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In the present work, the evolution of stress-induced martensite transformation under various deformation reductions was investigated, and the effects of martensite volume fractions on subsequent deformation behaviors were assessed. The cold rolling deformation was performed at ambient temperature, and the deformation reductions are 2%, 5%, and 10%, respectively. At a reduction of 2%, the presence of deformation bands and sparse martensite within the grains resulted in a yield strength of 545 MPa and an elongation of 16.3%. When the reduction was increased to 10%, a yield strength of 773 MPa and an elongation of 12.3% were observed. As stress increased, an increase in the martensite quantity and 5 types of martensitic variants are produced, which facilitated the accommodation of deformation. It was found that the volume fraction of martensite significantly influenced subsequent deformation behaviors. When the martensite volume fraction in the matrix is relatively low, the subsequent deformation process is primarily dominated by stress-induced martensite transformation. when the volume fraction is elevated, martensite twins predominantly manifest within the interior of the martensite, primarily exhibiting the {111}α'' type I twinning. When the martensitic transition approaches saturation, a significant occurrence of {130} a'' compound twinning is observed. The observed martensite and twin transformation indicate complex microstructure evolution during deformation. The multistage coordination of formed martensitic twins can effectively improve the properties. The results show that the regulation and control of martensite volume fraction can markedly affect the deformation behavior of metastable β titanium alloys.

Objective(s): Prior research has indicated that hydroxycitric acid (HCA) can impede the formation of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals, yet the specific mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects remain unclear. In this study, we delved into the protective effects of HCA against glyoxylate-induced renal stones in rats and sought to elucidate the underlying metabolic pathways.Materials and Methods: Forty rats were randomly assigned to five groups: control group, model group, L-HCA-treated group, M-HCA-treated group, and H-HCA-treated group. Von Kossa staining was conducted on renal sections, and blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine were determined by biochemical analysis. Meanwhile, body weight and urine volume were also measured. We subjected urine samples from the rats to analysis using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Next, we employed a metabolomic approach to scrutinize the metabolic profiles of each group.Results: HCA significantly reduced blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine, and increased body weight and urine volume. It also reduced CaOx crystal deposition. A total of 24 metabolites, exhibiting a significant reversal pattern following HCA administration, were identified as urine biomarkers indicative of HCA’s preventive effects against CaOx crystal-induced renal injury. These metabolites are primarily associated with glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; phenylalanine metabolism; tricarboxylic acid cycle; taurine and hypotaurine metabolism; and tryptophan metabolism.Conclusion: It was demonstrated that HCA has a protective effect against CaOx crystal-induced kidney injury in rats by modulating various metabolic pathways. Additionally, results suggest that HCA holds promise as a potential clinical therapeutic drug for both the prevention and treatment of renal stones.

Cytarabine is widely used in the treatment of hematological malignancies. Its common toxicities include myelosuppression and gastrointestinal disturbances. Additionally, it can cause central nervous system (CNS) symptoms, which include hoarseness, ataxic tremor, ataxic gait, nystagmus, dysmetria, and dysdiadochokinesia. In this article, we present the first case report of dysphonia, absent of CNS symptoms, induced by high-dose cytarabine (HiDAC) in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia. The patient’s voice began to change 3 days following the first cycle of HiDAC chemotherapy, and dysphonia recurred upon the reintroduction of HiDAC. To rule out other potential causes, a thorough examination and detailed medical history review were conducted, excluding factors such as vocal abuse, infection, effects of other medications, and underlying diseases as contributors to the dysphonia. The patient was diagnosed with HiDAC-induced dysphonia. This toxic effect was self-limiting, and the patient recovered in 10–15 days. Chemotherapy-induced dysphonia is a rarely reported and easily overlooked side effect. This adverse reaction is typically temporary and non-life-threatening; however, it substantially diminishes quality of life and may occasionally necessitate the discontinuation or postponement of chemotherapy. Physicians should be aware of this complication when administering chemotherapeutic agents.

Bioimpedance analysis (BIA)–body composition monitoring (BCM) has been used to evaluate the hydration and nutritional status of adults and children on dialysis. However, its clinical application still has challenges, so further exploration is valuable. We used BIA-BCM to evaluate the hydration and nutritional status of children undergoing chronic peritoneal dialysis from 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2022 in the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University to explore the clinical value of this method. A total of 84 children on chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD) were included. In the PD group, 16 (19.05%) and 31 (36.90%) had mild and severe overhydration (OH), respectively; 41.27% (26/63) had a low lean tissue index (LTI). In the PD group, patients with relative OH (Re-OH) > 5.6% had significantly higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) and SBP z score (SBPz). Patients with LTI > 12% had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) and BMI z score (BMIz). Canonical correlation analysis indicated a linear relationship (ρ = 0.708) between BIA-BCM hydration and the clinical hydration indicator and a linear relationship (ρ = 0.995) between the BIA-BCM nutritional indicator and the clinical nutritional indicator. A total of 56% of children on chronic peritoneal dialysis had OH, and 41% had a low LTI. In PD patients, SBP and SBPz were correlated with BIA-BCM Re-OH, and BMI and BMIz were correlated with BIA-BCM LTI. BIA-BCM indicators have good clinical value in evaluating hydration and nutrition.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is an important method to control nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from diesel engines. Excellent SCR structural parameters are the key to effectively reduce NOx and back pressure. The dynamic reaction processes of NOx standard reaction, fast reaction and NO2-SCR reaction are deeply explored by establishing the Eley-Rideal model. The results show that the wall thickness and washcoat thickness of the SCR are the main determinants of the catalyst performance, while the CPSI has a great influence on the pressure drop. In addition, regression prediction analysis of experimental data by random forest (RF), particle swarm optimized backpropagation artificial neural network (PSOBP-ANN) and response surface methodology (RSM) was performed to explore the coupling relation functions of structural parameters, and optimal test results were solved and verified. The denitrification efficiency of the structure-optimized SCR system increased by 22 % and the pressure drop decreased by 23 %.

Abstract The situation of the experimental data used in the dispersive evaluation of the hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon is assessed in view of two recent measurements: $$e^+e^- \rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^-$$ e + e - → π + π - cross sections in the $$\rho $$ ρ resonance region by CMD-3 and a study of higher-order radiative effects in the initial-state-radiation processes $$e^+e^- \rightarrow \mu ^+\mu ^-\gamma $$ e + e - → μ + μ - γ and $$e^+e^- \rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^-\gamma $$ e + e - → π + π - γ by BABAR. The impact of the latter study on the KLOE and BESIII cross-section measurements is evaluated and found to be indicative of larger systematic effects than uncertainties assigned. The new situation also warrants a reappraisal of the independent information provided by hadronic $$\tau $$ τ decays, including state-of-the-art isospin-breaking corrections. The findings cast a new light on the longstanding deviation between the muon g – 2 measurement and the Standard Model prediction using the data-driven dispersive approach, and the comparison with lattice QCD calculations.

Periodic frequent pattern discovery is a non-trivial task to discover frequent patterns based on user interests using a periodicity measure. Although conventional algorithms for periodic frequent pattern detection have numerous applications, there is still little research on periodic frequent pattern detection of individual passengers in the metro. The travel behavior of individual passengers has complex spatio-temporal characteristics in the metro network, which may pose new challenges in discovering periodic frequent patterns of individual metro passengers and developing mining algorithms based on real-world smart card data. This study addresses these issues by proposing a novel pattern for metro passenger travel pattern called periodic frequent passenger traffic patterns with time granularities and station attributes (PFPTS). This discovered pattern can automatically capture the features of the temporal dimension (morning and evening peak hours, week) and the spatial dimension (entering and leaving stations). The corresponding complete mining algorithm with the PFPTS-tree structure has been developed. To evaluate the performance of PFPTS-tree, several experiments are conducted on one-year real-world smart card data collected by an automatic fare collection system in a certain large metro network. The results show that PFPTS-Tree is efficient and can discover numerous interesting periodic frequent patterns of metro passengers in the real-world dataset.

In the era of industry 4.0, artificial intelligence (AI) offers new perspectives for researching the complex sustainable chemical reactions in selective catalytic reduction (SCR). This aims to further improve the utilization and efficiency of SCR. In this study, a fuzzy gray relational analysis coupled with random forest (RF) and back propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) model was developed. This model was trained based on the Langmuir-Hinshelwood and Eley-Rideal coupled mechanism for SCR reaction mechanism, and had good fitting effect on the heat transfer rate, catalytic efficiency and ammonia (NH3) slip rate of the catalytic reaction under loading conditions. And this was used as a guiding method to direct the multi-objective gray wolf optimization algorithm to optimize the basic parameters. The optimization results showed that the NH3 slip rate of the SCR was slightly improved and the denitrification efficiency was increased up to 28 % under different loads, which had guiding significance for the lightweighting and thermal control of industrial equipment.

Avoiding the upward-bending hook is a highly pressing and challenging task in the field of similar aluminum alloys friction stir lap welding (FSLW). To enhance formation quality and then obtain the welded lap joint with high tensile shear load, a novel impacting flow FSLW (IF-FSLW) process based on the X-shape reverse-threaded pin was proposed in this study. Three welding tools with different tool geometry parameters were developed to analyze how the locations of the materials accumulated zone (MAZ) influenced the joint formation and the joint loading capacity, and 7B04 aluminum alloys were chosen as research subject. Results showed that the horizontally-impacting and vertically-impacting effects of MAZ on and above the original lap interface made the hook respectively present the forky structure at the end and the downward-bending morphology, and the horizontally-impacting effect of MAZ made the stir zone (SZ) have a protruding morphology near the MAZ. Under the tensile fracture mode, the IF-FSLW joint under configuration A had a greatly heightened tensile shear load under the combined actions of the downward-bending hook and the enlarged SZ. The tensile shear load of IF-FSLW joint reached 8.62 kN/mm under the reasonable combination of tool geometry parameters and welding process parameters. The IF-FSLW process by the X-shape reverse-threaded pin provides an effective way to obtain a superb-strength lap joint of aluminum alloys.

Repairing mechanical hole out of dimension tolerance of aluminum (Al) alloy has a high potential and function in manufacturing industries. To achieve a reliably repaired hole of 2024 Al alloy, radial-additive friction stir repairing (R-AFSR) was developed, and this technology was divided into the regularizing-defect and repairing stages. Results showed that by adjusting the filling depth of pinless tool at the regularizing-defect stage and the rotating direction of tool with threaded pin at the repairing stage, the sufficient metallurgical bonding was achieved and then the kissing bond defect was eliminated due to not only the enlarged stir zone but also the heightened pressure and temperature. Under the suitable processing parameters, the maximum tensile and compressive shear strengths of the repaired hole by R-AFSR were 281.8 and 206.8 MPa, which were 89.1 % and 95.1 % of those of the standard hole. The fracture mode of repaired hole was decided by the metallurgical bonding effect of interface between filling material (FM) and base material (BM) (the FM/BM interface), and three fracture modes, including tensile fracture, tensile-plug fracture and plug fracture, were obtained. The R-AFSR provides a new approach to acquiring a high-quality repaired mechanical hole of Al alloy.

The radial-additive friction stir repairing (R-AFSR) process was used to successfully repair the exceeded tolerance hole of 2024-T4 aluminum alloy, and the formation and tensile strength of repaired joint were investigated. The enhanced hybridizing grey wolf optimization algorithm (EHGWOA) was innovatively proposed and had the advantages of strong search ability and large convergence speed. The weights and thresholds of back propagation neural network (BPNN) were optimized by the EHGWOA to enhance its prediction accuracy. Then, the EHGWOA-BPNN system was used to predict the joint strength and optimize the process parameters combination of R-AFSR process. The results showed that the repaired joint had not only the stir zone (SZ) with the thickness almost equal to the plate thickness but also no kissing bond defect in the SZ, thereby leading to the high tensile strength of the repaired joint. The maximum tensile strength of 308 MPa was obtained under the process parameters optimized by the EHGWOA-BPNN system, which was 4.5% higher than the maximum strength before optimization. The R-AFSR has great prospects to repair the exceeded tolerance holes of aluminum alloys, and the EHGWOA-BPNN system can be used to maximize the strength of repaired joint.

Post-weld heat treatment and rolling deformation are used to improve the mechanical properties of 2195-O Al–Li alloy friction stir welding (FSW) joints, and the effects on the grain structure, precipitation behaviors, hardness distribution, and tensile performance are discussed. Microstructural characterization was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Mechanical properties were measured by hardness test and tensile test. Results show that coarse precipitates are subjected to various degrees of dissolution after FSW. Solution treatment following artificial aging (SAA) and 40% rolling deformation + SAA treatment (R40-SAA) enables the dissolution of coarse precipitates completely and precipitation of strengthening phases (T1 and θ′) in the nugget zone (NZ), thermo-mechanically affected zone and heat-affected zone (HAZ). These strengthening precipitates have little difference in precipitation behavior after SAA and R40-SAA treatment and remain consistent across all regions, resulting in joint hardness change a little between these two joints with a homogeneous distribution. The change in precipitates leads to an increase in hardness and enhances both the SAA joint strength and the R40-SAA joint strength to 503 MPa and 528 MPa (superior to the original joints by 309 MPa and 334 MPa, respectively), respectively. The SAA joints fracture in the NZ resulting from the development of AGG, and develop an intergranular fracture morphology with an elongation of 4.2%. The R40-SAA joints have an elongation of 7.2% due to the generation of uniformly fine grains in the NZ, and fail in the HAZ exhibiting a brittle fracture mechanism.

West Lake holds a significant position internationally. This article studies the spatial distribution, historical development, functions, and the lake–city spatial relationship of 81 West Lakes (WLs), as well as their landscape characteristics. The results indicate the following: (1) The overall spatial distribution of WLs is related to China’s history of water conservancy development. (2) The evolution of and functional changes in WLs are influenced by multiple factors such as politics, economy, and culture during different historical periods and are directly related to the will of local administrators. (3) The initial functions of WLs can be categorized into three types, primarily related to urban infrastructure. (4) In terms of spatial relationships, there are four types of spatial relationships between WLs and their water sources and three types of spatial relationships between WLs and cities, forming a common pattern of “Mountains/Hills(–Water)–WL(–Water)–Cities(–Water, River, Sea)” or “WL(–Water)–Cities(–Water, River, Sea)”. (5) The scenery of WLs comprises six elements, including natural basements, water conservancy facilities, human settlements, secularization, landscape architecture, and animal and human activities, all imbued with poetic cultural connotations. Furthermore, this study summarizes three causes of WLs’ scenery; excavates the historical wisdom of WLs in terms of a holistic approach, ecological techniques, dynamic management, and landscape esthetics; and subsequently proposes recommendations for lake ecological governance and landscape construction.

Gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) have been widely investigated because of their unique photoluminescence properties. However, the applications of AuNCs are limited by their poor stability and relatively low fluorescence. In the present work, we developed nanocomposites (L-Cys-AuNCs@ZIF-8) with high fluorescence and stability, which were constructed by encapsulating the water-dispersible L-Cys-AuNCs into a ZIF-8 via Zn2+-triggered growth strategy without high temperature and pressure. The maximum emission wavelength of the L-Cys-AuNCs@ZIF-8 composite was at 868 nm, and the fluorescence intensity of L-Cys-AuNCs@ZIF-8 was nearly nine-fold compared with L-Cys-AuNCs without the ZIF-8 package. The mechanism investigation by fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that L-Cys-AuNCs@ZIF-8 impeded ligand rotation, induced energy dissipation, and diminished the self-quenching effect, attributing to the spatial distribution of L-Cys-AuNCs. Based on the high fluorescence efficiency of L-Cys-AuNCs@ZIF-8, a “signal off” detective platform was proposed with copper ions as a model analyte, achieving a sensitive detection limit of Cu2+ at 16.7 nM. The quenching mechanism was confirmed, showing that the structure of the L-Cys-AuNCs@ZIF-8 nanocomposites was collapsed by the addition of Cu2+. Attributing to the strong adsorption ability between copper ions and pyridyl nitrogen, the as-prepared L-Cys-AuNCs@ZIF-8 was shown to accumulate Cu2+, and the Zn2+ in ZIF-8 was replaced by Cu2+.

Valencene, a sesquiterpene with the odor of sweet and fresh citrus, is widely used in the food, beverage, flavor and fragrance industry. Valencene is traditionally obtained from citrus fruits, which possess low concentrations of this compound. In the past decades, the great market demand for valencene has attracted considerable attention from researchers to develop novel microbial cell factories for more efficient and sustainable production modes. This review initially discusses the biosynthesis of valencene in plants, and summarizes the current knowledge of the key enzyme valencene synthase in detail. In particular, we highlight the heterologous production of valencene in different hosts including bacteria, fungi, microalgae and plants, and focus on describing the engineering strategies used to improve valencene production. Finally, we propose potential engineering directions aiming to further increase the production of valencene in microorganisms.

Summary: The pretriggered conformation of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer ((gp120/gp41)3) is targeted by virus entry inhibitors and broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). The lability of pretriggered Env has hindered its characterization. Here, we produce membrane Env variants progressively stabilized in pretriggered conformations, in some cases to a degree beyond that found in natural HIV-1 strains. Pretriggered Env stability correlated with stronger trimer subunit association, increased virus sensitivity to bNAb neutralization, and decreased capacity to mediate cell-cell fusion and virus entry. For some highly stabilized Env mutants, after virus-host cell engagement, the normally inaccessible gp120 V3 region on an Env intermediate became targetable by otherwise poorly neutralizing antibodies. Thus, evolutionary pressure on HIV-1 Env to maintain trimer integrity, responsiveness to the CD4 receptor, and resistance to antibodies modulates pretriggered Env stability. The strongly stabilized pretriggered membrane Envs reported here will facilitate further characterization of this functionally important conformation.

Abstract Digital technology has created new spaces, new realities and new ways of life, which have changed the way people perceive and recognise the world. In particular, the production, dissemination and reception methods of literature and art have been impacted upon significantly. Acknowledging humanities scholars have been engaged in conducting research while theorising and debating what Digital Humanities (DH) is/is not in the past two decades, this study extends current thought on DH by connecting it with the concept of sociological body, particularly thinking bodily interaction in relation to digital technologies in DH practice. The increasingly deepening integration of body and technology allows DH practice to become an event, in which embodied bodily action is situated in the (digital) environment that impacts on knowledge production. Acknowledging contemporary discourse regarding the two waves of DH, the article pays attention to the presence of the body whereby DH practice is bodily inclusive as mediated by digital technology, in which bodily interaction in producing knowledge via technologies reflects haptic experience and cultural constraints upon the sociological body. At the same time, technologies are not an innocent medium but an active contributor, so much so that we claim knowledge produced with the substantial involvement of digital technology is ‘digitised’ knowledge, as our critical interpretation towards a possible DH 3.0 practice that is subject to the core value of the humanities.

ABSTRACTIn this study, a high-calcium and high-amino acid fish frame hydrolyzate (FFH) was prepared from channel catfish (Ictalurus punetaus) through ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis (UAEH). A 4-factor and 3-level Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology was employed to optimize the hydrolysis conditions, where the independent variables were sonication power (W), sonication time (min), enzyme activity (U) and water-substrate ratio (v/w). The degree of hydrolysis (DH) and soluble calcium content (SCC) were used as response factors. The optimal hydrolysis conditions were found to be sonication power (X1) = 492.91 W, sonication time (X2) = 15.01 min, enzyme activity (X3) = 6677.88 U, and water-to-substrate ratio (X4) = 3.56 v/w. Under these conditions, UAEH effectively disintegrated fish frame collagen and converted bound calcium to soluble calcium. Nevertheless, this study investigated the pattern of collagen transformation into short peptides and free amino acids throughout the degradation process. These findings highlight the potential of the FFH from channel catfish to serve as a foundation for creating highly nutritious food additive. The outcomes of this study further enhance the food industry’s ability to capitalize on the nutritional benefits offered by fish frame hydrolyzates. This expansion of health-focused product options and endorsement of the sustainable use of fish by-products harmonizes seamlessly with the industry’s evolving goals of waste reduction and value optimization.

Currently, teleoperated robots, with the operator’s input, can fully perceive unknown factors in a complex environment and have strong environmental interaction and perception abilities. However, physiological tremors in the human hand can seriously affect the accuracy of processes that require high-precision control. Therefore, this paper proposes an EEMD-IWOA-LSTM model, which can decompose the physiological tremor of the hand into several intrinsic modal components (IMF) by using the EEMD decomposition strategy and convert the complex nonlinear and non-stationary physiological tremor curve of the human hand into multiple simple sequences. An LSTM neural network is used to build a prediction model for each (IMF) component, and an IWOA is proposed to optimize the model, thereby improving the prediction accuracy of the physiological tremor and eliminating it. At the same time, the prediction results of this model are compared with those of different models, and the results of EEMD-IWOA-LSTM presented in this study show obvious superior performance. In the two examples, the MSE of the prediction model proposed are 0.1148 and 0.00623, respectively. The defibrillation model proposed in this study can effectively eliminate the physiological tremor of the human hand during teleoperation and improve the control accuracy of the robot during teleoperation.

Spinal medical image segmentation is critical for diagnosing and treating spinal disorders. However, ambiguity in anatomical boundaries and interfering factors in medical images often cause segmentation errors. Current deep learning models cannot fully capture the intrinsic data properties, leading to unstable feature spaces. To tackle the above problems, we propose Verdiff-Net, a novel diffusion-based segmentation framework designed to improve segmentation accuracy and stability by learning the underlying data distribution. Verdiff-Net integrates a multi-scale fusion module (MSFM) for fine feature extraction and a noise semantic adapter (NSA) to refine segmentation masks. Validated across four multi-modality spinal datasets, Verdiff-Net achieves a high Dice coefficient of 93%, demonstrating its potential for clinical applications in precision spinal surgery.

The paocai industry faces challenges related to the production of large volumes of high-salinity and acidic brine by-products. Maintaining paocai quality while reducing brine production is crucial. This study utilized high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze microbial changes throughout the fermentation process, along with the non-volatile flavor compounds and physicochemical properties, to assess the impact of hot-air and salt-pressing pre-dehydration treatments on paocai quality. The findings indicate that pre-dehydration of raw material slowed the fermentation process but enhanced the concentration of non-volatile flavor substances, including free amino acids and organic acids. Hot-air pre-dehydration effectively reduced initial salinity to levels comparable to those in high-salinity fermentation of fresh vegetables. Furthermore, pre-dehydration altered microbial community structures and simplified inter-microbial relationships during fermentation. However, the key microorganisms such as Lactobacillus, Weissella, Enterobacter, Wallemia, Aspergillus, and Kazachstania remained consistent across all groups. Additionally, this study found that biomarkers influenced non-volatile flavor formation differently depending on the treatment, but these substances had minimal impact on the biomarkers and showed no clear correlation with high-abundance microorganisms. Overall, fermenting pre-dehydrated raw materials presents an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional paocai production.

Food proteins and peptides are generally considered a source of dietary antioxidants. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activity, allergenicity, and peptide profiles of whey protein hydrolysates (WPHs) using different hydrolysis methods. The results demonstrated that the degrees of hydrolysis of the hydrolysates with one-step (O-AD) and two-step (T-AD) methods reached 16.25% and 17.64%, respectively. The size exclusion chromatography results showed that the O-AD had a higher content of >5 and

Abstract Inlay celadon was a type of high-end ceramics of the Koryŏ dynasty (918–1392 AD) produced in the Korean Peninsula. It was conveyed to China during the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368 AD) as tribute or trade goods. In this study, the authors analyzed six samples of inlay celadon recently discovered at the prosperous Taicang Port of the Yuan and Ming dynasties in the lower Yangtze River, China. With scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), the authors investigated the production technique, and compositional characteristics of these samples for the purpose of tracking their provenances. While the bodies are made of porcelain stone, the glazes are of porcelain stone and calcium-rich flux. The white inlay material in these samples is kaolinite-dominant, and the black one is made of quartz with high Fe content or a compound of quartz and raw materials with high Fe content. The results link the samples uncovered at the Taicang Port to the Samhǔngni Kiln in Kangjin-gun and the Uch'ǒlli and Chinsǒri Kilns in Buan-gun in Southern Korea. The products from these kilns were shipped to China in several shipments.

Carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins (C&FSV) belong to the group of highly lipophilic food components that have important effects on the body’s health, which are ingested mainly through consumption of foods. The knowledge about the intestinal absorption mechanism of dietary C&FSV has been developed from partial C&FSV absorption through simple diffusion to specific transporter-mediated absorption of dietary C&FSV. This paper reviews the latest research progress in the process of digestion and absorption of C&FSV with special focus on, transporter-mediated apical transport, cytosolic transport and intracellular metabolism in enterocytes, and secretion from the basolateral membrane of enterocytes for the entire absorption process, and it provides a comprehensive summary of the regulation of C&FSV transporters. This review is expected to drive the understanding of the intestinal absorption mechanism of lipid-soluble bioactives so that they can better exert their beneficial health effects.

Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. is an essential spice and medicinal plant in China. Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. has a distinct bitterness due to 7-methoxylcoumarin. The bitterness of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. restricted the development and utilization of its products. This study aimed to explore the masking effect and mechanism of whey protein isolate on the bitterness of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.. The masking mechanism of the bitterness of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. by whey protein isolate was investigated using the method of sensory evaluation, electronic tongue and molecular docking technique with Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. oleoresin as the matrix. The results indicated that whey protein isolate could significantly mask the bitterness of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. oleoresin. Furthermore, there was a mass concentration-effect relationship between bitterness reduction values of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. oleoresin and the additive amount of whey protein isolate. When the dosage of whey protein isolate was 1.00% and the concentration of Zanthoxylum bungeanum oleoresin was 0.5%, the reduction value of ΔBI was 1.8, indicating that the bitterness masking effect was good. The molecular docking model showed that 7-methoxycoumarin and β-lactoglobulin had 20 docking conformations in cluster 2, and the lowest binding free energy was −5.90 kcal/mol. Hence, cluster 2 was the most likely binding region for their interaction. It could be concluded that whey protein isolate could mask the bitterness of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. oleoresin by binding to 7-methoxycoumarin and preventing it from binding to bitter receptors. The results may provide a reference for the taste correction of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. products.

IntroductionSoybean stem diameter (SD) and branch diameter (BD) are closely related traits, and genetic clarification of SD and BD is crucial for soybean breeding.MethodsSD and BD were genetically analyzed by a population of 363 RIL derived from the cross between Zhongdou41 (ZD41) and ZYD02878 using restricted two-stage multi-locus genome-wide association, inclusive composite interval mapping, and three-variance component multi-locus random SNP effect mixed linear modeling. Then candidate genes of major QTLs were selected and genetic selection model of SD and BD were constructed respectively.Results and discussionThe results showed that SD and BD were significantly correlated (r = 0.74, P < 0.001). A total of 93 and 84 unique quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected for SD and BD, respectively by three different methods. There were two and ten major QTLs for SD and BD, respectively, with phenotypic variance explained (PVE) by more than 10%. Within these loci, seven genes involved in the regulation of phytohormones (IAA and GA) and cell proliferation and showing extensive expression of shoot apical meristematic genes were selected as candidate genes. Genomic selection (GS) analysis showed that the trait-associated markers identified in this study reached 0.47-0.73 in terms of prediction accuracy, which was enhanced by 6.56-23.69% compared with genome-wide markers. These results clarify the genetic basis of SD and BD, which laid solid foundation in regulation gene cloning, and GS models constructed could be potentially applied in future breeding programs.

Abstract Although the ‘one ticket transfer’ mode brings convenience to passengers, it also poses challenges to the passenger flow assignment. The current widely used multi‐path probability assignment model based on traffic cost realizes the passenger flow distribution from the macro‐perspective but lacks the consideration of passenger attributes and the time‐varying characteristics of passenger travel time. Here, a novel spatiotemporal path inference model is proposed for Urban Rail Transit (URT) passengers based on the travel time data and train operation information. In this study, the impact of passengers detained at the platform on passenger travel itinerary is considered by characterizing the passenger detention rate. The proposed method realizes the reverse inference of passenger path from the micro‐perspective, and can accurately describe the specific travel process of each passenger. Moreover, the real‐world data of Shenzhen Metro in China is taken to verify the rationality of the proposed model. The results show that the model is in good agreement with the existing clearance model and can accurately infer the passenger travel itinerary from the micro‐perspective. The proposed method provides a more refined solution for the spatial‐temporal assignment of URT passenger flow.

A series of novel piperidamide-3-carboxamide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activities against cathepsin K. Among these derivatives, compound H-9 exhibited the most potent inhibition, with an IC50 value of 0.08 µM. Molecular docking studies revealed that H-9 formed several hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions with key active-site residues of cathepsin K. In vitro, H-9 demonstrated anti-bone resorption effects that were comparable to those of MIV-711, a cathepsin K inhibitor currently in phase 2a clinical trials for the treatment of bone metabolic disease. Western blot analysis confirmed that H-9 effectively downregulated cathepsin K expression in RANKL-reduced RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, in vivo experiments showed that H-9 increased the bone mineral density of OVX-induced osteoporosis mice. These results suggest that H-9 is a potent anti-bone resorption agent targeting cathepsin K and warrants further investigation for its potential anti-osteoporosis values.

The undrained shear strength is an essential parameter in the foundation design of marine structures. Due to the complex marine environment and technical limitations, it is difficult and costly to obtain offshore samples. Piezocone penetration tests (CPTU) are relatively low-cost compared to drilling and sampling methods. Therefore, based on the soil behavior type index (Ic) derived from CPTU results, a model for estimating cone factors (Nkt, Nke) is proposed to improve the accuracy of estimation of undrained shear strength. The result shows that the soil behavior type index (Ic) and cone factors take on a negatively correlated exponential relation. Incorporating a cone factor that varies with the soil behavior type index (Ic) significantly enhances the accuracy of undrained shear strength predictions compared to the conventional method of using a constant cone factor. This approach reduces the root mean square error (RMSE) for Nkt (Nke) from 0.124 (0.126) MPa to 0.056 (0.06) MPa, and the mean absolute error (MAE) from 0.0154 (0.016) MPa to 0.0032 (0.0036) MPa. The method was validated at an additional location and the predictions were in high agreement with the results of the consolidated quick direct shear test. The developed method can serve as an effective tool used in the design of foundations of marine structures.

Pollutants produced by engines are a significant source of environmental pollution, so the study of engine emissions is very important. In this study, with CONVERGE software, a diesel engine model of the engine was produced. To better obtain the characteristic results of the engine, this was coupled with an improved chemical kinetics mechanism. Then, the results of this model were verified experimentally. Additionally, the effects of four different EGR rates on the combustion, performance, and emissions of a dual-fuel diesel engine were investigated by the verified model under different (50 %, 75 %, and 100 %) load conditions. Lastly, the brake specific fuel consumption, NOx emission, and HC emission were optimized by the response surface methodology (RSM). The results show that the pressure, temperature, and NOx emission in the engine's cylinder can all be reduced by raising the EGR at three different loads. Besides, the optimization results show that the engine achieves the best operating conditions at 100 % load, hydrogen fraction of 6.92 %, and EGR rate of 7.68 %.

ObjectiveN-butylphthalide (NBP) is a monomeric compound extracted from natural plant celery seeds, whether intestinal microbiota alteration can modify its pharmacokinetics is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of intestinal microbiota alteration on the pharmacokinetics of NBP and its related mechanisms.MethodsAfter treatment with antibiotics and probiotics, plasma NBP concentrations in SD rats were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The effect of intestinal microbiota changes on NBP pharmacokinetics was compared. Intestinal microbiota changes after NBP treatment were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Expressions of CYP3A1 mRNA and protein in the liver and small intestine tissues under different intestinal flora conditions were determined by qRT-PCR and Western Blot. KEGG analysis was used to analyze the effect of intestinal microbiota changes on metabolic pathways.ResultsCompared to the control group, the values of Cmax, AUC0-8, AUC0-∞, t1/2 in the antibiotic group increased by 56.1% (PConclusionAntibiotic treatment could affect the intestinal microbiota, decrease CYP3A1 mRNA and protein expressions and increase NBP exposure in vivo by inhibiting pathways related to NBP metabolism.

Ciprofol is a novel short-acting intravenous anaesthetic developed in China that is mainly metabolized by cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A9 (UGT1A9). Currently, insufficient evidence is available to support drug‒drug interactions between ciprofol and CYP2B6 inactivators. Here, we established a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method to assess the concentration of ciprofol and investigated the effects of psoralen and clopidogrel on the metabolism of ciprofol in liver microsomes and rats. In rat and human liver microsomes, the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of psoralen were 63.31 μmol·L-1 and 34.05 μmol·L-1, respectively, showing mild inhibitory effects on ciprofol metabolism, whereas the IC50 values of clopidogrel were 6.380 μmol·L-1 and 2.565 μmol·L-1, respectively, with moderate inhibitory effects. SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: psoralen (27 mg·kg-1), clopidogrel (7.5 mg·kg-1), and the same volume of 0.5% carboxy methyl cellulose. After 7 days, all rats were injected with 2.4 mg·kg-1 ciprofol. Compared with the control group, the AUC and MRT values of ciprofol in the psoralen and clopidogrel groups were significantly greater, whereas the CL values were significantly lower. In addition, the durations of loss of righting reflex (LORR) in the psoralen and clopidogrel groups were 16.1% and 23.0% longer than that in the control group, respectively. In conclusion, psoralen and clopidogrel inhibit ciprofol metabolism to different degrees and prolong the duration of LORR in rats.

Racket sports such as table tennis involve a wide range of three-dimensional complex spatial movements of the human body and the racket. Novice players might benefit from the evaluation of the motion profile of the racket to facilitate better adoption of more expert movement. Computer-based evaluation of such novice vs. expert play behavior characteristics includes reducing the required multiple human interactions and easy applicability for subsequent automation to accurately differentiate the motion profile of a novice player from that of an expert. This study has, for the first time, applied the widely used support vector machine (SVM) classification technique for the development of a table tennis player movement evaluation model. The model was trained using an existing dataset of displacements and velocities from various important anatomical landmarks across the body and points on the racket. These were obtained and evaluated for table tennis forehand strokes for two subgroups of expert and novice ability levels, respectively. Different combinations of variables were selected for model input from the same dataset with the outcomes being noted for each. The resulting SVM classification model exhibited good/noteworthy performance ([Formula: see text]% accuracy) in distinguishing racket motion between expert and novice players.

The precipitate evolution of friction stir welding (FSW) 2195-O Al–Li alloy was analyzed by back scattered electron (BSE), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Efforts were made to explore the correlation between precipitates and hardness, tensile properties of the FSW joints and discuss the reasons for the generation of a serration shape pattern. It can be found that the base material (BM) consists of large coarse equilibrium precipitates, such as θ, TB, T2, T and Al7Cu2Fe, which change a little in the heat affection zone (HAZ) and the thermo-mechanically affected zone during FSW. Whereas, these precipitates significantly decrease in the nugget zone (NZ) with many δʹ/βʹ, TB and GP zones generating. The FSW joints are fractured in the HAZ/BM, developing a joint coefficient of 99% and the decrease of elongation from 20.6% to 15%. Within the NZ, these coarse precipitates completely disappear in the advancing side (AS-NZ), while remain a lot in the retreating side (RS-NZ) with evidently decrease in content and size. Therefore, the increment of hardness decreases from the AS- NZ to RS-NZ. The develop of serration shape pattern is attributed to distribution difference of coarse equilibrium precipitates in content and size.

Ultrasound has been widely used for physical modifications of starch because of its effectiveness and environment friendliness; however, only a few reports have focused on the effect of varying ultrasonic treatments on the physicochemical properties of potato flour. In the present study, ultrasound at varying power levels (200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 W) and time intervals (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 min) were used to obtain sonicated flour. Sonicated potato flour exhibited a significant (P

Chayote (Sechium edule), an underutilized cucurbit vegetable crop, has gained attention as it exhibits health-promoting properties. However, the primary structure of chayote cell-wall polysaccharides has not been comprehensively studied. In this study, two cell-wall polysaccharides, CP-1 (41.1 KDa) and CP-2 (15.6 KDa), were extracted from chayote, and the structural analysis of CP-1 and CP-2 was carried out by monosaccharide composition analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), methylation analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The results demonstrated that CP-1 was a galactan, and CP-2 was an anionic heteropolysaccharide composed of galacturonic acid, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, glucose, glucuronic acid, mannose, and xylose in the molar ratio of 31.2:26.3:24.9:7.4:6.5:1.9:1.3:0.5. CP-2 has a backbone of → 4)-β-d-Galp-(1 → 3,6)-β-d-Galp-(1 → 3)-β-d-Galp-(1 → 4)-α-d-GalpA-(1→, with branches at O-6 of → 3,6)-β-d-Galp-(1→, consisting of α-l-Araf-(1 → 5)-α-l-Araf-(1 → 4)-β-d-Glcp-(1 →. Analysis of the structural and physicochemical properties confirmed the excellent application characteristics of CP-1 and CP-2. Hence, cell-wall polysaccharides of chayote could be used as new polysaccharides materials.

This work investigated and compared the impact on performance and emission characteristics of diesel engine fueled with five different proportions of biodiesel blends. Firstly, the three-dimensional simulation software CONVERGE was used to create a 3D simulation model of in-cylinder combustion for a diesel engine. Secondly, the experimental data of cylinder pressure and NOx emissions at 50% and 100% loads were employed to verify the simulation model. Finally, the combustion processes of blends with proportions of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% biodiesel were simulated and compared by using the model. The study showed that the brake thermal efficiencies (BTEs) of biodiesel blends with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of biodiesel were increased by 1.24%, 1.89%, 3.13%, and 3.82% at 50% load, respectively, compared with pure diesel. In addition, the soot emissions were decreased by 1.20%, 2.64%, 3.88%, and 4.65%, respectively. However, as the proportion of biodiesel in the biodiesel blends increased, the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) and NOx emissions increased. At 50% load, the BSFCs of biodiesel blends with 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of biodiesel increased by 0.61%, 1.34%, 1.42%, and 2.17%, respectively, compared with pure diesel. Additionally, the brake powers (BPs) were decreased by 0.64%, 1.31%, 1.88%, and 2.62% at 100% load, respectively.

Environmental pollution caused by marine engines fueled with fossil fuels is a matter of growing significance. The search for renewable and clean energy sources and improvements in the way fossil fuels are burnt aims to reduce the environmental impact of these engines. For this purpose, fatty acid methyl esters were produced from pure canola oil using KOH-assisted methanol-based transesterification with a maximum yield of 90.68 ± 1.6%. The marine engine’s model was created with CONVERGE software, followed by experimental verification. This paper examines the blended fuel characteristics of a diesel engine with biodiesel blends (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) at different loads of engines (50%, 75%, and 100%). It also explores the variation in these characteristics of B10 (10% biodiesel–diesel blends) at three different load conditions and four different EGR rates (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%). The results indicate that the addition of biodiesel to diesel fuel reduces CO, HC, and soot emissions, while increasing NOx emissions. Additionally, the EGR rate decreases NOx emissions but results in higher levels of soot, CO, and HC emissions. Finally, response surface methodology was used to elicit the engine’s characteristics. It was determined that the optimum experimental operating conditions were 100% engine load, 6.9% biodiesel addition, and 7.7% EGR. The corresponding BTE, BSFC, NOx, and HC emissions were 38.15%, 282.62 g/(kW-h), 274.38 ppm, and 410.37 ppm, respectively.

Sunstone is a member of the feldspar group. Natural sunstones from Oregon exhibit unique optical effects and hold significant market value. However, since 2008, there has been a persistent issue of diffused red feldspars masquerading as natural sunstones in the market, severely undermining consumer confidence in purchasing natural sunstones. Fluorescence characteristics under 305–335 nm ultraviolet excitation are considered an effective method for distinguishing copper-diffused red feldspars from natural sunstones. In this paper, through detailed analysis and testing of ten market-acquired red and green feldspar samples, including UV-vis spectra, microscopic characteristics, fluorescence spectra, and chemical compositions, we validate the efficacy of fluorescence characteristics in identifying copper-diffused feldspars. The results verify the widespread prevalence of copper diffusion treatment in market-acquired red and green feldspars, shedding light on their treatment history and providing valuable insights for jewelry consumers. This research not only enhances our understanding of sunstone treatments but also strengthens the reliability and applicability of fluorescence spectroscopy in gemstone identification, offering promising prospects for its broader adoption in the jewelry market.