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Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is a promising metal additive manufacturing technology based on layer by layer powder spreading, and powder bed uniformity has a great influence on the forming quality. By Discrete Element Method and powder spreading experiment, the interaction and movement between powder were studied during powder spreading, including powder jamming, rebound, splash, eddy, and empty powder area. Additionally, five kinds of powder spreading schemes were explored, and the new process of one-way reciprocating with tri-splint blade was designed to change the motion state of powder spreading from “blade pushing powder” to “blade holding powder.” By increasing the distance between the blade and the working platform form 0 to 20 µm with the distance between the upper surface of the substrate and the working platform 50 µm, defects such as powder splash and empty powder decreased. And the uniform powder bed of aluminum alloy powder was achieved with the new process of one-way reciprocating with tri-splint blade structure.

In the typical landscape of road transportation, about 90% of traffic accidents result from human errors. Vehicle automation enhances road safety by reducing driver fatigue and errors and improves overall mobility efficiency. The advancement of autonomous vehicle technology will significantly impact traffic safety, potentially saving more than 30,000 lives annually in the United States alone. The widespread acceptance of autonomous and connected autonomous vehicles (AVs and CAVs) will be a process spanning multiple decades, requiring their coexistence with traditional vehicles. This study explores the mobility and safety performance of CAVs in mixed-traffic environments using the cumulative-anticipative car-following (CACF) model. This research compares the CACF model with established Wiedemann 99 and cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) models using a VISSIM platform. The simulations include single-lane and multi-lane networks, incorporating sensitivity tests for mobility and safety parameters. The study reveals increased throughput, reduced delays, and enhanced travel times with CACF, emphasizing its advantages over CACC. Safety analyses demonstrate CACF’s ability to prevent traffic shockwaves and bottlenecks, emphasizing the significance of communication range and acceleration coefficients. The research recommends early investment in vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication technology, refining CACC logic, and expanding the study to diverse road scenarios.

Natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods pose immediate hazards. Such events often necessitate prompt emergency evacuations to save lives and reduce fatalities, injuries, and property damage. This study focuses on optimizing wildfire evacuations by analyzing the influence of different transportation infrastructures and the penetration of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on a historical wildfire event. The methodology involves modeling various evacuation scenarios and incorporating different intersection traffic controls such as roundabouts and stop signs and an evacuation strategy like lane reversal with various AV penetration rates. The analysis results demonstrate that specific interventions on evacuation routes can significantly reduce travel times during evacuations. Additionally, a comparative analysis across different scenarios shows a promising improvement in travel time with a higher level of AV penetration. These findings advocate for the integration of autonomous technologies as a crucial component of future emergency response strategies, demonstrating the potential for broader applications in disaster management. Future studies can expand on these findings by examining the broader implications of integrating AVs in emergency evacuations.

Civil infrastructure systems cover large land areas and need frequent inspections to maintain their public service capabilities. Conventional approaches of manual surveys or vehicle-based automated surveys to assess infrastructure conditions are often labor-intensive and time-consuming. For this reason, it is worthwhile to explore more cost-effective methods for monitoring and maintaining these infrastructures. Fortunately, recent advancements in satellite systems and image processing algorithms have opened up new possibilities. Numerous satellite systems have been employed to monitor infrastructure conditions and identify damages. Due to the improvement in the ground sample distance (GSD), the level of detail that can be captured has significantly increased. Taking advantage of these technological advancements, this research evaluated pavement conditions using deep learning models for analyzing satellite images. We gathered over 3000 satellite images of pavement sections, together with pavement evaluation ratings from the TxDOT’s PMIS database. The results of our study show an accuracy rate exceeding 90%. This research paves the way for a rapid and cost-effective approach for evaluating the pavement network in the future.

The neuroinflammatory responses following ischemic stroke cause irreversible nerve cell death. Cell free-double strand DNA (dsDNA) segments from ischemic tissue debris are engulfed by microglia and sensed by their cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), which triggers robust activation of the innate immune stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway and initiate the chronic inflammatory cascade. The decomposition of immunogenic dsDNA and inhibition of the innate immune STING are synergistic immunologic targets for ameliorating neuroinflammation. To combine the anti-inflammatory strategies of STING inhibition and dsDNA elimination, we constructed a DNase-mimetic artificial enzyme loaded with C-176. Nanoparticles are self-assembled by amphiphilic copolymers (P[CL35-b-(OEGMA20.7-co-NTAMA14.3)]), C-176, and Ce4+ which is coordinated with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) group to form corresponding catalytic structures. Our work developed a new nano-drug that balances the cGAS-STING axis to enhance the therapeutic impact of stroke by combining the DNase-memetic Ce4+ enzyme and STING inhibitor synergistically. In conclusion, it is a novel approach to modulating central nervus system (CNS) inflammatory signaling pathways and improving stroke prognosis.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been closely associated with both high blood pressure (HBP) and psychological traits, but the causal relationship between them remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to identify the causal risk factors for ED. We conducted univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses using genetic variants associated with metabolic syndrome and psychology traits at the genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10−8) level obtained from corresponding genome-wide association studies. We used summary-level statistical data for ED from the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) database of complete Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) summary data. We also conducted reverse causality and performed power calculations for MR. Our results showed that HBP was associated with increased odds of ED (odds ratio (OR) = 1.66 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13–2.45), a p-value for the inverse variance-weighted method (PIVW) = 1.06 × 10−2, Power = 100%), as were myocardial infarction (OR = 1.09 (95% CI, 1.02–1.17), PIVW = 1.18 × 10−2, Power = 56%) and ischemic stroke (OR = 1.21 (95% CI, 1.02–1.43), PIVW = 2.87 × 10−2, Power = 10%). In terms of psychological traits, irritable mood (OR = 1.86 (95% CI, 1.14–3.02), PIVW = 1.30 × 10−2, Power = 96%) and neuroticism (OR = 1.36 (95% CI, 1.04–1.79), PIVW = 2.66 × 10−2, Power = 80%) were associated with increased odds of ED. Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) showed no evidence of pleiotropic bias, and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of our results. We have established a causal link between HBP and ED, and we have also found evidence suggesting a causal relationship between irritable mood and ED.

The contribution of autonomous vehicles to traffic is one of the key aspects of future ground transportation in smart cities. Autonomous vehicles are able to provide many benefits, but some benefits can only provide advantages if these vehicles comprise a large percent of on the road/driven vehicles, which may take decades. Until then, the robotic drivers in autonomous vehicles will share the same road system with human divers in a mixed-driver environment where the majority of road accidents for autonomous vehicles are associated with the operational inconsistency of human drivers. In this paper, a cumulatively anticipative car-following model (which considers cumulative influences from multiple preceding vehicles) is developed to potentially improve the safety of autonomous vehicles in mixed-driver environments that benefit from enhanced communication between the autonomous vehicles and other components in the transportation system. Through intensive simulations (200 simulations), this study comprehensively evaluates four models including the cumulative anticipative car-following model, the Wiedemann 99 model, adaptive cruise control, and the cooperative adaptive cruise control model. Across 10 scenarios and five speed limits (24.59–33.53 m/s), the cumulative anticipative car-following model consistently demonstrates superior conflict reduction, with average, maximum, and minimum conflict percentages ranging from 77.69% to 91.97% against the Wiedemann 99 model, 67.00% to 93.94% against the adaptive cruise control model, and 69.17% to 93.25% against the cooperative adaptive cruise control model. Notably, the cooperative adaptive cruise control model exhibits suboptimal performance, especially in mixed-driver settings. The cumulative anticipative car-following model also enhances vehicle mobility, reducing average stops by up to 93.54%, 91.74%, 92.04%, 88.60%, and 91.35% in comparison to the other three models at speeds of 24.59 m/s, 26.82 m/s, 29.06 m/s, 31.29 m/s, and 33.53 m/s. Overall, the cumulative anticipative car-following model holds significant potential for conflict reduction and traffic enhancement.

Objective: To study the value of ICG molecular fluorescence imaging in laparoscopic hepatectomy for PLC. Methods: CNKI, WD, VIP.com, PM, CL and WOS databases were selected to search for literature on precise and traditional hepatectomy for the treatment of PLC. Results: A total of 33 articles were used, including 3987 patients, 2102 in precision and 1885 in traditional. Meta showed that the operation time of precision was longer, while IBV, HS, PLFI, ALT, TBil, ALB, PCR, PROSIM, RMR and 1-year SR had advantages. Conclusion: Hepatectomy with the concept of PS is a safe and effective method of PLC that can reduce the amount of IB, reduce surgery, reduce PC and improve prognosis and quality of life.

Abstract Background As an important component of accelerated rehabilitation surgery, goal-directed fluid therapy (GDT) is one of the optimized fluid therapy strategies and is closely related to perioperative complications and mortality. This article aimed to study the effect of combining plasma colloid osmotic pressure (COP) with stroke volume variation (SVV) as a target for intraoperative GDT for postoperative pulmonary complications in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Methods In this study, older patients (n = 100) undergoing radical resection of gastroenteric tumors were randomized to three groups: Group C (n1 = 31) received a conventional infusion regimen, Group S1 (n2 = 34) received GDT based on SVV, and Group S2 (n3 = 35) received GDT based on SVV and COP. The results were recorded, including the lung injury score (LIS); PaO2/FiO2 ratio; lactic acid value at the times of beginning (T0) and 1 h (T1), 2 h (T2), and 3 h (T3) after liquid infusion in the operation room; the total liquid infusion volume; infusion volumes of crystalline and colloidal liquids; urine production rate; pulmonary complications 7 days after surgery; and the severity grading of postoperative pulmonary complications. Results The patients in the S2 group had fewer postoperative pulmonary complications than those in the C group (P

Objective To investigate the effects of treadmill training on the repair of myelin structure of dorsal corticospinal tract (dCST) in mice with T10 spinal cord mild contusion. Methods Twelve adult C57/BL female mice were used to construct and verify the model of spinal cord mild contusion, and another 30 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=10): sham group, spinal cord injury (SCI) group, and treadmill training group.The mice of SCI and treadmill training groups were given unilateral (left) spinal cord contusion, while the sham group was given laminectomy only.A 4-week training scheme was conducted for the treadmill training group 1 week after SCI surgery (parameters: 12 m/min, 30 min/session, 1 time/day, 5 d/week).The primary motor cortex (M1) of mice in each group was injected with biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) to trace dCST 2 weeks before sampling, followed by the collection of tissue samples when the 4-week training finished.Then the expression levels of platelet-derived growth factor receptor α(PDGFRα), Ki67 protein, oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2(Olig2), adenomatous polyposis coli protein (APC/CC1) and myelin basic protein (MBP) were detected by immunofluorescence assay.Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also used to observe the myelination in the left dCST area.Moreover, Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) was performed in each group to evaluate the motor function of left hindlimb before injury, 1 week after injury and 1, 2, and 4 weeks after training. Results Immunofluorescent labeling showed that the ratio of PDGFRα/Ki67 double positive cells to the total number of PDGFRα positive cells, the ratio of Olig2/APC/CC1 double positive cells to the total number of Olig2 positive cells, as well as the mean fluorescence intensity of MBP in the left dCST area of the SCI group were significantly lower than those of the sham group (P < 0.01), while these indexes were higher in the treadmill training group than in the SCI group (P < 0.01).TEM results indicated that the G-ratio of the left dCST area was elevated in the SCI group (P < 0.01), but was reduced greatly in the treadmill training group (P < 0.01).Finally, the BMS scores were improved in the treadmill group at each detection time point after injury, but there was no significant difference as compared with the SCI group (P>0.05). Conclusion Treadmill training can facilitate the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocytes precursor cells (OPCs), improve the maturation of oligodendrocytes (OLs) in the left dCST region, and increase the expression of myelin related proteins, thus promoting the repair of myelin structure after SCI in adult mice.

In this paper, topology optimization(TO) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology were combined to explore the key technology of parts integration design and manufacturing oriented to performance, structure and manufacturing process. With the help of topology optimization(TO), the lightweight design of the aviation bracket achieved the weight loss goal of 87.69% in this work. The thermophysical properties of TC4 were calculated by thermodynamic calculation, and the temperatue interval of Laser Powder Bed Fusion for TC4 is 1800 °C−3000 °C was determined . Additionally, the LPBF macro-scale simulation was carried out. The results showed that the maximum temperature in the printing process is lower than 2500 °C, and the maximum displacement is 4.87 mm, which only appears in the non-design space. Finally, the safety factor and maximum displacement of aviation bracket are 1.2 and 0.8 mm, and the maximum Mises stress is 685 MPa, all of which meet the design requirements.

Both of the surface topographical features and distribution of biochemical cues can influence the cell-substrate interactions and thereby tissue regeneration in vivo. However, they have not been combined simultaneously onto a biodegradable scaffold to demonstrate the synergistic role so far. In this study, a proof-of-concept study is performed to prepare micropatterns and peptide gradient on the inner wall of a poly (D,L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) guidance conduit and its advantages in regeneration of peripheral nerve in vivo. After linear ridges/grooves of 20/40 μm in width are created on the PLCL film, its surface is aminolyzed in a kinetically controlled manner to obtain the continuous gradient of amino groups, which are then transferred to CQAASIKVAV peptide density gradient via covalent coupling of glutaraldehyde. The Schwann cells are better aligned along with the stripes, and show a faster migration rate toward the region of higher peptide density. Implantation of the nerve guidance conduit made of the PLCL film having both the micropatterns and peptide gradient can significantly accelerate the regeneration of sciatic nerve in terms of rate, function recovery and microstructures, and reduction of fibrosis in muscle tissues. Moreover, this nerve conduit can also benefit the M2 polarization of macrophages and promote vascularization in vivo.

The scientific advancements in the vehicle and infrastructure automation industry are progressively improving nowadays to provide benefits for the end-users in terms of traffic congestion reduction, safety enhancements, stress-free travels, fuel cost savings, and smart parking, etc. The advances in connected, autonomous, and connected autonomous vehicles (CV, AV, and CAV) depend on the continuous technology developments in the advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). A clear view of the technology developments related to the AVs will give the users insights on the evolution of the technology and predict future research needs. In this paper, firstly, a review is performed on the available ADAS technologies, their functions, and the expected benefits in the context of CVs, AVs, and CAVs such as the sensors deployed on the partial or fully automated vehicles (Radar, LiDAR, etc.), the communication systems for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure networking, and the adaptive and cooperative adaptive cruise control technology (ACC/CACC). Secondly, for any technologies to be applied in practical AVs related applications, this study also includes a detailed review in the state/federal guidance, legislation, and regulations toward AVs related applications. Last but not least, the impacts of CVs, AVs, and CAVs on traffic are also reviewed to evaluate the potential benefits as the AV related technologies penetrating in the market. Based on the extensive reviews in this paper, the future related research gaps in technology development and impact analysis are also discussed.

Regional atmospheric environmental problems have become increasingly prominent due to continuous urbanization in China. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with the California Puff (CALPUFF) air quality model was applied to analyze the spatial distribution and inter-city transport of primary and secondary PM2.5 concentrations from vehicles in the Guanzhong Plain (GZP) in January 2019. The results show that the secondary PM2.5 concentration emitted by vehicles was more easily dispersed than primary PM2.5. The maximum hourly average concentrations of primary PM2.5, secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA), and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) were about 18, 9, and 2 µg/m3, respectively. Exhaust emission and secondary NO3− were the main contributors to the total PM2.5 concentration from vehicles, accounting for about 52% and 32%, respectively. The maximum contribution of vehicle emissions to the ambient PM2.5 concentration was about 19%. Inter-city transport contributed about 33% of the total PM2.5 concentration from vehicles in cities in the GZP on average. Among the PM2.5 components transported in each city, SIA was the most abundant, followed by primary PM2.5, and SOA was the least. These findings will provide valuable insights for mitigating the regional PM2.5 pollution caused by near-surface sources in urban agglomerations.

Weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems are essential for efficient transportation and monitoring parameters such as vehicle number, speed, and weight to ensure regulatory compliance and enhance road safety. Recently, WIM measurements using the Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Fiber Bragg Grating (GFRP-FBG) sensors have shown robustness and effectiveness. However, the accuracy of weight evaluation using the WIM systems based on GFRP-FBG sensors can be significantly influenced by the vehicle-wandering effect, which introduces uncertainties in wheel position determination and weight calculations. This paper assessed the impact of vehicle wandering on the accuracy of a WIM measurement system based on GFRP-FBG sensors by utilizing a new hybrid sensor-camera system that integrates roadside cameras and in-pavement GFRP-FBG sensors. The detailed methodology and framework of the developed hybrid system are introduced, followed by field testing on Highway I-94 in the United States. The field testing results indicate that by using the hybrid system, the wheel load detection accuracy of the WIM system based on GFRP-FBG sensors can be controlled to be a Type I or Type III WIM according to the ASTM 1318E-09 standard, with an average accuracy ranging from 87.83% to 94.65%. At the same time, when the wander distance is less than or equal to 9 cm, the developed WIM system proves to be very cost-effective as it only comprises two GFRP-FBG sensors, one temperature FBG sensor, and one camera. These findings indicate the practical potential to enhance the accuracy of WIM systems based on GFRP-FBG sensors designed for highways for low-coast, reliable, and accurate measurements by addressing vehicle wandering effects.

Over the last two decades, metamaterials (MMs) and metasurfaces (MTSs) have been used to fabricate innovative antenna designs, offering cost-effective solutions compared to conventional radiating systems. This paper investigates the feasibility of combining MM design concepts and imaging techniques to create innovative microwave imaging systems. In particular, we present an experimental study with the aim of enhancing microwave imaging for haemorrhagic stroke detection using a new MTS design. First, we show the improvement in performance for a stand-alone MTS-loaded antenna, by studying its operating characteristics in the near and far fields. Then, we assess the performance of the MTS on the reconstruction results from simulations and measurements on two tissue-mimicking gel-based brain phantoms with a cylindrical target representing the bleeding in haemorrhagic stroke. The brain phantom was immersed inside an imaging tank filled with 90% glycerol matching liquid. To perform the image reconstructions, we used both a Huygens based radar algorithm and a DBIM-TwIST tomography algorithm. Our simulation and measurement results indicate that the proposed MTS design improves target localization and decreases image artefacts for the tomographic algorithm and enables target’s detection through our radar technique, paving the way for a hybrid microwave imaging prototype with MTS enhanced antennas.

We present an experimental validation of the distorted Born iterative method with the two-step iterative shrinkage thresholding (DBIM-TwIST) algorithm for the problem of brain stroke detection and differentiation, using an anatomically accurate, multi-layer head phantom. To this end, we have developed a gelatine-based, anatomically complex head phantom which mimics various brain tissues and also includes a target mimicking hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke. We simulated the model and setup using CST Microwave Studio and then used our experimental imaging setup to collect numerical and measured data, respectively. We then used our DBIM-TwIST algorithm to reconstruct the dielectric properties of the imaging domain for both simulated and measured data. Results from our CST simulations showed that we are able to locate and reconstruct the permittivity of different stroke targets using an approximate initial guess. Our experimental results demonstrated the potential and challenges for successful detection and differentiation of the stroke targets.

In the neutral ungrounded distribution network, the removal of permanent single-line-to-ground (SLG) fault easily leads to saturation of the electromagnetic voltage transformers (PT), which may cause ferroresonance overvoltage and PT failure. This paper analyzes the zero-sequence voltage after the removal of the SLG fault and reveals the mechanism of ferroresonance excited by the removal of the SLG fault. Then, the total power and transient energy of the zero-sequence circuit under the SLG fault are analyzed. It is deduced that the energy reaches the minimum value at the zero-cross point (ZCP) of the neutral voltage. Based on this, a permanent SLG fault removal method to avoid ferroresonance is proposed, which uses the ZCP point as the fault removal instant. Simulations in ATP-EMTP show that the proposed method can effectively avoid ferroresonance on subharmonic mode. It can also enhance the ferroresonance suppression performance of the ferroresonance suppression resistor in the fundamental-frequency and high-frequency conditions.

High-intensity human socioeconomic activities in Xi’an have caused fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns and key factors influencing PM2.5 concentration was the basic step for taking targeted measures. Thus, spatial analysis techniques are used to reveal the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of PM2.5 in Xi’an over a long time series; wavelet analysis and Geo-detector models are applied to assess the strength of the association between meteorological and socio-economic conditions on PM2.5 concentrations. The results illustrated that the average PM2.5 concentration was 40.13 μg/m3 in 2004 and peaked at 62.06 μg/m3 in 2011, before failing to 38.77 μg/m3 by 2018. The PM2.5 concentration distribution had a characteristic of high in winter and autumn but low in spring and summer, presenting a U-shaped profile. The main distribution of PM2.5 concentrations was oriented in a northeast-southwest direction, with obvious spatial autocorrelation and spatial aggregation characteristics. The resonance cycles of the meteorological and socioeconomic elements and PM2.5 concentrations were synchronous and divergent at different scales. U-wind was the influencing factor on PM2.5 concentration with a positive correlation coefficient of 0.9. Before 2011, the interaction of temperature (Tem) and relative humidity (RH) had the greatest impact on PM2.5 concentrations. Additionally, the land use and cover change (LUCC) coupled with other factors had a large influence on PM2.5 concentrations. These relationships can shed new light on the underlying mechanisms of PM2.5 contamination at the city level, assisting relevant departments in developing effective PM2.5 pollution management strategies.

The wrist is a complex joint that bridges the hand to the forearm. Patients with wrist disorders increasingly prefer minimally invasive procedures for wrist joint diagnosis and treatment. Wrist arthroscopy offers direct visualization of the structures of the joint anatomy and existing disease processes while causing minimal damage to surrounding soft tissue. However, it requires a high level of technical ability for wrist arthroscopy practitioners. Therefore, an improved focus on wrist arthroscopy training combining new educational media and traditional practice should aid in the development of novel wrist arthroscopy training mode. This article aims to describe the status of wrist training and evaluation systems and introduce a new progressive wrist training system.

With climate change and the resulting rise in temperatures, wildfire risk is increasing all over the world, particularly in the Western United States. Communities in wildland–urban interface (WUI) areas are at the greatest risk of fire. Such fires cause mass evacuations and can result in traffic congestion, endangering the lives of both citizens and first responders. While existing wildfire evacuation research focuses on social science surveys and fire spread modeling, they lack data on traffic operations during such incidents. Additionally, traditional traffic data collection methods are unable to gather large sets of data on historical wildfire events. However, the recent availability of connected vehicle (CV) data containing lane-level precision historical vehicle movement data has enabled researchers to assess traffic operational performance at the region and timeframe of interest. To address this gap, this study utilized a CV dataset to analyze traffic operations during a short-notice evacuation event caused by a wildfire, demonstrating that the CV dataset is an effective tool for accurately assessing traffic delays and overall traffic operation conditions during the selected fire incident. The findings also showed that the selected CV dataset provides high temporal coverage and similar travel time estimates as compared to an alternate method of travel time estimation. The study thus emphasized the importance of utilizing advanced technologies, such as CV data, to develop effective evacuation strategies and improve emergency management.

Clinical studies have suggested that repeated exposure to anesthesia and surgery at a young age may increase the risk of cognitive impairment. Our previous research has shown that sevoflurane can affect neurogenesis and cognitive function in young animals by altering cyclophilin D (CypD) levels and mitochondrial function. Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) migration is associated with cognitive function in developing brains. However, it is unclear whether sevoflurane can regulate NPCs migration via changes in CypD. To address this question, we treated NPCs harvested from wild-type (WT) and CypD knockout (KO) mice and young WT and CypD KO mice with sevoflurane. We used immunofluorescence staining, wound healing assay, transwell assay, mass spectrometry, and Western blot to assess the effects of sevoflurane on CypD, reactive oxygen species (ROS), doublecortin levels, and NPCs migration. We showed that sevoflurane increased levels of CypD and ROS, decreased levels of doublecortin, and reduced migration of NPCs harvested from WT mice in vitro and in WT young mice. KO of CypD attenuated these effects, suggesting that a sevoflurane-induced decrease in NPCs migration is dependent on CypD. Our findings have established a system for future studies aimed at exploring the impacts of sevoflurane anesthesia on the impairment of NPCs migration.

There is a growing demand for rapid, sensitive, field-deployable nucleic acid tests for cholera, which usually occurs in rural areas. In this study, we developed a Cas12a-assisted rapid isothermal detection (CARID) system for the detection of toxigenic V. cholerae serogroups O1 and O139 by combining recombinase-aided amplification and CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins). The results can be determined by fluorescence signal and visualized by lateral flow dipstick. We identified 154 V. cholerae strains and 129 strains of other intestinal diarrheagenic bacteria with a 100% coincidence rate. The limit of detection of CARID was 20 copies/reaction of V. cholerae genomic DNA, which is comparable to that of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and qPCR. Multiple-CARID was also established for efficiency and economic considerations with an acceptable decrease in sensitivity. Simulated sample tests showed that CARID is suitable for complex samples. In conclusion, CARID is a rapid, sensitive, economically efficient, and portable method for the detection of V. cholerae, which makes it suitable for field responses to cholera.

Transportation agencies build statistical models and predict the average crash frequency to identify hazardous road sections and make informed decisions to reduce crashes. In this paper, safety performance models (SPFs) were built and evaluated considering various pavement and roadway characteristics, including pavement friction, which is seldom available for analysis. Four count data models—Poisson model, negative binomial (NB) model, hurdle-NB model (HNB), and zero-inflated NB (ZINB) model—were built based on roadway characteristics and crash data provided by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). Pavement friction, roadway geometry, surface condition characteristics, and traffic exposure were considered the contributing factors to traffic crashes. Established models were compared in terms of the goodness-of-fit, zero inflation, and statistical significance of factors. The HNB model exhibited promising fitting performance with a manageable number of influencing variables. Coefficients in the HNB model suggest that adequate pavement friction and the presence of shoulders can significantly reduce the crash frequency and thus improve roadway safety performance. Potential issues of the statistical models, such as unobserved heterogeneity and multicollinearity, were also discussed. The relation between roadway infrastructure characteristics (including pavement friction) and roadway safety revealed in this study could assist in choosing the proper statistical model for better decision-making and selecting appropriate preventive treatments for improved roadway safety.

An energy-efficient thermal control management method for space remote sensors using optical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal integration is proposed. The satellite power resources are insufficient, so an energy-efficient loop heat pipe (LHP) is designed for six intermittently operating detectors. The charge-coupled device (CCD) has a total heat generation of 72 W and operates for 8 min per orbital cycle. The LHP includes a capillary pump, six cold plates, and two radiators. The working fluid of the LHP is high-purity ammonia and the material of the wick is ceramic. The drive power on the capillary pump evaporator automatically switches between 30 W and 90 W depending on the operating mode of the remote sensor, resulting in an average power saving of about 58.2% compared to a conventional LHP. For the optical structure, a three-stage insulation technology was developed to save heater power and improve temperature stability. A transient numerical simulation model of the LHP was developed to study the vapor–liquid zone of two radiators under the condition of rapid power change. Vacuum thermal tests were conducted and the test data agreed well with the numerical simulation results. The in-orbit temperature data showed that the temperature fluctuations of the optical structure and CCD were less than ±0.2 °C and ±0.8 °C, respectively.

Abstract Rationale, aims, and objectives Hospital‐acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) prolong hospital stays and are an important health problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of and risk factors for intensive care unit (ICU)‐acquired pressure injuries (IAPI) on the sacrum in critically ill patients in China. Methods We performed a multicenter, cross‐sectional survey of IAPI on the sacrum in 23 adult ICUs in 19 hospitals in China. Data for 421 critically ill patients were collected on December 13, 2019, and January 13, 2020, including patient characteristics, physiological, and clinical information. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for IAPI on the sacrum in the ICU. Results Forty‐one patients presented sacrum pressure injuries in the ICU, with a frequency of 9.74%. Risk factors that significantly increased the risk of IAPI on the sacrum were lower body mass index (BMI, odds ratio [OR] = 1.115, confidence interval [CI]: 1.011‐1.229, P = .029), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, OR = 3.183, CI: 1.261‐8.037, P = .014), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS, OR = 2.670, CI: 1.031‐6.903, P = .043), and a lower Braden risk score (OR = 1.409, CI: 1.197‐1.659, P

Pavement distresses are induced by mechanistic responses in pavement structure subjected to dynamic loads of moving vehicles. Pavement surface evenness deteriorates as pavement distresses propagate, which results in dynamic axle loads and faster pavement deterioration. It is vital to consider the dynamic axle load spectra to predict pavement deterioration using traffic-monitoring data. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dynamic loads and overweight traffic on asphalt pavement overlay performance using mechanistic–empirical (M–E) pavement analysis. The relationship between dynamic load coefficients (DLCs), axle loads, and international roughness index (IRI) was obtained for accurate quantification of dynamic axle loads. Then the dynamic axle load spectra were derived by shifting the static axle load spectra in weigh-in-motion (WIM) data, given the DLC value. AASHTOWare Pavement ME software was used to analyze pavement performance with static and dynamic axle load spectra, and the impact of overweight traffic on asphalt pavement overlay performance. The impact of dynamic loads on reflective fatigue cracking was distinguished at an early stage of the service period and eliminated after the 10-year analysis period, when the propagation of reflective cracking reached a specific level. On the other hand, the consideration of dynamic axle loads increased the impact of overweight truck traffic on pavement distresses, and pavement structures of major highways tend to be more sensitive to overweight traffic because of greater DLC excitement at higher operational speeds.

We present a preliminary study of microwave head imaging using a three-dimensional (3-D) implementation of the distorted Born iterative method (DBIM). Our aim is to examine the benefits of using the more computationally intensive 3-D implementation in scenarios where limited prior information is available, or when the target occupies an area that is not covered by the imaging array’s transverse planes. We show that, in some cases, the 3-D implementation outperforms its two-dimensional (2-D) counterpart despite the increased number of unknowns for the linear problem at each DBIM iteration. We also discuss how the 3-D algorithm can be implemented efficiently using graphic processing units (GPUs) and validate this implementation with experimental data from a simplified brain phantom. In this work, we have implemented a non-linear microwave imaging approach using DBIM with GPU-accelerated FDTD. Moreover, the paper offers a direct comparison of 2-D and 3-D microwave tomography implementations for head imaging and stroke detection in inhomogenous anatomically complex numerical head phantoms.

With the rapid increase of the vehicle population in the Guanzhong Plain (GZP), the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emitted by vehicles has an impact on regional air quality and public health. The spatial distribution of primary and secondary PM2.5 concentrations from vehicles in GZP in January and July 2017 was simulated in this study by using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the California Puff (CALPUFF) air quality model. The contributions of vehicle-related emission sources to total PM2.5 concentrations were also calculated. The results show that although the emissions of primary PM2.5, NOx, and SO2 in July were greater than those in January, the hourly average concentrations of primary and secondary PM2.5 in January were significantly higher than those in July. The highest concentrations of primary and total PM2.5 were mostly located in the urban areas of Xi’an and Xianyang in the central region of GZP. The contributions of exhaust emissions, secondary nitrates, brake wear, tire wear, and secondary sulfate to the total PM2.5 concentrations in GZP were 50.37%, 34.76%, 10.79%, 4.06%, and 0.04% in January and 71.91%, 11.14%, 11.89%, 5.03%, and 0.03% in July, respectively. These results will help us to further control PM2.5 pollution caused by vehicles.

Additive Manufacturing(AM) is an advanced direct-manufacturing technology, based on the discrete-stacking principle. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) is one of the most promising technologies in the field of metal AM, with the characteristics of fabricating parts with complex shapes directly. For L-PBF equipment , the core device is lasers, and almost all L-PBF printers are currently equipped with infrared laser. However, due to too low absorption rate of the pure copper surface to infrared laser and high thermal conductivity between pure copper, it is extremely challenging to fabricate pure copper by traditional infrared-laser powder bed fusion(IR L-PFB). In this work, green-laser was applied to replace traditional infrared laser during L-PBF process, molten pool structure and temperature flow behavior of Green-Laser powder bed additive manufacturing pure copper was studied by mesoscopic simulation. Here we show that green-laser greatly improved the absorption rate of the pure copper surface, and the result showed that with lower cost laser process parameters (lower laser power 300W and larger hatching space 0.08 mm), pure copper parts with smoother surface, no-remelting and no obvious defects could be fabricated successfully.