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Due to the limitations on the depth of field of high-resolution fluorescence microscope, it is difficult to obtain an image with all objects in focus. The existing image fusion methods suffer from blocking effects or out-of-focus fluorescence. The proposed multi-focus image fusion method based on local maximum luminosity, intensity variance and the information filling method can reconstruct the all-in-focus image. Moreover, the depth of tissue's surface can be estimated to reconstruct the 3D surface model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in assisted driving technologies are expected to enable future passengers to use a wide range of multimedia applications in electric vehicles (EVs). To address the bandwidth demands for high-resolution and immersive videos during peak traffic, this study introduces a bandwidth-management algorithm to support differentiated streaming services in heterogeneous vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. By leveraging cellular 6G base stations, along with Cell-Free (CF) Massive Multi-Input Multi-Output (mMIMO) Wi-Fi 7 access points, the algorithm aims to provide a high-coverage, high-speed, and low-interference V2X network environment. Additionally, Li-Fi technology is employed to supply extra bandwidth to vehicles with limited connectivity via V2V communication. Importantly, the study addresses the urgency and prioritization of different applications to ensure the smooth execution of emergency applications and introduces a pre-downloading mechanism specifically for non-real-time applications. Through simulations, the algorithm's effectiveness in meeting EV users' bandwidth needs for various multimedia streaming applications is demonstrated. During peak-bandwidth-demand periods, users experienced an average increase in bandwidth of 47%. Furthermore, bandwidth utilization across the V2X landscape is significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid advancement of autonomous driving and network technologies, future vehicles will function as network nodes, facilitating information transmission. Concurrently, in-vehicle entertainment systems will undergo substantial enhancements. Beyond traditional broadcasting and video playback, future systems will integrate immersive applications featuring 360-degree views and six degrees of freedom (6DoF) capabilities. As autonomous driving technology matures, vehicle passengers will be able to engage in a broader range of entertainment activities while on the move. However, this evolution in video applications will significantly increase bandwidth demand for vehicular networks, potentially leading to bandwidth shortages in congested traffic areas. This paper presents a method for bandwidth allocation for vehicle video applications within the landscape of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. By utilizing a millimeter-wave (mmWave), terahertz (THz) frequency band, and cell-free (CF) extremely large-scale multiple-input multiple-output (XL-MIMO) wireless communication technologies, we provide vehicle passengers with the necessary bandwidth resources. Additionally, we address bandwidth contention issues in congested road segments by incorporating communication methods tailored to the characteristics of vehicular environments. By classifying users and adjusting according to the unique requirements of various multimedia applications, we ensure that real-time applications receive adequate bandwidth. Simulation experiments validate the proposed method's effectiveness in managing bandwidth allocation for in-vehicle video applications within V2X networks. It increases the available bandwidth during peak hours by 32%, demonstrating its ability to reduce network congestion and ensure smooth playback of various video application types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) worsens inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) prognosis. While fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is effective for refractory or recurrent CDI (rrCDI), comparative success rates between IBD and non-IBD patients are scarce. This study addresses this gap. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from April 2019 to October 2023. Patients receiving FMT for rrCDI were categorized into IBD and non-IBD groups. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared at one month and one year, with successful FMT defined as the resolution of diarrhea without CDI recurrence. The study included 88 patients: 30 with IBD and 58 without IBD. The IBD group was younger, with fewer comorbidities. Success rates at one month were similar between groups (IBD: 80.0% vs. non-IBD: 78.9%, p = 0.908), as were negative toxin tests (IBD: 83.3% vs. non-IBD: 63.8%, p = 0.174). One-year success rates (IBD: 70.0% vs. non-IBD: 67.6%, p = 0.857) and eradication rates (IBD: 94.4% vs. non-IBD: 73.9%, p = 0.112) were also similar. Poor bowel preparation predicted FMT failure at one month (OR = 0.23, p = 0.019). No safety issues were reported. FMT is a safe, effective treatment for rrCDI, demonstrating similar success rates in patients with and without IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a novel approach for analyzing thin film interference spectra by employing a micro-spectrometer equipped with a spectral chip. Focusing on zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films prepared via the sol–gel method, this research aims to explore the films' physical properties through spectral analysis. After obtaining the interference spectrum of the ZnO thin films, the peak positions within the spectrum were cataloged. Mathematical simulation was used to adjust the refractive index and thickness of the films to match the simulated interference peak positions with the observed peak positions. The thickness of the prepared ZnO film was estimated to be 4.9 μm and its refractive index at 80 °C was estimated to be 1.96. In addition, the measurement system was used to detect environmental changes, including temperature changes and gas exposure. It was observed that the optical characteristics of ZnO films exhibit marked variations with temperature shifts, enabling the establishment of a temperature calibration curve based on spectral feature displacement. In addition, experiments using a variety of gases showed that NO2 and gaseous isopropanol significantly affect the interference spectrum of ZnO, with the peak of the interference spectrum shifted by 2.3 nm and 5.2 nm, respectively, after injection of the two gases. This indicates that interferometric spectroscopy can serve as an effective tool for ZnO monitoring, capable of selectively detecting specific gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice straw is not easy to decompose, it takes a long time to compost, and the anaerobic bacteria involved in the decomposition process produce a large amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), indicating that applications for rice straw need to be developed. Recycling rice straw in agricultural crops is an opportunity to increase the sustainability of grain production. Several studies have shown that the probiotic population gradually decreases in the soil, leading to an increased risk of plant diseases and decreased biomass yield. Because the microorganisms in the soil are related to the growth of plants, when the soil microbial community is imbalanced it seriously affects plant growth. We investigated the feasibility of using composted rice stalks to artificially cultivate microorganisms obtained from the Oryza sativa-planted environment for analyzing the mycobiota and evaluating applications for sustainable agriculture. Microbes obtained from the water-submerged part (group-A) and soil part (group-B) of O. sativa were cultured in an artificial medium, and the microbial diversity was analyzed with internal transcribed spacer sequencing. Paddy field soil was mixed with fermented paddy straw compost, and the microbes obtained from the soil used for O. sativa planting were designated as group-C. The paddy fields transplanted with artificially cultured microbes from group-A were designated as group-D and those from group-B were designated as group-E. We found that fungi and yeasts can be cultured in groups-A and -B. These microbes altered the soil mycobiota in the paddy fields after transplantation in groups-D and -E compared to groups-A and -B. Development in O. sativa post treatment with microbial transplantation was observed in the groups-D and -E compared to group-C. These results showed that artificially cultured microorganisms could be efficiently transplanted into the soil and improve the mycobiota. Phytohormones were involved in improving O. sativa growth and rice yield via the submerged part-derived microbial medium (group-D) or the soil part-derived microbial medium (group-E) treatments. Collectively, these fungi and yeasts may be applied in microbial transplantation via rice straw fermentation to repair soil mycobiota imbalances, facilitating plant growth and sustainable agriculture. These fungi and yeasts may be applied in microbial transplantation to repair soil mycobiota imbalances and sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Early interventions may effectively reduce the risk of mental disorders in individuals with ultra-high risk. Specifying the health needs of individuals with ultra-high risk is crucial before the implementation of successful early intervention. This study aimed to explore the differences in lifestyles, mental risks, and physical indices among individuals with ultra-high risk, patients with schizophrenia, and healthy subjects. (2) Methods: A cross-section design applying seven questionnaires with physical examinations for 144 participants aged 13–45 years old was conducted in this study. The questionnaires included one about personal data, four on mental risks, and two for lifestyles. (3) Results: The individuals with ultra-high risk scored similarly in many dimensions as the patients with schizophrenia, but they displayed lower positive symptoms, lower negative symptoms, lower prodromal symptoms, higher interpersonal deficits, lower nutrition intake, and higher levels of exercise than the patients with schizophrenia. Female individuals with ultra-high risk had lower self-esteem, higher positive symptoms, lower nutrition intake, and higher exercise levels than male ones. (4) Conclusions: The study pinpointed specific health needs with interpersonal deficits, nutrition intake, and physical activity for the individuals with ultra-high risk. Future interventions targeted on improving social function, dietary pattern, and exercise will be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the drying characteristics and structure, as well as the physicochemical and flavor properties, of G. elata treated by hot-air drying (HAD), vacuum drying (VD), freeze drying (FD), microwave drying (MD), and microwave vacuum drying (MVD). We found that MD and MVD showed the shortest drying times, while FD and MVD were able to better retain the active ingredients and color of the samples. However, the different drying methods did not change the internal structure of G. elata, and its main components did not fundamentally change. In addition, E-nose and HS-SPME-GC-MS effectively differentiated the volatile components, and 36 compounds were detected by HS-SPME-GC-MS. Of these samples, alcohols and aldehydes were the main substances identified. In particular, MVD samples possessed the most species of organic volatiles, but the FD method effectively eliminated pungent odors from the G. elata. Overall, MVD shows the most obvious advantages, improving drying rate while maintaining the original shape, color, and active components in G. elata. Ultimately, MVD is the preferred method to obtain high-quality dried G. elata, and our drying-method characterizations can be used to investigate similar structural and chemical changes to similar herbs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow characteristics of purge gas helium in the pebble bed of the tritium breeding blanket are important in analyzing the tritium purging process and optimizing the design of the solid breeder blanket. Therefore, the flow characteristics of helium gas in randomly packed pebble beds are investigated experimentally with a focus on the analysis of the pressure loss distribution. The results show that gas velocity, bed dimension, and pebble diameters have an obvious influence on the helium flow characteristics in pebble beds. With the increase in the inlet helium gas velocity, the pressure drop gradient of helium in the pebble bed gradually increased. With increases in the pebble bed dimension, the pressure drop gradient of helium in the pebble bed gradually increased. With the increase in the pebble diameter, the pressure drop gradient gradually decreased. In addition, the effect of temperature on the pressure drop of helium in the pebble bed was also preliminarily investigated. The pressure drop gradient of the helium through the pebble bed obviously increased with the increase in the helium and the bed temperature. The experimentally obtained pressure loss characteristics can be used for the validation of the simulation of a blanket pebble bed and as input parameters in the thermo-hydraulic analysis of solid-tritium breeder blankets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to enhance the durability of fuel cell systems in fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCHEVs), researchers have been dedicated to studying the degradation monitoring models of fuel cells under driving conditions. To predict the actual degradation factors and lifespan of fuel cell systems, a semi-empirical and semi-physical degradation model suitable for automotive was proposed and developed. This degradation model is based on reference degradation rates obtained from experiments under known conditions, which are then adjusted using coefficients based on the electrochemical model. By integrating the degradation model into the vehicle simulation model of FCHEVs, the impact of different fuel cell sizes and dynamic limitations on the efficiency and durability of FCHEVs was analyzed. The results indicate that increasing the fuel cell stack power improves durability while reducing hydrogen consumption, but this effect plateaus after a certain point. Increasing the dynamic limitations of the fuel cell leads to higher hydrogen consumption but also improves durability. When considering only the rated power of the fuel cell, a comparison between 160 kW and 100 kW resulted in a 6% reduction in hydrogen consumption and a 10% increase in durability. However, when considering dynamic limitation factors, comparing the maximum and minimum limitations of a 160 kW fuel cell, hydrogen consumption increased by 10%, while durability increased by 83%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a tritium-breeding blanket of a fusion reaction, helium, used as a tritium-purging gas, will purge the tritium breeder pebble beds to extract the tritium in blanket. The purge gas flow characteristics will affect the tritium extraction efficiency. The effect of the fixed wall on the pebble packing structures and purge gas flow characteristics was investigated by combining the discrete element method (DEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The results indicate that the fixed wall leads to a regular packing of the pebbles adjacent to the fixed wall in association with drastic fluctuations in the porosity of the pebble bed, which can affect the purge gas flow behaviors. Further analyses of helium flow behaviors show that the helium pressure in the pebble bed decreases in a linear manner along the flow direction, whereas the pressure drop gradient of helium increases gradually with an increase in the packing factor. The reduction in porosity in the pebble bed leads to a notable escalation in helium flow velocity. Concerning the direction perpendicular to the helium gas flow, the evolution of the cut-plane averaged velocity of helium is similar to that of the porosity, except in the region immediately adjacent to the wall. The pressure drop and flow characteristics obtained in this study can serve as input for the thermohydraulic analysis of the tritium blowing systems in the tritium-breeding blanket of a fusion reactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrying out research on the management of electrolytic manganese residue (EMR) is necessary to maintain the environment and human health. The dredged sludge (DS) and water hyacinth (WH) generated from dredging projects are potential environmental threats, and therefore suitable methods need to be found for their treatment. In this study, ceramsite was prepared by a two-step low-temperature firing method using DS and EMR as raw materials, WH as a pore-forming additive, and aluminate cement as a binder for the adsorption of phosphorus from wastewater. The optimal ratio and process parameters of the ceramsite were determined by mechanical and adsorption properties. The static adsorption experiments were conducted to study the effect of ceramsite dosage and solution pH on the removal of phosphorus. At the same time, dynamic adsorption experiments were designed to consider the influence of flow rate on its actual absorption effect, to explore the actual effect of ceramsite in wastewater treatment, and to derive a dynamic adsorption model that can provide technical support and theoretical guidance for environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in collaboration between medical imaging and artificial intelligence technology. The use of automated techniques for detecting medical symptoms has become increasingly prevalent. However, there has been a lack of research on the relationship between impacted teeth and the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) in DPR images. The severe compression of teeth against the IAN may necessitate the requirement for nerve canal treatment. To reduce the occurrence of such events, this study aims to develop an auxiliary detection system capable of precisely locating the relative positions of the IAN and impacted teeth through object detection and image enhancement. This system is designed to shorten the duration of examinations for dentists while concurrently mitigating the chances of diagnostic errors. The innovations in this research are as follows: (1) using YOLO_v4 to identify impacted teeth and the IAN in DPR images achieves an accuracy of 88%. However, the developed algorithm in this study achieves an accuracy of 93%. (2) Image enhancement is utilized in this study to expand the dataset, with an accuracy of up to 2~3% enhancement in detecting diseases. (3) The segmentation technique proposed in this study surpasses previous methods by achieving 6% higher accuracy in dental diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More understanding of the relationship among the microstructure, mechanical property, and digestive behavior is essential for the application of emulsion gels in the food industry. In this study, heat-denatured pea protein isolate particles and κ-carrageenan were used to fabricate cold-set emulsion gels induced by CaCl2, and the effect of κ-carrageenan concentration on the gel formation mechanism, microstructure, texture, and digestive properties was investigated. Microstructure analysis obtained by confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that pea protein/κ-carrageenan coupled gel networks formed at the polysaccharide concentration ranged from 0.25% to 0.75%, while the higher κ-carrageenan concentration resulted in the formation of continuous and homogenous κ-carrageenan gel networks comprised of protein enriched microdomains. The hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds played an important role in maintaining the gel structure. The water holding capacity and gel hardness of pea protein emulsion gels increased by 37% and 75 fold, respectively, through increasing κ-carrageenan concentration up to 1.5%. Moreover, in vitro digestion experiments based on the INFOGEST guidelines suggested that the presence of 0.25% κ-carrageenan could promote the digestion of lipids, but the increased κ-carrageenan concentration could delay the lipid and protein hydrolysis under gastrointestinal conditions. These results may provide theoretical guidance for the development of innovative pea protein isolate-based emulsion gel formulations with diverse textures and digestive properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging flavivirus that causes congenital syndromes including microcephaly and fetal demise in pregnant women. No commercial vaccines against ZIKV are currently available. We previously generated a chimeric ZIKV (ChinZIKV) based on the Chaoyang virus (CYV) by replacing the prME protein of CYV with that of a contemporary ZIKV strain GZ01. Herein, we evaluated this vaccine candidate in a mouse model and showed that ChinZIKV was totally safe in both adult and suckling immunodeficient mice. No viral RNA was detected in the serum of mice inoculated with ChinZIKV. All of the mice inoculated with ChinZIKV survived, while mice inoculated with ZIKV succumbed to infection in 8 days. A single dose of ChinZIKV partially protected mice against lethal ZIKV challenge. In contrast, all the control PBS-immunized mice succumbed to infection after ZIKV challenge. Our results warrant further development of ChinZIKV as a vaccine candidate in clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As assisted driving technology advances and vehicle entertainment systems rapidly develop, future vehicles will become mobile cinemas, where passengers can use various multimedia applications in the car. In recent years, the progress in multimedia technology has given rise to immersive video experiences. In addition to conventional 2D videos, 360° videos are gaining popularity, and volumetric videos, which can offer users a better immersive experience, have been discussed. However, these applications place high demands on network capabilities, leading to a dependence on next-generation wireless communication technology to address network bottlenecks. Therefore, this study provides an exhaustive overview of the latest advancements in video streaming over vehicular networks. First, we introduce related work and background knowledge, and provide an overview of recent developments in vehicular networking and video types. Next, we detail various video processing technologies, including the latest released standards. Detailed explanations are provided for network strategies and wireless communication technologies that can optimize video transmission in vehicular networks, paying special attention to the relevant literature regarding the current development of 6G technology that is applied to vehicle communication. Finally, we proposed future research directions and challenges. Building upon the technologies introduced in this paper and considering diverse applications, we suggest a suitable vehicular network architecture for next-generation video transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of polyphenylene oxides incorporating DOPO (9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide) functionality, denoted as DOPO−R−PPO, was synthesized by copolymerization of 2,6-dimethylphenol (2,6-DMP) with various DOPO-substituted tetramethyl bisphenol monomers. In the initial step, a Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction was employed to react 2,6-DMP with different acyl chlorides, leading to the formation of ketone derivatives substituted with 2,6-dimethylphenyl groups. Subsequently, the ketones, along with DOPO and 2,6-DMP, underwent a condensation reaction to yield a series of DOPO-substituted bisphenol derivatives. Finally, polymerizations of 2,6-dimethylphenol with these DOPO-substituted bisphenols were carried out in organic solvents using copper(I) bromide/N-butyldimethylamine catalysts (CuBr/DMBA) under a continuous flow of oxygen, yielding telechelic PPO oligomers with DOPO moieties incorporated into the polymer backbone. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were characterized using various analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). When compared to conventional poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide)s with a similar molecular weight range, all DOPO−PPOs exhibited higher glass transition temperatures, enhanced thermal degradability, and increased char yield formation at 800 °C without compromising solubility in organic solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature has explored carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and determined that it could be a risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), but there has been little research comparing the relevance of CAD with other neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) to CTS. This case–control study explored the association between CTS, stenosing tenosynovitis (ST), and ulnar side NMDs and CAD. The study utilized data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, focusing on health insurance claims. Between January 2000 and December 2011, we employed the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic codes to identify 64,025 CAD patients as the case group. The control group consisted of an equal number of individuals without CAD, matched for age, sex, and index year of CAD. Logistic regression analysis was employed to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each variable. Multivariate analysis, after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, revealed a significantly higher likelihood of a previous diagnosis of CTS in the CAD group compared to the comparison control group. However, neither ST nor the ulnar side NMDs had any statistical significance. These results indicated that median nerve injury, rather than other NMDs, may uniquely serve as a predisposing factor of CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power transformers are one of the most expensive and important equipment in the power system. Significant differences exist in the insulation lifespan of transformers that have been in operation for more than 20 years, and using identical maintenance or scrapping methods may result in significant economic losses. However, most existing transformer life assessment methods only consider the impact of moisture content on the life decay rate without considering the impact of oil circulation cooling modes, which leads to some evaluation errors. In this study, we established a new transformer life assessment method that considers the influence of moisture content and oil circulation cooling modes, which is more accurate than most life assessment methods. Then, the proposed life evaluation method was validated on the on-site transformers, demonstrating its accuracy and effectiveness. The novelty of this study is that it establishes a new on-site transformer life assessment method that considers the comprehensive effect of moisture content and oil circulation cooling mode, which helps to evaluate the remaining lifespan of power transformers more accurately and thus extends the transformer lifespan systematically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the increasing pollutants discharge standard, the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) module in the diesel engine after-treatment system is an important means to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. SCR systems are prone to urea crystallization at lower temperatures, especially during the cold-start conditions of diesel engines. In this study, we use the diesel engine after-treatment system test bench to obtain the boundary parameter of the simulation modules, and the urea crystallization risk assessment model of the diesel SCR system is established. Comparing the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results with the test bench results, it is shown that the predicted urea film distribution of the assessment model is in good agreement with the experimental results. In order to clarify the various factors that affect the urea crystallization risk, this paper conducts a simulation analysis on a nozzle and mixer structure and operating parameters. The CFD results indicate that the increase in urea spray time will increase the maximum urea film thickness on the SCR system mixer surface. Exhaust temperature is the most important influencing factor. When the diesel engine exhaust temperature increases from 190 °C to 300 °C, the maximum urea film thickness decreases by 32 and the urea film mass accumulation decreases by 5%. Exhaust flow has a small impact on urea crystallization risk. When the exhaust flow increases from 300 kg/h to 600 kg/h, the maximum urea film thickness decreases by 39% and the urea film mass accumulation decreases by about 1%. In addition, urea spray rate, nozzle numbers, spray angle, and spray cone angle are also factors that affect urea crystallization risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further improve the performance of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), in this paper, we designed a blocked flow channel with trapezoidal baffles, and geometric parameters of the baffle were optimized based on CFD simulation, Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and single-objective optimization methods. The analysis of velocity, pressure, and oxygen distribution in the cathode flow channel shows that the optimized trapezoidal baffle can improve oxygen transport during the reaction. The comparison of the optimization model with the straight flow channel model and the rectangular baffle model shows that the power density of the optimized model is 4.0% higher than that of the straight flow channel model at a voltage of 0.3 V, and the pressure drop is only 37.83% of that of the rectangular baffle model. For on-road PEMFC with a voltage of 0.6 V, the influence of pump power is significant, and the optimized trapezoidal baffle model has a net power increase of 1.47% compared to the rectangular baffle model at 50% pump efficiency and 3.94% at 30% pump efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve diesel engine ultra-low nitrogen oxide emission, light-off selective catalyst reduction (LO-SCR) has been suggested for better performance with lower exhaust temperature. An electric heater upstream of the exhaust aftertreatment system was applied to significantly decrease the NOx emission at a low exhaust temperature. With a 7.2 kW electric heater coupled with LO-SCR, the NOx emission during 200~500 s of the world harmonized transient cycle (WHTC) decreased from 282.6 ppm to 61.5 ppm, which is a decrease of 45%. Application of an upstream diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) decreased the NOx emission by 63% at the same interval at the cost of worse cold-start performance. The urea input was also adjusted to avoid NOx emission during the latter part of the WHTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon/carbon (C/C)-SiC composite materials have a series of outstanding advantages, such as a light weight, resistance to thermal degradation, excellent friction performance, and good stability in complex environments. In order to improve the wear resistance of the C/C-SiC composite matrix, Si/SiC coatings were prepared by a combination of chemical vapor infiltration and reactive sintering. The wear performance of Si/SiC coatings with different amounts of silicon carbide was investigated. When the carbon silicon ratio in the slurry was 1:3, the SiC particle content in the coating was 93.0 wt.%; the prepared Si/SiC coating exhibited the lowest wear rate of 3.2 × 10−3 mg·N−1·m−1 among the four coatings; and its frictional coefficient was 0.95, which was higher than that of the substrate. As the residual Si content in the coating decreased, the continuity between SiC particles in the coating was improved. Both the high hardness of SiC and the dense coating contributed significantly to enhancing the coating's wear resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of non-degradable materials have severely damaged the ecological environment. Now, people are increasingly pursuing the use of environmentally friendly materials to replace traditional chemical materials. Polyhydroxyalkonates (PHAs) are receiving increasing attention because of the unique biodegradability and biocompatibility they offer. However, the applications of PHAs are still limited due to high production costs and insufficient study. This project examines the optimal electrospinning parameters for the production of PHA-based fibrous membranes for air filtration. A common biodegradable polyester, Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), was electrospun into a nanofibrous membrane with a well-controlled surface microstructure. In order to produce smooth, bead-free fibers with micron-scale diameters, the effect of the process parameters (applied electric field, solution flow rate, inner diameter of hollow needle, and polymer concentration) on the electrospun fiber microstructure was optimized. The well-defined fibrous structure was optimized at an applied electric field of 20 kV, flow rate of 0.5 mL/h, solution concentration of 12 wt.%, and needle inner diameter of 0.21 mm. The morphology of the electrospun PHBV fibrous membrane was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were used to explore the chemical signatures and phases of the electrospun PHBV nanofiber. The ball burst strength (BBS) was measured to assess the mechanical strength of the membrane. The small pore size of the nanofiber membranes ensured they had good application prospects in the field of air filtration. The particle filtration efficiency (PFE) of the optimized electrospun PHBV fibrous membrane was above 98% at standard atmospheric pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Uremic pruritus (UP) is a common and taxing symptom in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). We have previously shown that blood lead levels (BLLs) and blood aluminum levels (BALs) were separately positively associated with UP in MHD patients. We also found that blood cadmium levels (BCLs) were positively associated with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related mortality in MHD patients. We wondered whether there is any correlation between BCLs and UP after adjusting for BLLs and BALs. (2) Methods: Patients enrolled in this study were all from three hemodialysis (HD) centers at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Lin-Kou Medical Center, including both the Taipei and Taoyuan branches. Correlations between UP and BLLs, BALs, BCLs, and other clinical data were analyzed. (3) Results: Eight hundred and fifty-three patients were recruited. Univariate logistic regressions showed that diabetes mellitus, hepatitis B virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, HD duration, hemodiafiltration, dialysis clearance of urea, normalized protein catabolic rate, non-anuria, serum albumin levels, log (intact-parathyroid hormone levels), total serum cholesterol levels, serum low-density lipoprotein levels, log (blood aluminum levels), and log (blood lead levels) were associated with UP. Although log BCLs were not significantly associated with UP (p = 0.136) in univariate analysis, we still included log BCLs in multivariate logistic regression to verify their effect on UP given that our aim in this study was to verify associations between serum heavy metals and UP. Multivariate logistic regressions showed that log BLLs (OR: 27.556, 95% CI: 10.912–69.587, p < 0.001) and log BALs (OR: 5.485, 95% CI: 2.985–10.079, p < 0.001) were positively associated with UP. The other logistic regression, which stratified BLLs and BALs into high and low BLLs and BALs, respectively, showed that high BLLs or high BALs (low BLLs and low BALs as reference) (OR: 3.760, 95% CI: 2.554–5.535, p < 0.001) and high BLLs and high BALs combined (low BLLs and low BALs as reference) (OR: 10.838, 95% CI: 5.381–21.828, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with UP. (4) Conclusions: BLLs and BALs were positively correlated with UP. BCLs were not correlated with UP. Clinicians should pay more attention to the environmental sources of lead and aluminum to prevent UP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most productive ecosystems in the world, mangroves are susceptible to cold stress. However, there is currently insufficient knowledge of the adaptation mechanisms of mangrove plants in response to chilling stress. This study conducted a comparative analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics to investigate the adaptive responses of Kandelia obovata (chilling-tolerant) and Avicennia marina (chilling-sensitive) to 5 °C. The transcriptomics results revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mostly enriched in signal transduction, photosynthesis-related pathways, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The expression pattern of genes involved in photosynthesis-related pathways in A. marina presented a downregulation of most DEGs, which correlated with the decrease in total chlorophyll content. In the susceptible A. marina, all DEGs encoding mitogen-activated protein kinase were upregulated. Phenylpropanoid-related genes were observed to be highly induced in K. obovata. Additionally, several metabolites, such as 4-aminobutyric acid, exhibited higher levels in K. obovata than in A. marina, suggesting that chilling-tolerant varieties regulated more metabolites in response to chilling. The investigation defined the inherent distinctions between K. obovata and A. marina in terms of signal transduction gene expression, as well as phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, during exposure to low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating biosensors with smartphones is becoming an increasingly popular method for detecting various biomolecules and could replace expensive laboratory-based instruments. In this work, we demonstrate a novel smartphone-based biosensor system with a gradient grating period guided-mode resonance (GGP-GMR) sensor. The sensor comprises numerous gratings which each correspond to and block the light of a specific resonant wavelength. This results in a dark band, which is observed using a CCD underneath the GGP-GMR sensor. By monitoring the shift in the dark band, the concentration of a molecule in a sample can be determined. The sensor is illuminated by a light-emitting diode, and the light transmitted through the GGP-GMR sensor is directly captured by a smartphone, which then displays the results. Experiments were performed to validate the proposed smartphone biosensor and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.50 × 10−3 RIU was achieved for sucrose solutions. Additionally, multiplexed detection was demonstrated for albumin and creatinine solutions at concentrations of 0–500 and 0–1 mg/mL, respectively; the corresponding LODs were 1.18 and 20.56 μg/mL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring dynamic balance during gait is critical for fall prevention in the elderly. The current study aimed to develop recurrent neural network models for extracting balance variables from a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the sacrum during walking. Thirteen healthy young and thirteen healthy older adults wore the IMU during walking and the ground truth of the inclination angles (IA) of the center of pressure to the center of mass vector and their rates of changes (RCIA) were measured simultaneously. The IA, RCIA, and IMU data were used to train four models (uni-LSTM, bi-LSTM, uni-GRU, and bi-GRU), with 10% of the data reserved to evaluate the model errors in terms of the root-mean-squared errors (RMSEs) and percentage relative RMSEs (rRMSEs). Independent t-tests were used for between-group comparisons. The sensitivity, specificity, and Pearson's r for the effect sizes between the model-predicted data and experimental ground truth were also obtained. The bi-GRU with the weighted MSE model was found to have the highest prediction accuracy, computational efficiency, and the best ability in identifying statistical between-group differences when compared with the ground truth, which would be the best choice for the prolonged real-life monitoring of gait balance for fall risk management in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove plants demonstrate an impressive ability to tolerate environmental pollutants, but excessive levels of cadmium (Cd) can impede their growth. Few studies have focused on the effects of apoplast barriers on heavy metal tolerance in mangrove plants. To investigate the uptake and tolerance of Cd in mangrove plants, two distinct mangrove species, Avicennia marina and Rhizophora stylosa, are characterized by unique apoplast barriers. The results showed that both mangrove plants exhibited the highest concentration of Cd2+ in roots, followed by stems and leaves. The Cd2+ concentrations in all organs of R. stylosa consistently exhibited lower levels than those of A. marina. In addition, R. stylosa displayed a reduced concentration of apparent PTS and a smaller percentage of bypass flow when compared to A. marina. The root anatomical characteristics indicated that Cd treatment significantly enhanced endodermal suberization in both A. marina and R. stylosa roots, and R. stylosa exhibited a higher degree of suberization. The transcriptomic analysis of R. stylosa and A. marina roots under Cd stress revealed 23 candidate genes involved in suberin biosynthesis and 8 candidate genes associated with suberin regulation. This study has confirmed that suberized apoplastic barriers play a crucial role in preventing Cd from entering mangrove roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandstones are enriched in deep energy reservoirs and also exist as outcrop rocks, where the pore characteristics of sandstone are influenced by hydration absorption and thermal effects. To study the influence of the initial temperature on the hydration absorption characteristics of outcrop porous sandstone in the Mogao Grottoes, China, an intelligent experimental device for rock hydration was used. The hydration absorption characteristics and temperature effects of sandstone were analyzed by using infrared thermography techniques to monitor the infrared radiation characteristics of the sandstone's surface during hydration absorption. The experimental results show that the higher the initial temperature of the rock samples, the shorter the time it takes for the sandstone to absorb enough water to reach saturation. The temperature variation of sandstone with different initial temperatures was also determined; the variation in the hydration absorption of sandstone conforms to certain rules, which can be expressed by formulae containing certain parameters. The changing trend of hydration absorption in outcrop porous sandstone shows that the hydration absorption increases rapidly at first, and then the rate of increase slows down until the hydration absorption remains unchanged after saturation. The experimental technique and method provide feasible means and techniques to evaluate the hydration absorption and thermal effects of outcrop porous sandstone, for further detecting the weathering degree of rock grottoes and revealing the damage mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil poses a significant global environmental concern, particularly in coastal wetlands. Mangrove ecosystems exhibit enormous potential in environmental purification; however, the underlying mechanisms involved in the degradation of pollutants (e.g., PAHs) remain ambiguous. In the present investigation, a soil pot experiment was conducted with the addition of pyrene to evaluate the effect of radial oxygen loss (ROL) from roots on PAH degradation using three mangrove seedlings (Rhizophora stylosa, Aegiceras corniculatum, and Avicennia marina). The results showed that mangrove plantation can significantly promote the efficiency of pyrene removal. As for the three mangrove species studied, the greatest removal rate (90.75%) was observed in the soils associated with A. marina, followed by A. corniculatum (83.83%) and R. stylosa (77.15%). The higher PAH removal efficiency of A. marina can be partially attributed to its distinctive root anatomical structure, characterized by a thin exodermis and high porosity, which facilitates ROL from the roots. The results from qPCR further demonstrate that ROL is beneficial for promoting the abundance of PAH-ring hydroxylating dioxygenase gene, leading to a higher removal efficiency. Additionally, Rhizobiales, Defferrisomatales, and Ardenticatenales may also play important roles in the process of pyrene degradation. In summary, this study provides evidence for elucidating the mechanism of PAH removal from the perspective of ROL, thereby contributing valuable insights for species selection during mangrove restoration and remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the feasibility of using biodegradable secondary alcohol ethoxylate (SAE) non-ionic surfactant as a building block for the formation of reverse micelles, functioning as reactive dye carriers for the dyeing of cotton fabric in non-aqueous octane medium. Ten dyeing parameters were optimised, by a one-factor-at-a-time approach, namely: (i) effect of colour fixation agent; (ii) surfactant-to-water mole ratio; (iii) surfactant-to-co-surfactant mole ratio; (iv) volume of soda ash; (v) volume of dye; (vi) solvent-to-cotton ratio; (vii) dyeing temperature; (viii) dyeing time; (ix) fixation time; (x) soda-ash-to-cotton ratio. The colour properties, fastness properties and physical properties of SAE-dyed samples were experimentally compared with the conventional water-dyed samples. The optimised condition was found when SAE samples were dyed as follows: (a) 1:20 surfactant-to-water ratio; (b) 1:8 surfactant-to-co-surfactant ratio; (c) 10:1 solvent ratio; (d) 40 min dyeing time; (e) 60 min fixation time; and (f) 70 °C dyeing and fixation temperature. The results showed that SAE-dyed samples have better colour strength, lower reflectance percentage and comparable levelness, fastness and physical properties than that of water-dyed samples. SEM images revealed that the dyed cotton fibres had no severe surface damage caused by an SAE-based reverse micellar dyeing system. The TEM image depicts that the reverse micelle was of nanoscale, spherical-shaped and had a core–shell structure, validating the presence of reverse micelle as a reactive dye carrier and the potential of an SAE-based reverse micellar system for dyeing of cotton fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have a high prevalence of coronary artery disease, and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is one of the essential treatments. ESRD patients undergoing CABG surgery have an increased risk of postoperative complications, including acute pancreatitis. Here, we present the unique case of an exceptionally large pancreatic pseudocyst caused by pancreatitis in an ESRD patient after CABG surgery. A 45-year-old male with ESRD under maintenance hemodialysis received CABG surgery for significant coronary artery disease. Two weeks later, he experienced worsening abdominal pain and a palpable mass was noticed in the epigastric region. Computer tomography revealed an unusually large pseudocyst measuring 21 × 17 cm in the retroperitoneum due to necrotizing pancreatitis. The patient underwent percutaneous cystic drainage, and the symptoms were significantly improved without surgical intervention. Factors such as prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time, postoperative hypotension, and intradialytic hypotension appeared to have contributed to the development of severe pancreatitis in this case. This report highlights the rarity of a giant pancreatic pseudocyst in an ESRD patient after CABG surgery and emphasizes the importance of vigilant postoperative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is expected that interconnected networks of autonomous vehicles, especially during peak traffic, will face congestion challenges. Moreover, the existing literature lacks discussions on integrating next-generation wireless communication technologies into connected vehicular networks. Hence, this paper introduces a tailored bandwidth management algorithm for streaming applications of autonomous vehicle passengers. It leverages cutting-edge 6G wireless technology to create a network with high-speed transmission and broad coverage, ensuring smooth streaming application performance. The key features of bandwidth allocation for diverse streaming applications in this work include bandwidth relay and pre-loading of video clips assisted by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Through simulations, this research effectively showcases the algorithm's ability to fulfill the bandwidth needs of diverse streaming applications for autonomous vehicle passengers. Specifically, during periods of peak user bandwidth demand, it notably increases the bandwidth accessible for streaming applications. On average, users experience a substantial 55% improvement in the bandwidth they can access. This validation affirms the viability and promise of the proposed approach in efficiently managing the intricate complexities of bandwidth allocation issues for streaming services within the connected autonomous vehicular networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of video services such as video call or video on-demand has made it impossible for people to live without them in their daily lives. It can be anticipated that the explosive growth of vehicular communication owing to the widespread use of in-vehicle video infotainment applications in the future will result in increasing fragmentation and congestion of the wireless transmission spectrum. Accordingly, effective bandwidth management algorithms are demanded to achieve efficient communication and stable scalability in next-generation vehicular networks. To the best of our current knowledge, a noticeable gap remains in the existing literature regarding the application of the latest advancements in network communication technologies. Specifically, this gap is evident in the lack of exploration regarding how cutting-edge technologies can be effectively employed to optimize bandwidth allocation, especially in the realm of video service applications within the forthcoming vehicular networks. In light of this void, this paper presents a seamless integration of cutting-edge 6G communication technologies, such as terahertz (THz) and visible light communication (VLC), with the existing 5G millimeter-wave and sub-6 GHz base stations. This integration facilitates the creation of a network environment characterized by high transmission rates and extensive coverage. Our primary aim is to ensure the uninterrupted playback of real-time video applications for vehicle users. These video applications encompass video conferencing, live video, and on-demand video services. The outcomes of our simulations convincingly indicate that the proposed strategy adeptly addresses the challenge of bandwidth competition among vehicle users. Moreover, it notably boosts the efficient utilization of bandwidth from less crowded base stations, optimizes the fulfillment of bandwidth prerequisites for various video applications, and elevates the overall video quality experienced by users. Consequently, our findings serve as a successful validation of the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke patients cannot use their hands as freely as usual. However, recovery after a stroke is a long road for many patients. If artificial intelligence can assist human arm movement, it is believed that the possibility of stroke patients returning to normal hand movement can be significantly increased. In this study, the artificial neuromolecular system (ANM system) developed by our laboratory is used as the core motion control system to learn to control the mechanical arm, produce similar human rehabilitation actions, and assist patients in transiting between different activities. The strength of the ANM system lies in its ability to capture and process spatiotemporal information by exploiting the dynamic information processing inside neurons. Five experiments are conducted in this research: continuous learning, dimensionality reduction, moving problem domains, transfer learning, and fault tolerance. The results show that the ANM system can find out the arm movement trajectory when people perform different rehabilitation actions through the ability of continuous learning and reduce the activation of multiple muscle groups in stroke patients through the learning method of reducing dimensions. Finally, using the ANM system can reduce the learning time and performance required to switch between different actions through transfer learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple food crop that provides 20% of total human calorie consumption. Gene duplication has been considered to play an important role in evolution by providing new genetic resources. However, the evolutionary fates and biological functions of the duplicated genes in wheat remain to be elucidated. In this study, the resulting data showed that the duplicated genes evolved faster with shorter gene lengths, higher codon usage bias, lower expression levels, and higher tissue specificity when compared to non-duplicated genes. Our analysis further revealed functions of duplicated genes in various biological processes with significant enrichment to environmental stresses. In addition, duplicated genes derived from dispersed, proximal, tandem, transposed, and whole-genome duplication differed in abundance, evolutionary rate, gene compactness, expression pattern, and genetic diversity. Tandem and proximal duplicates experienced stronger selective pressure and showed a more compact gene structure with diverse expression profiles than other duplication modes. Moreover, genes derived from different duplication modes showed an asymmetrical evolutionary pattern for wheat A, B, and D subgenomes. Several candidate duplication hotspots associated with wheat domestication or polyploidization were characterized as potential targets for wheat molecular breeding. Our comprehensive analysis revealed the evolutionary trajectory of duplicated genes and laid the foundation for future functional studies on wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on self-healing capsules embedded in cement composites to heal such cracks have recently been actively researched in order to improve the dimensional stability of concrete structures. In particular, capsule studies were mainly conducted to separately inject reactive healing solutions into different capsules. However, with this method, there is an important limitation in that the probability of self-healing is greatly reduced because the two healing solutions must meet and react. Therefore, we propose three-dimensional (3D) printer-based self-healing capsules with a membrane structure that allows two healing solutions to be injected into one capsule. Among many 3D printing methods, we used the fusion deposition modeling (FDM) to design, analyze, and produce new self-healing capsules, which are widely used due to their low cost, precise manufacturing, and high-speed. However, polylactic lactic acid (PLA) extruded in the FDM has low adhesion energy between stacked layers, which causes different fracture strengths depending on the direction of the applied load and the subsequent performance degradation of the capsule. Therefore, the isotropic fracture characteristics of the newly proposed four types of separated membrane capsules were analyzed using finite element method analysis. Additionally, capsules were produced using the FDM method, and the compression test was conducted by applying force in the x, y, and z directions. The isotropic fracture strength was also analyzed using the relative standard deviation (RSD) parameter. As a result, the proposed separated membrane capsule showed that the RSD of isotropic fracture strength over all directions fell to about 18% compared to other capsules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The working temperature affects the performance of PEMFC, so a reasonable and efficient cooling channel is necessary to control the working temperature in an efficient area. In this study, the channel structure of the bipolar plate for PEMFC is analyzed using the FLUENT simulation calculation method. The influence of cell size and cooling water flow direction on cell temperature distribution is analyzed, including an examination of the channel ridge width, depth, and aspect ratio of the bipolar plate. After comparing and analyzing three ridge width sizes (0.5 mm, 1.5 mm and 2 mm) in the paper, it was found that a ridge width of 2 mm had the best heat transfer performance. And it was found that a groove depth of 0.5 mm had the best heat transfer performance when comparing three groove depth dimensions (0.5 mm, 1 mm and 1.5 mm). The aspect ratio size parameters had almost no effect on the maximum and average temperatures of the electric stacks, while the relative flow direction of cooling water had a great influence on the temperature distribution of the bipolar plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the conflicts of the human–land coupling system (HLS) in the cross-border transportation corridor areas have become increasingly severe, especially in the China–Mongolia–Russia Cross-Border Transportation Corridor (CMRTC). The vulnerability assessment of the HLS-CMRTC is the key scientific issue for regional sustainable development. Based on the nearly 20 years of a scientific expedition, we set the CMRTC as the study area, constructed the vulnerability assessment index system and quantitative model, assessed the vulnerability of the HLS-CMRTC, revealed the key influencing factors, divided vulnerability risk prevention zones, and proposed the targeted optimization countermeasures. This study found that: (1) The overall vulnerability pattern of the HLS-CMRTC showed a vulnerability level gradually increasing from south to north. (2) Permafrost instability risk, land desertification, temperature increase, and backward social development were key influences. (3) Vulnerability risk prevention zones were divided into four priority and two general zones. The targeted optimization countermeasures were proposed, such as establishing an ecological security barrier, carrying out collaborative ecological risk monitoring, and early warning. The conclusions could provide a decision-making basis for the study area to reduce the vulnerability of the HLS. They could also provide reference and scientific support for achieving sustainable development of the economy and environment in similar regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee flavor considerably depends on the fermentation process, with contributing factors including fermentation temperature, oxygen concentration, and microbial diversity. Efficient controlling of the fermentation can improve the quality of coffee beverages. Therefore, several studies on coffee fermentation processes have been conducted in various regions. The objective of this study was to assess the microbial diversity of coffee beans undergoing anaerobic fermentation at various temperatures (4 °C or 37 °C) and fermentation durations (12 h or 36 h) using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing. This analysis aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the fermented metabolites against ochratoxin-producing Aspergillus niger. From our results, Acetobacter was identified as the dominant microbial community at higher fermentation temperatures, whereas Leuconostoc and Gluconobacter were the dominant genera at lower temperatures. However, at lower temperatures, changes in microbial communities were relatively slow. This study expands our knowledge of the microbial diversity involved in the anaerobic fermentation of coffee beans in Taiwan. The findings of this study can be used in future research to cultivate microorganisms linked to the quality and improve the quality of coffee beverages through fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improper Gaussian signaling (IGS) technique can improve the achievable rate of an interference-limited network by fully exploiting the second-order statistics of complex signaling. This paper addresses the outage performance analysis of a two-user downlink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system using the IGS technique in the presence of imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC). The strong channel user (SU) adopts the IGS, while the weak channel user (WU) adopts the traditional proper Gaussian signaling (PGS). Considering a practical scenario where the transmitter has obtained the statistics of the channel coefficients instead of the instantaneous channel state information (CSI), the expressions of the achievable rates of both users under residual interference due to imperfect SIC are derived, together with their outage probabilities, subject to predetermined target rates and channel statistics. Given a fixed transmit power of the WU, both the transmit power and the degree of impropriety of the SU are optimized to minimize the outage probability subject to the outage constraint of the WU. Numerical results are provided to assess the benefits of the proposed IGS-based downlink NOMA system, which are consistent with the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a promising energy conversion device due to its high reliability, fast response speed, and low pollutant emission. However, the reality of its commercial application requires further cost reduction and efficiency improvement. The material distribution in the channel and the performance of PEMFC can be improved by setting the boss inside the flow channels. In this paper, the performance of PEMFC with the boss in flow channels in a parallel flow field was analyzed by simulation. The influence of different boss arrangements and heights on gas pressure drop, distribution uniformity, gas component distribution, temperature distribution, and output performance of the fuel cell were analyzed in detail. The bosses would increase the pressure drop and the distribution uniformity of reactive gases in flow channels significantly. The cross-arrangement of bosses is better than the cross-arrangement of bosses and juxtaposition according to increasing performance and pressure drop. The cross-arrangement with a boss height of 0.4 mm is suitable for the parallel flow field in this paper. The improved scheme of flow channel design is proposed to provide a reference for fuel cells for subsequent research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia has considerable experience in the development of winter sports and ski resorts. The region around Lake Baikal possesses unique landscapes and cultural unity, making it a hot spot for winter tourism in Russia. The ski resorts around Lake Baikal are among the most attractive tourist destinations during the winter season, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists. Based on the experience of the Northeast Asia Sustainable Development Research Centre, this study includes a survey of experts from China and Russia. The study focuses on five major ski resorts near Lake Baikal. A comprehensive competitiveness assessment index system and a quantitative evaluation model for winter tourism resorts have been established, which enable a scientific evaluation of the level of comprehensive competitiveness of winter tourism regions near Lake Baikal. The study showed that the Sobolinaya ski resort has excellent competitiveness among the resorts studied, while Bychya and Istland have average competitiveness and Davan and Mamai have low competitiveness. Local natural resources and the level of infrastructure development make the most significant contributions to the overall competitiveness of a resort. The study proposes development measures, such as the creation of a winter tourism complex with the Sobolinaya resort as its core and the establishment of an international special zone for winter tourism along the China–Mongolia–Russia economic corridor. The research results can serve as a basis for decision making to improve the overall competitiveness of the winter tourism industry around Lake Baikal and provide scientific and technical support for cross-border international cooperation in the winter tourism industry between China and Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement using a 3D navigation template with the free-hand fluoroscopy technique in scoliotic patients. Fifteen scoliotic patients were recruited and divided into a template group (eight cases) and a free-hand group (seven cases). All patients received posterior corrective surgeries, and the pedicle screw was placed using a 3D navigation template or a free-hand technique. After surgery, the positions of the pedicle screws were evaluated using CT. A total of 264 pedicle screws were implanted in 15 patients. Both the two techniques were found to achieve satisfactory safety of screw insertion in scoliotic patients (89.9% vs. 90.5%). In the thoracic region, the 3D navigation template was able to achieve a much higher accuracy of screw than the free-hand technique (75.3% vs. 60.4%). In the two groups, the accuracy rates on the convex side were slightly higher than on the concave side, while no significance was seen. In terms of rotational vertebrae, no significant differences were seen in Grades I or II vertebrae between the two groups. In conclusion, the 3D navigation template technique significantly increased the accuracy of thoracic pedicle screw placement, which held great potential for extensively clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral Small Vessel Disease (CSVD) frequently affects the elderly, with inflammation playing a crucial role in related health complications, including dementia, stroke, and SVD. Studies, including animal experiments, indicate a strong link between inflammation and SVD progression. The Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) serves as a possible biomarker for ongoing inflammatory risks. A total of 720 adults aged 50 years or older from the community-based I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study were included in this study. General linear regression and ordinally logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between NLR and CSVD. We further examined the presence of lacune, microbleed, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on brain MRI, which were used to construct a combined CSVD score. The NLR was positively associated with WMH (adjusted r = 0.109, p = 0.003), microbleed (adjusted r = 0.102, p = 0.006), and lacune (adjusted r = 0.100, p = 0.008). After adjustments for smoking, drinking, and physical activity in the ordinal logistic regression analysis, age, gender, brachial Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), fasting glucose, LDL-cholesterol, and Hs-CRP were compared among subjects with low tertile (T1), medium tertile (T2) and high tertile (T3) NLR. The results showed that T2 vs. T1 had an odds ratio of 1.23 (0.86–1.77); and T3 vs. T1 had an odds ratio of 1.87 (1.29–2.71) of CSVD scores in four groups (zero (reference group), one, two, and three or more). NLR could be used to assess the state of inflammation in cerebral vessels. A significant and positive correlation between NLR and CSVD was verified in this study. However, the practical clinical application of NLR in CSVD patients and prognosis prediction should be validated through more scientific attempts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: This study develops a model for a chip-level two-phase cooling system in data centers and employs simulation to investigate its operational characteristics and performance. These findings offer valuable insights for practical implementation. As a powerful solution for heat dissipation in data centers, chip-level cooling continues to capture escalating attention in research and application domains. To accurately analyze system performance, identify potential avenues for system optimization, and inform future practical applications, we developed a steady-state, one-dimensional mathematical model for a novel pump-driven chip-level two-phase cooling system (PCTCS). This model was constructed based on our previous study and was confirmed against existing experimental data. Our simulations scrutinized PCTCS performance under default conditions and investigated the effects of key parameters, such as refrigerant type, condenser vertical positioning, and cooling water temperature. Results showed that the system could manage an 80 W power output from each CPU while maintaining CPU temperatures around 79 °C at a cooling water temperature of 45 °C. We discovered the choice of refrigerant had a significant impact on performance, with R32 outperforming R134a and R113. While the vertical position of the condenser influenced the PCTCS's internal parameters, its overall impact on system performance was negligible. Moreover, provided the chip temperature remained within a safe range, our study found that increasing the cooling water temperature improved the energy efficiency ratio of the refrigerant pump and reduced the temperature difference between the chips and the cold source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Flavivirus is a group of arthropod-borne single-stranded RNA viruses, which includes important human and animal pathogens such as Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), Zika virus (ZIKV), Dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus (YFV), West Nile virus (WNV), and Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Reverse genetics has been a useful tool for understanding biological properties and the pathogenesis of flaviviruses. However, the conventional construction of full-length infectious clones for flavivirus is time-consuming and difficult due to the toxicity of the flavivirus genome to E. coli. Herein, we applied a simple, rapid, and bacterium-free circular polymerase extension reaction (CPER) method to synthesize recombinant flaviviruses in vertebrate cells as well as insect cells. We started with the de novo synthesis of the JEV vaccine strain SA-14-14-2 in Vero cells using CPER, and then modified the CPER method to recover insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) in mosquito C6/36 cells. Chimeric Zika virus (ChinZIKV) based on the Chaoyang virus (CYV) backbone and the Culex flavivirus reporter virus expressing green fluorescent protein (CxFV-GFP) were subsequently rescued in C6/36 cells. CPER is a simple method for the rapid generation of flaviviruses and other potential RNA viruses. A CPER-based recovery system for flaviviruses of different host ranges was established, which would facilitate the development of countermeasures against flavivirus outbreaks in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporins (AQPs) are essential channel proteins that play central roles in maintaining water homeostasis. Here, a novel aquaporin gene, named KoPIP2;1, was cloned from the mangrove plant Kandelia obovata by RACE technology. The KoPIP2;1 gene was 1404 bp in length with an open reading frame (ORF) of 852 bp, encoded with 283 amino acids. Database comparisons revealed that KoPIP2;1 protein shared the highest identity (91.26%) with the aquaporin HbPIP2;2, which was isolated from Hevea brasiliensis. Gene expression analysis revealed that the KoPIP2;1 gene was induced higher in leaves than in stems and roots of K. obovata under cold stress. Transient expression of KoPIP2;1 in Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal cells revealed that the KoPIP2;1 protein was localized to the plasma membrane. Overexpressing KoPIP2;1 in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced the lateral root number of the transgenic lines. KoPIP2;1 transgenic Arabidopsis demonstrated better growth, elevated proline content, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities, and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content compared with the wild-type Arabidopsis when exposed to cold stress. The findings suggest that overexpression of KoPIP2;1 probably conferred cold tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis by enhancing osmoregulation and antioxidant capacity. This present data presents a valuable gene resource that contributes to the advancement of our understanding of aquaporins and their potential application in enhancing plant stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ribonucleotide reductases (RRs or RNRs) catalyze the reduction of the OH group on the 2nd carbon of ribose, reducing four ribonucleotides (NTPs) to the corresponding deoxyribonucleotides (dNTPs) to promote DNA synthesis. Large DNA viruses, such as herpesviruses and poxviruses, could benefit their replication through increasing dNTPs via expression of viral RRs. Little is known regarding the relationship between cellular RRs and RNA viruses. Mammalian RRs contain two subunits of ribonucleotide reductase M1 polypeptide (RRM1) and two subunits of ribonucleotide reductase M2 polypeptide (RRM2). In this study, expression of cellular RRMs, including RRM1 and RRM2, is found to be down-regulated in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected Huh7.5 cells and Huh7 cells with HCV subgenomic RNAs (HCVr). As expected, the NTP/dNTP ratio is elevated in HCVr cells. Compared with that of the control Huh7 cells with sh-scramble, the NTP/dNTP ratio of the RRM-knockdown cells is elevated. Knockdown of RRM1 or RRM2 increases HCV replication in HCV replicon cells. Moreover, inhibitors to RRMs, including Didox, Trimidox and hydroxyurea, enhance HCV replication. Among various HCV viral proteins, the NS5A and/or NS3/4A proteins suppress the expression of RRMs. When these are taken together, the results suggest that HCV down-regulates the expression of RRMs in cultured cells to promote its replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]