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[Purpose/Significance] The modern courier industry is developing rapidly and the demand for courier services is increasing. A large amount of personal information is involved in parcel waybills, and even if privacy waybills are used, there is still a risk of personal information exposure. This study attempts to examine whether invisible face slips in the courier industry can effectively protect users' personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Law implemented in November 2021 in China, and to propose feasible suggestions for the protection of personal information within the courier industry. [Method/Process] This study selected 9 major courier companies in China as the research object, and investigated and compared the courier agreement terms and privacy waybills by collecting each courier company. By comparing the terms of express agreement of each courier company, we investigated the perception and definition of personal sensitive information of the 9 major courier companies, and studied the general understanding and difference between personal information and personal sensitive information within the courier industry. By further comparing the invisible face sheet standards of each courier company and within the courier companies, we investigated the differences in the anonymization of parcel waybills and studied the implementation of invisible face sheet standards and differences in the courier industry. After completing the above investigation, the effectiveness of the courier industry in terms of personal information protection was compared by designing a personal information protection index and analyzing the variability among courier companies and within courier companies. [Results/Conclusions] The study found that there is no unified standard in the implementation of privacy waybills in China's courier industry, and the perception of sensitive personal information has not been unified, resulting in the phenomenon of different standards of privacy waybills among courier companies. The phenomenon of different invisible face sheet standards exists not only among courier companies, but also within courier companies. The specific problems are revealed by the different regionalization of invisible face sheet standards within courier companies, and this study classifies the degree of personal information protection into 3 levels, namely excellent, good and dangerous, with the excellent region of East China. In response to the phenomenon of different invisible face sheet standards in the courier industry, China needs to develop a special courier industry standard to reduce the problem of exposing users' personal information and form an information association with the different invisible face sheet standards implemented in parcel waybills. The study also found that the degree of impact and sensitivity of personal information varies in the use scenarios of different industries, and the Personal Information Protection Law has a broad definition of personal sensitive information, which requires the development of special definition standards depending on the circumstances of each industry to further strengthen the protection of personal information in China. This paper puts forward 3 feasible suggestions to address the above issues: first, to clarify the personal sensitive information involved in privacy waybills; second, to build a unified privacy waybill standard within the express industry; and third, to strengthen the implementation of promoting the unified standard.

The optimal scheduling of DES is to solve a multi-objective optimization problem (MOP) with complex constraints. However, the potential contradiction between multiple optimization objectives leads to the diversity of feasible solutions, which has a serious impact on the selection of optimal scheduling strategies. Therefore, a stepper search optimization (SSO) method has been proposed for a bi-objective optimization problem (BiOP). Firstly, a constrained single-objective optimization problem (CSiOP) has been established to transform a BiOP and describe an accurate pareto front curve. Then, based on the characteristics of pareto front, the rate of the pareto front is analyzed by the SSO, and the best recommended solution of the BiOP is obtained. Finally, in the IEEE 33 with a DES simulation, by comparing other methods, the SSO method can better control the bi-objective optimization results to be 1–2.5 times as much as the optimal result under each single optimization objective and avoid the imbalance between the two optimization objectives. Additionally, the optimization speed of the SSO method is more than 10 times faster than that of the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA). Further, the SSO method will provide a novel idea for solving MOP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicago truncatula is a key model plant for studying legume plants, particularly alfalfa (Medicago sativa), due to its well-defined genetic background. Plant-specific GASA (Gibberellic Acid Stimulated Arabidopsis) genes play various roles in plant growth and development, abiotic stress, and hormone responses. However, limited information is available on GASA research in Medicago. In this study, 26 MtGASAs were identified and analyzed for its structure, evolution, and expressions. Sequence alignments and phylogeny revealed that 26 MtGASAs containing conserved GASA domains were classified into three clades. The chromosomal locations and gene synteny revealed segmental and tandem repetition evolution. Analysis of cis-regulatory elements indicates that family members likely influence various hormone signaling pathways and stress-related mechanisms. Moreover, the RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses revealed that 26 MtGASAs were extensively involved in abiotic stresses and hormone responses. Notably, seven MtGASA genes (MtGASA1, 10, 12, 17, 23, 25 and 26) were all dramatically activated by NaCl and Mannitol treatments, and four MtGASAs (MtGASA7, 10, 23 and 24) were significant activated by GA3, PBZ, ABA, and MeJA treatments. Collectively, this study is the first to identify and describe GASA genes in Medicago on a genome-wide scale. The results establish a basis for functional characterization, showing that these proteins are essential in responding to various abiotic stresses and hormonal signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the moderating role of procedural fairness between land titling programs and agricultural investment. We constructed a theoretical model that introduces perceived security of land tenure and procedural fairness into the traditional "property rights-investment incentives" analytical framework. Moreover, we empirically analyze the impact of land titling and its procedural fairness on agricultural investment using data from the "Thousands of People, Hundreds of Villages" survey held in 2018 among 9596 households in China. The empirical analyses were conducted by using the ordinary least squares (OLS), probit, and instrumental variable methods. Our analysis showed that land titling in China significantly promotes agricultural investment by farm households and that procedural fairness has a significant positive moderating role in the investment incentive effect of land titling as well as significantly improving the institutional credibility of land titling and enhancing farmers' perceived land tenure security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal safety problem of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) in use requires an excellent thermal management system to preserve it. In the paper, an expansion flame-retardant composed of APP and CFA and kaolinite is used to enhance the flame-retardant property of phase change materials (PCM). The performances of PCM and their property in the thermal management of LIB were studied. The results indicate that the kaolinite can improve the long-term thermostability of PCM. The addition of flame retardant can make the flame-retardant property of PCM reach V0 level. The synergistic action of expansion flame-retardant and kaolinite can increase the residual carbon and enhance the thermal reliability of flame-retardant PCM (RPCM). The RPCM has an obvious cooling effect on the surface temperature of the battery. The RPCM can reduce the maximum temperature of the cell to 37.4 °C at 3 C, which is 12 °C lower than pure PA. The peak temperature of the battery pack at 3 C is also reduced to 50.28 °C by the flame-retardant PCM, and the temperature difference is kept within 5 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatiotemporal residual noise in terrestrial earth observation products, often caused by unfavorable atmospheric conditions, impedes their broad applications. Most users prefer to use gap-filled remote sensing products with time series reconstruction (TSR) algorithms. Applying currently available implementations of TSR to large-volume datasets is time-consuming and challenging for non-professional users with limited computation or storage resources. This study introduces a new open-source software package entitled 'HANTS-GEE' that implements a well-known and robust TSR algorithm, i.e. Harmonic ANalysis of Time Series (HANTS), on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform for scalable reconstruction of terrestrial earth observation data. Reconstruction tasks can be conducted on user-defined spatiotemporal extents when raw datasets are available on GEE. According to site-based and regional-based case evaluation, the new tool can effectively eliminate cloud contamination in the time series of earth observation data. Compared with traditional PC-based HANTS implementation, the HANTS-GEE provides quite consistent reconstruction results for most terrestrial vegetated sites. The HANTS-GEE can provide scalable reconstruction services with accelerated processing speed and reduced internet data transmission volume, promoting algorithm usage by much broader user communities. To our knowledge, the software package is the first tool to support full-stack TSR processing for popular open-access satellite sensors on cloud platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the defect that the click-through rate of marketing advertisements cannot provide accurate prediction results for the company in time in the marketing strategy of Internet companies, this paper uses a deep learning algorithm to establish a prediction model for the click-through rate of marketing advertisements. The suggested model is called high-order cross-feature network (HCN). Furthermore, this paper also introduces the combination of feature vectors into the graph structure and as the nodes in the graph; therefore, the graph neural network (GNN) is used to obtain the high-level representation ability of structured data more fully. Through numerical simulations, we observed that HCN has the capability to provide Internet companies with more accurate advertising business information, user information, and advertising content. Moreover, HCN model is more reasonable to adjust the advertising strategy and can provide better user experience. The simulation outcomes indicate that the suggested HCN approach has noble adaptability and high correctness in forecasting the click-through rate of marketing advertisements. We observed that this improvement, in terms of predictions precisions and accuracies, can be as high as 17.52% higher than the deep neural network (DNN) method and 10.45% higher than the factorization network (FM) approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The widespread use of lithium‐ion battery (LIB) urgently needs a thermal management system with excellent performance to manage it. Phase change material (PCM) has been adapted for thermal management of LIB because it can absorb a mass of energy without additional power. In this research, the thermal conductivity of PCM is improved, and its cooling effect is detected. The addition of hybrid thermal conductivity filler is beneficial to its uniform dispersion and improvement of aggregation phenomenon on the surface of materials. The results show that the PCM with hybrid filler has better thermal conductivity, which is increased by 264%. In different proportions of composite materials, the composite phase change material with 1% few‐layer graphene and 2% graphite nanoplatelet can play a better cooling effect in LIB module thermal management, and it respectively decreases the maximal temperature of the battery module by 7.17°C, 10.52°C, and 16.33°C at 1C, 2C, and 3C conditions, and the maximal temperature difference does not exceed the safety range of 5°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous advancement in technology, the tourism sector has developed to become one of the most important sectors globally in the modern period. These factors have given rise to the concept of "smart tourism," which can be described as a step forward from conventional tourism. To achieve a true smart tourism experience, the appropriate services must be supplied to the correct user at the right time and in the most efficient and feasible manner. Keeping the importance of technology and tourism in consideration, the proposal and penetration of innovation-driven development strategies and smart tourism have become the focus of attention in the tourism industry at this stage. Smart tourism is comprised of a large number of tourists, devices, and operational processes which generate an enormous volume of tourism data. Handling such large amounts of tourism data in an effective and accurate manner is indeed an important thing to consider. To handle this issue, this study focuses on the construction and design of a smart tourism model based on big data technologies. This study explains in detail the relationship between smart tourism and big data and explores the construction of smart tourism applications in the context of big data. By explaining the relationship between smart tourism and big data, it is pointed out that the development of smart tourism needs to rely on the construction of a smart tourism application model under the background of big data. To this end, the role of smart tourism, building smart tourism platforms, improving information sharing mechanisms, exploring the implementation path of smart tourism application models, and further promoting the development of smart tourism, is of a great interest for the enterprises, scholars, and tourists. The proposed model is expected to be of a great help for the tourism industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circadian rhythms are driven by daily oscillations of gene expression. An important tool for studying cellular and tissue circadian rhythms is the use of a gene reporter, such as bioluminescence from the reporter gene luciferase controlled by a rhythmically expressed gene of interest. Here we describe methods that allow measurement of circadian bioluminescence from a freely moving mouse housed in a standard cage. Using a LumiCycle In Vivo (Actimetrics), we determined conditions that allow detection of circadian rhythms of bioluminescence from the PER2 reporter, PER2::LUC, in freely behaving mice. The LumiCycle In Vivo applies a background subtraction that corrects for effects of room temperature on photomultiplier tube (PMT) output. We tested delivery of d-luciferin via a subcutaneous minipump and in the drinking water. We demonstrate spikes in bioluminescence associated with drinking bouts. Further, we demonstrate that a synthetic luciferase substrate, CycLuc1, can support circadian rhythms of bioluminescence, even when delivered at a lower concentration than d-luciferin, and can support longer-term studies. A small difference in phase of the PER2::LUC bioluminescence rhythms, with females phase leading males, can be detected with this technique. We share our analysis scripts and suggestions for further improvements in this method. This approach will be straightforward to apply to mice with tissue-specific reporters, allowing insights into responses of specific peripheral clocks to perturbations such as environmental or pharmacological manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) harbors hundreds of species well adapted to its extreme conditions, including its low-oxygen (hypoxic) atmosphere. Here, we show that the plateau pika—a keystone mammal of the QTP—lacks robust circadian rhythms. The major form of the plateau pika Epas1 protein includes a 24-residue insert caused by a point mutation at the 5′ juncture site of Intron14 and is more stable than other mammalian orthologs. Biochemical studies reveal that an Epas1-Bmal1 complex with lower trans -activation activity occupies the E1/E2 motifs at the promoter of the core-clock gene Per2 , thus explaining how an Epas1 mutation—selected in the hypoxic conditions of the QTP—disrupts the molecular clockwork. Importantly, experiments with hypoxic chambers show that mice expressing the plateau pika Epas1 ortholog in their suprachiasmatic nucleus have dysregulated central clocks, and pika Epas1 knockin mice reared in hypoxic conditions exhibit dramatically reduced heart damage compared with wild-type animals. [Display omitted] • The plateau pika circadian clock is disrupted, yet individual clock genes are functional • Multiple Epas1 splice variants explain the observed difference in pika rhythmicity • Epas1 dimerizes with Bmal1 and disrupts the intracellular clockwork • Ectopic expression of plateau pika Epas1 in SCN recapitulates the arrhythmicity Liu et al. identify a mutation at the 5′ juncture of Intron14 of Epas1 in the plateau pika, which results in a 24-residue insertion that stabilizes the Epas1 protein. Epas1 interacts with the core-clock component Bmal1 and disrupts the circadian rhythm of the plateau pika, which confers benefits for highland adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to explore the influence of new agricultural business entities on farmers' employment decision and provide reference for improving policies related to new agricultural business entities and farmers' employment. This paper constructs a theoretical analysis framework of "new agricultural business entities—land transfer and purchase of agricultural socialized services—farmers' employment decision", and then empirically tests the impact of new agricultural business entities on farmers' employment decision by combining the analysis methods of the benchmark regression, propensity score matching and mediation effects. The research shows that: (1) New agricultural business entities are beneficial for promoting farmers' employment decision. (2) Renting out land and the purchase of agricultural socialized services have a positive and partially mediating effect between the new agricultural business entities and farmers' employment decision, and the mediating effects of the two paths account for 7.12% and 6.25% of the total effects, respectively. (3) In addition to key variables, personal characteristics of decision-making, family characteristics and production and management characteristics are also key factors that affect farmers' employment decision. (4) The new agricultural business entities increase the probability of farmers' employment (with legal contract) and entrepreneurship, and reduce the idle labor force in rural areas. Finally, this study proposes some policy recommendations including establishing a perfect farmland transfer market, developing rural industry properly and improving agricultural socialized service systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the high temperature characteristics of AlN film SAW sensor integrated with TC4 alloy substrate. The AlN films were directly sputtered on the TC4 metal substrate. SAW resonators were fabricated on the AlN films/TC4 structure by lift-off photolithography techniques. X-ray diffraction measurement shows that the AlN film is highly c-axis oriented. To explore the temperature behavior of the layered AlN/TC4 SAW devices, the samples with different thicknesses of AlN film were prepared and measured at different temperature. The results show that the resonance frequency of the AlN film SAW device decreases with increasing temperature. The dependence of temperature behaviors of the devices on the thickness of AlN films are also presented and discussed. The absolute value of temperature coefficient of frequency decreases from 89.4 ppm/°C to 66.2 ppm/°C, when the thickness of AlN film increases from 1.5 μm to 3.0 μm. From room temperature to 350 °C, the electromechanical coupling coefficient ( K 2 ) of the devices increases by about 30%. The thermal hysteresis errors of the SAW devices are less than 3.87%. The prepared AlN film SAW sensor integrated with TC4 alloy has great potential applications in high temperature harsh environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trimeresurus albolabris , also known as the white-lipped pit viper or white-lipped tree viper, is a highly venomous snake distributed across Southeast Asia and the cause of many snakebite cases. In this study, we report the first whole genome assembly of T. albolabris obtained with next-generation sequencing from a specimen collected in Mengzi, Yunnan, China. After genome sequencing and assembly, the genome of this male T. albolabris individual was 1.51 Gb in length and included 38.42% repeat-element content. Using this genome, 21,695 genes were identified, and 99.17% of genes could be annotated using gene functional databases. Our genome assembly and annotation process was validated using a phylogenetic tree, which included six species and focused on single-copy genes of nuclear genomes. This research will contribute to future studies on Trimeresurus biology and the genetic basis of snake venom., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

High temperature characteristics of langasite surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices coated with an AlN thin film have been investigated in this work. The AlN films were deposited on the prepared SAW devices by mid-frequency magnetron sputtering. The SAW devices coated with AlN films were measured from room temperature to 600 °C. The results show that the SAW devices can work up to 600 °C. The AlN coating layer can protect and improve the performance of the SAW devices at high temperature. The SAW velocity increases with increasing AlN coating layer thickness. The temperature coefficients of frequency (TCF) of the prepared SAW devices decrease with increasing thickness of AlN coating layers, while the electromechanical coupling coefficient (K²) of the SAW devices increases with increasing AlN film thickness. The K² of the SAW devices increases by about 20% from room temperature to 600 °C. The results suggest that AlN coating layer can not only protect the SAW devices from environmental contamination, but also improve the K² of the SAW devices., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.