lncRNAs has been implicated in the development and progression of various human diseases and has pivotal functions in diverse biological processes, like cell apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and invasion. LncRNAs are increasingly being identified as potential targets for clinical applications based on their functional mechanisms, which are gradually being elucidated. One such disease-related lncRNA is the forkhead box P4-AS1 (FOXP4-AS1), which is abnormally expressed in multiple human diseases, including cancer and non-cancerous diseases. Moreover, FOXP4-AS1's expression is linked with the clinical characteristics of patients. Mechanistically, FOXP4-AS1 mediates several cellular processes mainly through its target genes. Therefore, FOXP4-AS1 has been extensively investigated for its diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potential. In this review, we discuss the expression patterns, major role, and molecular mechanisms of FOXP4-AS1, along with its association with clinical features and potential applications in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza A viruses (IAV) utilize sialic acid (Sia) containing cell surface glycoconjugates for host cell infection, and IAV strains from different host species show preferences for structurally distinct Sia at the termini of glycoconjugates. Various types of cell surface glycoconjugates (N-glycans, O-glycans, glycolipids) display significant diversity in both structure and carbohydrate composition. To define the types of sialylglycoconjugates that facilitate IAV infection, we utilized the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to truncate the three major types of glycoconjugates, either individually or in combination, by targeting glycosyltransferases essential to glycan biosynthesis in a human lung epithelial cell line. Our studies show that both human and avian IAV strains do not display strict preferences for a specific type of glycoconjugate. Interestingly, truncation of the three major types of glycoconjugates significantly decreased replication of human IAV strains, yet did not impact replication of avian IAV strains. Unlike human IAV strains, avian IAV strains were able to efficiently utilize other less prevalent shorter glycoconjugates such as sialyl Tn and sialyl T antigens. Taken together, our studies demonstrate that avian IAV strains utilize a broader repertoire of glycoconjugates for host cell infection as compared to human IAV strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recommended operation for cecum cancer (CC) is right hemicolectomy (RH) in some Western countries while the principle of D3 lymphadenectomy in Japan recommends resecting approximately 10 cm from the tumor edge. Therefore, the optimal surgical approach for cecum cancer (CC) remains controversial. We conducted this retrospective study to explore the pattern of lymph node metastasis and better surgical procedures for CC. Methods: A total of 224 cecum cancer patients from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2021, were retrospectively included in the final study. The pattern of lymph node metastasis (LNM) was investigated. Results: A total of 113 (50.4%, 113/224) patients had pathologically confirmed LNM. The most frequent metastatic site was no. 201 lymph node (46%, 103/224), while 20 (8.9%, 20/224) patients had LNM in no. 202 lymph node, and 8 (3.6%, 8/224) patients had LNM in no. 203 lymph node. Only 1 (0.4%, 1/224) patient had LNM in no. 221 lymph node, four (1.8, 4/224%) patients had LNM in no. 223 lymph node, and no patients had LNM in no. 222 lymph node. LNM in no. 223 lymph node was significantly associated with a poor prognosis. Multivariate analysis indicated that LNM in no. 223 lymph node (HR = 4.59, 95% CI 1.18–17.86, P = 0.028) was the only independent risk factor associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS). Conclusions: The LNM in no. 223 lymph node for cecum cancer was rare. Therefore, standard right hemicolectomy excision is too extensive for most CC cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among participation, peer support, self-regulated learning (SRL), course discipline and academic performance in small private open course (SPOC) environments. The study sample comprised of 309 undergraduates who completed SPOCs within the past year and consisted of 53% males (N = 164) and 47% females (N = 145). Multilevel modeling showed that participation, self-regulated learning, and peer support significantly predicted academic performance. Furthermore, findings revealed that emotional support did not have a significant impact on students' academic performance in contrast to informational support. In addition, students within science courses or social and humanity courses accomplish significantly higher academic performance than students within art courses. The findings also highlighted that, compared to students within art courses, the positive effect of participation and informational support on academic performance increased among students within science courses and social and humanity courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purification of p‐xylene (pX) from its xylene isomers represents a challenging but important industrial process. Herein, we report the efficient separation of pX from its ortho‐ and meta‐ isomers by a microporous calcium‐based metal–organic framework material (HIAM‐203) with a flexible skeleton. At 30 °C, all three isomers are accommodated but the adsorption kinetics of o‐xylene (oX) and m‐xylene (mX) are substantially slower than that of pX, and at an elevated temperature of 120 °C, oX and mX are fully excluded while pX can be adsorbed. Multicomponent column breakthrough measurements and vapor‐phase/liquid‐phase adsorption experiments have demonstrated the capability of HIAM‐203 for efficient separation of xylene isomers. Ab initio calculations have provided useful information for understanding the adsorption mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purification of p‐xylene (pX) from its xylene isomers represents a challenging but important industrial process. Herein, we report the efficient separation of pX from its ortho‐ and meta‐ isomers by a microporous calcium‐based metal–organic framework material (HIAM‐203) with a flexible skeleton. At 30 °C, all three isomers are accommodated but the adsorption kinetics of o‐xylene (oX) and m‐xylene (mX) are substantially slower than that of pX, and at an elevated temperature of 120 °C, oX and mX are fully excluded while pX can be adsorbed. Multicomponent column breakthrough measurements and vapor‐phase/liquid‐phase adsorption experiments have demonstrated the capability of HIAM‐203 for efficient separation of xylene isomers. Ab initio calculations have provided useful information for understanding the adsorption mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the efficiency of the self-priming pump in the outdoor emergency rescue mobile pump truck, this paper took the key energy conversion component-impeller as the target and used the orthogonal experimental design method to optimize its hydraulic performance. Firstly the numerical calculations were compared with the experimental results to confirm the reliability of the calculation method. Then, L9 (34) orthogonal design was applied to investigate the influence of the impeller diameter, the blade outlet width, the blade wrap angle and the number of blades on the hydraulic performance of the self-priming pump. Through range analysis, the order of influence of each influencing factor on the head and efficiency of the self-priming pump was determined, and finally obtained the optimal parameter combination scheme. The results show that the optimized self-priming pump exceeds the head of the prototype pump at all flow conditions, and the efficiency curve at high flow conditions is significantly improved and has a wide high efficiency zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arginase has shown promising potential in treating cancers by arginine deprivation therapy; however, low enzymatic activity and stability of arginase are impeding its development. This study was aimed to improve the enzymological properties of a marine bacterial arginase by carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) conjugation. An arginase producing marine bacterium Priestia megaterium strain P6 was isolated and identified. The novel arginase PMA from the strain was heterologously expressed, purified, and then conjugated to CMCS by ionic gelation with calcium chloride as the crosslinking agent. Enzymological properties of both PMA and CMCS-PMA conjugate were determined. The optimum temperature for PMA and CMCS-PMA at pH 7 were 60 °C and 55 °C, respectively. The optimum pH for PMA and CMCS-PMA at 37 °C were pH 10 and 9, respectively. CMCS-PMA showed higher thermostability than PMA over 55–70 °C and higher pH stability over pH 4–11 with the highest pH stability at pH 7. At 37 °C and pH of 7, i.e., around the human blood temperature and pH, CMCS-PMA was higher than the free PMA in enzymatic activity and stability by 24% and 21%, respectively. CMCS conjugation not only changed the optimum temperature, optimum pH, and enzymatic activity of PMA, but also improved its pH stability and temperature stability, and thus made it more favorable for medical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity-related diseases have been on the rise, making it important to promote physical activity. Smart sports watches are popular among young people and can play a role in this regard. This study aims to evaluate the impact of different watch head design types on the visual image of smart sports watches. Based on sales data, seven sports smartwatches with sales of over 2000 units were selected from a sample of 50 as representative samples. A factor analysis and questionnaire survey were used to identify four groups of adjectives that describe watch heads: Sporty and Smart, precious and exquisite, distinctive and avant-garde, and trendy and technological. College students evaluated the seven watches using these adjectives, and using triangular fuzzy mathematics theory, the watches were divided into three categories. The results show that the seven watches had significant differences in appearing "Sporty and Smart" and "precious and exquisite", while the visual imagery of "distinctive and avant-garde" and "trendy and technological" had no significant difference. Based on the grouping analysis of the seven samples, it is concluded that: the slim and compact shape without excessive decoration has a sense of sportiness and simplicity; the square shape combined with left and right buttons has a sense of sportiness and fashion; the unique connection between the round shape, the watch strap, and the watch head, as well as the strong mechanical feeling, have a sense of value. To substantiate the validity of our research findings, we devised three novel specimens based on the morphological elements of sports watches and conducted surveys accordingly. Statistical analysis revealed a fundamental coherence between the performance of these specimens in four stylistic domains and the expression of style-forming elements, confirming the reference value of these findings in the stylistic design of sports smartwatches. This study provides designers with references for improving the design and development efficiency of smart sports watches, promoting their sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effect of the width-to-narrow ratio on the forward and reverse flow characteristics of the Tesla valve, five different models of the Tesla valve with different width-to-narrow ratios are established in this paper. The numerical calculations of forward and reverse flow under different working conditions are carried out by the CFD method in the laminar flow regime, and the reliability of the numerical calculation method is verified by comparing it with the experimental results. The results show that: in forward flow, the main flow-through channel is not related to the width-to-narrow ratio, the flow rate of the straight channel increases with the increase of the width-to-narrow ratio, and the static pressure in the diversion section is in the shape of "∞"; while in reverse flow, the main flow-through channel is weakly related to the width-to-narrow ratio, the flow rate of the arc channel is not increased with the increase of the width-to-narrow ratio, and the static pressure in the diversion section is in the shape of "bench". As the width-to-narrow ratio decreases, the pressure drop during forward and reverse flow becomes more significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pathogen of angiostrongyliasis is the parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and the transcriptome profiling of the male adult was unclear. We aimed to understand how the male adults adapt, so the expression profile of A. cantonensis adult males was analyzed. Methods: In order to improve the understanding of the transcriptome of adult males, RNA from three groups of male adult A. cantonensis was extracted and reverse transcribed to construct cDNA libraries. After sequencing, annotation of unigenes and transcripts was performed by querying the NR (Non- Redundant Protein Sequence Database), GO (Gene Ontology) and COG/ KOG (Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins/euKaryotic Ortholog Groups) databases. Results: For each group of adults, 43,260,894 raw reads and 43,200,341 clean reads were obtained. After successful assembly, 87,649 unigenes and 146,895 transcripts were obtained. Annotation of the unigenes and transcripts was identical and male adults expressed a series of genes encoding proteins specific to the male gender at the adult stage, such as proteins involved in energy metabolism, energy synthesis and transport. Expression of the ribosome pathway suggests a relationship with the physical activities during the adult male stage. Conclusion: The transcriptome analysis is a good reference to understand further the expression profile of male adult A. cantonensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new method to calculate the volumetric efficiency and hydraulic efficiency of centrifugal pumps based on the principle of energy balance. Two efficiencies are calculated by means of a low specific speed centrifugal pump handling media with different viscosities at best efficiency points and are compared with those of two existing methods. The results manifest that the definition of two efficiencies in the present paper is more precisive and sensitive to the change of liquid viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of alkane isomers is an important yet challenging process in the petrochemical industry. Being a crucial step to produce premium gasoline components as well as optimum ethylene feed, the current industrial separation by distillation is extremely energy intensive. Adsorptive separation based on zeolite is limited by insufficient adsorption capacity. Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) hold enormous promise as alternative adsorbents due to their diverse structural tunability and exceptional porosity. Precise control of their pore geometry/dimensions has led to superior performance. In this minireview, we highlight the recent progresses in developing MOFs for the separation of C6 alkane isomers. Representative MOFs are reviewed based on their separation mechanisms. Emphasis is put on the material design rationale for achieving optimal separation capability. Finally, we briefly discuss the existing challenges, possible solutions, and future directions of this important field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The separation of alkane isomers is an important yet challenging process in the petrochemical industry. Being a crucial step to produce premium gasoline components as well as optimum ethylene feed, the current industrial separation by distillation is extremely energy intensive. Adsorptive separation based on zeolite is limited by insufficient adsorption capacity. Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) hold enormous promise as alternative adsorbents due to their diverse structural tunability and exceptional porosity. Precise control of their pore geometry/dimensions has led to superior performance. In this minireview, we highlight the recent progresses in developing MOFs for the separation of C6 alkane isomers. Representative MOFs are reviewed based on their separation mechanisms. Emphasis is put on the material design rationale for achieving optimal separation capability. Finally, we briefly discuss the existing challenges, possible solutions, and future directions of this important field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoparticles are widely used in catalysis. Loading metal nanoparticles into polymer brushes has aroused wide attention, but regulation of catalytic performance still needs to be improved. The novel diblock polymer brushes, polystyrene@sodium polystyrene sulfonate-b-poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PSV@PSS-b-PNIPA) and PSV@PNIPA-b-PSS with reversed block sequence, were prepared by surface initiated photoiniferter-mediated polymerization (SI-PIMP) and used as nanoreactors to load silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The block sequence caused the difference of conformation and further affected the catalytic performance. PSV@PNIPA-b-PSS@Ag was found to be able to control the amount of AgNPs exposed to external reactant of 4-nitrophenol at different temperatures to achieve regulation of the reaction rate due to the hydrogen bonds and further physical crosslinking between PNIPA and PSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal the influence of starting acceleration on starting process of a pump as turbine system, this paper carries out a numerical calculation of the three-dimensional viscous unsteady flow of pump as turbine circulating piping system under three starting acceleration conditions, and obtains the external and internal flow characteristics of each overflow component during the starting process, and also analyzes the energy loss of each component in the piping system in depth with the help of entropy production method and Q criterion method. The results show that during system start-up, the flow rate and outlet static pressure curves of the pump as turbine are hysteresis relative to the rotational speed, the head curve is similar to a linear rise during slow and medium speed start-up, while it shows a parabolic rise during rapid start-up, the entropy production and vorticity in the impeller domain of the pump as turbine are mainly distributed between the blades, and the distribution decreases during start-up. In addition, the pump similarity law does not apply to the performance prediction during the transient start of the pump as turbine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been thought to be an effective adjuvant to local anesthetics (LAs) in erector spinae plane block (ESPB), however, this method of use is not recorded in the drug instructions. Hence, our meta-analysis will evaluate its efficacy and safety for the first time. Methods: A systematic search of published articles was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Web of science, and Cochrane Library databases up to July 17, 2022, using specific keywords related to our aims. The time first to request rescue analgesia, number of patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) presses, rate of rescue analgesia use, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), arrhythmia, and hypotension were calculated by using random-effect models. This systematic review and meta-analysis was registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022345488). Results: Numerous electronic databases were searched and finally 8 studies with a total of 570 patients, 303 in the DEX arm, 267 in the control arm were included. As an adjuvant to LAs, DEX significantly increased the time to first request of rescue analgesia (mean difference [MD] = 8.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.70–12.10, P < 0.00001), reduced the number of PCIA presses (MD = -4.12, 95% CI = -7.79 to -0.45, P = 0.03) and the rate of rescue analgesia (odds ratio [OR] = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.17–0.65, P = 0.002). Moreover, the combination reduced the risk of PONV (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.36–0.91, P = 0.02). In addition, there was no difference in the incidence of hypotension (OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.37–2.74, P = 0.99) and arrhythmia (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.19–3.07, P = 0.70). Conclusion: DEX can reduce analgesic requirements after various surgical procedures when used as an adjuvant to LAs for ESPB. Moreover, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of safety indicators (arrhythmia, hypotension). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore tooth growth variation by regions and ethnicity in China, and to validate the modified Tibetan so as to assist in proposing a better approach. A total of 1320 orthopantomograms of Han children aged 4–14.99 were retrospectively collected from eastern and western regions of China. The Demirjian method and modified Tibetan method were applied. Results showed that dental maturity scores (DMS) in eastern children were significantly greater than western children. Age was overestimated by both methods in eastern children. MAE was 0.88 and 1.3 years by Demirjian method, 1.01 and 1.21 years by modified Tibetan method in eastern girls and boys respectively. In western children, age was significantly underestimated in girls and slightly overestimated by Demirjian method; by modified method, age was generally overestimated. MAE was 0.79 and 0.84 years by Demirjian method, 0.51 and 0.69 years by modified Tibetan method in girls and boys respectively. The current study reveals that tooth growth was significantly advanced in Eastern Han children compared with Western Han children. Ethnic variation between Eastern Han and Tibetan Chinese was substantial. Neither method was sufficiently accurate in Eastern Han children. The modified Tibetan method was reliable in Western Han children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting evidence suggests that climate change will cause shifts of tree species range and abundance (biomass). Abundance changes under climate change are likely to occur prior to a detectable range shift. Disturbances are expected to directly affect tree species abundance and composition, and could profoundly influence tree species spatial distribution within a geographical region. However, how multiple disturbance regimes will interact with changing climate to alter the spatial distribution of species abundance remains unclear. We simulated such forest demographic processes using a forest landscape succession and disturbance model (LANDIS-II) parameterized with forest inventory data in the northeastern United States. Our study incorporated climate change under a high-emission future and disturbance regimes varying with gradients of intensities and spatial extents. The results suggest that disturbances catalyze changes in tree species abundance and composition under a changing climate, but the effects of disturbances differ by intensity and extent. Moderate disturbances and large extent disturbances have limited effects, while high-intensity disturbances accelerate changes by removing cohorts of mid-and late-successional species, creating opportunities for early-successional species. High-intensity disturbances result in the northern movement of early-successional species and the southern movement of late-successional species abundances. Our study is among the first to systematically investigate how disturbance extent and intensity interact to determine the spatial distribution of changes in species abundance and forest composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newborn neurons from the subventricular zone (SVZ) are essential to functional recovery following ischemic stroke. However, the number of newly generated neurons after stroke is far from enough to support a potent recovery. Adiponectin could increase neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the effect of adiponectin on the neurogenesis from SVZ and the functional recovery after ischemic stroke was unknown, and the underlying mechanism was not specified either. The middle cerebral artery occlusion model of mice was adopted and adiponectin was administrated once a day from day 3 to 7 of reperfusion. The levels of BDNF and p-STAT3 were detected by western blotting on day 7 of reperfusion. The virus-encoded BDNF shRNA with GFAP promoter and a STAT3 inhibitor Stattic were used, respectively. Neurogenesis was evidenced by the expression of doublecortin and 5-bromo-2ʹ-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labelling and brain atrophy was revealed by Nissl staining on day 28 of reperfusion. Neurological functional recovery was assessed by the adhesive removal test and the forepaw grip strength. We found that adiponectin increased both the doublecortin-positive cells and NeuN/BrdU double-positive cells around the injured area on day 28 of reperfusion, along with the improved long-term neurological recovery. Mechanistically, adiponectin increased the protein levels of p-STAT3 and BDNF in astrocytes on day 7 of reperfusion, while silencing BDNF diminished the adiponectin-induced neurogenesis and functional recovery. Moreover, inhibition of STAT3 not only prevented the increase of BDNF but also the improved neurogenesis and functional recovery after stroke. In conclusion, adiponectin enhances neurogenesis and functional recovery after ischemic stroke via STAT3/BDNF pathway in astrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria makes the discovery of new antibiotics an urgent issue, but finding new molecules with the desired antibacterial activity is an extremely difficult task. To address this challenge, we established a framework, MDAGS (Molecular Design via Attribute-Guided Search), to optimize and generate potent antibiotic molecules. Results By designing the antibacterial activity latent space and guiding the optimization of functional compounds based on this space, the model MDAGS can generate novel compounds with desirable antibacterial activity without the need for extensive expensive and time-consuming evaluations. Compared with existing antibiotics, candidate antibacterial compounds generated by MDAGS always possessed significantly better antibacterial activity and ensured high similarity. Furthermore, although without explicit constraints on similarity to known antibiotics, these candidate antibacterial compounds all exhibited the highest structural similarity to antibiotics of expected function in the DrugBank database query. Overall, our approach provides a viable solution to the problem of bacterial drug resistance. Availability and implementation Code of the model and datasets can be downloaded from GitHub (https://github.com/LiangYu-Xidian/MDAGS). Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the association between ovulation induction drugs and ovarian cancer. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Setting: Not applicable. Patient(s): Women without ovarian cancer who ever or never underwent ovarian induction. Intervention(s): An extensive electronic search of the following databases was performed: PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and CNKI, from inception until January 2022. A total of 34 studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria and were included in the final meta-analysis. The odds ratio (OR) and random-effects model were used to estimate the pooled effects. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess the quality of included studies. Funnel plots and Egger tests were used to assess publication bias. Main outcomes: New diagnosed borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) and invasive ovarian cancer (IOC) between ovulation induction (OI) group and control (CT) group considering fertility outcome, OI cycles and specific OI drugs. Results: Primarily, there was no significant difference in the incidence of IOC and BOT between the OI and CT groups. Secondly, OI treatment did not increase the risk of IOC and BOT in the multiparous women, nor did it increase the risk of IOC in the nulliparous women. However, the risk of BOT appeared to be higher in nulliparous women treated with OI treatment. Thirdly, among women exposed to OI, the risk of IOC and BOT was higher in nulliparous women than in multiparous women. Fourthly, the risk of IOC did not increase with increasing OI cycles. Lastly, exposure to specific OI drugs also did not contribute to the risk of IOC and BOT. Conclusion: Overall, OI treatment did not increase the risk of IOC and BOT in most women, regardless of OI drug type and OI cycle. However, nulliparous women treated with OI showed a higher risk of ovarian cancer, necessitating their rigorous monitoring and ongoing follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an Al2O33D/5083 Al composite was fabricated by infiltrating a molten 5083 Al alloy into a three-dimensional alumina reticulated porosity ceramics skeleton preform (Al2O33D) using a pressureless infiltration method. The corrosion resistance of 5083 Al alloy and Al2O33D/5083 Al in NaCl solution were compared via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), dynamic polarization potential (PDP), and neutral salt spray (NSS) tests. The microstructure of the two materials were investigated by 3D X-ray microscope and scanning electron microscopy aiming at understanding the corrosion mechanisms. Results show that an Al2O33D/5083 Al composite consists of interpenetrating structure of 3D-continuous matrices of continuous networks 5083 Al alloy and Al2O33D phase. A large area of strong interfaces of 5083 Al and Al2O33D exist in the Al2O33D/5083 Al composite. The corrosion development process can be divided into the initial period, the development period, and the stability period. Al2O33D used as reinforcement in Al2O33D/5083 Al composite improves the corrosion resistance of Al2O33D/5083 Al composite via electrochemistry tests. Thus, the corrosion resistance of Al2O33D/5083 Al is higher than that of 5083 Al alloy. The NSS test results indicate that the corrosion resistance of Al2O33D/5083 Al was lower than that of 5083 Al alloy during the initial period, higher than that of 5083 Al alloy during the development period, and there was no obvious difference in corrosion resistance during the stability period. It is considered that the elements in 5083 Al alloy infiltrated into the Al2O33D/5083 Al composite are segregated, and the uniform distribution of the segregated elements leads to galvanic corrosion during the corrosion initial period. The perfect combination of interfaces of Al2O33D and the 5083 Al alloy matrix promotes excellent corrosion resistance during the stability period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The full separation of alkane isomers as a function of different degrees of branching remains a daunting challenge due to its stringent requirement with respect to pore dimensions of the adsorbents. In this work, we report a novel microporous coordination network built on calcium (II) and chloranilate. The compound has a flexible framework and exhibits temperature‐dependent adsorption behavior toward hexane isomers. At 30 °C, it accommodates substantial amounts of linear and monobranched hexanes but fully excludes their dibranched isomer, and at elevated temperatures such as 150 °C, it acts as a splitter for linear and branched alkanes. Its capability of efficient discrimination of hexane isomers as a function of branching is verified by experimental breakthrough measurements. Ab initio calculations have uncovered the underlying selective size‐exclusion separation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The full separation of alkane isomers as a function of different degrees of branching remains a daunting challenge due to its stringent requirement with respect to pore dimensions of the adsorbents. In this work, we report a novel microporous coordination network built on calcium (II) and chloranilate. The compound has a flexible framework and exhibits temperature‐dependent adsorption behavior toward hexane isomers. At 30 °C, it accommodates substantial amounts of linear and monobranched hexanes but fully excludes their dibranched isomer, and at elevated temperatures such as 150 °C, it acts as a splitter for linear and branched alkanes. Its capability of efficient discrimination of hexane isomers as a function of branching is verified by experimental breakthrough measurements. Ab initio calculations have uncovered the underlying selective size‐exclusion separation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of overactive bladder (OAB) in young adults and to explore the influence of OAB on mental health. Methods: Between October 2019 and January 2020, 14,010 anonymous questionnaires were distributed to freshmen at 2 universities in Henan, China. The students came from all over the country. The questionnaire included general items and information necessary to calculate the overactive bladder symptom score, the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, Self-Esteem Scale (SES) score, and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) score. The relationships between the prevalence of OAB and its risk factors were evaluated. Results: The overall prevalence of OAB was 6.0%, with 4.3% of participants characterized as having dry OAB and 1.7% as having wet OAB. The prevalence of mild OAB was 5.5%, and that of moderate OAB was 0.5%; no severe OAB was observed. Higher prevalence rates of OAB were found among women, respondents with constipation, and respondents with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) (P<0.05). Compared to healthy controls, the OAB group exhibited a higher mean SDS score (52.12±8.986 vs. 47.71±9.399, P<0.001) and mean PSQI score (5.28±2.486 vs. 4.27±2.431, P<0.001), but a lower mean SES score (27.78±3.599 vs. 29.57±4.109, P<0.001). Conclusions: OAB significantly affects the mental health of young adults. Female sex, constipation, and PNE are risk factors for OAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Mitigating the possible adverse environmental impacts caused by transgene flow from genetically engineered crops to their wild/weedy relatives is an ideal strategy for resolving biosafety problems. To explore a transgene mitigation system in rice, we edited the seed-shattering genes (SH4 and qSH1) of a weedy rice line with strong seed shattering. The results showed substantially reduced seed shattering in the gene-edited weedy rice lines. The single gene-edited weedy rice lines displayed an inconsistent reduction in seed size-related traits. Reduced seed shattering was closely linked with a lack of abscission layers and reduced abscisic acid (ABA). In addition, most examined genes that were closely associated with ABA biosynthesis, ABA signaling transduction, and cell wall hydrolysis were downregulated in the gene-edited weedy rice lines. These findings can assist in exploring the underlying mechanisms of reduced seed shattering in weedy rice plants, in addition to practical applications for mitigating environmental impacts caused by transgene flow and for controlling the infestation of weedy rice. Mitigating the function of acquired transgenes in crop wild/weedy relatives can provide an ideal strategy to reduce the possible undesired environmental impacts of pollen-mediated transgene flow from genetically engineered (GE) crops. To explore a transgene mitigation system in rice, we edited the seed-shattering genes, SH4 and qSH1, using a weedy rice line ("C9") that originally had strong seed shattering. We also analyzed seed size-related traits, the total genomic transcriptomic data, and RT-qPCR expression of the SH4 or qSH1 gene-edited and SH4/qSH1 gene-edited weedy rice lines. Substantially reduced seed shattering was observed in all gene-edited weedy rice lines. The single gene-edited weedy rice lines, either the SH4 or qSH1 gene, did not show a consistent reduction in their seed size-related traits. In addition, reduced seed shattering was closely linked with the weakness and absence of abscission layers and reduced abscisic acid (ABA). Additionally, the genes closely associated with ABA biosynthesis and signaling transduction, as well as cell-wall hydrolysis, were downregulated in all gene-edited weedy rice lines. These findings facilitate our deep insights into the underlying mechanisms of reduced seed shattering in plants in the rice genus Oryza. In addition, such a mitigating technology also has practical applications for reducing the potential adverse environmental impacts caused by transgene flow and for managing the infestation of weedy rice by acquiring the mitigator from GE rice cultivars through natural gene flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of high sea fishing would not be successful without cooperation among the states in the current international society, without a world government. However, the ongoing quest for cooperation in the field of fishery governance focuses too much on the unilateral responsibility of a state to cooperate with a RFMO, overlooking the responsibility of state parties of an RFMO or the state seeking to regulate IUU fishing. This essay reveals that the equitable consideration of fishery governance is sometimes prejudiced in the name of conservation. Fishery governance involves food security, employment, free trade, and the environment. An ideal regime of high sea fishing is expected to balance the conflicting values and bring an end to the fragmentation of international law. The systemic interpretation approach, which is based on Article 31, paragraph 3(c) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, contributes to a fairer governance of high sea fishing. Such an approach revives the obligation of the state to cooperate in the fishery sector by referring to external legal sources, including human rights laws, WTO laws, and environmental laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons, which are well known for their central roles in reward and motivation-related behaviors, have been shown to participate in itch processing via their projection to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, the functional roles of different dopamine receptor subtypes in subregions of the NAc during itch processing remain unknown. With pharmacological approaches, we found that the blockade of dopamine D1 receptors (D1R), but not dopamine D2 receptors (D2R), in the lateral shell (LaSh) of the NAc impaired pruritogen-induced scratching behavior in male mice. In contrast, pharmacological activation of D2R in both the LaSh and medial shell (MeSh) of the NAc attenuated the scratching behavior induced by pruritogens. Consistently, we found that dopamine release, as detected by a dopamine sensor, was elevated in the LaSh rather than the MeSh of the NAc at the onset of scratching behavior. Furthermore, the elevation of dopamine release in the LaSh of the NAc persisted even though itch-relieving behavior was blocked, suggesting that the dopamine signal in the NAc LaSh represents a motivational component of itch processing. Our study revealed different dynamics of dopamine release that target neurons expressing two dopamine receptors subtypes within different subregions of the NAc, and emphasized that D1R in the LaSh of the NAc is important in itch signal processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The startup process of pump as turbine (PAT) is actually unavoidable. In order to reveal the transient behavior of a small centrifugal pump reversing as a turbine during an atypical startup, transient experiments are carried out on PAT test rig in the case of two valve openings and four rotational speeds so as to obtain the evolution characteristic of the external performance parameters over time. Meanwhile, three dimensionless parameters are also employed to deeply reveal the transient characteristics. It is found that the shock phenomena in static pressure are prevalent at the outlet of PAT, and that it tends to lag and weaken with increasing stable rotational speed. All three dimensionless factors have maximum values at the initial stage of PAT startup, whereafter they demonstrate the different evolution characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between clutch thermodynamic characteristics and contact states of friction components is explored numerically and experimentally. The clutch thermodynamic numerical model is developed with consideration of the contact state and oil film between friction pairs. The clutch bench test is conducted to verify the variation of the clutch thermodynamic characteristics from the uniform contact (UCS) to the intermittent contact (ICS). The results show that the oil film decreases gradually with increasing temperature; the lubrication state finally changes from hydrodynamic lubrication to dry friction, where the friction coefficient shows an increasing trend before a decrease. Thus, the friction torque in UCS gradually increases after the applied pressure stabilizes. When the contact state changes to ICS, the contact pressure increases suddenly and the oil film decreases rapidly in the local contact area, bringing about a sharp increase in friction torque; subsequently, the circumferential and radial temperature differences of friction components expand dramatically. However, if the contact zone is already in the dry friction state, friction torque declines directly, resulting in clutch failure. The conclusions can potentially be used for online monitoring and fault diagnosis of the clutch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying disease-related miRNAs can improve the understanding of complex diseases. However, experimentally finding the association between miRNAs and diseases is expensive in terms of time and resources. The computational screening of reliable miRNA–disease associations has thus become a necessary tool to guide biological experiments. "Similar miRNAs will be associated with the same disease" is the assumption on which most current miRNA–disease association prediction methods rely; however, biased prior knowledge, and incomplete and inaccurate miRNA similarity data and disease similarity data limit the performance of the model. Here, we propose heuristic learning based on graph neural networks to predict microRNA–disease associations (HLGNN-MDA). We learn the local graph topology features of the predicted miRNA–disease node pairs using graph neural networks. In particular, our improvements to the graph convolution layer of the graph neural network enable it to learn information among homogeneous nodes and among heterogeneous nodes. We illustrate the performance of HLGNN-MDA by performing tenfold cross-validation against excellent baseline models. The results show that we have promising performance in multiple metrics. We also focus on the role of the improvements to the graph convolution layer in the model. The case studies are supported by evidence on breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma. Given the above, the experiments demonstrate that HLGNN-MDA can serve as a reliable method to identify novel miRNA–disease associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the rapid advancement in information and communication technologies, learning cyberspace has become a channel for teachers to share learning resources. This study explored the influencing factors of learning resource sharing in teacher learning cyberspace. The study sample consisted of 363 high-quality teacher learning cyberspaces that had received platform awards from 2015 to 2019, among which 41% of cyberspace owners were male (N = 149) and 59% were female (N = 214). The number of space-associated friends, space follows, space followers, space messages, resources spread, space visits, community contributions, external rewards, the proportion of original resources and uploaded resources, which were collected by the web crawler technology were taken as measurement dimensions. The results of structural equation model indicated that trust positively correlated with learning resource sharing, while self-efficacy and reciprocity were not significantly related to learning resource sharing. In addition, it was shown that trust affected self-efficacy and reciprocity dramatically. Based on this, the trust level of teachers in learning cyberspace can be improved by adding the function of friend circle, setting up effective incentives, and copyright protection mechanisms to facilitate teachers’ learning resource sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐efficiency separation of C6 alkanes, particularly the mono‐ and dibranched isomers by using porous solids, is of paramount significance in the petrochemical industry and, remains a daunting challenge. In this work, we report the complete separation of linear/monobranched hexanes from their dibranched isomers through selective size‐exclusion by a microporous MOF, Zn‐tcpt (H3tcpt=2,4,6‐tris(4‐carboxyphenoxy)‐1,3,5‐triazine), with a two‐fold interpenetrated structure of hms nets. Importantly, its adsorption capacity and selectivity are notably higher than those of the previously reported adsorbents that can split mono‐ and dibranched alkane isomers. Dynamic breakthrough measurements verify the excellent separation of C6 alkane isomers by Zn‐tcpt, and the size‐exclusion based separation mechanism has been confirmed by ab initio materials modeling. The high‐efficiency separation of alkane isomers by Zn‐tcpt can be attributed to its optimal pore dimensions as well as high porosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]