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In engineering, the stress state of expanded tubes is crucial for ensuring structural integrity and preventing stress corrosion cracking. The analysis of stresses and strains in tubes subjected to mechanical expansion using an ogive bullet is essential, yet existing theoretical methods for estimating the stress distributions, especially with spherical and ogive shapes, are sparse. This study explores the expansion of 3/8 inch copper and stainless-steel tubes using an expanding bullet, where tangential and longitudinal strains are measured. A novel analytical approach is introduced to evaluate the stresses and strains, segmenting the tube into three zones, each analyzed with a distinct theory. Validation is achieved through an axisymmetric finite element model that employs a multi-linear kinematic hardening material behavior. The analytical model also estimates the expanding mandrel's push force, which is then compared with the results from numerical simulations and experimental data, showing good agreement across methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP) is a next-generation flagship X-ray astronomy satellite currently in phase-B study. The large Area Detector (LAD) on board eXTP contains 40 modules, each consisting of a set of 4 × 4 large area SDDs and 4 × 4 collimators, and has a designed effective area of 3.0 m 2 at 8 keV and a Field of View (FoV) of 1 ∘ . To achieve such a large effective area, the collimator’s Open Area Ratio (OAR) should be greater than 70%. In this paper, we introduce the measurement methods used to determine the OAR and the rocking curve (angular response) of the LAD collimator at the 100-m X-ray Test Facility (100XF) of the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) in Beijing, and report the results of the collimators manufactured under different conditions. The measured OARs of the collimators are usually smaller than the theoretical values by a few percent, which is due to the non-uniformity and irregularity of the pores. The measured rocking curves are usually broader than the theoretical triangular curves, and the lower the energy of the incident X-ray the broader the rocking curve. This broadening of the rocking curve is the result of reflection on the inner wall of the pores. Our results also show that increasing the etching time in the manufacturing of the collimators can increase the OARs but does not change significantly the shape of the rocking curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium-solubilizing bacteria are an important microbial group that play a critical role in releasing mineral potassium from potassium-containing minerals, e.g., potassium feldspar. Their application may reduce eutrophication caused by overused potassium fertilizers and facilitate plants to utilize environmental potassium. In this study, a high-efficiency potassium-solubilizing bacterium, named NK851, was isolated from the Astragalus sinicus rhizosphere soil. This bacterium can grow in the medium with potassium feldspar as the sole potassium source, releasing 157 mg/L and 222 mg/L potassium after 3 days and 5 days of incubation, respectively. 16S rDNA sequencing and cluster analysis showed that this strain belongs to Priestia megaterium. Genome sequencing further revealed that this strain has a genome length of 5,305,142 bp, encoding 5473 genes. Among them, abundant genes are related to potassium decomposition and utilization, e.g., the genes involved in adherence to mineral potassium, potassium release, and intracellular trafficking. Moreover, the strong potassium-releasing capacity of NK851 is not attributed to the acidic pH but is attributed to the extracellular potassium feldspar-binding proteins, such as the elongation factor TU and the enolase that contains potassium feldspar-binding cavities. This study provides new information for exploration of the bacterium-mediated potassium solubilization mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 100-m X-ray Test Facility of the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) was initially proposed in 2012 for the test and calibration of the X-ray detectors of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) with the capability to support future X-ray missions. The large instrument chamber connected with a long vacuum tube can accommodate the X-ray mirror, focal plane detector and other instruments. The X-ray sources are installed at the other end of the vacuum tube with a distance of 105 m, which can provide an almost parallel X-ray beam covering 0.2 ∼ 60 keV energy band. The X-ray mirror modules of the Einstein Probe (EP) and the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP) and payload of the Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) have been tested and calibrated with this facility. It has been also used to characterize the focal plane camera and aluminum filter used on the Einstein Probe. In this paper, we will introduce the overall configuration and capability of the facility, and give a brief introduction of some calibration results performed with this facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realizing compact and scalable Ising machines that are compatible with CMOS-process technology is crucial to the effectiveness and practicality of using such hardware platforms for accelerating computationally intractable problems. Besides the need for realizing compact Ising spins, the implementation of the coupling network, which describes the spin interaction, is also a potential bottleneck in the scalability of such platforms. Therefore, in this work, we propose an Ising machine platform that exploits the novel behavior of compact bi-stable CMOS-latches (cross-coupled inverters) as classical Ising spins interacting through highly scalable and CMOS-process compatible ferroelectric-HfO2-based Ferroelectric FETs (FeFETs) which act as coupling elements. We experimentally demonstrate the prototype building blocks of this system, and evaluate the scaling behavior of the system using simulations. Our work not only provides a pathway to realizing CMOS-compatible designs but also to overcoming their scaling challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotic intervention has beneficial effects on host brain function and behavior via regulating microbiota-gut-brain axis; however, the underlying mechanism is not yet understood. Herein, we investigated that the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum DP189 (DP189) administration in preventing cognitive dysfunction and pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in D-galactose (D-gal) and AlCl3-induced AD model mice. After L. plantarum DP189 intervention for 10 weeks, we assessed cognitive behavior, neurotransmitter expression, histological changes, microbial communities, and the mechanisms underlying the disease in AD model mice. The results showed that L. plantarum DP189 intervention prevented cognitive dysfunction by behavioral test. Increased levels of serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid positively affected the pathological processes by ameliorating neuronal damage, beta-amyloid deposition, and tau pathology. L. plantarum DP189 intervention simultaneously modulated the gut microbial communities to alleviate gut dysbiosis. Moreover, L. plantarum DP189 inhibited tau hyperphosphorylation by regulating the PI3 K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway. These findings indicated that L. plantarum DP189 intervention is a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent the onset and development of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with the aggravation of climate change, various weather and climate extreme events (abbreviated as climate extremes) are becoming more frequent. During the transition to the use of clean energy, the power system will show increasingly prominent features such as high ratio of clean energy, high ratio of electrification, and a high proportion of electric and electronic equipment, coupled with summer and winter load peaks. Against this backdrop, this paper studies the impacts of climate extremes on the power system using the Texas power outage as an example, and proposes general adaptation measures to cope with climate extremes. For a start, this paper reviews the power outage in Texas caused by an extreme cold wave across the North America in 2021, and conducts an in-depth analysis of its causes. Then, based on the theoretical framework of disaster risk management, this paper analyzes the weather and climate disaster risks, extreme events, exposure, and vulnerability faced by the power system in the context of climate change and extreme events. Finally, in order to build a new power system, this paper establishes an overall framework for the power system to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and summarizes the key techniques involved in power generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption, as well as key technologies in the fields of power supply, power grid, power load, and energy storage, and the strategies and measures for addressing climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a comprehensive study of charge trapping and de-trapping dynamics is performed on n-channel ferroelectric field-effect transistors (nFeFETs) and pFeFETs. It is discovered that: 1) the degree of charge trapping depends on the substrate that nFeFETs exhibit significant electron trapping but negligible hole trapping during memory write while pFeFETs exhibit much less electron trapping but significant hole trapping when heavily stressed; 2) due to enhanced electric field in the interlayer and semiconductor, the like initial polarization states (i.e., initialized by a pulse of the same polarity as the write pulse) could exacerbate charge trapping induced by the write pulse; 3) electron trapping is fully recoverable while hole trapping shows a semi-permanent component which involves interface trap generation; and 4) less significant charge trapping in pFeFETs allows immediate read-after-write at normal operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bighead carp head soup is a traditional Chinese cuisine with a pleasant aroma, but the effect of fish head phospholipids (FPLs) on the odorants is not fully understood. In this study, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME–GC–MS) were used to monitor the oxidation products of phospholipids in fish head soup during the cooking process, and the fish head triglycerides (FTGs) were used as controls. In 1H NMR spectra, the signals of unsaturated acyl groups and the oxidation compounds in FPLs were significantly higher than those in FTGs. The results of FTIR showed that the changes of functional group absorptions of the oxidation compounds in FPLs were greater than FTGs. GC–MS demonstrated that FPLs samples produced more lipid-derived volatile compounds than FTGs samples. These results showed that FPLs were more prone to oxidation and could produce more lipid-derived odorants. Therefore, FPLs rather than FTGs, were the main precursor substance of lipid-derived odorants in bighead carp head soup. • NMR, ATR-FTIR and HS-SPME–GC–MS used to monitor phospholipid oxidation in fish head soup. • Unsaturated acyl groups and oxidation compounds in FPLs higher than those in FTGs. • FPLs samples produced more lipid-derived volatile compounds than FTGs samples. • FPLs were the main precursors of lipid-derived odorants in bighead carp head soup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The incidence of thyroid cancer has significantly increased in the last few decades. However, diagnosis of the thyroid nodules is labor and time intensive for radiologists and strongly depends on the personal experience of the radiologists. In this pursuit, the present study envisaged to develop a deep learning‐based computer‐aided diagnosis (CAD) method that enabled the automatic detection and classification of suspicious thyroid nodules in order to reduce the unnecessary fine‐needle aspiration biopsy. Methods: The CAD method consisted of two main parts: detecting the location of thyroid nodules using a multiscale detection network and classifying the detected thyroid nodules by an attention‐based classification network. Results: The performance of the proposed method was evaluated and compared with that of other state‐of‐the‐art deep learning methods and experienced radiologists. The proposed detection method outperformed three other detection architectures (average precision, 82.1% vs. 78.3%, 77.2%, and 74.8%). Moreover, the classification method showed a superior performance compared with four other state‐of‐the‐art classification networks (accuracy, 94.8% vs. 91.2%, 85.0%, 80.8%, and 72.1%) and that by experienced radiologists (mean value of area under the curve, 0.941 vs. 0.833). Conclusions: Our study verified the high efficiency of the proposed detection method. The findings can help improve the diagnostic performance of radiologists. However, the developed CAD system requires more training and evaluation in a large‐population study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus velezensis is widely used for agricultural biocontrol, due to its ability to enhance plant growth while suppressing the growth of microbial pathogens. However, there are few reports on its application in fermented feed. Here, a two-stage solid-state fermentation process using Bacillus velezensis followed by Lactobacillus plantarum was developed to degrade antinutritional factors (ANFs) and improve soybean meal (SBM) nutrition for animal feed. The process was evaluated for performance in degrading SBM antinutritional factors, dynamic changes in physicochemical characteristics, microorganisms and metabolites. After two-stage fermentation, degradation rates of glycinin and β-conglycinin contents reached 78.60% and 72.89%, respectively. The pH of fermented SBM (FSBM) decreased to 4.78 ± 0.04 and lactic acid content reached 183.38 ± 4.86 mmol/kg. NSP-degrading enzymes (Non-starch polysaccharide, NSPases) and protease were detected from the fermented product, which caused the changed microstructure of SBM. Compared to uninoculated SBM, FSBM exhibited increased proportions of crude protein (51.97 ± 0.44% vs. 47.28 ± 0.34%), Ca, total phosphorus (P), and trichloroacetic acid-soluble protein (11.79 ± 0.13% vs. 5.07 ± 0.06%). Additionally, cellulose and hemicellulose proportions declined by 22.10% and 39.15%, respectively. Total amino acid content increased by 5.05%, while the difference of AA content between the 24 h, 48 h and 72 h of fermentation was not significant (P > 0.05). Furthermore, FSBM also showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These results demonstrated that two-stage SBM fermentation process based on Bacillus velezensis 157 and Lactobacillus plantarum BLCC2-0015 is an effective approach to reduce ANFs content and improve the quality of SBM feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural networks have achieved competitive performance in defocus blur detection (DBD). However, due to the different receptive fields of different convolutional layers, there are distinct differences in the features generated by these layers, and the complementary information between cross-level features cannot be fully utilized. Besides, there are still challenges to be solved in homogeneous regions. To tackle the above issues, we focus on both homogeneous region dataset augmentation and model design to propose a novel DBD model based on adaptive cross-level feature fusion and refinement. Specifically, in terms of homogeneous region dataset enhancement, a Laplace filter is used to extract the homogeneous region image patch of the training image to realize homogeneous region image augmentation, which improves the robustness of the model for DBD in the homogeneous region; in terms of model design, we propose an adaptive fusion mechanism with self-learning weights and design the adaptive cross-level feature fusion module, which adaptively discriminates between different levels of features and fuses them step-by-step. In addition, we design the cross-level feature refinement module and embed it into the network, which captures the complementary information of the cross-level features, and refines cross-level feature information from coarse to fine in the decoder stage. Experimental results on two commonly used datasets show that the proposed method outperforms 13 state-of-the-art approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical report generation is an integral part of computer-aided diagnosis aimed at reducing the workload of radiologists and physicians and alerting them of misdiagnosis risks. In general, medical report generation is an image captioning task. Since medical reports have long sequences with data bias, the existing medical report generation models lack medical knowledge and ignore the interaction alignment between the two modalities of reports and images. The current paper attempts to mitigate these deficiencies by proposing an approach based on knowledge enhancement with multilevel alignment (MKMIA). To this end, it includes a knowledge enhancement (MKE) module and a multilevel alignment module (MIRA). Specifically, the MKE deals with general medical knowledge (MK) and historical knowledge (HK) obtained via data training. The general knowledge is embedded in the form of a dictionary with characteristic organs (referred to as Key) and organ aliases, disease symptoms, etc. (referred to as Value). It provides explicit exception candidates to mitigate data bias. Historical knowledge ensures the comparison of similar cases to provide a better diagnosis. MIRA furnishes coarse-to-fine multilevel alignment, reducing the gap between image and text features, improving the knowledge enhancement module's performance, and facilitating the generation of lengthy reports. Experimental results on two radiology report datasets (i.e., IU X-ray and MIMIC-CXR) proved the effectiveness of the proposed approach, achieving state-of-the-art performance. • Knowledge enhancement using medical knowledge in dictionary form and historical knowledge. • Multilevel alignment method reduces the modal difference between text and image. • Experiments on IU X-ray and MIMIC-CXR datasets and competitiveness with the most advanced methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enephosphorylamides were herein successfully prepared from phosphorylamides and substituted alkenes. The dehydrogenative transformation took place in the presence of a combination of a palladium diacetate and nickel dichloride. The transition metal-catalyzed methodology enjoyed high efficiency and broad substrate scope. Moreover, a plausible mechanism was proposed for the oxidative C–N cross coupling protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiota dysbiosis, associated with insulin resistance, weak intestinal barrier integrity, and inflammation, may also play a role in the development of dietary-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study investigates the effects of dietary Lactobacillus plantarum NA136 administration on gut microbiota composition in an insulin-resistant C57BL/6J mouse NAFLD model. Comparison of mice with and without L. plantarum NA136 treatment revealed that L. plantarum NA136 treatment not only relieved insulin resistance but also significantly increased relative proportions of Desulfovibrio, Alistipes, Prevotella, and Enterorhabdus in gut microbiota of NAFLD mice. Meanwhile, L. plantarum NA136 administration also inhibited pathogenic bacterial growth, while promoting growth of probiotics such as Allobaculum, Lactobacillus, and, most markedly, Bifidobacterium. Moreover, L. plantarum NA136 treatment of NAFLD mice improved intestinal barrier integrity and attenuated high-fat and fructose diet (HFD/F)-induced inflammation. These results implicate gut-liver-axis-dependent microbiota modulation as the underlying mechanism for L. plantarum NA136-induced amelioration of NAFLD. Key points • L. plantarum NA136 corrects gut microbiota disorders caused by a high-fat and fructose diet. • L. plantarum NA136 strengthens the intestinal barrier and reduces inflammation in the liver. • L. plantarum NA136 relieves NAFLD by improving the gut-liver axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS), unlike open surgery in which surgeons can perform surgery directly, is performed using miniaturized instruments with indirect but careful observation of the surgical site. Instrument detection is a crucial requirement in conventional and robot-assisted MIS, which can also be very useful during surgical training. In this paper, we propose a novel framework of using two three-layer convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in a series to detect surgical instrument in in-vivo video frames. The two convolutional neural networks proposed in this paper have different tasks. (i) The former CNN is trained to detect the edges points of the instrument shaft directly from images patches. (ii) The latter is trained to locate the instrument tip also from images patches after the former detection finishes. We validated our method on the publicly available EndoVisSub dataset and a standard dataset, and it detected tools with an accuracy of 91.2% and 75% respectively. Our two-step detection method achieves better performance than other existing approaches in terms of detection accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector, including resident, commercial and public services, is one of the most energy-intensive sectors nowadays. The share of buildings' energy consumption in the final energy dramatically increases in various scenarios. As the preliminary work of the final energy prediction, the prediction of useful energy demand of the building sector is essential in the fields of energy-related research, especially for the scenarios design. To this end, this paper presents the prediction of energy demand in the building sector based on the Induced Kernel Method (IKM) for the useful energy. First, similar to other learning-based prediction methods, a database is constructed for the training. Specifically, the database contains not only the historical data of the useful energy demand and related indicators, but also some development templates to induce the prediction. Second, the detailed process is mathematically deduced to predict the useful energy demand components of the building sector, including electricity and heating. Finally, using various countries as examples, prediction results of the useful energy are presented in the numerical analysis. Furthermore, by using useful energy prediction results as the input of the MESSAGEix model, the paper further predicts global final energy of the building sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The hand-eye calibration is reconsidered as minimizing two kinematic loops' errors. • The alternative linear programming is introduced to solve the calibration. • The semi-convex constraint is also proposed for the construction of cost function. • Two formulations of calibration are presented: homogeneous matrix, dual quaternion. A typical hand-eye robot system has two related kinematic loops, which proper functioning requires the accurate determination of robot-world (RW) and hand-eye (HY) transformations in them. Insofar as HY calibration can resolve only the issues related to HY transformation, this study is focused on the joint treatment of the RW&HY transformations, which process is referred to as simultaneous RW&HY calibration. An alternative linear programming is adopted for the construction of semi-convex objective functions via two algorithms. These involve the homogeneous matrix and dual quaternion parameterizations, respectively. Their feasibility was further tested using simulated and real experimental datasets and compared to the results obtained via two available methods (NL and LMI). The results obtained strongly suggest that the homogeneous matrix parametrization (ALP1) had better performance than the dual quaternion one (ALP2). Meanwhile, both of them yielded the good optimal calibration solutions instead of local minima ones. Therefore, both formulations provide new insights into the behavior and complexity of the simultaneous RW&HY calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic lipid metabolic disorders and oxidative stress are involved in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study is to determine the protective effects of Lactobacillus plantarum NA136 on high-fat diet and fructose (HFD/F)-induced NAFLD and to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. Male C57BL/6J mice had been fed with normal diet (ND), HFD/F, or HFD/F supplemented with L. plantarum NA136 for 16 weeks. Treatment with L. plantarum NA136 significantly lowered the body weight gain and decreased the mass of fat tissues, lipids, AST, and ALT levels of HFD/F-treated mice. Our results showed that L. plantarum NA136 activated AMPK pathway to phosphorylate ACC and to suppress the SREBP-1/FAS signaling to inhibit the de novo lipogenesis and increase the fatty acid oxidation. Furthermore, with treatment of L. plantarum NA136, the nuclear translocation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) was also increased which could activate antioxidant pathway. These findings suggested that L. plantarum NA136 improved NAFLD by regulating the fatty acid metabolism and defending against oxidative stress through AMPK and Nrf2 pathways, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper demonstrates the use of a smartphone-based sensor for fluorescence polarization (FP) analysis of biomolecules. The FP detection can rapidly sense ligand-analyte bindings by measuring molecule mobility, and thus, FP-based assays have been widely used for rapid diagnostics in clinics. Here, we implemented the FP detection apparatus using a 3D-printed compact holder and the built-in camera of a smartphone. The system offers accurate measurements of the degree of polarization by simultaneously detecting the fluorescence intensities parallel and perpendicular to the polarization of the excitation. The fluorescence signal of the sample is excited by a laser or light-emitting diode and separated by a polarization beam cube depending on the polarization. Parallel and perpendicular polarized emissions are projected onto two different regions of the sensor chip in the smartphone camera. A custom software app was developed to count the average intensity in the areas of interest and compute the degree of polarization. We validated the system by measuring the polarization of dye molecules dissolved in solutions with different viscosities. As an example of biomolecule sensing, a competitive FP immunoassay of Prostaglandin E 2 was demonstrated using the developed system and exhibited the limit of detection of 1.57 ng/mL. The smartphone-based FP assay platform can also be implemented for the detection of toxins, disease biomarkers, and pathogens in resource-limited settings. Highlights • A smartphone-based detector is designed for fluorescence polarization immunoassays. • A rapid and wash-free assay is developed for biomolecule analysis using smartphone. • The smartphone detector can quantify dinoprostone in 30 minutes. • The system has the potential for disease diagnosis in resource-limited settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compatible and practical (di)arylmethylation of phosphorylamides was successfully accessed in the presence of copper iodide as the catalyst, azodiisobutyronitrile as the radical initiator, and di‐tert‐butyl peroxide as the oxidant. Both methylarenes and diaryl methanes were compatible under the oxidative conditions, enjoying broad functional groups tolerance (51 examples) and good efficiency (up to 90 % yields). A CuI‐catalyzed phosphorylamidation of benzylic C–H bonds was demonstrated. Both methylarenes and diaryl methanes were compatible in the system with broad functional groups tolerance and good efficiency (51 examples, up to 92 % yields). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Pd(II)-catalyzed desulfitative arylation protocol between sulfonamides and sodium arylsulfinates was herein reported. The direct arylation reaction was successfully achieved by a Pd(II)/Ag(I)-mediated system without participation of any external ligands with a release of SO2. And different N-aryl sulfonamides were obtained readily in up to 86% yields, exhibiting good functional groups tolerance (25 examples). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The West Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), as one of the most important components of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM), is the key synoptic-scale circulation pattern influencing summertime precipitation and atmospheric conditions in China. Here we investigate the impacts of the WPSH on surface ozone daily variability over eastern China, using observations from recently established network of ozone monitors and meteorology reanalysis data during summer (June, July, August; JJA) 2014–2016 with a focus on 2014. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of daily ozone variations reveals that the dominating eigenvector (EOF1), which contributes a quarter (25.2%) to the total variances, is a marked north-south contrast. This pattern is temporally well correlated (r = −0.66, p < 0.01) with daily anomalies of a normalized WPSH intensity index (WPSH-I). Spatially, the WPSH-I and ozone correlation is positive in North China (NC) but negative in South China (SC), which well correlates with the ozone EOF1 pattern showing the same north-south contrast (r = −0.86, p < 0.01). These associations suggest the dominant component of surface ozone daily variability in eastern China is linked with the variability of the WPSH intensity in that a stronger WPSH leads to a decrease of surface ozone over SC but an increase over NC and vice versa. This is because a stronger WPSH enhances southwesterly transport of moisture into SC, creating such conditions not conducive for ozone formation as higher RH, more cloudiness and precipitation, less UV radiation, and lower temperature. Meanwhile, as most of the rainfall due to the enhanced southwesterly transport of moisture occurs in SC, water vapor is largely depleted in the air masses transported towards NC, creating dry and sunny conditions over NC under a strong WPSH, thereby promoting ozone formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetables which provide many nutrients are an essential part of human diet. Since raw vegetables usually stay fresh for a short time and rot quickly, microbial fermentation has been used to extend the shelf-life of fresh vegetables, such as pickled cucumbers and beets. In this study, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DP189 and Leuconostoc mesenterides subsp. mesenteris UA107 were introduced as starter cultures in the fermentation process of Dongbei Suancai, which is a popular traditional fermented vegetables in northeast China. The results showed that the LAB starter inoculation increased the diversity of flora, and Lactiplantibacillus remained the dominant flora in the middle and late fermentation stages. Meanwhile, Dongbei Suancai inoculated with the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) starter produced acid more rapidly, accompanied by better utilization of soluble protein and reducing sugar, increased contents of lactic acid and umami amino acids, and the total amount of volatile flavor substances increased by 12.43 % compared with the control group. Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed that Lactiplantibacillus , Leuconostoc mesenteroides , Acinetobacter , and Pedobacter were closely correlated with physicochemical characteristics and flavor metabolites. In conclusion, inoculating autochthonous LAB starter affected the fermentation through microbial community and metabolic regulation, and improved the quality of Dongbei Suancai. [Display omitted] • The starter improved the physicochemical characteristics and quality of Suancai. • Lactobacillus predominated the later stage of the Suancai fermentation. • 6 organic acids, 17 amino acids and 65 volatile flavours were detected in Suancai. • A correlation among microbiota and metabolites in Suancai was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A copper-catalyzed methodology for the preparations ofN-aroylated sulfoximines from methylarenes was herein demonstrated. The transformation proceeded with the assistance of external oxidanttert-butyl hydroperoxide, requiring for no additional solvents or ligands. The good compatibility and high efficiency of the newly developed protocol were well described by 21 examples and up to 91% yields. Moreover, the protocol was proved by the control reactions to proceed through a radical pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new technique, micro-explosion, was used to pretreat fast-growing poplar wood and improve membrane porosity. Poplar lumber with a thickness of 20 mm was pretreated 10 times at pressures of 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 MPa. Subsequently, the test and control groups were dried in air to equilibrium moisture content. Several slices of 2-3 mm long at depths of 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 mm were cut from the samples of both the pretreated and control groups for use in the scanning electron microscope. Numerous fine fractures were found at the weak parts of the cells, the pit membranes, following an instantaneous exhaust process which used pressurized air. With the increase in depth, the fractures became fewer and finer. Regardless of the fracture extent, at each level of pressure, the fractures could reach a depth of 8 mm. According to the diversity of fracture extent and location, the fractures could be classified into three main types: radial fracture opening along the pit membrane, ring fracture opening along the pit membrane and crush. The SEM photographs illustrated that the large capillary system of the micro-explosion-treated samples was widened, which could reduce resistance to moisture movement. Thus, micro-explosion treatment could be applied not only in the wood drying industry, but also to wood impregnation, as an effective method for improving impregnation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study highlights Na+ ion storage mechanism in a Na 2 Mn 0.33 V 0.67 Ti(PO 4) 3 electrode material with ultralow voltage hysteresis for Na-ion batteries. The electrochemical phase transition and Na+ ion transfer processes are studied by in situ methods during the 1st/2nd cycles. It is found that the fast (de)sodiation process are facilitated by the reversible volume variation in this electrode without structural collapse. [Display omitted] • Mn integration into a Na 2 VTi(PO 4) 3 cathode enlarges Na+ migration pathway. • Mn substitution decreases the voltage hysteresis of redox couples in the NMVTP. • Monophasic + biphasic Na+ storage is discovered by synchrotron radiation diffraction. • Low Na+ migration energy in the NMVTP is proved via DFT and real-time EIS. The Na superionic conductor (NASICON) is one of the promising electrode materials used in advanced Na-based secondary batteries, but designing a low-overpotential structure is crucial for developing NASICON-type electrodes to repress voltage hysteresis and reduce energy loss. In this study, the integration of Mn3+ into a NASICON-type material (Na 2 VTi(PO 4) 3) decreases the voltage hysteresis of the redox couples due to the enlarged migration pathway for mobile Na+ ions. When using Na 2 V 0.67 Mn 0.33 Ti(PO 4) 3 as cathode material, two Na+ ions can be extracted from the structure, leading to the specific capacity of 110 mAh g−1 at the current density of 0.1 C. In operando synchrotron radiation diffraction elucidates that there is a combination of mono- and biphasic mechanisms for reversible Na+ insertion/extraction within initial two cycles. Moreover, fast sodium diffusion in the NMVTP electrode has been measured and analysed via first-principles calculation and real-time impedance spectroscopy. The results of this work indicate that Na 2 V 0.67 Mn 0.33 Ti(PO 4) 3 is a promising material for sodium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Eutectic of choline nitrate and water maintains liquid state down to -100°C. • MnO 2 /carbon supercapacitor at 1.8 V operates down to -40°C. • Charge compensation in MnO 2 by the nitrate ions in presence of bulky choline cations. MnO 2 |activated carbon supercapacitors are attractive power devices that rival the electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) due to high reachable voltage. However, they greatly suffer from performance loss at low temperature as most of aqueous electrolytes freeze below ca. -10°C. Here, a concentrated choline nitrate-based (5 mol/L aqueous ChNO 3) electrolyte is applied to extend the working temperature range due to its eutectic-like properties. In such electrolyte, water acts as hydrogen bond donor for nitrate anion and low hydration energy for large choline cations favors ionic transport. The MnO 2 /CNT composite electrode with a hierarchical structure has been synthesized by hydrothermal process. The presence of CNTs as core component facilitates the electron conduction, while the two-dimensional MnO 2 flakes grown on the surface provide electrolyte transport pathways and improve the interfacial processes (pseudocapacitive charge/discharge). Thanks to the low hydration of choline cation, the individual activated carbon (AC, negative) and MnO 2 /CNT (positive) electrodes are charged symmetrically up to a cell voltage of 1.8 V. Overall, due to the wide electrochemical stability window (∼2.0 V) and anti-freezing properties of ChNO 3 -based aqueous electrolyte and the hierarchical design of the MnO 2 /CNT composite, the asymmetric supercapacitor operates down to -40 °C and displays excellent energy and coulombic efficiency with no loss of performance after several thousand cycles. This work provides a new possibility on the low temperature application of high voltage supercapacitors. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactic acid bacteria immobilization methods have been widely used for lactic acid production. Until now, the most common immobilization matrix used is calcium alginate. However, Ca-alginate gel disintegrated during lactic acid fermentation. To overcome this deficiency, we developed an immobilization method in which Lactobacillus rhamnosus cells were successfully encapsulated into an ordered mesoporous silica-based material under mild conditions with a high immobilization efficiency of 78.77% by using elemental analysis. We also optimized the cultivation conditions of the immobilized L. rhamnosus and obtained a high glucose conversion yield of 92.4%. Furthermore, L. rhamnosus encapsulated in mesoporous silica-based material exhibited operational stability during repeated fermentation processes and no decrease in lactic acid production up to 8 repeated batches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient hetero-cross-dehydrogenative-coupling (hetero-CDC) reaction betweenN-protected indoles and phosphites to 2-indolyphosphites is described. The regioselective methodology took place in the presence of photo redox catalyst Ru(bpy)3(PF6)2combined with oxygen as an clean oxidant when exposed to visible light, furnishing the 2-indolyphosphites as the exclusive products in moderate to good yields with good functional group tolerance. Moreover, the phosphonylation protocol was proved by the control reaction to proceed through the radical pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sinomenine is an isoquinoline-type alkaloid found in Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils and S. acutum (Thunb.) Rehd. et Wils var. cinereum Rehd. et Wils. When used as a medicine, this compound exhibits anti-inflammatory properties; however, sinomenine's use as a medication is limited by side effects, a short half-life, and low efficacy. Owing to these limits, attempts have been made to synthesize sinomenine derivatives with enhanced efficacy. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of novel sinomenine derivatives ( S1a–S1f ) were examined on the basis of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory factor expression in Raw264.7 cells, dimethylbenzene-induced ear oedema, and Evan's blue leakage in mice, and carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats. Compared with sinomenine, the derivatives significantly inhibited the expression of the inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-6 at the transcriptional and translational levels. Topical application of 3.250 mg/kg of the derivatives also alleviated ear oedema. Compared with the vehicle, the derivatives significantly inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema after 6 h. Among the derivatives, S1a exhibited the most potent anti-inflammatory activity. S1a also significantly increased the sinomenine-induced inhibition of Evan's blue leakage. Thus, S1a may elicit the strongest anti-inflammatory effects of the tested compounds. Based on these results, further development of this compound may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gradients across socioeconomic status occur for many children's health and improvement in high-income countries. The objective is to explore infant growth and child development in four developed countries around the socioeconomic landscape. In this paper, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) enhances the socioeconomic status gradients for the child's developmental health. The proposed model develops the socioeconomic status is related to a huge list of health issues, including low birth weight, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, and cancer, regardless of whether it is determined by income, education, or profession. This is a global phenomenon, seen in countries with low, medium, and high incomes. The size of disparities found in scores and percentiles across neighborhoods is comparable to the results of more developed growth forecasters such as sex. These results have significant consequences for the nature of tailored, efficient, and timely programs to support early childhood success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic lignin valorization has caught widespread attention; yet the reaction systems often employ noble metal complexes, hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) agents, and/or sacrificial electron donors/acceptors that do not comply with atom economy or environmental friendliness. Herein, we discovered that N-phenylphenothiazine (PTH) as a metal-free photocatalyst induced the cleavage of the lignin Cα–Cβ bond under ambient conditions free of those additional agents with a high yield and selectivity toward benzoic acid. Transient spectroscopic investigations revealed that the energy-demanding Cα–Cβ bond cleavage was induced by the potent oxidant, 2PTH˙+*, that was derived from consecutive two-photon excitation of PTH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the conventional techniques of vision robot system calibration where camera parameters and robot hand–eye parameters are computed separately, i.e., first performing camera calibration and then carrying out hand–eye calibration based on the calibrated parameters of cameras. In this paper we propose a joint algorithm that combines the camera calibration and the hand–eye calibration together. The proposed algorithm gives the solutions of the cameras' parameters and the hand–eye parameters simultaneously by using nonlinear optimization. Both simulations and real experiments show the superiority of our algorithm. We also apply our algorithm in the real application of the robot-assisted surgical system, and very good results have been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

[Display omitted] • Discovery of reflexive separation regime in nanodroplet collisions. • Identification of the size effect on droplet collision outcomes and mechanisms. • Identification and quantification of internal molecular movement in collisions. Head-on collision dynamics of 10, 50 and 100 nm droplets are investigated in vacuum by molecular dynamics, involving 35,858, 4,506,410 and 36,051,466 molecules, respectively. A variety of droplet collision dynamics are observed, such as coalescence, hole formation and shattering, as a function of the Weber number. It is found for the first time that the collision and reflexive separation can occur in the nanodroplet regime when the droplet diameter reaches 100 nm but not for 10 or 50 nm droplets. The size effect in droplet collisions is studied based on the analysis of stretching factors, energy dissipation and collision outcomes for droplets of different diameters. The kinetic energy dissipation due to the atomic interactions at nanoscales is identified to significantly influence the occurrence or otherwise of reflexive separation. Through quantitative analysis of the evolution of the internal structure of the 100 nm nanodroplets collision at the Weber number of 277, it is revealed for the first time that molecules from both parent nanodroplets have penetrated the full length of the merged nanodroplet in the direction of collision, due to a combination of molecular mixing and internal currents. Consequently, all three child nanodroplets have molecules from both parent nanodroplets, contrary to the perception gained from common imaging techniques. The results show that the dynamics, outcomes and mechanisms of nanodroplet collisions have both similarities and differences compared with their micro- and macro-counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conics-based calibration has been widely inves- tigated in the past several years. The primary method is to utilize the generalized eigenvalue decomposition (GED) of conics. In this paper, we extend the GED method to deal with a general case: two enclosing ellipses. We construct a link between enclosing ellipses and confocal conics. The homography is, thus, decomposed to three components, each of which corresponds to a clear geometrical meaning. Other general conics cases including separate case, intersecting case and hyperbolas case are also discussed. Experiments with simulated and real data demonstrate the good performance of our camera calibration algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a method for analyzing the change in snow cover using MODIS imagery. The method was applied to images of western Sichuan Province, China taken between 2002 and 2008. The model for extracting data on snow cover from MODIS images was created by spectral analysis. The multi-temporal snow layers were used to evaluate the temporal and spatial change in the area under snow cover between 2002 and 2008 using overlay and statistical analysis in ARCGIS. The majority (60.4%) of western Sichuan was rarely covered by snow and only 0.3% was covered by perennial snow in 2002. Snow cover was primarily distributed in Garzê and Aba. The area under snow cover was significantly and negatively correlated with the average monthly temperature and rainfall in 2002. The largest area under snow cover was measured in 2006 and the smallest was in 2007. Similarly, the area of snowmelt was the highest in 2006 and lowest in 2007. In general, the elevation of the snow line increased throughout the period 2002-2008; however, the elevation decreased in some years. Our results provide an important insight into the distribution of snow in this region, and may be useful for climate modeling and predicting the availability of water resources and the occurrence of floods and droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Different manufacturing processes lead to different microorganisms and nutrients in Rushan and Rubing. • Rushan could be used as an ideal model to study the environmental microorganisms. • Human activities had a profound influence into the cheese microbiota. The microbiota of cheese plays a critical role in determining its organoleptic and other physicochemical properties. Thus, assessing the composition of the cheese microbiota community would help promote the growth of desirable taxa and ultimately to optimize flavor, quality and safety. Here we measured microbial diversity, microbiota composition, short-chain fatty acids, and free amino acids in two traditional cheese-making strategies, Rushan and Rubing, processed in parallel from Lijiang, Eryuan, and Dengchuan of Yunnan province, China. We found distinct microbiota composition, and microbial diversity and richness in both Rushan and Rubing across all three regions, which were proportional to the scale of the cities where the cheeses were sampled. Furthermore, we found positive associations of Streptococcus and Acinetobacter with butyric acid, Phe and Tyr, which were negatively correlated with Lactococcus. For the first time, we provide evidence that environmental microbial contamination in cheese can be correlated with the manufacturing procedures and geographical regions. This should be paid more attention in upcoming cheese microbiota studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An optical fiber thermometer for continuous temperature measurement inside molten steel. • A robust cladding material for sapphire fiber at high temperature. • Precise temperature determination using convolutional neural network. This paper demonstrates a robust optical fiber thermometer (OFT) for temperature measurement under extreme environments. To date, the development of sensors for continuous temperature measurement in environments with temperatures over 1000 °C, severe electromagnetic interferences, and strong oxidizing agents has been very challenging. The proposed nano-OFT system consists of a ceramic tube, a nanorod coated sapphire fiber, and a near-infrared (NIR) spectrum analyzer for continuous measurement of molten steel temperature in furnaces. The nanorod layer functions as an effective cladding material for the sapphire fiber to sustain a reliable transmission of NIR thermal emissions. The thermal radiation from the ceramic tube's tip was coupled out of the nano-OFT probe via the sapphire fiber and measured using the NIR spectrometer. The NIR emissions were analyzed using a convolution neural network to determine the probe temperature. Our results show that the nano-OFT probe can measure furnace temperature in the temperature range from 1,000–1,650 °C, with the error percentage as low as 0.5 %. The nano-OFT system can be employed by the steel industry to monitor steel temperature continuously, and thus enhance steel production efficiency and reduce energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectroscopy focusing array is one of the four main scientific instruments of the enhanced X-ray Timing and Polarimetry mission, tasked with spectral and timing observation in the energy range 0.5-10 keV. An engineering model of the spectroscopy focusing array with a 4 mirror shells assembly and a focal plane detector using commercial detectors has now been developed. To evaluate the performance, the spectral and timing calibration of the engineering model has been held in the 100-m X-ray Test Facility. A multi-target X-ray source with multiple emission lines is used to calibrate the spectral performance. A timing X-ray source based on a grid controlled X-ray tube has been utilized for the timing calibration. The timing X-ray source can generate X-ray pulses to measure the response time distribution, and can also simulate the pulsar lightcurves to examine the detection ability for pulsars. The energy-channel relation and energy resolution are determined through spectral calibration. The energy resolution at 5.95 keV is 142 eV, now. According to the timing calibration, the mean response time of the engineering model is 1.55 μ s, the full width at half maximum of the response time distribution is 0.45 μ s, and the engineering model has sufficient ability to detect the profile of millisecond pulsars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 100-m X-ray Test Facility (100XF) was developed according to the calibration requirement of the first X-ray astronomical satellite Insight-HXMT in china. After that, the 100XF has provided calibration services for other X-ray astronomical satellites. In order to test the energy response matrices of space-borne detectors and to extend the capability of 100XF, a monochromator based on channel-cut crystals is developed. So far, 3.0-20.7 keV monochromatic X-rays have been realized successfully with Si(111) crystal. The monochromaticity (Δ E FWHM /E) is better than 0.6% @5.9 keV, the flux stability can reach 2.6% in about one hour. The energy stability is particularly good, the variation is 0.05% in about one hour. Further more, the beam spot spreads in the plane orthogonal to the rocking direction after a propagation of 100-meter, which is sufficient and useful for testing detectors with large sensitive area. In this paper, we present the research and establishment of the X-ray monochromator at the 100XF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactive effects of obesity and physical inactivity on lipid metabolism and prevalent dyslipidemia are scarcely reported in rural regions. 39029 subjects were obtained from the Henan Rural Cohort, and their metabolic equivalents (METs) of physical activity (PA) were computed. Independent associations of the obesity indices and PA with either lipid indices or prevalent dyslipidemia were analyzed by generalized linear models, and additive effects of obesity and PA on prevalent dyslipidemia were further quantified. Each obesity index was positively associated with total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein or prevalent dyslipidemia but negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein, whereas the opposite association of PA with either each lipid index or prevalent dyslipidemia was observed. Joint association of PA and each obesity index with each lipid index and prevalent dyslipidemia was observed. Furthermore, the association of each obesity index in association with each lipid index was attenuated by increased PA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) based on deep learning in the medical field has become more extensive and suitable for clinical practice compared with traditional machine learning. The application of traditional machine learning approaches to clinical practice is very challenging because medical data are usually uncharacteristic. However, deep learning methods with self-learning abilities can effectively make use of excellent computing abilities to learn intricate and abstract features. Thus, they are promising for the classification and detection of lesions through gastrointestinal endoscopy using a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system based on deep learning. This study aimed to address the research development of a CAD system based on deep learning in order to assist doctors in classifying and detecting lesions in the stomach, intestines, and esophagus. It also summarized the limitations of the current methods and finally presented a prospect for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wei, Q. and Zhao, Z., 2020. Research on evaluation of coastal city water sports tourism resources based on set pair analysis. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 190-192. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. With the rapid development of China's tourism industry, coastal cities are gradually developing into the backbone of China's tourism industry with their unique resource advantages, superior location conditions and excellent ecological environment. Each component of coastal sports tourism resources has important value and significance for the utilization and development of sports resources, and plays different roles and functions in sports tourism. Sports tourism is a new industry covering tourism industry and sports industry. How coastal cities combine their own resources and location advantages to develop unique tourism products has become an urgent problem to be solved. The proportion of sports tourism in tourism market share is increasing year by year, which gradually shows its important position in social and economic development. This paper analyzes the evaluation methods of water sports tourism resources in coastal cities, hoping to provide reference for the development of sports tourism industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wei, Q. and Zhao, Z., 2020. Research on evaluation of coastal city water sports tourism resources based on set pair analysis. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 190-192. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. With the rapid development of China's tourism industry, coastal cities are gradually developing into the backbone of China's tourism industry with their unique resource advantages, superior location conditions and excellent ecological environment. Each component of coastal sports tourism resources has important value and significance for the utilization and development of sports resources, and plays different roles and functions in sports tourism. Sports tourism is a new industry covering tourism industry and sports industry. How coastal cities combine their own resources and location advantages to develop unique tourism products has become an urgent problem to be solved. The proportion of sports tourism in tourism market share is increasing year by year, which gradually shows its important position in social and economic development. This paper analyzes the evaluation methods of water sports tourism resources in coastal cities, hoping to provide reference for the development of sports tourism industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Follow-up X-ray telescope (FXT) is one of the instruments on board the Einstein Probe (EP) satellite of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) which was launched in January 2024. The EP mission is dedicated to the study of time-domain high-energy astrophysics, utilising a lobster-eye-based wide-field telescope, complemented by an eROSITA-like optics for follow-up observations. Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) has provided hardware and conducted measurement campaigns at its test facilities as part of a European contribution to Einstein Probe by ESA, and in addition the eROSITA flight spare mirror assembly as the second FXT module. Three FXT mirror assemblies – structural-thermal, qualification and flight models – have been manufactured. All components underwent acceptance testing using X-rays, followed by the installation of X-ray baffles for stray-light rejection. Subsequently, they underwent environmental tests and X-ray performance evaluations. The final tests of the qualification model, serving as a flight spare, and the flight model included an X-ray calibration at various photon energies ranging from about 0.3 keV to 8 keV. All tests were performed at MPE's test facilities: the laboratory for vibration and thermal-vacuum testing, and the PANTER X-ray facility. Reported are the setups and the results of the respective test sequences, focusing on the qualification and flight mirror assemblies. After delivery to China, all mirror assemblies were subjected to complementary measurements in the X-ray test facility of the Institute for High Energy Physics (IHEP) of CAS. • Design of the Follow-up X-ray telescope (FXT) on Einstein Probe. • FXT model philosophy and test matrix. • FXT X-ray test and calibration results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A facile and universal strategy is developed to balance the mechanics and glass transition temperature. • The hydrogels exhibit excellent triple shape memory effect. • The hydrogels demonstrate highly tunable mechanical performances. • The hydrogels show promising potential for intelligent medical devices. While triple-shape memory hydrogels (TSMHs) are considered promising materials for intelligent medical devices, obtaining TSMHs triggered at the human body temperature with adequate mechanical performance remains challenging. Herein, a stiff and tough TSMH with a wide glass transition temperature (T g) range at approximately 36 °C is constructed by copolymerizing hydrophobic 2-aminoethyl methacrylate isopropyl carbamate (IMA) with zwitterionic sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA). While the introduction of SBMA into the poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate isopropyl carbamate) (PIMA) polymer chain weakens the ultra-strong hydrophobic association, it causes an electrostatic interaction, which increases the flexibility of the copolymer chains and the cross-linking density of the network. Based on these structural characteristics, the poly(2-aminoethyl methacrylate isopropyl carbamate-co- sulfobetaine methacrylate) [P(IMA-co-SBMA)] hydrogels show reasonable triple shape memory effect with wide T g ranging from 22 °C to 46 °C, Young's modulus from 2.82 MPa to 22.15 MPa, and fracture strain from 43 % to 444 %. This study provides a novel strategy for balancing the mechanical properties and T g of TSMHs as materials for intelligent medical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an enhanced method for automatically capturing a large number of consecutive paraffin sections using a microscope. Leveraging these microstructural images, we employed three‐dimensional visualisation and reconstruction techniques to investigate the dispersal growth process of pollen tube bundles upon entering the ovary of Solanum nigrum. Additionally, we explored their behaviour within different ovules and examined the relationship between the germination rate of seeds and the fertilisation process. Our findings reveal that despite the abundance of Solanum nigrum seeds, only a fraction of them is capable of successful germination. The germination rate of seeds is closely related to whether fertilisation of the ovules and pollen tubes is completed. Due to the limited number of pollen tubes entering the ovary, only a portion of the ovules can be fertilised. The proportion of fertilised ovules positively correlates with the germination rate of the seeds. Through three‐dimensional reconstruction, we observed a phenomenon of proximity during the pollination process, wherein ovules closer to the pollen tube bundles are more likely to be fertilised. Furthermore, fertilised ovules exhibited significant changes in morphology and embryo sac structure. The number of fertilised ovules directly impacts the germination rate of wild Solanum nigrum seeds. Although all Solanum nigrum ovules have the potential to develop into seeds, most seeds originating from unfertilised ovules are unable to germinate normally, resulting in an incomplete germination rate of seeds and preventing it from reaching 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn germ meal (CGM) is one of the major byproducts of corn starch extraction. Although CGM has rich fiber content, it lacks good protein content and amino acid balance, and therefore cannot be fully utilized as animal feed. In this study, we investigated the processing effect of cellulase synergized with Bacillus velezensis on the nutritional value of pretreated CGM (PCGM) in two-stage solid-state fermentation (SSF). High-throughput sequencing technology was used to explore the dynamic changes in microbial diversity. The results showed that compared with four combinations of B. velezensis + Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (PCGM-BL), cellulase + L. plantarum (PCGM-CL),control group (PCGM-CK), and cellulase + B. velezensis + L. plantarum (PCGM-BCL), the fourth combination of PCGM-BCL significantly improved the nutritional characteristics of PCGM. After two-stage SSF (48 h), viable bacterial count and contents of crude protein (CP) and trichloroacetic acid-soluble protein (TCA-SP) all were increased in PCGM-BCL (p < 0.05), while the pH was reduced to 4.38 ± 0.02. In addition, compared with PCGM-BL, the cellulose degradation rate increased from 5.02 to 50.74%, increasing the amounts of short-chain fatty acids (216.61 ± 2.74 to 1727.55 ± 23.00 µg/g) and total amino acids (18.60 to 21.02%) in PCGM-BCL. Furthermore, high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed significant dynamic changes in microbial diversity. In the first stage of PCGM-BCL fermentation, Bacillus was the dominant genus (99.87%), which after 24 h of anaerobic fermentation changed to lactobacillus (37.45%). Kyoto Encylopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway analysis revealed that the pathways related to the metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids, cofactors, and vitamins accounted for more than 10% of the enriched pathways throughout the fermentation period. Concisely, we show that cellulase can effectively improve the nutritional value of PCGM when synergized with B. velezensis in two-stage SSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) was controversially associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the association between RBP4 level and T2DM risk. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify relevant studies up to 3 December 2022. Random effects model was used to pool multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Publication bias was estimated by Funnel plot and Egger's test, it was considered to be significant when P < 0.05. Eight studies including 8087 participants were finally included. Compared to those with the lowest level, subjects with the highest level of RBP4 have a higher risk of T2DM (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.16–1.78, P < 0.001, I2 = 86.9%). No publication bias among the included studies was found (t = 0.94, P = 0.377). This meta-analysis indicated that high RBP4 level was associated with increasing risk of T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]