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Cold spray (CS) has emerged as an appealing additive manufacturing (AM) technique for producing or repairing individual components or entire structures. Compared to fusion-based AM technologies, cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) offers distinct advantages in the fabrication of components, while avoiding some melting/solidification-related issues such as phase transformation and oxidation. It involves intricate processes that pose significant challenges for numerical modeling, particularly when simulating the entire process at a large scale. The smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method is highly suitable for handling large material deformations due to its Lagrangian and meshless nature. In this work, we develop an enhanced SPH method to conduct large-scale simulations of CSAM with different powder sizes, morphologies, and distributions. A modified material model has been incorporated to accurately capture the strain-rate hardening effects during the plastic stage. The computational scale is greatly improved by using a Message Passing Interface (MPI) based framework, enabling the simulation of approximately ten million SPH particles. To the authors' knowledge, this study marks the first attempt to numerically reproduce the entire process of CSAM with real powder sizes and distributions. Experimental data measured for a wide range of powder velocities are used to validate the simulation results and assess the prediction accuracy. Subsequently, we comparatively study the bonding mechanisms of powders with the same or different sizes, while also identifying a four-stage coating process. The effects of powder morphology on the bonding process are thoroughly investigated. A large-scale CSAM process is finally reproduced to demonstrate the capability of the present meshless scheme, and mechanisms of pore formation are analyzed, providing valuable insights for practical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous downsizing of solder joints, the influence of the grain characteristics of the under bump metallization (UBMs) on the interfacial reaction is exposed. In this paper, the effect of grain characteristics of Cu UBM on the growth of interfacial intermetallic compounds and the formation of Kirkendall voids in Cu/Sn/Cu micro solder joints during isothermal aging at 150 °C was investigated. Electroplated polycrystalline Cu (EP-Cu), (111) single crystal Cu ((111) Cu), and (111) nano-twinned Cu ((111) nt-Cu) were selected as UBMs. After reflow soldering, the Cu6Sn5 grains formed on (111) nt-Cu were near to the orientation (2 1 - 1 - 3) , while those were randomly formed on both EP-Cu and (111) Cu. During isothermal aging, the Cu6Sn5 grains exhibited the highest growth rate on (111) nt-Cu UBM, and the slowest growth rate on (111) Cu UBM, due to the differing number of diffusion routes among the three Cu UBMs with distinct grain characteristics. Furthermore, no Kirkendall voids were detected on the (111) Cu UBM, however, a significant number of Kirkendall voids were identified on the (111) nt-Cu UBM, which can be attributed to the diffusion path and impurities present in the three Cu UBMs. The results will offer theoretical and practical recommendations for the selection of Cu UBMs for micro solder joints in 3D packaging interconnection technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a significant contributor to the deaths of females, and premature menopause adds to the risk of CVD in females. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the age of menopause and CVD incidence in American females using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We analyzed data from 6347 females to investigate the association between menopausal age and the risk of CVD using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The study found that a later menopausal age reduces the risk of developing CVD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63 − 0.88, p < 0.001). Moreover, females with early-onset CVD had an increased risk of premature menopause before the age of 40 years (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.60 − 3.72, p < 0.001). Menopausal age is associated with the risk of developing CVD in American females. Specifically, if menopause occurs earlier, there is an increased risk of CVD. Additionally, early-onset CVD significantly raises the risk of premature menopause, which in turn has important implications for female reproductive health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practical engineering problems often involve stochastic uncertainty, which can cause substantial variations in the response of engineering products or even lead to failure. The coupling and propagation of uncertainty play a crucial role in this process. Hence, it is imperative to quantify, propagate and control stochastic uncertainty. Different from most traditional uncertainty propagation methods, the proposed method employs Gaussian splitting method to divide the input random variables into Gaussian mixture models. These GMMs have a limited number of components with very small variances. As a result, the input Gaussian components can be conveniently propagated to the response and remain Gaussian distributions after nonlinear uncertainty propagation, which is able to provide an effective method for high-precision nonlinear uncertainty propagation. Firstly, the probability density function of input random variable is reconstructed by Gaussian mixture models. Secondly, the K-value criterion is proposed for selecting split direction, taking into account both the nonlinearity and variance. The components of input random variables are then divided into a Gaussian mixture model with small variance along the direction determined by the K-value. Thirdly, the individual components of the Gaussian mixture model are propagated one by one to obtain the probability density function of the response. Finally, the convergence criterion based on Shannon entropy is developed to ensure the accuracy of uncertainty propagation. The efficacy of the method is verified using three numerical examples and two engineering examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic development has led to a continuous increase in people's demand for transportation, which has led to an imbalance between the supply and demand of road facilities. Traffic congestion, traffic safety and other issues have caused the road traffic environment to become increasingly poor, thereby hindering the development of cities. Therefore, in response to the inability of traditional traffic flow prediction techniques to handle constantly changing traffic flow data, a machine learning traffic flowing predicting model on the foundation of least squares support vector machine is proposed. A hybrid optimizing algorithm based on particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm is proposed to optimize the parameters of least squares support vector machines in response to the sensitivity of model parameters. Three factors of genetic algorithm are introduced into particle swarm optimization to optimize this model. These experiments confirm that the fitting accuracy between model's predicted values and the actual values is over 90%, and the residual fluctuation is relatively small. Its RMSE is approximately 33.52% to 75.76% lower than the other three algorithms, its MAE is approximately 27% to 67% lower than other algorithms, and its EC is approximately 1% to 5% higher than other algorithms. The proposed hybrid optimization algorithm can find a set of optimal parameters, making the least squares support vector machine have good stability and prediction accuracy in predicting traffic flow problems. This model can be used to predict traffic flow, congestion conditions and other traffic indicators, providing a reliable theoretical basis for urban traffic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the effect of second-generation motion correction (MC2) on image quality and measurement reproducibility of cardiac CT images in patients with a myocardial bridge and mural coronary artery (MB-MCA) compared to standard (STD) images without motion correction and with first-generation motion correction (MC1). A total of 66 patients with MB-MCA in the left anterior descending branch who underwent 256-detector CT with single-heartbeat acquisition were included. Images were reconstructed at 45% and 75% R-R intervals using STD, MC1, and MC2 algorithms. Image quality for MB-MCA was assessed by two observers on a four-point scale (1 = poor and 4 = excellent) and compared among STD, MC1, and MC2. Depth and length of MB, lumen area, and minimal diameter of MCA were measured and compared. At 45% R-R interval, image quality scores were 1.59 ± 0.78, 2.21 ± 0.97, and 3.21 ± 0.62 for MCA, and 2.48 ± 0.79, 2.76 ± 0.75, and 3.58 ± 0.58 for MB with STD, MC1 and MC2, respectively. At 75% R-R interval, these values were 2.26 ± 0.60, 3.03 ± 0.89, and 3.59 ± 0.55 for MCA and 3.00 ± 0.93, 3.17 ± 0.83, and 3.80 ± 0.44 for MB. Although MC1 was superior to STD in displaying MCA, there was no statistical difference between the two algorithms for MB (p >0.05). Compared with STD and MC1, MC2 statistically improved image quality and interpretability for both MCA and MB and had narrower limits in interobserver agreement for measurements at both 45% and 75% R-R intervals. MC2 improves CT image quality and measurement reproducibility in patients with MB-MCA compared to STD and MC1. • MC2 can further improve the image quality of MCA than MC1. • MC2 can not only correct for the motion of MCA, but also MB. • MC2 can further improve measurement reproducibility for MB-MCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pool boiling has been considered as an effective method for heat transfer, which is extensively used in semiconductor microprocessors and aerospace. The prevention of critical heat flux (CHF) and improvement of heat transfer coefficient (HTC) are the keys to strengthen the pool boiling heat transfer. It has been reported that porous pillars can delay CHF by reducing vapor–liquid counter flow and nano-porous structure can significantly improve the liquid replenishment capacity and HTC. Herein, we modulate micro-nano porous structures by etching nanostructures on the surface of microporous pillars in order to utilize the advantages of above two structures. The boiling phenomenon inside the micro-nano composite pores is clearly demonstrated based on our visualization experiment. It is observed that the main vapor motion is regular periodic growth and recession. Through the quantitative analysis of the vapor–liquid interface area and vapor movement frequency, we find that they are both positively correlated with the heat transfer performance of porous structures. Hence, it is proved that the vapor–liquid phase distribution is the decisive factor affecting the heat transfer performance of micro-nano porous structures. Following the principle of maintaining larger vapor–liquid interface area and accelerating vapor movement frequency, the micro-nano porous structures with better performance can be obtained. Our approach establishes the relationship between the internal boiling phenomenon and the performance of micro-nano porous structures. In addition, it also provides a feasible direction for improving the performance of engineered boiling micro-nano structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed physiological and molecular characteristics associated with the resistance to aging or anti-senescence in Camellia oleifera Abel. Trees over 100 years old (ancient trees) were compared with those about 30 years old (mature trees). Total chlorophylls, chlorophyll a/b ratio, and hydrogen peroxide concentrations in ancient tree leaves were significantly higher than in their counterparts. Significantly higher activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase were detected in ancient tree leaves. Nine Chl a/b-binding protein genes, 15 antioxidant enzyme genes, 21 hormone-related genes, and 301 stress-related genes were upregulated, and 42 protein-degradation genes were downregulated in ancient tree leaves. By increasing chlorophyll content and antioxidant enzyme activities and regulating the ageing-related genes expression, ancient C. oleifera leaves maintained remarkable vitality. Although further research is needed, our study may shed some light on how ancient C. oleifera trees can resist ageing and sustain their healthy growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corotation electric field driving the plasmasphere to corotate with the Earth body is important in establishing the topology of the inner magnetosphere and is usually calculated by assuming a 24 h corotation period. However, studies have found that a plasmasphere corotation lag exists, suggesting an overestimation of the electric field driving the plasmasphere to rotate with the planet in previous calculations. In this study, we use electric field measurements from the Van Allen Probes mission from 2012 to 2018 to obtain the distribution of the large-scale electric field in the inner magnetosphere. A new method is developed to extract plasmaspheric rotation information from electric field measurements. Our results show that the electric field driving the plasmaspheric rotation varies with magnetic activity, decreasing with increasing Kp index. It is thus suggested that the corotation lag of the plasmasphere is more significant during magnetically active periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goos-Hänchen (GH) shift, an interference phenomenon describing the lateral shift of the reflected beam along the interface during total internal reflection, has attracted great interests in the field of quantum transport in two-dimensional materials. In particular, the GH effect generates a novel pseudospin-dependent scattering effect in graphene, which in turn results in an 8 e 2 / h conductance step in the bipolar junctions. Here, we reveal that a barrier region with effective barrier strength χ can greatly enrich the GH effect in graphene junctions. In contrast to the conventional case where the negative shift is allowed only in the p - n junction, the thin barrier enables both negative and positive spatial shifts in p I n and n I n junctions, where I represents the barrier region. More interestingly, the lowest channel degeneracy can be efficiently varied by tuning χ in both the symmetric p I n I p and the asymmetric pn I p junctions, leading to a highly controllable switch that switches the conductance between 8 e 2 / h and 4 e 2 / h. These results advance the knowledge of GH effects in electronic materials and suggest experimental avenues for its observation and manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-developed micro and mesoporous activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with fiber structure were prepared from tissue by CO2 activation. The XRD patterns and Raman spectrum indicated ACFs had a graphitic and amorphous structure. The SEM results indicated that the sample exhibited fiber structure with lots of mesoporous, with an average pore size of 2-5 nm. The specific surface area of 1517 m²/g, micro surface area of 412.9 m²/g, and total pore volume of 1.194 cm³/g were obtained at 900°C with CO2 activation for 2 hours. ACFs showed relatively high methylene blue adsorption properties with an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 526 mg/g. The kinetic model of the Pseudo-second-order equation was more suitable for MB adsorption than the Pseudo-first-order equation and Intraparticle diffusion kinetics, with a high correlation coefficient value (R>0.999). The present research provided a new idea of bionics for the manufacture of ACFs and brought forward a creative prospect for achieving energy-related CO2 emissions to net-zero and mitigating global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the major abiotic stresses restricting the development of global agriculture, saline–alkali stress causes osmotic stress, ion poisoning, ROS damage and high pH damage, which seriously restrict sustainable development of fruit industry. Therefore, it is essential to develop and cultivate saline–alkali‐resistant apple rootstocks to improve the yield and quality of apples in China.Based on transcriptome data, MhANR (LOC114827797), which is significantly induced by saline–alkali stress, was cloned from Malus halliana. The physicochemical properties, evolutionary relationships and cis‐acting elements were analysed. Subsequently, the tolerance of MhANR overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana, tobacco, and apple calli to saline–alkali stress was verified through genetic transformation.Transgenic plants contained less Chl a, Chl b and proline, SOD, POD and CAT activity, and higher relative electrical conductivity (REC) compared to WT plants under saline–alkali stress. In addition, expression of saline–alkali stress‐related genes in overexpressed apple calli were also lower than in WT calli, including the antioxidant genes (MhSOD and MhCAT^), the Na+ transporter genes (MhCAX5, MhCAX5, MhSOS1, MhALT1), and the H+‐ATPase genes (MhAHA2 and MhAHA8), while expression of the K+ transporter genes (MhSKOR and MhNHX4) were higher.Expression of MhANR reduced tolerance of A. thaliana, tobacco, and apple calli to saline–alkali stress by regulating osmoregulatory substances, chlorophyll content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and expression of saline–alkali stress‐related genes. This research provides a theoretical basis for cultivating apple rootstocks with effective saline–alkali stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular clocks are the basis for dating the divergence between lineages over macroevolutionary timescales (~105 to 108 years). However, classical DNA-based clocks tick too slowly to inform us about the recent past. Here, we demonstrate that stochastic DNA methylation changes at a subset of cytosines in plant genomes display a clocklike behavior. This “epimutation clock” is orders of magnitude faster than DNA-based clocks and enables phylogenetic explorations on a scale of years to centuries. We show experimentally that epimutation clocks recapitulate known topologies and branching times of intraspecies phylogenetic trees in the self-fertilizing plant Arabidopsis thaliana and the clonal seagrass Zostera marina, which represent two major modes of plant reproduction. This discovery will open new possibilities for high-resolution temporal studies of plant biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We systematically compare the temporal and spectral properties of 53 supernova (SN)-associated and 15 kilonova (KN)-associated gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We find that the spectral parameters of both types of GRBs are identically and lognormally distributed, consistent with those normal GRBs. The bolometric luminosities of SN/GRBs and KN/GRBs have a triple form, with the corresponding break luminosities of SN/GRBs are roughly two orders of magnitude larger than those of KN/GRBs. We build the power-law relations between the spectral lag and the luminosity of prompt γ-rays with indices of −1.43 ± 0.33 for SN/GRBs and −2.17 ± 0.57 for KN/GRBs in the laboratory frame, which are respectively coincident with the rest-frame values. We verify that both SN/GRBs and KN/GRBs comply with their own Amati relations that match those of long and short GRBs, respectively. Analysing X-ray afterglows with good plateau segments, we build the power-law relations between the X-ray luminosity and the plateau time with an index of −1.12 ± 0.17 for KN/GRBs and −1.08 ± 0.22 for SN/GRBs, which can be well explained by the relativistic shock driven by an energy injection. The plots of luminosity-lag, Amati relation, and luminosity-time show heavy overlap between the two types of GRBs, implying that they might share the same radiation mechanism despite originating from different progenitors or central engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated photo-induced effects in Ge-Ga-Se films. It was found that, thermal annealing causes the increase of the bandgap in the as-prepared films, and all three annealed films show photodarkening (PD) behavior with light illumination but the change of optical bandgap is minimum in Ge25 film. Such PD behavior can be recovered by reannealing of the film. The kinetic process of Tf/Ti exhibits part recovering of PD during the cycle of laser on and off. Moreover, no obvious structural change can be observed in the Raman spectra of the films at different states, especially in that of Ge25 film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epistemic uncertainty is widespread in reliability analysis of practical engineering products. Evidence theory is regarded as a powerful model for quantifying and analyzing epistemic uncertainty. However, the heavy computational burden has severely hindered its application in practical engineering problems, which is essentially caused by the repeated extreme analysis of limit-state function (LSF). In order to address the issue, this paper proposes a novel method to solve the evidence-theory-based reliability analysis (ETRA). It transforms the conventional ETRA problem into the classification of three classes of joint focal elements (JFEs) and then solves the classification problem effectively through a deep learning approach. The core of solving an ETRA problem is to determine whether the joint focal element is located in the reliable region, failure region, or intersected with the LSF. A spatial position feature reduction and arrangement method is proposed to classify the JFEs, which can effectively reduce the feature dimension and take into account the integrity and correlation of features. The stacked autoencoders model is then constructed and updated by extracting the spatial position features of the sampled JFEs to achieve high-accuracy classification of the remaining JFEs, and the reliability interval is calculated efficiently according to the classification results. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated using several numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of the geographical spatial distribution location of traffic accidents can provide drivers with richer traffic geographic information, thereby reducing the rate of traffic accidents. However, the existing methods for predicting the geographical spatial distribution location of traffic accidents have the problems of large error and long time. Therefore, this paper proposes a method for predicting the geographical spatial distribution location of traffic accidents based on the traffic flow gig data. First, collect traffic flow big data during the accident through highway detectors. Secondly, the collected data is processed for exception deletion, missing completion and geocode conversion. Finally, according to the geographical spatial distribution characteristics, the geographical spatial distribution of traffic accidents is predicted through Kalman filter. The experimental results show that this method predicts the geographical spatial distribution of traffic accidents based on actual test results, with good prediction effect and high prediction efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of burning plasma had been achieved in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), which was regarded as a great milestone for high-gain laser fusion energy. In the burning plasma, alpha particles incident on the cryogenic (warm dense) fuels cannot be simply regarded as single particles, and the new physics brought about by the density effects of alpha particles should be considered. In this work, the collective interaction between them has been considered, namely, the effect of the superposition of wake waves. The stopping power of alpha-particle clusters, i.e., the rate of energy loss per unit distance traveled has been calculated using both analytical and simulation approaches. In theory, we obtain the stopping power of alpha clusters in cryogenic (warm dense) fuel by the dielectric function method, which illustrates the importance of the effective interaction between particles. Simulation results using the LAPINS code show that the collective stopping power of the alpha cluster is indeed increased via coherent superposition of excitation fields (the excitation of high-amplitude wake waves). However, the comparison between simulation and theoretical results also illustrates a coherent–decoherent transition of the stopping power of the cluster. The initial conditions with various sizes and densities of the alpha clusters have been considered to verify the condition of decoherence transition. Our work provides a theoretical description of the transport properties of high-density alpha particles in warm dense cryogenic fuel and might give some theoretical guidance for the design of actual fusion processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optically pumped rare gas laser (OPRGL) is an innovative type of gas laser, which has the potential to be a candidate for high-energy lasers (HELs), in which metastable rare gas atoms generated by gas discharge are used as active particles. To realize these kinds of lasers as HELs in field application, high efficiency and low cost are necessary. For this purpose, we demonstrated a closed-chamber operation with repetitively pulsed gas discharge for an OPRGL of argon metastables. The pulsed discharge was powered by a home-made LC generator, which provided a high efficiency for the deposition of electric energy. The metastable density produced was higher than 1012 cm−3, quite enough for efficient laser operation. The dependencies of laser radiation on the parameters of discharge voltage, gas pressure, and argon concentration were studied, which showed an optimized argon concentration of 1%. Long-time operations were also performed, which demonstrated the practicability of the operation of OPRGL in a closed chamber, with the avoiding of the running away of rare gases in the open cycle of flowing operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various modeling studies have examined the climatic effects of either the Central American Seaway or the Indonesian seaway. The co‐existence of these two tropical seaways may have a greater influence than the existence of a single seaway. Although the dual seaway situation is closer to that reconstructed during Miocene/Pliocene, relevant studies remain scarce. Here, we investigate the co‐effects of dual tropical seaway changes on the Pacific circulation through a set of sensitivity experiments. Our results show that the combined shallow opening of tropical seaways can generate an active Pacific meridional overturning circulation and maintain strong upwelling conditions along the equatorial Pacific, which may have helped favor a "biogenic bloom" during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Moreover, the logically successive closure of the tropical seaways can provide patterns of zonal sea surface temperature gradients that are similar to those recorded in the equatorial Pacific from the late Miocene to the Pliocene. Plain Language Summary: During the late Miocene and the Pliocene, changes in the Central American and the Indonesian seaways geometry are very important for ocean circulation and global climate. Various modelling studies have examined the separate effects of these two tropical seaways, especially their link to the onset of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets through changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and associated heat and moisture transport. Although the existence of dual tropical seaways is closer to the reality, there are very scarce modelling studies exploring the co‐effects of dual tropical seaway changes, especially on the Pacific ocean circulation. Here we provide the results of modelling study on this issue. Our results show that the combined shallow opening of tropical ways can generate an active Pacific meridional overturning circulation (i.e., absent in modern conditions) by which the meridional and zonal sea surface temperature gradient in the Pacific largely reduce. In contrast, a deeper opening of tropical seaways can not produce these changes in the Pacific ocean circulation. This study provides insights into and a better understanding of the role of tropical seaways in shaping the Pacific climate and highlights the importance of the sill depth of each seaway. Key Points: The co‐effects of opening of two tropical seaways on the Pacific circulation are investigated with climate modelShallow opening of tropical seaways can generate an active Pacific meridional overturning circulation, whilst a deeper condition can notThe stepwise closure of the tropical seaways can provide similar‐to‐record patterns of zonal sea surface temperature gradients [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in the growth, development, morphogenesis, signal transduction, and stress response in plants. The ICE (Inducer of CBF expression)‐CBF (C‐repeat binding factor)‐COR (Cold‐regulated gene) regulatory cascade is an important signalling pathway in plant response to low temperature stress, and it remains unknown whether this pathway is regulated by miRNAs.In this study, high‐throughput sequencing was employed for predicting and identifying the miRNAs that were likely to target the ICE‐CBF‐COR pathway in Eucalyptus camaldulensis. A novel ICE1‐targeting miRNA, eca‐novel‐miR‐259‐5p (nov‐miR259), was further analysed.A total of 392 conserved miRNAs and 97 novel miRNAs were predicted, including 80 differentially expressed miRNAs. Of these, 30 miRNAs were predicted to be associated with the ICE‐CBF‐COR pathway. The full‐length of mature nov‐miR259 was 22 bp and its precursor gene was 60 bp in length, with a typical hairpin structure. The RNA ligase‐mediated 5′ amplification of cDNA ends (5′‐RLM‐RACE) and Agrobacterium‐mediated tobacco transient expression assays demonstrated that nov‐miR259 could cleave EcaICE1 in vivo. Moreover, qRT‐PCR and Pearson's correlation analysis further revealed that the expression levels of nov‐miR259 were almost significantly negatively correlated with those of its target gene, EcaICE1, and the other genes in the ICE‐CBF‐COR pathway.We first identified the nov‐miR259 as a novel ICE1‐targeting miRNA, and the nov‐miR259‐ICE1 module may be involved in regulating the cold stress response in E. camaldulensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) is a classical complication after giant ventral hernia surgery and may lead to abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). Assessment of risk factors and prevention of IAH/ACS are essential for hernia surgeons. Methods: We performed a retrospective study including 58 giant ventral hernia patients in our center between Jan 1, 2017, and Mar 1, 2022, we recorded age, gender, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypoproteinemia, body mass index (BMI), the ratio of hernia sac volume to abdominal cavity volume (HSV/ACV), defect width, tension reduction procedure (TRP), positive fluid balance (PFB) and IAH of these patients and analyzed the data using univariate and multivariate logistic regression to screen the risk factors for IAH after surgery. Results: The multivariate analysis showed that HSV/ACV ≥ 25%, hypoproteinemia, and PFB were independent risk factors for the occurrence of IAH after giant ventral hernia repair (P = 0.025, 0.016, 0.017, respectively). We did not find any correlation between postoperative IAH and the patient's age, gender, COPD, CHD, hypertension, T2DM, BMI, defect width, TRP, and PFB. Conclusion: Identifying risk factors is of great significance for the early identification and prevention of IAH/ACS. We found that HSV/ACV ≥ 25%, hypoproteinemia, and PFB were independent risk factors for IAH after giant ventral hernia repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problem of slow solidification of large ingots and the difficulty of eliminating internal shrinkage, a cold steel bar was fed into the molten steel during the solidification process after the completion of casting to affect the solidification process. Different cooling and solidification schemes for 60-ton 16-angle ingots were simulated by the finite element simulation software PROCAST. The simulation results show that the insertion of cold steel rods can shorten the full solidification time of the ingot. It is beneficial to improve the concentrated shrinkage in the central region under the conventional cooling scheme; in terms of the cold steel addition method, the decentralized addition of cold steel is more effective in improving the internal quality of the ingot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic rotary drilling can offer the essential information and core samplesa for the researches on solid earth. Recording the factual field drilling data and analyzing the hydraulic rotary coring process are challenging yet promising to utilize the massive drilling information in geophysics and geology. This paper adopts the drilling process monitoring (DPM) technique and records the four parameters of displacement, thrust pressure, upward pressure, and rotation speed in real-time series for profiling the siliciclastic sedimentary rocks along 108 m deep drillhole. The digitalization results with 107 linear zones represent the spatial distribution of drilled geomaterials including superficial deposits (fill, loess, gravelly soil), mudstone, silty mudstone, gritstone, and fine sandstone. The constant drilling speeds varying from 0.018 to 1.905 m/min present the in-situ coring resistance of drilled geomaterials. Furthermore, the constant drilling speeds can identify the strength quality of soils to hard rocks. The thickness distributions of the six basic strength quality grades are presented for all the sedimentary rocks and each individual type of the seven soil and rocks. The in-situ strength profile determined in this paper can be used to assess and evaluate the in-situ mechanical behavior of geomaterial along the drillhole and can provide a new mechanical-based assessment for determining the spatial distribution of geological strata and structures in subsurface. They are important since the same stratum at different depths can have different mechanical behavior. The results provide a novel quantitative measurement for continuously in-situ mechanical profiling by digital drilling data. The findings of the paper can offer a new and effective method for refinement and upgrading of in-situ ground investigation, and can provide researchers and engineers with a novel tool and valuable reference to digitize and utilize factual data of current drilling projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracks broadly exist within slopes due to desiccation, weathering, or wetting–drying cycles in Nature. The presence of cracks inevitably reduces slope stability. However, such fissured slopes have received little attention, especially when subject to earthquake action, which is considered one of the most significant inducements of slope instability. In practice, antislide piles have proven useful measures to stabilize slopes, while the performance of antislide piles in fissured slopes subjected to seismic action is inexplicit. To this end, this study aims to develop an effective method to assess the seismic stability of three-dimensional (3D) fissured slopes reinforced with piles. The modified pseudodynamic approach is introduced to properly present the dynamic characteristic of seismic waves in real cases. Based on the kinematic approach of limit analysis, a 3D failure mechanism integrating cracks and antislide piles is developed to describe the slope failure. Open cracks (cracks existing before slope failure) and formation cracks (cracks forming as part of the failure mechanism) are both considered. The effect of seismic action is expressed by incorporating the work rates of seismic force. Thanks to the principle of work–energy balance, solutions of safety factors can be obtained by the application of an optimization scheme. The proposed method is verified through a detailed comparison with previous investigations. This paper ends with a description of a parametric study to reveal the effects of cracks, pseudodynamic seismic action, and the design of antislide piles on slope stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional analyses for active earth pressures considered soils dry or saturated by the application of a two-dimensional (2D) failure pattern. However, soils are usually unsaturated in nature, and the collapse of backfills presents a three-dimensional (3D) characteristic. The extant studies proved that the existence of cracks and seepage flow encountered in backfills would impact active earth pressures but are still limited to 2D conditions. To this end, this study developed an analytical framework to evaluate the 3D active earth pressure considering the presence of cracks and steady-infiltration effects within unsaturated backfills. Based on the kinematic approach of limit analysis, a suction-induced effective method is introduced into a 3D failure mechanism to characterize the collapse of unsaturated backfills. By means of the work rate balance equation, the most adverse location of cracks and the explicit expression of active thrust under steady seepage conditions can be obtained through the incorporation of the suction stress profile. The presented method is verified by comparison with the exact cases in previous studies and comparison with the results of numerical simulation. A systematic parametric study is conducted to reveal the impacts of width-to-height ratio, air-entry value, pore-size distribution, vertical discharge, and cracks on the active earth pressure variations. The results show that considering 3D effects is significant because it leads to a lower economic cost for the design of retaining walls; the presence of cracks and the effect of steady infiltration encountered in unsaturated backfills would increase the lateral force of earthen structures. This study presented a more realistic understanding of the service state behavior of retaining walls and a useful strategy for evaluating the 3D active earth pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high strength wear resistant B-HARD360CFA steel under quenching + tempering condition was welded by the CO2 gas shielded welding and laser surface treated with a fibre laser with the varied process parameters. The microstructure and properties of the welded joints have been studied by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), a high resolution electron transmission microscope (HRTEM) and tensile testing. The temper martensite was observed in weld joint under the action of the different welding heat input, occurring temper softening in the heat affected zone (HAZ) after CO2 gas shielded welding, which affected the microstructure performance of the weld joints. The mechanical properties of welded joint were relatively stable when the welding heat input value was 10.4 kJ/cm. The amorphous and nanocrystalline phases can be formed in the weld zone after a laser treatment, enhancing the tensile strength by fine grain strengthening. This study will play an important role in improving the actual performance in the productions of the high strength wear resistant steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we collect 54 Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) afterglows rebrightening in X-ray, optical, and radio bands to build the biggest sample so far, of which 18 type-Ic/b Supernova (SN)-associated GRBs have been deeply investigated. We confirm that the distribution of spectral luminosities of SN-associated GRBs has a wider scope of five orders of magnitude. After excluding short- and low-luminosity SN/GRBs, we obtain the mean light curves of high-luminosity SN/GRBs at different radio frequencies. It is found that the mean radio light curves peak twice on the tens of days and several months in each since the burst trigger. There is a time delay between radio afterglows at different frequencies, i.e. the high-frequency emissions come earlier than those low-frequency ones. We study in detail the multiband rebrightening behaviors of GRB 980425 and GRB 030329 with the most radio observation data at present. Unlike GRB 980425, the rebrightening component contributed from GRB 030329/SN 2003dh is indistinguishable. However, we predict that both SN/GRBs will produce the considerable mJy-level rebrightening emissions from their individual SN remnants on the late-times of 103th years for GRB 980425 and 64th years for GRB 030329, which is observable for the current facilities and would be detected by the forthcoming radio telescopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-stall flow control using compliant flags of varying thickness and length, placed upstream a NACA0012 airfoil, was shown to be possible at an airfoil chord Reynolds number of 100,000. The flag wakes produced substantial increase in the stall angle and the maximum lift coefficient of the airfoil placed at optimal cross-stream locations from the wake centerline. Oscillating flags could generate periodic wakes with better spanwise coherence than the stationary bluff body. This resulted in the excitation, formation and shedding of the leading-edge vortices periodically, providing mean lift enhancement. There is an optimal range of the flag mass ratio for which the flag frequency coincides with the natural frequency of the vortex shedding instability or its subharmonic of the baseline airfoil wake. The flag dimensionless frequency is a function of the mass ratio only, which can be predicted by a reduced order model in the limit of very large mass ratio and by using the modified free-streamline theory for the separated flow. There is also an optimal range of the flag dimensionless frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using chicken feathers as bait, the microbiota of soil samples collected from 20 zoos in China were enriched for keratin-utilizing microorganisms, which were cultured in the current study. The microbiota was then isolated by dilution-plate and plate-coating methods, and their diversity, core microbiota, and ecological functions were investigated and analyzed. A total of 4928 bacterial isolates belonging to 4 phyla, 5 classes, 6 orders, 10 families, 31 genera, and 91 species were identified, with Bacillus as the dominant genus; and 5550 fungal isolates belonging to 3 phyla, 9 classes, 18 orders, 40 families, 71 genera, and 157 species were identified, with Aspergillus as the dominant genus. The core microbiota of the enriched soil samples comprised 10 bacterial and 22 fungal isolates, with the core taxa consisting of Scopulariopsis flava, Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Peribacillus simplex, and Priestia megaterium. Ecological function analysis revealed that the core microbiota was saprophytic and played important roles in organic matter degradation (including carbon and nitrogen cycles). Findings from this study lay a theoretical for efficiently degrading waste, that is, the core taxa could be used to construct microbial consortia that efficiently degrade keratin-rich material and other waste, in addition to enriching keratinophilic microbial resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Getting Ni-WC composite coatings with different rare earth CeO2 additions on the substrate of 45 steel by induction heating; testing the surface hardness and cross-section microhardness of the coatings with Rockwell hardness tester and microhardness tester; meanwhile analyzing the microstructure and WC morphology of the coatings by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in order to find the best amount of CeO2 in the coatings. The results show that the 0,5 / % content of CeO2 helps to improve the interfusion bonding between the coating and the substrate, and to refine the grain size, homogenize the composition and increase the hardness of the coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of humidity change on spore release of the Nematodontae Polytrichaceae has never been tested experimentally. Similarly, the impact of humidity alterations on structure of the peristome have never been studied.Polytrichum commune Hedw. var. commune from Guizhou Province, China, was selected as the research object to examine effects of simulated wind in the laboratory. By controlling humidity and wind, the mechanism of spore dispersal was revealed.When humidity increased, the size of the peristome and epiphragm enlarged significantly (the peristome has no obvious spatial displacement, unlike the hygroscopic movement of Arthrodontae mosses. Thus, we named it 'sub‐hygroscopic movement'), then recovered to normal size when humidity decreased. When humidity was controlled and wind applied, the scattering of spores gradually decreased as the capsule dried out and finally reached a very low level; when the capsule was wetted or rewetted, the amount of spores released rose and returned to the initial state. Through comparison of moist and dry capsules, only enhanced humidity of the sporophytes led to increases in spore release.The results show that the dispersal of spores was significantly improved in windy conditions and the sub‐hygroscopic movement of the capsule peristome, which ensure the continuity and effectiveness of P. commune reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have measured optical properties of GexGa4S96-x (x=22.5, 27, 30, 33.3 and 36) glasses including optical bandgap Eg, hardness, linear and nonlinear refractive index and laser damage threshold. We found that, both Eg and laser damage threshold exhibit maximum values in Ge30Ga4S66 glass, linear refractive index increases with increasing Ge content, but nonlinear refractive index has a minimum in Ge30Ga4S66, and their correlation can be well described by the Miller's rule. We conclude that, Ge30Ga4S66 glass with chemically stoichiometric composition might be ideal for the chalcogenide-based optical amplifiers since it has reasonable optical nonlinearity, and high figure of merit (FOM) and laser damage threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new novel Cu(II) compound formulated as Cu(C4N6H4)2Cl2 (1) (C4N6H4 = 1H-3,4′-bi-1,2,4-triazole) is successfully synthesized by a low-temperature hydrothermal method. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis shows that complex 1 was the monoclinic C2/c space group. The non-covalent intermolecular interaction formed a 3D supermolecule copper compound. It is characterized by XRD, IR spectroscopy, TG, elemental analysis and UV-visible spectrum in the solid state. In addition, triazole ligand as an active agent in compound 1 has been used to sense of H2O2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the obstacle detection ability of driverless vehicle moving image, an obstacle detection method of driverless vehicle based on visual filter operator is proposed. On the basis of constructing the objective function of driverless vehicle travel filter detection, matching the driving characteristics of unmanned vehicles. Through the visual filtering operator method, the obstacle of the unmanned vehicle is detected and processed, and the data to be acquired is preprocessed to reduce the error The processed obstacle data points are connected into an obstacle contour, and the obstacle detection and recognition are completed according to the obstacle classification information to improve the output signal-to-noise ratio of the image. The simulation results show that the obstacle detection signal-to-noise ratio of this method reaches 59.34dB, the detection accuracy rate reaches 97%, and the detection time is only 7s, and the average accuracy rate of monitoring different obstacles also reaches 96.8%. So, the output quality of the obstacle in the image of the unmanned vehicle traveling by this method is better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater is practiced worldwide as a measure to address water supply uncertainty. This paper focuses on a scenario in which an aquifer is open to multiple users and examines the impact of such an open-access environment on the stabilization function of conjunctive management. We construct a non-cooperative stochastic dynamic game model where multiple users utilize groundwater intake from a common aquifer as a complement to fluctuating surface water. We also propose a simpler baseline applicable to dynamic environments to compute the benefits of the stabilization function when users are unable to adjust groundwater intake to surface water uncertainties. We then apply the model to the real-world case of the water supply environment of the Cao’e River in China. Simulation results show that open access leads to diminishing stabilization values as higher pumping costs due to declining stocks lead to a weakening of users’ incentive to utilize groundwater flexibly. Furthermore, the stabilization function itself is destabilized as the number of users increases. This is because greater groundwater intake and a decline in stocks amplify variations in pumping costs caused by different patterns of surface-water fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let R be an associative ring with 1 and G = GL(n, R) the general linear group of degree n ≥ 3 over R. A goal of the paper is to calculate the relative centralizers of the relative elementary subgroups or the principal congruence subgroups, corresponding to an ideal A ⊴ R modulo the relative elementary subgroups or the principal congruence subgroups, corresponding to another ideal B ⊴ R. Modulo congruence subgroups, the results are essentially easy exercises in linear algebra. But modulo the elementary subgroups, they turned out to be quite tricky, and definitive answers are obtained only over commutative rings or, in some cases, only over Dedekind rings/Dedekind rings of arithmetic type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocarbon distribution in the western Qaidam Basin is complex and characterised by large reserves, dispersed distribution, local enrichment, and multi-layer accumulation. Near the Altyn Tagh Ranges, the traps are mainly oil-filled, whereas far away and near the basin centre, they are gas-filled. With hydrocarbon distribution in the western Qaidam Basin poorly understood, the tectonic evolution, source-rock thermal evolution and space–time configurations were studied using burial history, strata thickness, source-rock generation and expulsion processes, and trap formation. Mode 1 system was characterised by continuous hydrocarbon accumulation, rapid source-rock burial and trap formation early in the basin history resulting in early generation and trapping of low maturity oil and later generation of high maturity oil. Mode 2 was characterised by mid-section hydrocarbon accumulation, steady source-rock burial velocity and trap formation with the traps filled by mature oil and small amounts of gas. Mode 3 was characterised by tail hydrocarbon accumulation, rapid source-rock burial and trap formation late in basin development resulting in traps filled with high-maturity gas. In the Mesozoic–Cenozoic petroleum system, such as the Dina2 condensate gas field, hydrocarbon accumulation was earlier than in the Yingxi Shizigou oilfield belonging to the Cenozoic petroleum system, which was mainly controlled by tectonic evolution and source-rock thermal evolution. The well-matching relationships between hydrocarbon generation–expulsion time and trap formation may create a giant oilfield, an earlier formed trap, later matured source rock and good preservation leading to continuous accumulation of hydrocarbon favourable for exploration. In the western Qaidam Basin, hydrocarbon differential distribution was mainly controlled by source-rock burial history, stratigraphic thickness and trap formation processes. Multi-stage hydrocarbon accumulation characteristics are classified into three modes according to the thermal evolution stage of the source rock. A comparison of hydrocarbon accumulation processes between the Yingxi oilfield in the western Qaidam Basin and Dina 2 gas fields in the Kuqa foreland basin allowed hydrocarbon accumulation modes to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-propulsion of a deforming sphere through an unbounded inviscid fluid is investigated analytically. Its motion is only induced by the coupling of its radial alteration, centroid shift, and rotation of the internal masses without vortex shedding and external forces. The Lagrange equations are used to describe such self-motion since the fluid-body system is conservative. Then the expressions for translational and rotational velocities of the deforming body are obtained in algebraic forms. Several cases show that some typical moving patterns of the sphere would be obtained as long as its radius variation and internal mass shift are properly coupled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A criterion is proposed to predict the transition from slip to twinning in the face-centered cubic (FCC) metals within the framework of the generalized stacking fault energy (GSFE) curves, which are calculated by using the full potential linearly augmented plane wave method incorporating local orbital based on density functional theory. The criterion is a function of the stacking fault energy, unstable stacking fault energy, and unstable twinning fault energy, which are obtained from the GSFE curves. Based on the competition between slip and twinning, a new parameter is proposed to rank the sequence of the twinnability for ten typical FCC metals. The ranking results are in good agreement with the experimental data available. Compared with the previous studies of heterogeneous nucleation of twin, it is found that the heterogeneous nucleation sites of twinning such as crack tip and grain boundary do not change the ranking sequence. It is suggested that the GSFE curve may be regarded as the dominant factor determining the twinnability of FCC metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the obstacle detection ability of driverless vehicle moving image, an obstacle detection method of driverless vehicle based on visual filter operator is proposed. On the basis of constructing the objective function of driverless vehicle travel filter detection, matching the driving characteristics of unmanned vehicles. Through the visual filtering operator method, the obstacle of the unmanned vehicle is detected and processed, and the data to be acquired is preprocessed to reduce the error The processed obstacle data points are connected into an obstacle contour, and the obstacle detection and recognition are completed according to the obstacle classification information to improve the output signal-to-noise ratio of the image. The simulation results show that the obstacle detection signal-to-noise ratio of this method reaches 59.34dB, the detection accuracy rate reaches 97%, and the detection time is only 7s, and the average accuracy rate of monitoring different obstacles also reaches 96. 8%. So, the output quality of the obstacle in the image of the unmanned vehicle traveling by this method is better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant allelopathy is a biological phenomenon in which plants adapt to defend against the pests (weeds, insects, nematodes and pathogens) adverse environment. It is one of the hotspots in Ecology and Agronomy. In this paper, we have retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) SCI-E database the allelopathy-related studies (1960-2019). The Annual Number of Publications, Authors, Countries, Institutions, Journals and Keywords were analyzed by the bibliometric method to determine the research trends and hotspot changes in this field over the past 6 decades. From 1960-2019, the WoS database included 4,114 studies in the field of plant allelopathy. During this period of 60 years, the number of publications has gone through three stages: (i). Initial Stage (1960-1990), (ii). Growing Stage (1991-2009) and (iii). Stable Stage (2010-2019). The studies were conducted by 9,956 authors at 2,166 institutions across 100 countries. The United States, China, and Japan have the highest number of publications. The top three institutions with the highest number of publications are the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kagawa University and USDA, USA. The top three authors are H. Kato-Noguchi, F.A. Macias, and C.H. Kong. The major Journals in this field are: (i). Allelopathy Journal, (ii). Journal of Chemical Ecology and (iii). Plant and Soil. The results of keyword clustering showed that the main research directions in this field are: (i). Metabonomics undergoing allelopathy, (ii). Functions of allelopathy substances, (iii). Molecular biology, (iv). Allelopathy of aquatic plants, (v). Alien plants invasion and (vi). Application of plant allelopathy in agroforestry production. Plant allelopathy is a research field that aims to maintain stable development. Future studies should focus on strengthening the cooperation among international scholars in plant allelopathy research and improving the output in frontier and hotspot areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slag produced in mining and smelting of manganese carbonate ore potentially pollutes the environment and endangers the health of humans and other living organisms.This study investigates the uptake of six heavy metals, Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn, Cr and Cd, by bryophytes and vascular plants growing on manganese carbonate slag in the Houshangou Slag Field near Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, China. Determination of heavy metal uptake in bryophytes and vascular plants may identify species suitable as biomonitors for bioremediation of polluted lands.Eight bryophyte taxa were identified in the study area; among which, Bryum argenteum and Physcomitrium eurystomum were dominant; life forms of bryophytes were predominantly short turfs. Three monocotyledons, all Poaceae, and five dicotyledons were recorded in four families. The highest heavy metal uptake in bryophytes, Mn content by B. argenteum, was more than 25,000 mg·kg−1. Furthermore, determination of heavy metal content in roots, leaves and fruits of six vascular plants demonstrated that each had a unique capacity for heavy metal accumulation: roots, leaves and fruits of similar plant species exhibited varying uptake capacity. Mn content in leaves was recorded in the order: B. davidii > A. tricolor > E. crus‐galli > C. argentea > P. acinosa > C. album.In summary, B. argenteum, Echinochloa crus‐galli and Phytolacca acinosa have strong enrichment capacity for heavy metals. These species could be used for comprehensive treatment of heavy metal pollution in electrolytic Mn slag fields, and for bioremediation of polluted areas associated with Mn mining and processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for plant growth and development. Fe deficiency can trigger leaf chlorosis and reduce fruit yield. Therefore, it is necessary to explore transcription factors in response to Fe deficiency stress.A total of 29 MhR2R3‐MYB transcription factors were identified based on the transcriptome of Malus halliana under Fe deficiency stress. A comprehensive analysis of physical and chemical properties, gene structures, conserved motif composition, evolutionary relationship and chromosome distribution was performed. Subsequently, based on the transcriptome, 14 genes with the most significant expression under Fe deficiency stress were screened for qRT‐PCR verification. Among them,the functional characteristics of MhR2R3‐MYB4 (MD05G1089600) were further studied in Arabidopsis thaliana.Expression of 13 out of these 14 genes was upregulated, only one was downregulated. Maximum upregulation of MhR2R3‐MYB4 under Fe deficiency was 36.39‐fold and 58.21‐fold compared with day 0 in leaves and roots, respectively. Overexpression of MhR2R3‐MYB4 enhanced tolerance to Fe deficiency in A. thaliana and led to multiple biochemical changes: transgenic lines have higher chl a, chl b and Fe2+ content, higher enzyme activity (SOD, POD, CAT and FCR) and lower chlorosis than the wild type in Fe deficiency conditions.We suggest that MhR2R3‐MYB4 plays an important part in Fe deficiency stress, which may contribute to improve Fe deficiency tolerance of apple in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is designed to evaluate the effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) and divalent calcium ion (Ca2+) supplementation in sows' diets on trace elements in blood and milk to assess whether it is beneficial to pig growth or not. A total of 40 sows of 7 to 8 gestational age with good health and nutritional condition were divided into four groups: control group, low calcium group, 25(OH)D3 group and low calcium with 25(OH)D3 group. The blood and milk from sows and neonatal piglets' blood were collected on the day of parturition. Changes in the content of Cr, Mn, Cu, As, Se and Cd were analyzed. The results showed that there was no significant change in the content of Cr, Mn, Se and Cd in sows' blood by changing calcium content or adding 25(OH)D3 alone, while adding 25(OH)D3 alone can significantly reduce the content of copper in sows' blood. Under the combined action of low calcium and 25(OH)D3, the Cr, Mn and Cd content in piglets' blood were significantly lower than that of control group (P<0.05), and the content of copper was significantly increased compared to control group (P<0.01). Low calcium group and 25(OH)D3 group significantly increase the content of Cr, Cu and Se in sows' milk compared to control group (P<0.05), but has no effect on the content of arsenic. Altogether, our results suggest that addition of 25(OH)D3 to sows' diet is beneficial to maintain the balance of trace elements in sows and their fetuses, so 25(OH)D3 may be helpful for the health of mother and normal development of fetus during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The material properties and geometrical features are key factors determining the structural performance of phononic crystals (PnCs). The systematic analysis revealed that the mass inertia moment is the basic physical nature in the zigzag beam-supported stepped PnCs connecting the structural performance with the material properties and geometrical features in design. The designed PnCs were fabricated by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing. The band gap width of the zigzag beam-supported stepped PnCs is higher than the straight one due to the change of the mass inertia moment. The zigzag beam in the PnCs based on analysis of the mass inertia moment revealed the increase of the first band gap by 17.25 kHz, which is 60% larger than the initial design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this work is to provide connection-level force-deformation response appropriate for standard cold-formed steel (CFS) framed steel sheet sheathed shear walls under cyclic loads. Common CFS framing designs increasingly are exploring thicker framing options so that walls can meet gravity demands, overturning demands, and seismic overstrength requirements. For the seismic performance of self-drilling screw-fastened steel sheet sheathed shear walls, the cyclic nonlinear response of the screw-fastened connection is particularly important and should incorporate the impact of shear buckling of the steel sheet on the strength and ductility of the connection. Minimal cyclic connection-level shear test data exist, especially for combinations of screw-fastened thin steel sheet and thick framing steel. A unique lap shear test following current test standards was proposed to elucidate and characterize the cyclic screw-fastened connection behavior. An asymmetric cyclic loading protocol was selected with a small displacement applied in the direction that buckles the thin steel sheet, followed by progressively larger displacements in the opposite direction. A total of 93 tests were conducted, and characterization of the observed cyclic connection response with a multilinear backbone curve appropriate for use in models is provided. Connection strength is sensitive to whether the thin steel sheet ply is buckling away from or toward the fastener head in some test series. Performance of the screw shear strength as per the standard's provisions is evaluated. The work is intended to provide critical missing information for CFS framed steel sheet sheathed shear walls for use in both simulation and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]