Search

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 %.

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.

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.

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.

Black Carbon (BC), the second-largest contributor to global warming, has detrimental effects on human health and the environment. However, the accurate quantification of BC poses a significant challenge, impeding the comprehensive assessment of its impacts. Therefore, this paper aims to critically review three quantitative methods for measuring BC: Thermal Optical Analysis (TOA), the Optical Method, and Laser-Induced Incandescence (LII). The determination principles, available commercial instruments, sources of deviation, and correction approaches associated with these techniques are systematically discussed. By synthesizing and comparing the quantitative results reported in previous studies, this paper aims to elucidate the underlying relationships and fundamental disparities among Elemental Carbon (EC), Equivalent Black Carbon (eBC), and Refractory Black Carbon (rBC). Finally, based on the current advancements in BC quantification, recommendations are proposed to guide future research directions.

This study determined that Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves (ZBLs) are rich in functional components such as cellulose, protein, flavone, and polyphenols. Therefore, they were used as the main raw material, with sodium alginate as a thickener and glycerol as a plasticizer, to investigate the preparation of active films from ZBL powder through high-pressure homogenization (HPH). The physical, optical, mechanical, and antioxidant properties of the films were evaluated, and their application in preserving fresh-cut apples was examined. The results showed that the optimal concentration of ZBL powder was 1.5% under a 30 MPa HPH treatment. The resulting HPH-treated films exhibited a denser microstructure and improved water vapor barrier properties and mechanical strength. Compared to the films without HPH treatment, the tensile strength increased from 4.61 MPa to 12.13 MPa, the elongation at break increased from 21.25% to 42.86%, the water vapor permeability decreased from 9.9 × 10−9 g/m·s·Pa to 8.0 × 10−9 g/m·s·Pa, and the transparency increased from 25.36% to 38.5%. Compared to the control group, the fresh-cut apples packaged with the HPH-treated ZBL active films exhibited effective preservation of apple quality during a five-day period at 4 °C and 70% humidity, showing better preservation effects than the other groups. In conclusion, the use of HPH treatment in developing novel biopolymer active films from ZBL powders with enhanced properties holds potential for various applications.

In many applications of high-voltage solid-state pulse modulators (SSPMs), the expected square pulsed shape is difficult to be generated and also there exists a long falling edge (also known as the “tailing”). In some fields that strictly need squared pulses, tailing will restrict the application of SSPMs. Although topological solutions have been proposed to eliminate the tail, its formation and regulatory factors are still not clear. Based on the classic switch–capacitor circuit, the tailing model is discussed and established for stacked and non-stacked SSPMs in this paper, which can help predict the pulsed tailing of SSPMs under various loads. The circuital factors (stage number, parasitic inductance, etc.) of the pulsed tail are studied. Meanwhile, the suggested tailing criteria for different load scenarios are proposed. The experiment verifies the accuracy of the tailing model. Finally, the applicable conditions of the tailing model are discussed. This model can not only help explain the mechanism of tailing but make predictions of tailing in SSPMs.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been prevalent in China for more than 25 years and remains one of the most significant pathogens threatening the pig industry. The high rate of mutation and frequent recombination of PRRSV have exacerbated its prevalence, particularly with the emergence of highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) has significantly increased the pathogenicity of PRRSV, posing a serious threat to the development of Chinese pig farming. To monitor the genetic variation of PRRSV-2 in China, the GP5 sequences of 517 PRRSV-2 strains from 1996 to 2022 were analyzed and phylogenetic trees were constructed. Furthermore, a total of 60 PRRSV strains, originating from various lineages, were carefully chosen for nucleotide and amino acid homologies analysis. The results showed that the nucleotide homologies of the PRRSV GP5 gene ranged from 81.4 to 100.0%, and the amino acid homologies ranged from 78.1 to 100.0%. Similarly, the PRRSV GP5a gene showed 78.0 ~ 100.0% nucleotide homologies and 70.2 ~ 100.0% amino acid homologies. Amino acid sequence comparisons of GP5 and GP5a showed that some mutations, such as substitutions, deletions, and insertions, were found in several amino acid sites in GP5, these mutations were primarily found in the signal peptide region, two highly variable regions (HVRs), and near two T-cell antigenic sites, while the mutation sites of GP5a were mainly concentrated in the transmembrane and intramembrane regions. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the prevalent PRRSV-2 strains in China were divided into lineages 1, 3, 5, and 8. Among these, strains from lineage 8 and lineage 1 are currently the main prevalent strains, lineage 5 and lineage 8 have a closer genetic distance. Recombination analysis revealed that one recombination event occurred in 517 PRRSV-2 strains, this event involved recombination between lineage 8 and lineage 1. In conclusion, this analysis enhances our understanding of the prevalence and genetic variation of PRRSV-2 in China. These findings provide significant insights for the development of effective prevention and control strategies for PRRS and serve as a foundation for future research in this field.

In this study, the quality indexes and sensory evaluation of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. from the main production areas in Southwest China were analyzed. Further, correlation analysis (CRA), principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to comprehensively evaluate the quality characteristics of Z. armatum. The results showed that the sensory indexes and physicochemical indexes of Z. armatum were significantly correlated. Five principal component factors were extracted from 12 indexes by PCA, and a comprehensive evaluation model of quality was established with Y = 0.2943Y1 + 0.2387Y2 + 0.1896Y3 + 0.1679Y4 + 0.1094Y5. On this basis, 21 producing areas were grouped into 4 groups and 3 groups by Q-type CA, respectively. R-type CA showed that the content of hydroxyl-sanshools, linalool content and b* value were the quality characteristic indexes of Z. armatum in Southwest China. This work provided an important theory and practice reference for Z. armatum quality evaluation and in-depth product development.

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.

Porosity is closely related to the corrosion and wear properties of a coating processed by thermal-spraying technology, and the quantitative characterization of porosity is a crucial part of the research on coating structures. The current image analysis method often uses the mechanical polishing method recommended by ISO to measure a coating porosity. This method has been proved to be an effective method for the characterization of oxide coatings. However, due to the significant differences in the physical and chemical properties between aluminum and oxides, this method may not be suitable for aluminum coatings, and a more appropriate approach needs to be explored. In this paper, the effects of three polishing technologies (mechanical polishing, argon-ion-beam polishing, and electrolytic polishing) on the porosity measurement of pure aluminum coatings were compared and studied. The research results showed that the commonly used mechanical polishing method and more advanced argon-ion-beam polishing method could not completely reveal the pore structure because SiC particles would be embedded in the pure aluminum coatings during mechanical polishing, filling large pores. Although electrolytic polishing technology had advantages in revealing the macroporous structure, it would introduce a microporous structure and oxides, which would affect the measurement of the coating porosity. The composite polishing technology (electrolytic polishing + argon-ion-beam polishing) could perfectly reveal the pore structure in the pure-aluminum coating, and the porosity of arc-sprayed aluminum coating was 9.9%, which was close to the macroscopic true value measured using the weighing method of 10.2%.

The severity of engine emissions for the environment and human health cannot be ignored. This article optimizes the combustion and emission of gasoline-cassava bioethanol fuel blends in electronic fuel injection engines using response surface methodology to achieve the goal of reducing carbon and pollutant emissions. The experiment investigated the effects of different gasoline-cassava bioethanol mixing ratios (G100, G90E10, G80E20, and G70E30) on engine performance, including torque, brake specific fuel consumption, power, total hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide emissions. The results show that the gasoline-cassava bioethanol fuel blend is not as good as G100 in terms of braking power, torque, and brake specific fuel consumption, but better than G100 in terms of carbon monoxide emissions and total hydrocarbon emissions. Then, the optimization objective function was determined, and the combustion and emission characteristics were optimized using the response surface methodology method. The optimization results indicate that the response surface methodology method can determine the interaction between design variables such as brake specific fuel consumption, nitrogen oxides, and total hydrocarbon emissions and find the best solution. In this experiment, the independent variables of the best solution were 72.9 N·m torque, 30% G70E30 mixing rate, and 2000 rpm speed, corresponding to brake specific fuel consumption at 313 g/(kW·h), nitrogen oxide emissions at 2.85 × 103 ppm, and total hydrocarbon emissions at 166 ppm. The findings of this study indicate that by optimizing the gasoline-cassava bioethanol mixture ratio, lower emission levels can be achieved in electronic fuel injection engines, thereby promoting the sustainable development of renewable energy and reducing pollutant emissions.

Porosity is considered to be one of the key factors affecting the structural properties of porous lattices, but in fact, pore size also plays an important role, and it has great potential to adjust pore size and porosity independently to improve structural properties. In this work, by adjusting the sheet thickness of the triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattice structures and adjusting the height of the single row structure according to linear and constant laws, the TPMS lattice structures with given porosity and adjustable pore size are designed, and the mechanical response is investigated. Based on preparing samples by Ti6Al4V laser powder bed fusion, the results of the tests show that the elastic modulus ranges of linear change TPMS (LC-TPMS) and constant TPMS (C-TPMS) lattice structures are 3625.6 MPa–4575.1 MPa and 3820.0 MPa–4509.1 MPa, respectively. In the plateau stage, the LC-TPMS lattice structures have a longer and more stable plateau stage, higher yield stress and better energy absorption capacity than the C-TPMS lattice structures. The maximum energy absorption difference is 62.7 MJ/mm3 and the maximum energy absorption efficiency difference is 0.12. The LC-TPMS lattice structures can also obtain a larger damping ratio under larger compressive strain.

BackgroundNowadays, the number of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) complicated by end-stage renal disease (ESKD) is increasing. There are significant challenges in anticoagulation with prescription drugs because of the high risk of bleeding and embolism among these patients. However, no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of warfarin in combination with any non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant (NOACs) have been performed in patients with baseline creatinine clearance (CrCl)

Marine ships are the transport vehicle in the ocean and instance segmentation of marine ships is an accurate and efficient analysis approach to achieve a quantitative understanding of marine ships, for example, their relative locations to other ships or obstacles. This relative spatial information is crucial for developing unmanned ships to avoid crashing. Visible light imaging, e.g. using our smartphones, is an efficient way to obtain images of marine ships, however, so far there is a lack of suitable open-source visible light datasets of marine ships, which could potentially slow down the development of unmanned ships. To address the problem of insufficient datasets, here we built two instance segmentation visible light datasets of marine ships, MariBoats and MariBoatsSubclass, which could facilitate the current research on instance segmentation of marine ships. Moreover, we applied several existing instance segmentation algorithms based on neural networks to analyze our datasets, but their performances were not satisfactory. To improve the segmentation performance of the existing models on our datasets, we proposed a global and local attention mechanism for neural network models to retain both the global location and semantic information of marine ships, resulting in an average segmentation improvement by 4.3% in terms of mean average precision. Therefore, the presented new datasets and the new attention mechanism will greatly advance the marine ship relevant research and applications.

The ocean waves exhibit obvious non-linearity with asymmetric distribution of wave crests and troughs, which could induce significantly different effect on the seabed compared to the commonly used linear wave theory. In this paper, a semi-analytical solution for a transversely isotropic and multilayered poroelastic seabed under non-linear ocean wave is proposed by virtue of the dual variable and position (DVP) method. The ocean wave and seabed are, respectively, modelled using second-order Stokes theory and Biot’s complete poroelastodynamic theory. Then the established governing equations are decoupled and solved via the powerful scalar potential functions. Making use of the DVP scheme, the layered solutions are finally gained by combining the boundary conditions of the seabed. The developed solutions are verified by comparing with existing solutions. The selected numerical examples are presented to investigate the effect of main parameters on the dynamic response of the seabed and evaluate the corresponding liquefaction potential. The results show that the anisotropic stiffness and permeability, degree of saturation and stratification have remarkable influence on the dynamic response and liquefaction behavior of the seabed. The present solution is a useful tool to estimate the stability of transversely isotropic and layered seabed sediment in the range of non-linear ocean wave.

The Dawangzhuang buried hill zone is a typical representative of Paleozoic oil and gas exploration in the Jiyang Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, and has experienced a complicated accumulation process. Using petrographic observation, microthermometry and abundance of hydrocarbon inclusions, the Paleozoic hydrocarbon charging process in Dawangzhuang buried hill zone was discussed. The study shows that the Paleozoic reservoirs developed hydrocarbon inclusions in the study area. Ordovician hydrocarbon inclusions with pale yellow and blue-green fluorescence distributed along the calcite veins and particle healing joints. Asphalt inclusions and oleaginous are only distributed in Dagu 671 oil reservoir with a small scale. The main peaks of the homogenization temperature are from 80 ℃ to 90 ℃ and from 100 ℃ to 110 ℃; Carboniferous-Permian hydrocarbon inclusions with blue-green fluorescent distributed along the micro-cracks of quartz particles and secondary enlarged edges. The main peak of the homogenization temperature is from 100 ℃ to 110 ℃. Combining with the hydrocarbon generation and expulsion periods of source rocks, it can be concluded that there are two stages of hydrocarbon charging in the Paleozoic in the study area. The first stage of oil and gas charging occurred in the late Dongying period (27~25 Ma), which was a small-scale accumulation of Paleozoic, mainly in the Ordovician; the second stage of oil and gas charging occurred from the end of Guantao period to the end of Minghuazhen period (5~2 Ma), which was a large-scale accumulation of Ordovician and Carboniferous-Permian. The development of asphalt inclusions near the Dagu 671 well area and the fact shown by the Effective Grids containing Oil Inclusions (EGOI) that the ancient oil-water interface is lower than the current one are related to the activity of the Da 1 fault at the end of the Minghuazhen period (2 Ma), resulting in local adjustments and smaller scope of oil and gas reservoir.

Reasonable welding speeds are a prerequisite for obtaining high-quality joints by friction stir welding (FSW). In this paper, 2195-T8 Al-Li alloy FSW joints were successfully fabricated at different welding speeds (100–600 mm/min) with a constant rotation speed. The effect of welding speed on the microstructure and mechanical properties was analyzed under different experimental methods. Microstructural characterization was conducted using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Mechanical properties were measured by a hardness test and a tensile test. The results showed that the original T1 precipitates disappeared in the nugget zone (NZ), generating many dislocations. With welding speeds increasing, joints obtained at lower welding speeds developed coarser T1 precipitates in the heat-affected zone. Also, the equiaxed grains with a bigger size and a higher fraction of high angle boundaries (HABs) were detected in the NZ of these joints. As the welding speed increased, the area of hardness value changes gradually shrunk, which was consistent with the trend of the cross-section morphology. A kissing bond and macroscopic cracking were observed in the joints that were fabricated at the higher welding speeds. The appearance of those defects significantly reduced the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the joints at high welding speeds. Fracture morphologies of the different joints were all characterized in quasi-cleavage fractures.

Since its successful isolation in China in 1995, the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been mutating into highly pathogenic strains by constantly changing pathogenicity and genetic makeup. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and genetic variation of nonstructural protein 1 (NSP1) in PRRSV-2, the main strain prevalent in China. After formulating hypotheses regarding the biology of the NSP1 protein, the nucleotide and amino acid similarity of NSP1 were analyzed and compared in 193 PRRSV-2 strains. The results showed that NSP1 has a stable hydrophobic protein with a molecular weight of 43,060.76 Da. Although NSP1 lacked signal peptides, it could regulate host cell signaling. Furthermore, NSP1 of different strains had high nucleotide (79.6–100%) and amino acid similarity (78.6–100%). In the amino acid sequence comparison of 15 representative strains of PRRSV-2, multiple amino acid substitution sites were found in NSP1. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that lineages 1 and 8 had different evolutionary branches with long genetic distances. This study lays the foundation for an in-depth understanding of the nature and genetic variation of NSP1 and the development of a safe and effective vaccine in the future.

Pellicle biofilm-forming bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens are the major spoilage microorganisms of soy products. Due to their inherent resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants, pellicle biofilms formed are difficult to eliminate and represent a threat to food safety. Here, we assessed linalool’s ability to prevent the pellicle of two spoilage B. amyloliquefaciens strains. The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) of linalool against B. amyloliquefaciens DY1a and DY1b was 4 μL/mL and 8 μL/mL, respectively. The MBIC of linalool had a considerable eradication rate of 77.15% and 83.21% on the biofilm of the two strains, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that less wrinkly and thinner pellicle biofilms formed on a medium supplemented with 1/2 MBIC and 1/4 MBIC linalool. Also, linalool inhibited cell motility and the production of extracellular polysaccharides and proteins of the biofilm matrix. Furthermore, linalool exposure reduced the cell surface hydrophobicity, zeta potential, and cell auto-aggregation of B. amyloliquefaciens. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that linalool interacted strongly with quorum-sensing ComP receptor and biofilm matrix assembly TasA through intermolecular hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic contacts, and van der Waals forces interacting with site residues. Overall, our findings suggest that linalool may be employed as a potential antibiofilm agent to control food spoilage B. amyloliquefaciens.

This paper uses wavelet neurons instead of traditional neurons, and uses wavelet multi-resolution analysis to decompose the FPGA image scan of the ship engine. Because the neural network has the approximation ability of arbitrary functions, the wavelet transform is connected to the neural network to form a wavelet neural network. To test ship engines. The hardware design of GigE image acquisition and processing system based on FPGA was started. FPGA was used as the main control chip and Gigabit Ethernet was used as the transmission medium. The hardware circuit of the image data acquisition and image processing system was designed. It mainly includes the FPGA main control circuit and the FPGA Peripheral circuits. The high-speed image acquisition, transmission, storage, and display module circuit design is realized. Real-time monitoring and fault analysis of the engine's condition is performed by the FPGA image scanning method, and data of the engine's running state is pre-processed with the help of step tracking technology to make it a standard signal. The data is transmitted to the computer through NI's data acquisition card. Combining feature extraction such as information entropy, Fourier transform, EMD and wavelet neural network technology. The accuracy of the diagnosis results and the actual fault state is improved. It can enable the staff to monitor the running status of the engine in real time, improve the efficiency of engine fault diagnosis, reduce labour costs and maintenance costs, and thus realize intelligent, real-time and accurate status monitoring of the engine.

BackgroundThe duration of initial corticosteroid therapy in newly diagnosed Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) is about 3 months. Our study was designed to test the feasibility of a shorter duration of corticosteroid therapy in newly diagnosed INS who show a quicker response.MethodsPatients who responded within 10 days (Group A) received 8 weeks of corticosteroid therapy as compared to 12–14 weeks of standard therapy in those who responded between >10 days to 28 days (Group B), and follow up for 52 weeks. The primary endpoint is time to first relapse after treatment completion. (NCT03878914, March 18, 2019)ResultsA total of 33 children with INS were enrolled and the follow-up data were analyzed. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients in both groups were similar. No significant difference was found in time to first relapse [65(14.5, 159) days for Group A vs. 28(17, 61.5) days for Group B, P = 0.371], the incidence of frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome [6/18 (33.3%) vs. 5/10(50%), P = 0.644] or requirement for alternative immunosuppressant [4/18 (22.2%) vs. 1/10 (10%), P = 0.769]. Group A received similar corticosteroid dose compare with Group B (3511 ± 2421 mg/m2 vs. 4117 ± 2556 mg/m2, P = 0.524). Frequency and severity of corticosteroid-related complications was similar in both groups.ConclusionsThe time to first relapse and the number of relapses per patient were comparable between the two groups. However, more patients in Group A relapsed and the mean total dose of prednisolone for the study period was very similar between the two groups.

The non-keyhole friction stir lap welding (N-KFSLW) technology assisted by the outer stationary shoulder and the inner upper half-thread rotating pin was proposed to obtain the welding joint without keyhole through one-time process. Choosing 2024 aluminum alloys as the research object, the formation, microhardness and tensile strength of N-KFSLW joint were investigated. The improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) algorithm was newly developed and had the advantages of large convergence speed and strong search ability, by which the radial basis function (RBF) neural network was optimized to enhance its prediction accuracy. After that, the RBF and IPSO (IPSO-RBF) system was used to predict the joint strength and optimize the process parameters combination. The results showed that the lap joint had not only the SZ with the thickness almost equal to the thickness of upper sheet but also the cold lap with a very small height, thereby leading to the high tensile strength of joint. The optimized parameters of welding speed, rotating speed and pin type by the IPSO-RBF system were respectively 612 rpm, 80 mm/min, and upper half-thread pin, and the tensile strength of lap joint reached 11.88 kN/mm. The N-KFSLW technology assisted by upper half-thread pin provides an effective way to obtain the lap joint with high performance, and the IPSO-RBF system can be used to maximize the strength of welding joint.

Lattice structures’ performance is directly determined by the topological structure and arrangement of cells. Here, we propose a lattice structure design approach that generates predictable mechanical properties by adjusting the three-dimensional posture and mirror arrays of cells. Specifically, the Euler angle (α β γ) is introduced to accurately control the three rotational degrees of freedom of the orthogonal unit cell. Then, a new unit cell with symmetric characteristics composed of multiple primitive rotation units is constructed by mirror operation, which is called super variable pose Octahedral Structures (SVPOS). The mathematical model of SVPOS topological structure is established, the mapping relationship between Euler Angle and relative density is deduced, and the mechanical response of structures with different Euler angles is studied. The results show that Structure of α = β = γ = 30˚ obtained the best performance, and the elastic modulus, compressive strength, and energy absorption at 50% strain of it are 553.1%, 471.9% and 529% of that of the octahedral, respectively. The new lattice structure can be obtained by adjusting the Euler Angle, its relative density and performance can be better predicted, which can provide experimental and theoretical basis for the design of lattice structures that meet different requirements.

In present work, Zanthoxylum bungeanum meal (ZBM) used as experimental material, the stability of typical alkylamides (hydroxyl-α-sanshool and hydroxyl-β-sanshool) in ZBM under different acidification conditions was investigated, in order to reveal degradation or transformation mechanism of numbing substances from Z. bungeanum exposed to acid environment and its transform direction. The alkylamides content of ZBM was detected by using HPLC after different conditions of acidification. The results indicated that hydroxyl-α-sanshool and hydroxyl-β-sanshool under the concentration of hydrochloric acid is 14% decreased by 80% after only 0.5 h. Moreover, some of the components undergo isomerization and addition reactions in the process of acidification, the products of isomerization are hydroxyl-ε-sanshool and (1Z,2E,4E,8E,10E)-N-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl)dodeca-2,4,8,10-tetraenimidic acid; and the product of the addition reaction is (2E,6E,8E,10E)-1-chloro-1-(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl)amino)dodeca-2,6,8,10-tetraen-1-ol, which indicated that acid environment has greatly changed the numbing substances in Z. bungeanum and its products.

Fluorescence and phosphorescence are listed as mineral optical–physical properties in classical gemology textbooks. The trace elements which exist in gems, certain defects in the crystal lattice, and some luminous molecules contribute to luminescence phenomena in gem materials, including fluorescence and phosphorescence. A systematic luminescence study using an excitation-emission matrix (EEM) not only provides detailed information about the emission and excitation peaks, but also indicates the presence of specific trace elements, lattice defects, or luminous substances in gem materials. This provides reliable evidence for the characterization of gems. In this review paper, we briefly summarize luminescence spectroscopy and illustrate its applications in gem materials in our laboratory, including diamonds, fluorite, jadeite jade, hauyne, and amber. Meanwhile, this project is in process and needs more samples from reliable sources to confirm the described data.

In this paper, aluminum coatings were prepared on a steel substrate by thermal spraying, and the corrosion morphology and corrosion resistance of the coating were investigated by salt spray and immersion tests. The results showed that after three months of salt spray tests, the coating still exhibited a surface morphology without significant damage and had good damage tolerance. Further effective protection of the substrate can be achieved by spraying the coating surface with paint. After three months of immersion test, the corrosion rate of samples with thicker coatings was located between 0.002 mm/y and 0.005 mm/y, and only a small amount of corrosion products was observed on the coating surface. The coated samples after salt spray and immersion tests maintained sufficient adhesion (17.07 MPa and 19.25 MPa), and the surface aluminum coating was highly reliable for protection of the steel substrate. In general, the reliability of the coating can be further improved by painting the surface of the thicker Al coating. This provides more ideas for the protection of transmission and transformation equipment.

The compression creep behavior of 8030 aluminum alloys at intermediate temperature was studied under the deformation temperature of 200∼250 °C and compression stress ranging from 20 to 40 MPa. The apparent stress exponent (na), the true stress exponent (nt) and the activation energy Qc for creep were na = 3.6, nt = 3 and Qc = 145.5 kJ/mol, respectively, indicating that the dislocation viscous glide controlled by lattice self-diffusion was the dominant creep mechanism of the samples at 200 °C-20 MPa. A creep constitutive equation was introduced with the threshold stress σ0 = 5.1 MPa. The microstructure characterization of selected samples was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), indicating that the sub-grain contours became ambiguous and the dislocations with long curved morphologies were homogeneously distributed within grain inners after creep for 100h.

Abstract Ca2+ imaging is a widely used microscopy technique to simultaneously study cellular activity in multiple cells. The desired information consists of cell-specific time series of pixel intensity values, in which the fluorescence intensity represents cellular activity. For static scenes, cellular signal extraction is straightforward, however multiple analysis challenges are present in recordings of contractile tissues, like those of the enteric nervous system (ENS). This layer of critical neurons, embedded within the muscle layers of the gut wall, shows optical overlap between neighboring neurons, intensity changes due to cell activity, and constant movement. These challenges reduce the applicability of classical segmentation techniques and traditional stack alignment and regions-of-interest (ROIs) selection workflows. Therefore, a signal extraction method capable of dealing with moving cells and is insensitive to large intensity changes in consecutive frames is needed. Here we propose a b-spline active contour method to delineate and track neuronal cell bodies based on local and global energy terms. We develop both a single as well as a double-contour approach. The latter takes advantage of the appearance of GCaMP expressing cells, and tracks the nucleus’ boundaries together with the cytoplasmic contour, providing a stable delineation of neighboring, overlapping cells despite movement and intensity changes. The tracked contours can also serve as landmarks to relocate additional and manually-selected ROIs. This improves the total yield of efficacious cell tracking and allows signal extraction from other cell compartments like neuronal processes. Compared to manual delineation and other segmentation methods, the proposed method can track cells during large tissue deformations and high-intensity changes such as during neuronal firing events, while preserving the shape of the extracted Ca2+ signal. The analysis package represents a significant improvement to available Ca2+ imaging analysis workflows for ENS recordings and other systems where movement challenges traditional Ca2+ signal extraction workflows.