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Graphical Abstract: To produce 7CrSiMnMoV rare earth steel by scrap steel based on an integrated process of high-alkalinity refining slag desulfurization, Si–Mn deoxidation, Al-enhanced deoxidation, and rare earth Ce alloying and purifying steel liquid.Purifying 7CrSiMnMoV rare earth steel liquid by modified rare earth inclusion.Rare earth Ce can improve the cleanliness of steel liquid by controlling the rare earth Ce-added content to form M-Ce2O3 (M is Al, Mg, etc.) and M-Ce2SO2 (M is Ca, Mn, etc.) rare earth inclusions; the oxygen and sulfur concentrations can reach 0.0031% and 0.0026%, respectively, with a rare earth Ce content of 0.012%.

Introduction: Diabetes and neuronal loss in the hippocampus have been observed to be correlated in several studies; however, the exact causality of this association remains uncertain. This study aims to explore the potential causal relationship between diabetes and the hippocampal nervous system. Methods: We utilized the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the potential causal connection between diabetes and the hippocampal nervous system. The summary statistics of Genome-wide association study (GWAS) for diabetes and hippocampus neuroimaging measurement were acquired from published GWASs, all of which were based on European ancestry. Several two-sample MR analyses were conducted in this study, utilizing inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, and Weight-median methods. To ensure the reliability of the results and identify any horizontal pleiotropy, sensitivity analyses were undertaken using Cochran’s Q test and the MR-PRESSO global test. Results: Causal associations were found between diabetes and the nervous system in the hippocampus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes were both identified as having adverse causal connections with the right hippocampal nervous system. This was supported by specific ranges of IVW-OR values (P < 0.05). The consistency of the sensitivity analyses further reinforced the main findings, revealing no significant heterogeneity or presence of horizontal pleiotropy. Conclusions: This study delved into the causal associations between diabetes and the hippocampal nervous system, revealing that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have detrimental effects on the right hippocampal nervous system. Our findings have significant clinical implications as they indicate that diabetes may play a role in the decline of neurons in the right hippocampus among European populations, often resulting in cognitive decline.

Autonomous driving, as an emerging technology, is developing rapidly. However, a number of obstacles appear to be holding back the widespread adoption of autonomous driving. Cybersecurity issues, which have a significant impact both technically and psychologically on people's willingness to use autonomous driving, are one of the most significant barriers. Attackers have adopted increasingly diverse threat methods, increasing cyber-attacks. Despite these threats, global standards have been developed for road vehicle safety and cybersecurity. These standards are intended to guide manufacturers of automotive systems. For instance, the ISO and SAE have jointly released the international standard ISO/SAE 21434 (Road Vehicles—Cybersecurity Engineering) for road vehicle cybersecurity. However, focusing on the development of onboard systems alone when examining the application of these standards is not sufficient. Currently, we lack a methodology to directly apply the ISO/SAE 21434 standard to automotive system engineering projects. In particular, the overall framework of cybersecurity design for intelligent connected vehicle systems needs to be developed. This paper proposes an overall cybersecurity assurance framework (ODFa${}^{2}$) based on the ISO/SAE 21434 standard to assist system engineers in understanding security risks, evaluating the feasibility of attack implementation, and determining the trade-off methods for security countermeasures. We illustrate through a case study how this model-based framework may be applied to cybersecurity engineering in intelligent connected vehicles and mobility service platforms. Furthermore, the results of comparative experiments indicate that the proposed strategy optimization algorithm outperforms existing algorithms in terms of time efficiency under certain conditions.

Intelligent sensors serve as crucial elements in the realm of smart car mobility solutions and urban sensing technology. This article presents a novel automotive environment perception system that uses a binocular vision sensor. The binocular camera is used to capture images and obtain cloud points for obstacle perception and environment positioning. The proposed system is built on a low-power embedded platform but maintains a high perception performance. It can accurately identify and locate obstacles, such as vehicles and pedestrians. The complete system is comprehensively described, encompassing the hardware structure, software architecture, and algorithm program. Furthermore, the process of the obstacle detection algorithm, which relies on disparity space and deep learning (DL), is thoroughly presented. The feasibility of the fast stereo-matching algorithm is demonstrated theoretically and validated through experimental verification. Extensive experimental results indicate that the system is capable of delivering reliable and precise real-time environmental perception for intelligent vehicles. Consequently, the system can be readily implemented in commercial real-time intelligent driving applications. As a pertinent research in urban sensing applications, this system holds promise as a viable solution for enhancing smart mobility.

The pollution of phenolic wastewater has aroused the growing attention. Developing an efficient and inexpensive catalyst to degrade phenol is critical to the wastewater purification technology. Thus, a novel acid-modified red mud catalyst (RM4) containing abundant functional groups and pore structures was prepared. The characteristics of catalysts were determined by the X-ray diffractometer, the scanning electron microscopy and the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. α-Fe2O3and β-Fe2O3in RM4 played the crucial roles in the peroxide (H2O2) activation for the degradation of phenol. The removal efficiency of phenol was 96.8% under the optimization conditions of 0.02 M of H2O2, 50 mL of 100 mg/L phenol, 0.05 g of RM4 and reaction time 120 min. The degradation of phenol fit into the pseudo-first-order kinetics model with the control of the inherent chemical reaction. The removal efficiency of phenol (96.8%) was inconsistent with the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (88.2%), signifying that carboxylic intermediates probably accumulated in the degradation process. Mechanism analysis indicated that •OH was the predominant radical and gave the possible degradation pathways. Continuous experiments were carried out as the preliminary step of future pilot scale tests. This study proposed that RM4 was a low cost, easily prepared and environmental catalyst as H2O2activator for the phenol degradation in water.

With frequency stability being challenged in modern power systems, transmission system operators have been designing new mitigation measures, such as fast frequency response (FFR), to maintain operation security of power systems. To accommodate technical requirements of new frequency control services (FCSs), the corresponding control should be implemented at asset controllers to enable fast responses. However, control counteraction can arise between plant controllers and asset controllers during the provision of FCSs. In this paper, a novel hierarchical frequency control approach is proposed to allow hybrid power plants (HPPs) to provide three types of FCSs, namely FFR, frequency containment response (FCR) and frequency restoration response (FRR). To solve control counteraction issue, an innovative frequency response observer (FROB) is proposed. The FROB at plant controllers and the hybrid power plant controller (HPPC) accurately estimates frequency response initiated by asset controllers, and the obtained estimation is used for control compensation at plant controllers and the HPPC to avoid control counteraction. Design guidelines and robustness analysis of the FROB are then discussed. Case studies are implemented in a power system dynamic model in MATLAB/Simulink, and the results show that the proposed frequency control approach enables coordinated operation of multiple technology power plants, with robust performance achieved when there are system uncertainties in HPPs.

CRSP8 plays an important role in recruiting mediators to genes through direct interaction with various DNA-bound transactivators. In this study, we uncovered the unique function of CRSP8 in suppressing thyroid cancer differentiation and promoting thyroid cancer progression via targeting IKKα signaling. CRSP8 was highly expressed in human thyroid cancer cells and tissues, especially in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). Knockdown of CRSP8 suppressed cell growth, migration, invasion, stemness, and induced apoptosis and differentiation in ATC cells, while its overexpression displayed opposite effects in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) cells. Mechanistically, CRSP8 downregulated IKKα expression by binding to the IKKα promoter region (−257 to −143) to negatively regulate its transcription. Knockdown or overexpression of IKKα significantly reversed the expression changes of the differentiation and EMT-related markers and cell growth changes mediated by CRSP8 knockdown or overexpression in ATC or DTC cells. The in vivo study also validated that CRSP8 knockdown inhibited the growth of thyroid cancer by upregulating IKKα signaling in a mouse model of human ATC. Furthermore, we found that CRSP8 regulated the sensitivity of thyroid cancer cells to chemotherapeutics, including cisplatin and epirubicin. Collectively, our results demonstrated that CRSP8 functioned as a modulator of IKKα signaling and a suppressor of thyroid cancer differentiation, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for ATC by targeting CRSP8/IKKα pathway.

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and Mycobacterium avium (MA) are intracellular parasitic bacteria. The biological characteristics of MA and MTB are very similar and need to be identified. Objective: The study aims to better understand how MTB survives in macrophages and the different pathogenic mechanisms of MTB and MA. Methods: The Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LCMS/ MS) were used for analysis of the differentially expressed proteins in MTB-infected macrophages and MA-infected macrophages. Results: A total of 682 proteins were found to be differentially expressed in MTB-infected cells in comparison with MA-infected cells. Among these, 10 proteins (O60812, P06576, O43660-2, E9PL10, O00442, M0R050, Q9H8H0, Q9BSJ8, P41240 and Q8TD57-3) were down-regulated in MTB-infected cells, and M0R050, O00442, Q9H8H0, O60812 and O43660 are interactive proteins which participate in a multitude of cellular RNA processing. Conclusion: The five down-regulated proteins (M0R050, O00442, Q9H8H0, O60812 and O43660) might repress the synthesis of some resistant proteins in MTB-infected cells to promote MTB survival in macrophages.

Cancer cells under hypoxic, endoplasmic reticulum, and reactive oxygen species stress secrete copious amounts of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) to promote tumor metastasis. The effects of blocking stress-induced sEV release on tumor metastasis remain unknown. We found that miR-30a-3p was selectively sorted into sEVs by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells under the influence of multiple stressors. miR-30a-3p removal from cancer cells through sEVs promoted HCC cell migration and invasion, whereas exogenous overexpression of miR-30a-3p could inhibit migration, invasion, and sEV release by directly targeting SNAP23. HCC cells efficiently absorbed hepatic stellate cell (HSC) sEVs, providing an advantage in the treatment of HCC using HSC sEVs. Treatment with HSC sEVs rich in miR-30a-3p cargo effectively attenuated HCC migration, invasion, and metastasis. Overall, sEVs containing miR-30a-3p decreased sEV secretion as well as the migration, invasion, and metastasis of HCC by directly targeting SNAP23, thereby providing an effective strategy to attenuate metastasis of HCC.

Taking the previously discovered 1-methyl-1,4-dihydroindeno[1,2c]pyrazol derivative LL01 as a lead, systematic structural modifications were made at the phenolic 6- and 7-positions and the aniline at the 3-position of the indenopyrazole core to investigate the SARs and to improve water solubility. Among the designed indenopyrazoles ID01–ID33, a series of potent MTAs were identified. As the hydrochloride salt(s), ID09and ID33showed excellent aqueous solubility and favorable Log Pvalue and displayed noteworthily low nanomolar potency against a variety of tumor cells, including those taxol-resistant ones. They inhibited tubulin polymerization, disrupted cellular microtubule networks by targeting the colchicine site, and promoted HepG2 cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. In the HepG2 xenograft mouse model, ID09and ID33effectively inhibited tumor growth at an oral dose of 25 mg/kg. At an intravenous (iv) injection dose of 10 mg/kg every other day, ID09suppressed tumor growth by 68% without obvious toxicity.

Recovering iron and aluminum efficiently is the key route to utilize low-grade high-iron bauxite. Aiming to optimize the iron separating process and elevate both Fe and Al recovery ratio, three different Fe–Al recovery processes with different magnetic roasting (R), Bayer leaching process (L) and magnetic separation (S) orders were investigated. The studied processes include bauxite leaching → red mud roasting → magnetic separation (L–R–S), bauxite roasting → magnetic separation → leaching (R–S–L) and bauxite roasting → leaching → magnetic separation (R–L–S). The iron recovery ratio, Fe2O3content in iron concentration and the bauxite dissolution ratio of each process were investigated. Moreover, the optimizations of the leaching, roasting and magnetic separation conditions were studied. Results indicate that the R–S–L process should be an advisable order to recover both alumina and iron. In the three processes, the R–S–L route had the highest alumina dissolution ratio and iron recovery ratio, which was 86.20% and 69.58%, respectively, while the Fe2O3content of the iron concentrate was 40.66%.

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) may affect the conversion of lactate to pyruvate in the brain, resulting in abnormal levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) throughout the brain. Lactate conversion to pyruvate is mainly caused by lactic dehydrogenase 1 (LDH1), which is composed of four LDHB subunits. However, the underlying mechanism of LDH1 in CM remains unclear.

Plant polyploidy often occurs along with higher yield and superior quality. Therefore, obtaining polyploid germplasms is a significant part of breeding. The oil-tea Camelliatree, an important native woody plant that produces high-quality edible oil, includes many species of Camelliawith different ploidies. However, whether higher ploidy levels in oil-tea Camelliatrees are related to better traits remains unclear. In this study, the ploidy levels of 30 different oil-tea Camelliastrains in 3 different species in the sect. Paracamellia were determined by flow cytometry and chromosome preparation, and the phenotypic characteristics and fatty acid composition of the fruits were examined by field observations and laboratory analyses. The correlations between the ploidy level of oil-tea Camelliaand the main traits of the fruit were investigated . Our results showed that 10 Camellia lanceoleosastrains were diploid, 10 Camellia meiocarpastrains were tetraploid and 10 Camellia oleiferastrains were hexaploid. Hexaploid C. oleiferahad larger fruit size and weight, more seeds per fruit, larger seed weight per fruit, higher oil contents and larger yield per crown width than tetraploid C. meiocarpaand diploid C. lanceoleosa, but their fruit peel thickness and fresh seed rate were significantly lower, and these traits were significantly correlated with ploidy. In addition, in terms of fatty acid composition, hexaploid C. oleiferahad a higher oleic acid content than tetraploid C. meiocarpaand diploid C. lanceoleosa, but their linoleic acid, linolenic acid and arachidonic acid contents were lower. The contents of palmitic acid, stearic acid and total unsaturated fatty acids were not significantly correlated with ploidy level. In conclusion, there were certain correlations between the main characteristics of oil-tea Camelliafruit and the ploidy level, and increasing ploidy level led to an increase in fruit yield, with no effect on oil composition. The discovery of the variation in the main characteristics of oil-tea Camelliafruit with different ploidies will facilitate germplasm innovation and lay a foundation for ploidy breeding and mechanistic research on fruit traits.

In this work, the interface characteristics between alumina and the steel liquid with different sulfur and oxygen concentrations were measured by an improved sessile drop method. And the behavior of alumina inclusions in front of the solid-liquid interface of steel liquid with different oxygen and sulfur concentrations was investigated by in-situ observation. Furthermore, the behavior of alumina particles in front of the solid-liquid interface on the surface of the steel liquid was discussed from the interface characteristics between alumina and the steel liquid with different sulfur and oxygen concentrations based on the interface gradient force, coulombic force, and Marangoni effect viewpoints. The results show that the large and small inclusion particles were engulfed and pushed, respectively, at the interface of solid-liquid, while the critical average radius for engulfed inclusion particles decreased from 7.73 μm to 6.21 μm and 4.84 μm, respectively, with sulfur and oxygen concentrations increasing. And the behavior can be described by a function formula concerning the interface characteristics between alumina and the steel liquid with the different sulfur and oxygen concentrations based on the interface gradient force, coulombic force, and Marangoni effect viewpoints. Further, it is found that the aggregation ability due to capillary force is weakened and even dispersed at the solid-liquid interface, which leads to the inclusion being easily pushed away from the front of the solid-liquid interface with the increase in sulfur and oxygen concentrations.

Thermoelectric materials, which can convert thermal behaviors into electrical properties, are widely used in thermoelectric power generation, friendly refrigeration, and wearable electronic devices. Compared to synthetic polymer materials, cellulose is one of the most sought-after natural polysaccharide polymers, mainly found in plants and some biological colonies. Cellulose can be designed as a flexible, ion/electron conductive ionogel material with robust mechanical properties through molecular-scale physical treatment, chemical-group substitution, topological network regulation, etc. Cellulosic functional materials, such as ionogels, show promising thermoelectric applications due to their structural/functional designability, rapid thermoelectric conversion, and good sustainability. In this review, we briefly introduced the structural characteristics, functionalization methods, and advanced thermoelectric applications of cellulose. Then, we discussed the design concept, current status, and application prospects (such as smart watches, electronic skin, health detectors, etc.) of cellulose ionogels for developing thermoelectric cells, sensors, and refrigerating units. Finally, we highlighted some key technologies and strategies to broaden the application prospects of cellulose-based gels for thermoelectricity and intelligent electronics.

This paper presents an experimental investigation on mechanical properties (including compressive strength, tensile splitting strength and fracture energy) of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) with recycled steel fiber, compared with none fiber and industrial steel fiber reinforced UHPC. Moreover, the microscopic observation of fracture energy was carried out. All specimens were prepared at 0.18 water /binder (W/B) ratio and the dosage of steel fiber was controlled at 60 kg/m3. The results indicate that recycled steel fiber has a significant effect on enhancing strength and toughness of UHPC. And owing to the crimped shape, higher tensile strength (1800-2000 MPa) and appropriate diameter (1 mm) of recycled steel fiber, the steel fibers of UHPRSFRC will not immediately be pulled off and necking phenomenon is distinct.

Effect of subcritical quenching temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of 22SiMnCrNi2Mo steel was studied. Conventional quenching was performed for tested steel to compare with subcritical quenching. The results show that morphology and number of ferrite change with the increase of subcritical quenching temperature. The shape of ferrite evolved from block to thin strip, and the number decreased. Ferrite and martensite formed strips spaced parallelly at subcritical quenching temperature 800°C.Steel presented good strength and ductility, while hardness is lower than conventional quenching.

AbstractThis paper analyzes the impact of income distribution gap on consumption demand from a theoretical view, and draws the conclusion that there is an inverse relationship between income distribution gap and consumption demand. Then, the paper finds that the existing widening income distribution gap in China has a negative impact on consumption demand, but this is not the key factor for the insufficient consumption demand because of the low level of per capital income. At last, it suggests that governments should improve the income level of entire residents and adjust income distribution structure simultaneously.

In the past ten years, the development of efficient methods for the synthesis of A-ring 1,7-enyne synthons is one of the most fascinating aspects in the area of active vitamin D3 research. Many concise and practical approaches to construct A-ring 1,7-enyne fragments have been developed, leading to the synthesis of numerous biologically interesting vitamin D3 derivatives, differing in both stereochemistry and substituents in the A-ring portion of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. In this review, synthetic methods of A-ring 1,7-enyne synthons, including modifications at the 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-positions of the vitamin D A-ring system, will be fully introduced.

Treatment of N-t-butylbenzenesulfonamide with an excess of BuLi, followed by the reaction with methyl 2-(4-methylphenyl)propanoate, gave the corresponding 2-carboxybenzenesulfonamide, which underwent a sequence of consecutive N-deprotective cyclization process mediated by TMSCl–NaI–MeCN reagent to afford the N-sulfonylimine. Following the bromination and ring expansion, 3-methyl-3-(4-methylphenyl)-2H-benzo[e][1,2]thiazine-1,1,4-trione was obtained. Optical resolution of the racemic benzosultam using (−)-menthoxyacetyl chloride, furnished the optically pure (+)- and (−)-3-methyl-3-(4-methylphenyl)-2H-benzo[e][1,2]thiazine-1,1,4-triones, which were fluorinated with FClO3 to produce the corresponding chiral N–F agents.

Background: Testicular cancer represents the most common malignancy in young adult men. In the current study, we sought to analyze and compare the prognostic value of lymph node ratio (LNR) as well as positive lymph node counts (LNC) to understand its clinical significance in testicular germ cell tumors.Methods: We employed eligibility criteria to recruit a total of 931 patients, with testicular cancer, from 2010 to 2015 from The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We then used the X-Tile program to calculate LNR and LNC cutoff values and discriminate survival. We then calculated the overall and cancer specific survival rates and analyzed the association between LNR/LNC and clinical pathological characteristics using the χ2test. Finally, we assessed the relationships between clinical pathological factors and patient survival using univariate Cox proportional hazard analysis.Results: Univariate analysis revealed a significant association between prognosis with age (HR, 5.169; 95% CI, 1.758-15.200; P= 0.003), AJCC stage (III vs I: HR, 9.298; 95% CI, 2.691-32.131; P< 0.001), M stage (HR, 7.897; 95% CI, 3.417-18.251; P< 0.001) and LNR (HR, 3.009; 95% CI, 1.275-7.098; P= 0.012). On the other hand, LNC (HR, 1.743; 95% CI, 0.687-4.420; P= 0.242) was not significantly associated with prognosis. Analysis of the association between LNR/LNC and clinical pathological characteristics showed that high LNR patients tended to have significantly larger tumor sizes (χ2= 7.877, P= 0.005), as well as advanced T (χ2= 13.195, P= 0.004), N ( χ2= 86.775, P< 0.001), M (χ2= 19.948, P< 0.001) and 7th AJCC (χ2= 103.074, P< 0.001) stages. In addition, high LNC patients were significantly associated with T (χ2= 8.799, P= 0.032), N (χ2= 74.390, P< 0.001) and 7th AJCC (χ2= 111.759, P< 0.001) stages.Conclusion: LNR was a better predictor for long-term prognosis and was closely associated with clinical pathological characteristics than LNC in patients with testicular germ cell tumors.

A novel simple two-step synthesis of phenolic benzosultams is first reported. o-Lithiation of N-Boc-otoluenesulfonamide followed by reaction with methoxybenzaldehydes gave carbinol sulfonamides, which were converted to the cyclic phenolic compounds via TMSCl/NaI/MeCN reagent mediated sequence involving N-deprotective cyclization and O-demethylation.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals include ending the tuberculosis epidemic globally by 2030. China is a high burden country of both drug-susceptible and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. This study examined China's progress in meeting the tuberculosis milestones and targets laid out by the WHO End TB Strategy, and analysed key health system challenges to be overcome towards ending the tuberculosis epidemic in China.

China has made substantial progress in controlling the epidemic of tuberculosis over the past three decades, although it still ranks second in terms of tuberculosis burden globally. Tuberculosis has been known as a disease associated with poverty, and understanding the trends in wealth-related disparities in tuberculosis outcomes in recent years is essential for developing evidence-based polices to achieve the End TB and Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This study aims to analyse the disparities of tuberculosis incidence, prevalence, and mortality across all Chinese provinces from 1990 to 2016.

Despite its dramatic improvement, China's tuberculosis burden is still high according to the 2015 WHO TB report. Evidence show that experienced physicians do better in reducing delay diagnosis and patient mortality and are more likely to follow the treatment guidelines. However, in China, few studies have focused on physicians specialised in tuberculosis; and these few studies were mainly centred on the prevalence and risk factors among them. We assessed the occupational challenges of these physicians in China.

As a result of the economic reform and the uneven distribution of available wealth, equity of emergency medical services is at risk. This study aimed to assess the equity of emergency medical services in needs, utilisation, and distribution of resources, and to provide timely evidence for policy makers to improve such services in Chongqing city, China.

A multi-plane adaptive-additive algorithm is developed for optimizing computer-generated holograms for the reconstruction of traps in three-dimensional (3D) spaces. This algorithm overcomes the converging stagnation problem of the traditional multi-plane Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm and improves the diffraction efficiency of the holograms effectively. The optimized holograms are applied in a holographic optical tweezers (HOT) platform. Additionally, a computer program is developed and integrated into the HOT platform for the purpose of achieving the interactive control of traps. Experiments demonstrate that the manipulation of micro-particles into the 3D structure with optimized holograms can be carried out effectively on the HOT platform.

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