Search

Dynamic tracking of spinal instrumentation could facilitate real-time evaluation of hardware integrity and in so doing alert patients/clinicians of potential failure(s). Critically, no method yet exists to continually monitor the integrity of spinal hardware and by proxy the process of spinal arthrodesis; as such hardware failures are often not appreciated until clinical symptoms manifest. Accordingly, herein, we report on the development and engineering of a bio-adhesive metal detector array (BioMDA), a potential wearable solution for real-time, non-invasive positional analyses of osseous implants within the spine. The electromagnetic coupling mechanism and intimate interfacial adhesion enable the precise sensing of the metallic implants position without the use of radiation. The customized decoupling models developed facilitate the precise determination of the horizontal and vertical positions of the implants with incredible levels of accuracy (e.g., <0.5 mm). These data support the potential use of BioMDA in real-time/dynamic postoperative monitoring of spinal implants. No method exists for real-time evaluation of the status of spinal implants. Here, the authors developed a bio-adhesive metal detector array (BioMDA) that provides a wearable, non-invasive solution for positional analyses of osseous implants within the spine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At magic twisted angles, Dirac cones in twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) can evolve into flat bands, serving as a critical playground for the study of strongly correlated physics. When chiral symmetry is introduced, rigorous mathematical proof confirms that the flat bands are locked at zero energy in the entire Moiré Brillouin zone (BZ). Yet, TBG is not the sole platform that exhibits this absolute band flatness. Central to this flatness phenomenon are topological nodes and their specific locations in the BZ. In this study, considering twisted bilayer systems that preserve chiral symmetry, we classify various ordered topological nodes in base layers and all possible node locations across different BZs. Specifically, we constrain the node locations to rotational centers, such as Γ and M points, to ensure the interlayer coupling retains equal strength in all directions. Using this classification as a foundation, we systematically identify the conditions under which Moiré flat bands emerge. Additionally, through the extension of holomorphic functions, we provide proof that flat bands are locked at zero energy, shedding light on the origin of the band flatness. Remarkably, beyond Dirac cones, numerous twisted bilayer nodal platforms can host flat bands with a degeneracy number of more than two, such as four-fold, six-fold, and eight-fold. This multiplicity of degeneracy in flat bands might unveil more complex and enriched correlation physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Blood transfusion is a common perioperative complication of primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that can lead to adverse outcomes, prolonged hospital stays, and increased medical costs. The purpose of our study was to explore the risk factors for blood transfusion and to establish whether operation duration is independently related to blood transfusion risk in patients undergoing primary TKA after adjusting for other covariates. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data from a retrospective cohort study involving patients who underwent primary TKA in Singapore. The patients' baseline data, comorbidity, and surgical characteristics were collected. The independent variable was operation duration and the dependent variable was blood transfusion events. Patients were divided into three groups according to operation durations (90 and 120 min). Univariate logistic regression was used to explore the risk factors associated with blood transfusion after primary TKA. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the independent effect of operation duration on blood transfusion risk after adjusting for other covariates. Additionally, we performed subgroup analyses to identify specific groups, test the robustness of the relationships, and explore whether there were interactions between the different variables. Furthermore, restricted cubic splines (RCS) were used to identify the relationship between the two variables. Results: A total of 2,562 patients were included in the study, of whom 136 (5.61%) had a transfusion event. Operation durations were 95.55 ± 36.93 and 83.86 ± 26.29 min for blood transfused and non-transfused patients, respectively. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, BMI, ASA status, Hb level, OSA, CHF, creatinine level > 2 mg/dL, and anaesthesia type were risk factors for blood transfusion. After adjusting for all covariates, multivariate logistic regression models showed that operation duration was positively associated with blood transfusion risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.174–2.933, P = 0.007). Compared to patients with an operation duration of less than 90 min, those with an operation duration of more than 120 min had a 2.141-fold increased risk of blood transfusion (OR = 2.141, 95% CI = 1.035–4.265, P = 0.035). Stratified analysis results showed that the association persisted in patients aged > 50 years, Chinese, BMI > 30 kg/m 2, Hb level > 11 g/dL, ASA status levels 2 and 3, general anaesthesia, and unilateral primary TKA. A non-linear (P-non-linear = 0.30) and J-shaped relationship was identified. The risk of transfusion increased as the operation duration decreased or exceeded the inflection point (73.2 min). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated a non-linear and J-shaped relationship between operation duration and blood transfusion events in patients undergoing primary TKA. Blood transfusion risk was the lowest when the operation duration was 73.2 min. A shorter operation duration implies irregular surgical procedures and incomplete intraoperative haemostasis, leading to increased perioperative blood loss and blood transfusion. These results will be useful for clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the L 2 -norm stability analysis and error estimate for the explicit single-step time-marching discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods with stage-dependent numerical flux parameters, when solving a linear constant-coefficient hyperbolic equation in one dimension. Two well-known examples of this method include the Runge–Kutta DG method with the downwind treatment for the negative time marching coefficients, as well as the Lax–Wendroff DG method with arbitrary numerical flux parameters to deal with the auxiliary variables. The stability analysis framework is an extension and an application of the matrix transferring process based on the temporal differences of stage solutions, and a new concept, named as the averaged numerical flux parameter, is proposed to reveal the essential upwind mechanism in the fully discrete status. Distinguished from the traditional analysis, we have to present a novel way to obtain the optimal error estimate in both space and time. The main tool is a series of space–time approximation functions for a given spatial function, which preserve the local structure of the fully discrete schemes and the balance of exact evolution under the control of the partial differential equation. Finally some numerical experiments are given to validate the theoretical results proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamical modeling of spur gears with typical faults is crucial research topic for understanding fault features and vibration mechanisms. Meanwhile, the lubrication plays an important role in dynamic model. In this work, a novel coupled model combined dynamic model with elastohydrodynamic lubrication model is proposed by considering typical faults action mechanisms. A modified backlash error model takes into account the deformation and oil film backlash to calculate the time-varying backlash. The Runge–Kutta, multigrid integral and five-level Dmeyer wavelet transform method are combined to calculate the lubrication properties and dynamic characteristics at each meshing position along the line of action. Influences of typical faults on the contact performance, such as pressure distribution, oil film thickness, vibration response and bifurcation chaotic behavior are studied. The results show that the typical faults have a significant impact on both the lubrication and dynamic characteristics of the system. The spatial placement of faults can significantly alter the distribution of lubrication parameters. The disturbance of gear faults cause the system attractor unfold and the phase trajectory diffuse and make the system tend to be unstable. The typical faults are more sensitive at low excitation frequencies and less affected at high excitation frequencies. The research provides a basis for the fault diagnosis and detection of gearbox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to explore imaging features including tissue characterization and myocardial deformation in diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and investigate its prognostic value for adverse outcomes. Materials and methods: Patients with HFpEF who underwent cardiac MRI between January 2010 and December 2016 were enrolled. Feature-tracking (FT) analysis and myocardial fibrosis were assessed by cardiac MRI. Cox proportional regression analysis was performed to determine the association between MRI variables and primary outcomes. Primary outcomes were all-cause death or heart failure hospitalization during the follow-up period. Results: Of the 335 enrolled patients with HFpEF, 191 had diabetes mellitus (DM) (mean age: 58.7 years ± 10.8; 137 men). During a median follow-up of 10.2 years, 91 diabetic HFpEF and 56 non-diabetic HFpEF patients experienced primary outcomes. DM was a significant predictor of worse prognosis in HFpEF. In diabetic HFpEF, the addition of conventional imaging variables (left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial volume index, extent of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE)) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) resulted in a significant increase in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (from 0.693 to 0.760, p < 0.05). After adjustment for multiple clinical and imaging variables, each 1% worsening in GLS was associated with a 9.8% increased risk of adverse events (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Diabetic HFpEF is characterized by more severely impaired strains and myocardial fibrosis, which is identified as a high-risk HFpEF phenotype. In diabetic HFpEF, comprehensive cardiac MRI provides incremental value in predicting prognosis. Particularly, MRI-FT measurement of GLS is an independent predictor of adverse outcome in diabetic HFpEF. Clinical relevance statement: Our findings suggested that MRI-derived variables, especially global longitudinal strain, played a crucial role in risk stratification and predicting worse prognosis in diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, which could assist in identifying high-risk patients and guiding therapeutic decision-making. Key Points: • Limited data are available on the cardiac MRI features of diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, including myocardial deformation and tissue characterization, as well as their incremental prognostic value. • Diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction patients was characterized by more impaired strains and myocardial fibrosis. Comprehensive MRI, including tissue characterization and global longitudinal strain, provided incremental value for risk prediction. • MRI served as a valuable tool for identifying high-risk patients and guiding clinical management in diabetic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Forest soils store substantial amounts of carbon in various soil organic matter (SOM) components due to high plant litter inputs and active microbial turnover. However, the variations in plant- and microbial-derived SOM components in surface and subsurface forest soils across a wide geographic scale remain poorly understood. This study investigated the SOM components from aboveground and belowground plant inputs and fungal and bacterial necromass in surface (soil0–5 cm) and subsurface (soil5–10 cm) soils across 32 forest sites in China and analyzed their relationships with climate and edaphic factors. Compared to soil0–5 cm, soil5–10 cm exhibited lower soil organic carbon content and cutin biomarker concentration but higher concentrations of fungal necromass carbon and lignin phenols. Higher mean annual precipitation led to higher concentrations of cutin and suberin biomarkers in soil0–5 cm and soil5–10 cm, respectively. Higher soil organic carbon content was associated with lower plant-derived lignin biomarkers, higher lignin oxidation degrees, and increased microbial necromass-derived amino sugars across sites, highlighting the pivotal role of microbial necromass in SOM stabilization. Additionally, both fungal and bacterial necromass decreased with increasing mineral weathering across sites. These insights improve the understanding of environmental drivers of source-specific carbon storage in forest soils. Highlights: • There were more cutin and less lignin or fungal derivatives in 0–5 cm than in 5–10 cm soils. • MAP increased cutin derivatives (0–5 cm soils) and suberin derivatives (5–10 cm soils). • Amino sugars and cutin derivatives increased and lignin derivatives decreased with SOC. • Both fungal and bacterial necromass decreased with increasing mineral weathering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Further improvements in perovskite solar cells require better control of ionic defects in the perovskite photoactive layer during the manufacturing stage and their usage1–5. Here we report a living passivation strategy using a hindered urea/thiocarbamate bond6–8 Lewis acid–base material (HUBLA), where dynamic covalent bonds with water and heat-activated characteristics can dynamically heal the perovskite to ensure device performance and stability. Upon exposure to moisture or heat, HUBLA generates new agents and further passivates defects in the perovskite. This passivation strategy achieved high-performance devices with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 25.1 per cent. HUBLA devices retained 94 per cent of their initial PCE for approximately 1,500 hours of ageing at 85 degrees Celsius in nitrogen and maintained 88 per cent of their initial PCE after 1,000 hours of ageing at 85 degrees Celsius and 30 per cent relative humidity in air.A living passivation strategy enables dynamic self-healing of perovskite solar cells to ensure device performance and stability on exposure to heat or moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the application of choledochoscopy combined with double-cannula lavage in the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP) with encapsulated necrosis and analyzed related inflammatory indexes. Methods: Thirty patients with AP with encapsulated necrosis were enrolled and treated with choledochoscopy and double-cannula lavage. Serum white blood cell (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and related inflammatory indexes were detected before and after surgery. Results: All of the participants who underwent the surgery recovered well and were discharged without serious complications; no deaths occurred. The serum WBC, PCT, and CRP of patients after surgery decreased compared with before the procedure, and the differences in WBC and CRP were statistically significant (P < 0.05); the difference in PCT was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Postoperatively, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α levels were higher than before surgery, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The surgical method presented herein effectively controlled and alleviated the infection of patients; it also did not increase the risk of infection and can thus be considered a safe and effective surgical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recoverable strain of rock is completely classified as elastic strain in the conventional elastic-plastic theory, which often results in poor agreement between theoretical and experimental curves. This work proposes an improved elastoplastic model of rock materials considering the evolutions of crack deformation and elastic modulus to better characterize the nonlinear mechanical behavior of rock in the post-peak stage. In this model, the recoverable strain is assumed to be a combination of elastic and crack strain, and the constitutive relationship between crack strain and rock stress is deduced. Based on the proposed assumption, the evolutions of the mechanical parameters including strength parameters, elastic, plastic, and crack deformation parameters versus the plastic strain and confining stress were investigated. The developed elastoplastic model was validated by comparing the theoretical values with the results of the triaxial cyclic loading and unloading test. The theoretical calculation results show a good agreement with the laboratory test, which indicates that the improved elastoplastic model can effectively reflect the nonlinear mechanical behavior of the rock materials. The research results are expected to provide a valuable reference for further understanding the evolution of rock crack deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the normal operation of the Huangdeng Hydropower Station's reservoir, many tensile cracks were observed on the surface of the bank slope below the elevation of 1805 m along the highway, causing significant damage to local residents' production and lives. On-site geological investigation, surface and inclinometer displacement monitoring were carried out, and the deformation characteristics of the Cheyiping landslide were analyzed. A controllable intensity rainfall simulator and a reservoir water level variation simulation system were designed in our laboratory. The lower section of the highway along the river in Cheyiping small village was chosen as the prototype, and a centrifuge model test of the reactivation of the Cheyiping ancient landslide induced by rainfall and reservoir water level fluctuations was performed. The characteristics of landslide deformation, pore water pressure, and earth pressure variation under the influence of rainfall and reservoir water level changes are investigated. The thorough analysis revealed that, even if the sliding surface is not deep, the sudden drop in reservoir water level remains the primary controlling factor of slope sliding. Because the permeability of the deposit is low, rainfall has a minor impact on this ancient landslide. The experimental results can be used to guide slope prevention and reservoir management in the Huangdeng Reservoir area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable displays require mechanical deformability to conform to the skin, as well as long-term stability, multicolour emission and sufficient brightness to enable practically useful applications. However, endowing a single device with all the features remains a challenge. Here we present a rational material design strategy and simple device-manufacturing process for skin-conformable perovskite-based alternating-current electroluminescent (PeACEL) devices. These devices exhibit a narrow emission bandwidth (full-width at half-maximum, <37 nm), continuously tuneable emission wavelength (468–694 nm), high stretchability (400%) and adequate luminance (>200 cd m−2). The approach leverages a new class of perovskite zinc sulfide (PeZS) phosphors, consisting of ZnS phosphors coated with perovskite nanoparticles for electrical excitation via total intraparticle energy transfer. This strategy results in pure red and green emissions and expands the colour gamut of powder-based ACEL devices by 250%. Moreover, our processing technique facilitates the integration of PeACEL displays with wearable electronics, enabling applications in dynamic interactive displays and visual real-time temperature monitoring. These PeACEL displays offer new routes in flexible electronics and hold potential for the development of efficient artificial skins, robotics and biomedical monitoring devices. Perovskite zinc sulphide phosphors in perovskite-based alternating-current electroluminescent devices are employed as skin-wearable devices with high stretchability, monochromaticity and power efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) is the predominant pathophysiological disturbance in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by neuronal cell death and neurocognitive impairment. We focus on the accumulated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the cytosol, which acts as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) and activates the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)—stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway, a known trigger for immune responses and neuronal death in degenerative diseases. However, the specific role and mechanism of the mtDNA-cGAS-STING axis in IH-induced neural damage remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the involvement of PANoptosis, a novel type of programmed cell death linked to cytosolic mtDNA accumulation and the cGAS-STING pathway activation, in neuronal cell death induced by IH. Our study found that PANoptosis occurred in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons and HT22 cell lines exposed to IH. In addition, we discovered that during IH, mtDNA released into the cytoplasm via the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) activates the cGAS-STING pathway, exacerbating PANoptosis-associated neuronal death. Pharmacologically inhibiting mPTP opening or depleting mtDNA significantly reduced cGAS-STING pathway activation and PANoptosis in HT22 cells under IH. Moreover, our findings indicated that the cGAS-STING pathway primarily promotes PANoptosis by modulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Inhibiting or silencing the cGAS-STING pathway substantially reduced ER stress-mediated neuronal death and PANoptosis, while lentivirus-mediated STING overexpression exacerbated these effects. In summary, our study elucidates that cytosolic escape of mtDNA triggers cGAS-STING pathway-dependent neuronal PANoptosis in response to IH, mainly through regulating ER stress. The discovery of the novel mechanism provides theoretical support for the prevention and treatment of neuronal damage and cognitive impairment in patients with OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Flood susceptibility modeling is crucial for rapid flood forecasting, disaster reduction strategies, evacuation planning, and decision-making. Machine learning (ML) models have proven to be effective tools for assessing flood susceptibility. However, most previous studies have focused on individual models or comparative performance, underscoring the unique strengths and weaknesses of each model. In this study, we propose a stacking ensemble learning algorithm that harnesses the strengths of a diverse range of machine learning models. The findings reveal the following: (1) The stacking ensemble learning, using RF-XGB-CB-LR model, significantly enhances flood susceptibility simulation. (2) In addition to rainfall, key flood drivers in the study area include NDVI, and impervious surfaces. Over 40% of the study area, primarily in the northeast and southeast, exhibits high flood susceptibility, with higher risks for populations compared to cropland. (3) In the northeast of the study area, heavy precipitation, low terrain, and NDVI values are key indicators contributing to high flood susceptibility, while long-duration precipitation, mountainous topography, and upper reach vegetation are the main drivers in the southeast. This study underscores the effectiveness of ML, particularly ensemble learning, in flood modeling. It identifies vulnerable areas and contributes to improved flood risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiferroic Ba2CuGe2O7 was anticipated as a potential member of the exciting group of materials hosting a skyrmion or vortex lattice because of its profound Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) and the absence of single ion anisotropy (SIA). This phase, however, could not be evidenced and instead, it exhibits a complex incommensurate antiferromagnetic (AFM) cycloidal structure. Its sister compound Ba2MnGe2O7, in contrast, is characterized by a relatively strong in-plane exchange interaction that competes with a non-vanishing SIA and the weak DMI, resulting in a quasi-two-dimensional commensurate AFM structure. Considering this versatility in the magnetic interactions, a mixed solid solution of Cu and Mn in Ba2Cu1−xMnxGe2O7 can hold an interesting playground for its interactive DMI and SIA depending on the mixed spin states of the transition metal ions towards the skyrmion physics. Here, we present a detailed study of the micro- and macroscopic spin structure of the Ba2Cu1−xMnxGe2O7 solid solution series using high-resolution neutron powder diffraction techniques. We have developed a remarkably rich magnetic phase diagram as a function of the applied magnetic field and x, which consists of two end-line phases separated by a potentially quantum-critical phase at x = 0.57. An AFM conical structure at zero magnetic field is demonstrated to persist up to x = 0.50. Our results provide crucial information on the spin structure and magnetic properties, which are necessary for the general understanding and theoretical developments on multiferroicity in the frame of skyrmion type or frustrated AFM lattice where DMI and SIA play an important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retrosynthesis is a crucial task in drug discovery and organic synthesis, where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly employed to expedite the process. However, existing approaches employ token-by-token decoding methods to translate target molecule strings into corresponding precursors, exhibiting unsatisfactory performance and limited diversity. As chemical reactions typically induce local molecular changes, reactants and products often overlap significantly. Inspired by this fact, we propose reframing single-step retrosynthesis prediction as a molecular string editing task, iteratively refining target molecule strings to generate precursor compounds. Our proposed approach involves a fragment-based generative editing model that uses explicit sequence editing operations. Additionally, we design an inference module with reposition sampling and sequence augmentation to enhance both prediction accuracy and diversity. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our model generates high-quality and diverse results, achieving superior performance with a promising top-1 accuracy of 60.8% on the standard benchmark dataset USPTO-50 K. Retrosynthesis aims to identify synthesis solutions for compounds in drug discovery. Here, the authors frame it as a molecular string editing task and utilize an iterative string editing model to provide high-quality and diverse solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the status and influencing factors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A questionnaire on COVID-19 vaccination in patients with COPD was developed. The clinical characteristics, COVID-19 vaccination status, other relevant vaccinations, and vaccination status of the patients with COPD were collected anonymously. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination in patients with COPD. There were 1898 returned questionnaires, of which 1874 were valid. The proportion of patients who completed the COVID-19 vaccination program was 78.60%. Factors influencing the COVID-19 vaccination rate were: the age of individuals who were 75–85 years old and > 85 years old, acute exacerbation 3–4 times in the previous year, comorbid cardiovascular and endocrine system diseases, failure to take regular medication for COPD, application of non-invasive ventilation machines, believing that their current health condition has deteriorated, believing that the current COVID-19 vaccine is not safe, medical staff not specifying whether they would recommend vaccination against COVID-19, medical staff not recommending the COVID-19 vaccine, and fear of adverse reactions and aggravation of COPD. Patients with COPD had a high COVID-19 vaccination rate in China, whereas patients with pneumonia, influenza, and herpes zoster had a low vaccination rate. Improving the patients' understanding of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and promoting effective communication between medical staff and patients would help increase the vaccination rate of patients with COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saline-sodic stress restricts the absorption of zinc by rice, consequently impacting the photosynthesis process of rice plants. In this experiment, Landrace 9 was selected as the test material and the potting method was employed to investigate the influence of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on zinc absorption and chlorophyll fluorescence in rice grown in saline-sodic land. The research findings demonstrate that the application of ZnO NPs proves to be more advantageous for the growth of rice in saline-sodic soil. Notably, the application of ZnO NPs significantly decreases the levels of Na+ and MDA in rice leaves in saline-sodic soil, while increasing the levels of K+ and Zn2+. Additionally, ZnO NPs enhances the content of chloroplast pigments, specific energy flux, quantum yield, and the performance of active PSII reaction center (PIABS) in rice leaves under saline-sodic stress. Furthermore, the relative variable fluorescence (WK and VJ) and quantum energy dissipation rate (φDo) of rice are also reduced. Therefore, the addition of ZnO NPs enhances the transfer of electrons and energy within the rice photosystem when subjected to saline-sodic stress. This promotes photosynthesis in rice plants growing in saline-sodic land, increasing their resistance to saline-sodic stress and ultimately facilitating their growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a blind area information perception and guidance approach for dynamic context is proposed as a solution to the issue of difficult and time-consuming assembly in blind areas. The proposed approach involves the utilization of real-time RGBD data to perceive both blind area context and operator hand information. The resulting data is then used to visualize the blind area scene and provide assembly guidance through the application of augmented reality technology. Unlike conventional methods, the proposed solutions are based on dynamic RGBD data rather than static predefined CAD models, making it simpler to configure and adapt to more scenarios. A user study was designed and conducted to confirm the feasibility of the suggested approach. The results indicate that the suggested approach can decrease assembly time by 49.5%, greatly lower the percentage of assembly errors, reduce the mental load on the workers, and significantly enhance their operational experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been confirmed to regulate neurodegenerative diseases. This study was aimed to explore hsa_circ_0054220 functions in PD. MPP-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells were established as the PD cell model. PD mouse model was established by MPTP. Gene expression in cells and tissues was tested by RT-qPCR. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated through CCK-8 and TUNEL assays. The interactions of RNAs were determined by RNA pull-down assay, RIP assay, and luciferase reporter assay. Circ_0054220 expressed at a high level in MPP-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Circ_0054220 inhibition promoted viability and suppressed apoptosis in MPP-stimulated cells. Furthermore, we found that circ_0054220 can competitively bind to miR-145 and miR-625 to upregulate high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) expression. HMGA1 was positively regulated by circ_0054220 and overexpressed in MPP-treated cells as well as the striatum (STR), substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), and serum of MPTP-induced mouse model of PD. HMGA1 overexpression counteracted the function of circ_0054220 silencing on cell apoptosis. Furthermore, HMGA1 inhibition notably alleviated motor dysfunction and increased the quantity of neurons in mice resembling PD. Circ_0054220 upregulates HMGA1 by the competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) pattern to promote neural impairment in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In coal mining regions, soil organic carbon content is elevated by the deposition of coal dust through natural settling and transportation. However, the contribution of organic carbon content from coal dust of varying coalification degrees is inconsistent. Its active involvement in soil carbon transformation processes and its influence on soil bacterial communities remain to be elucidated. Methods: This study conducted a 120-day indoor constant-temperature soil incubation experiment, with sampling carried out at 5, 15, 30, 50, 80, and 120 days of incubation. The research aimed to investigate the impact mechanisms of three coalification degrees of coal dust, lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite, along with a corresponding control group, on soil carbon dioxide (CO2-C) accumulation mineralization, soil active organic carbon, and soil bacterial community structure. Results: Lignite exhibited the highest promotion of soil CO2-C mineralization, showing a 9.74% increase compared to the control (CK). The impact of the three types of coal dust on soil readily oxidizable organic carbon (ROC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content decreased to varying degrees with increasing incubation time. Furthermore, coal dust was found to enhance the prevalence of dominant bacterial taxa in the soil, with an increase in groups such as Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria, and the extent of the increase was correlated with the coalification degree. Conclusion: Coal dust with lower coalification degrees has a stronger impact on the soil compared to higher coalification degrees, and these effects tend to manifest in the short term. Therefore, further exploration of this aspect should focus on long-term effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mechanical system fault diagnosis is essential to save costs and ensure safety. Generally, rotating machinery operates in nonstationary cases, which makes fault features complex and difficult to identify. However, existing fault diagnosis methods have the following limitations. (1) Consider only time or frequency domain features fusion. (2) Extract the fusion features representation only in the Euclidean domain. Based on that, a novel method based on multisensory time-frequency features fusion and graph attention network is proposed for rotating machinery fault diagnosis under the nonstationary case. First, the multi-sensor time series are converted into multi-sensor time-frequency maps by image-to-matrix, matrix concatenation, and matrix-to-image operations. Then, simple linear iterative clustering is applied to make the superpixels in the multi-sensor time-frequency maps into nodes and form graphs based on color and texture features. Finally, the graph attention network with residual connection is applied to distinguish the rotating machinery's health status. The proposed method is verified using gearbox test rig data and bearing public data, respectively. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method can provide more reliable and accurate fault diagnosis results for rotating machinery than other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

METTL3 is the catalytic subunit of the methyltransferase complex, which mediates m6A modification to regulate gene expression. In addition, METTL3 regulates transcription in an enzymatic activity-independent manner by driving changes in high-order chromatin structure. However, how these functions of the methyltransferase complex are coordinated remains unknown. Here we show that the methyltransferase complex coordinates its enzymatic activity-dependent and independent functions to regulate cellular senescence, a state of stable cell growth arrest. Specifically, METTL3-mediated chromatin loops induce Hexokinase 2 expression through the three-dimensional chromatin organization during senescence. Elevated Hexokinase 2 expression subsequently promotes liquid-liquid phase separation, manifesting as stress granule phase separation, by driving metabolic reprogramming. This correlates with an impairment of translation of cell-cycle related mRNAs harboring polymethylated m6A sites. In summary, our results report a coordination of m6A-dependent and -independent function of the methyltransferase complex in regulating senescence through phase separation driven by metabolic reprogramming. Here, the authors report that METTL3 orchestrates cellular senescence by coordinating its enzymatic activity-dependent and independent functions. METTL3-mediated chromatin loops induce phase separation via metabolic reprogramming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades boreal wildfires have occurred frequently over eastern Siberia, leading to increased emissions of carbon dioxide and pollutants. However, it is unclear what factors have contributed to recent increases in these wildfires. Here, using the data we show that background eastern Siberian Arctic warming (BAW) related to summer Russian Arctic sea-ice decline accounts for ~79% of the increase in summer vapor pressure deficit (VPD) that controls wildfires over eastern Siberia over 2004-2021 with the remaining ~21% related to internal atmospheric variability associated with changes in Siberian blocking events. We further demonstrate that Siberian blocking events are occurring at higher latitudes, are more persistent and have larger zonal scales and slower decay due to smaller meridional potential vorticity gradients caused by stronger BAW under lower sea-ice. These changes lead to more persistent, widespread and intense high-latitude warming and VPD, thus contributing to recent increases in eastern Siberian high-latitude wildfires. Rapid summer Russian Arctic sea-ice decline is responsible for about 80% of the increase in vapor pressure deficit controlling wildfires over eastern Siberia. The rest is controlled by internal atmospheric variability related to changes in Siberian blocking events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermenting Chinese medicinal herbs could enhance their bioactivities. We hypothesized probiotic-fermented gastrodia elata Blume (GE) with better potential to alleviate insomnia than that of unfermented, thus the changes in chemical composition and the insomnia-alleviating effects and mechanisms of fermented GE on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced insomnia zebrafish were explored via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectroscopy-coupled HPLC (HPLC-MS), phenotypic, transcriptomic, and metabolomics analysis. The results demonstrated that probiotic fermented GE performed better than unfermented GE in increasing the content of chemical composition, reducing the displacement, average speed, and number of apoptotic cells in zebrafish with insomnia. Metabolomic investigation showed that the anti-insomnia effect was related to regulating the pathways of actin cytoskeleton and neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions. Transcriptomic and reverse transcription qPCR (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed that secondary fermentation liquid (SFL) significantly modulated the expression levels of neurod1, msh2, msh3, recql4, ercc5, rad5lc, and rev3l, which are mainly involved in neuron differentiation and DNA repair. Collectively, as a functional food, fermented GE possessed potential for insomnia alleviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon materials have excellent thermophysical properties, and different dimensions of carbon materials are attractive candidates for enhancing high-performance aluminum matrix composites for thermal management. This paper reviews the preparation processes of carbon/aluminum composite materials in various dimensions and summarizes the main factors affecting the thermal conductivity of carbon/aluminum composites from the perspectives of metal matrix, reinforcement, and interface. Finally, we summarize the experimental progress of interfacial modification of different carbon/aluminum composites and put forward the future research direction in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescence (PL) colour-changing materials in response to photostimulus play an increasingly significant role in intelligent applications for their programmability. Nevertheless, current research mainly focuses on photochemical processes, with less attention to PL transformation through uniform aggregation mode adjustment. Here we show photochromic luminescence in organic crystals (e.g. dimethyl terephthalate) with PL varying from dark blue to purple, then to bright orange-red, and finally to red. This change is attributed to the emergence of clusters with red emission, which is barely achieved in single-benzene-based structures, thanks to the subtle molecular rearrangements prompted by light. Crucial to this process are the through-space electron interactions among molecules and moderate short contacts between ester groups. The irradiated crystals exhibit reversible PL transformation upon sufficient relaxation, showing promising applications in information storage and smart optoelectronic devices. This research contributes to the development of smart photochromic luminescent materials with significant PL colour transformations through molecular rearrangement. Color-changing emissions in organic crystals are often realized via photochemical reactions of their molecules. Here, the authors demonstrate reversible color change through more simple molecular rearrangements with application in encryption and data storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Danshen, a prominent herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is known for its potential to enhance physiological functions such as blood circulation, immune response, and resolve blood stasis. Despite the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination efforts, some individuals still face severe complications post-infection, including pulmonary fibrosis, myocarditis arrhythmias and stroke. This study employs a network pharmacology and molecular docking approach to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of candidate components and targets from Danshen in the treatment of complications in COVID-19. Candidate components and targets from Danshen were extracted from the TCMSP Database, while COVID-19-related targets were obtained from Genecards. Venn diagram analysis identified common targets. A Protein–Protein interaction (PPI) network and gene enrichment analysis elucidated potential therapeutic mechanisms. Molecular docking evaluated interactions between core targets and candidate components, followed by molecular dynamics simulations to assess stability. We identified 59 potential candidate components and 123 targets in Danshen for COVID-19 treatment. PPI analysis revealed 12 core targets, and gene enrichment analysis highlighted modulated pathways. Molecular docking showed favorable interactions, with molecular dynamics simulations indicating high stability of key complexes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves validated the docking protocol. Our study unveils candidate compounds, core targets, and molecular mechanisms of Danshen in COVID-19 treatment. These findings provide a scientific foundation for further research and potential development of therapeutic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a type of intestinal cancer that causes more than 600,000 deaths every year. Overcoming the problems of metastasis requires detailed studies to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms. This study aims to reveal the molecular mechanism of CRC metastasis involving non-coding RNA regulation. The expression profile of FTH1P3 was analyzed based on the data of TCGA-COAD patient cohorts. Q-PCR analysis was performed to validate the expression of FTH1P3 in colorectal cancer cells. JASPR was used to screen transcription factors of FTH1P3. q-ChIP analysis was used to validate the target between FTH1P3 and transcription factor. Scratch assay and transwell assay were used to evaluate the migration and invasion ability of colorectal cancer cells. FTH1P3 is highly expressed in CRC patient cohort. FTH1P3 induced migration and invasion of SW480 cell through regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, FTH1P3 is a direct target of SNAI2. SNAI2 promotes the expression of FTH1P3. Both FTH1P3 and SNAI2 were directly targeted and repressed by miR-218-5p. Interestingly, ectopic FTH1P3 caused a decreased miR-218-5p level and an elevated nucleic SNAI2 protein expression level. Of note, only ectopic SNAI2 protein resulted in a repressed miR-218-5p and an increased FTH1P3, whereas SNAI2 3'UTR failed to affect the expression of miR-218-5p and FTH1P3. SNAI2 transcriptionally activates FTH1P3 expression. Both SNAI2 and FTH1P3 are targets of miR-218-5p. SNAI2/FTH1P3/miR-218-5p form a positive feedback loop in the regulation of CRC metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excellent mechanical and electric properties enable the piezoelectric materials to be widely and dynamic aero-mechanical-electric coupling properties of the piezoelectric plate structures can significantly affect performance of aircrafts flying in high speed. This paper is focused on the flutter behaviors of the functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) plate in supersonic airflow. The first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is employed to formulate the energy functional of the FGPM plate with general boundary conditions. The supersonic air flow is taken into account using the supersonic piston theory. The governing equations for the aero-mechanical-electric coupling system are deduced on basis of the Hamilton's principle. To address the limitation of intricate boundary conditions to the admissible functions, a modified Fourier series is introduced to yield the unified solutions of the FGPM plate subject to supersonic airflow and with arbitrary boundary conditions. Flutter properties of series of FGPM plates are investigated to demonstrate robust ability of the proposed method to accurately yet consistency include the aero-elastic-electric coupling, inhomogeneous material and arbitrary boundary conditions. The influences of the boundary condition, material constituent, external voltage and yawed flow angle on the vibration, and flutter behaviors of the FGPM plate are examined. Adjusting corresponding parameters accordingly can significantly improve the stability of the plate structures subject to supersonic airflow, which provides physical insights into dynamic optimal design of the plate structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Agroforestry biowaste compiles large amount of solid waste, which could be pyrolyzed into biochar and applied as soil amendment. The application of biochar has emerged as an excellent tool to mitigated the greenhouse gases emissions. However, effects of biochar could be varied according to soil type, feedstock type and rate of biochar application. Materials and methods: We studied the effect of three types of biochar (FS, fruit shell of Camellia oleifera-based; MS, spent mushroom substrate-based and RS, rice straw-based) on N2O emissions with nitrogen treatment N (urea, 0 and 0.02%) from and two soils with different origin (rice paddy soil, RPS and C. oleifera plantation soil, CPS). Results and discussion: FS and MS biochar significantly reduced N2O emissions in fertilized CPS by 66% and 33%, respectively, while that in RPS were increased by 74% and 49%, respectively. After RS biochar addition, N2O emissions were decreased by 82% only in fertilized CPS, indicating that FS and MS biochar applied in soil with the same origin as those of biochar feedstocks efficiently mitigated N2O emission rates. The relatively lower soil pH in CPS increased profoundly relative to RPS after biochar was added which contributed substantially to N2O emissions reduction, that result could be supported by the increased abundance of nosZ in RPS with nitrogen and biochar. Simultaneously, the higher soluble C and N of MS and FS biochar could increase that of RPS after application, which could further enhance N2O emissions in RPS. Conclusions: Biochar mitigated more N2O in soils with the same origin as that of biochar feedstocks compared with that of different origin ecosystems. Mitigating N2O emissions should consider the origin ecosystem of both biochar feedstock and soils, both of which profoundly impact the outcome of soil N2O mitigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current investigation, X70 pipeline steel plate was welded using submerged-arc welding. Thereafter, a (Fe0.5Ni0.2)61Cr9Co6Si1.5B17.5Nb5 amorphous alloy coating with a thickness of 400 ± 30 μm was successfully deposited on the surface of welded X70 pipeline steel by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF). The corrosion resistance of the substrate and coating in acidic environments was discussed, and the corrosion mechanisms were analyzed. The results show that the coating is completely amorphous with a dense microstructure, showing a typical thermal spray laminar flow-like structure. The corrosion potential (Ecorr) and self-corrosion current density (Icorr) are − 396 mV and 2.061 × 10−6 A/cm2, respectively. The Ecorr of all coatings is better than that of substrate. The coating A, where the BM zone is located, has the largest capacitance resistance arc radius and the smallest Icorr (1.427 × 10−7 A/cm2), which provides the best corrosion resistance. The maximum Icorr of the coating (Icorr = 2.320 × 10−7 A/cm2) is one order of magnitude lower than the minimum Icorr of the substrate (Icorr = 2.061 × 10−6 A/cm2), which indicates that the coating has better corrosion resistance than the substrate. The corrosion mechanism of the coating in H2SO4 solution is active dissolution of metal elements in the coating (initial stage) and passivation film protection coating (later stage). This work provides a very valuable idea to solve the problem of corrosion failure of X70 pipeline steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the genetic diversity and genetic characteristics of wild plant germplasm can provide insights for better utilization and conservation of genetic resources. Bunchgrass species in the genus Elymus are important for forage and grassland restoration in Northwest China. In this study, eight phenotypic traits were evaluated in 81 accessions of four Elymus species in the northwest region of China, and genetic diversity analysis was performed using 16 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. In the phenotypic trait analysis, Elymus sibiricus had the highest coefficient of variation for single-plant weight (58.24%) and the lowest coefficient of variation for the number of spikelets (0.005%). Clustering based on phenotypic traits placed cultivars into four groups, which were also supported by principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 16 pairs of SSR markers were screened with high polymorphism, with a polymorphism information content (PIC) range of 0.3648–0.7794 and an interspecific PIC range of 0.465–0.611 in Elymus species. The unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean approach applied to SSR marker data also divided the 81 accessions into four groups, similar to the results based on phenotypic traits. The results of PCA and population structure analysis based on SSR data were similar. The findings presented here will facilitate the collection and conservation of Elymus germplasm resources and provide theoretical references for the future classification, breeding, innovation, utilization, and conservation of germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing complexity of products, the utilization of automated requirements classification in the process of requirement engineering is of positive significance to improve the efficiency of product development. There have been many experiments on the requirements classification based on artificial intelligence. However, many studies only use a single feature in semantic features or statistical features to classify requirements and put forward the problem of small-scale requirement datasets caused by the confidentiality of requirement data, which limits the application research of requirement classification in a large number of fields. Therefore, we propose a requirement classification model that integrates semantic and statistical features, and design a federated learning framework based on knowledge distillation without centralized servers in a ring architecture. In this paper, we extract a large amount of requirement data from a large number of requirement documents, and conduct experiments in the centralized learning environment and the federated learning environment respectively. The final experimental results show that our method can maintain the confidentiality of the requirement data and improve the communication efficiency in the process of model training with a slight decrease in the effect of requirement classification compared with centralized learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) and CD8 + T-cells are potential prognostic indicators for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We established a novel scoring system for evaluating the risk for PDAC based on TLS- and CD8 + T-cell-related genes. Methods: We analyzed single-cell sequence data from PDAC patients in the Genome Sequence Archive. Bioinformatics and machine algorithms established and validated a scoring method (T-C score) based on PDAC survival-related genes highly expressed in TLSs and CD8 + T-cells. Patients were stratified into the low- and high-T-C score groups. Differences in survival, pathway enrichment, mutation status, immune cell infiltration, expression of immune checkpoint-associated genes, tumor stemness, and response to antitumor therapy were compared through computer simulation methods. Results: Overall survival differed significantly between the training and validation cohorts’ low- and high-T-C score groups. The low-T-C score group correlated with lower tumor mutation burden and lower levels of tumor stemness compared with the high-T-C score group. Patients with lower T-C scores exhibited advantages in immunotherapeutic responses and might be more sensitive to the chemotherapeutic regimen and multi-kinase inhibitors. Conclusion: The T-C score could serve as an effective model for predicting the survival and therapeutic responses of patients with PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of different receptors are distributed in glutamatergic neurons of the lateral habenula (LHb). These glutamatergic neurons are involved in different neural pathways, which may identify how the LHb regulates various physiological functions. However, the role of dopamine D1 receptor (D1R)-expressing habenular neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) (LHbD1R–VTA) remains not well understood. In the current study, to determine the activity of D1R-expressing neurons in LHb, D1R-Cre mice were used to establish the chronic restraint stress (CRS) depression model. Adeno-associated virus was injected into bilateral LHb in D1R-Cre mice to examine whether optogenetic activation of the LHb D1R-expressing neurons and their projections could induce depression-like behavior. Optical fibers were implanted in the LHb and VTA, respectively. To investigate whether optogenetic inhibition of the LHbD1R–VTA circuit could produce antidepressant-like effects, the adeno-associated virus was injected into the bilateral LHb in the D1R-Cre CRS model, and optical fibers were implanted in the bilateral VTA. The D1R-expressing neuronal activity in the LHb was increased in the CRS depression model. Optogenetic activation of the D1R-expressing neurons in LHb induced behavioral despair and anhedonia, which could also be induced by activation of the LHbD1R–VTA axons. Conversely, optogenetic inhibition of the LHbD1R–VTA circuit improved behavioral despair and anhedonia in the CRS depression model. D1R-expressing glutamatergic neurons in the LHb and their projections to the VTA are involved in the occurrence and regulation of depressive-like behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantitative estimation of key parameters of paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation is crucial for paleoclimate reconstruction. Geochemical data from modern sediments are highly consistent with climate data, and their relationship can provide an important reference for the quantitative reconstruction of the paleoclimate. In this study, detailed inorganic geochemical analysis was carried out using high-precision sampling of the Paleogene (LFD-1 well) Guchengzi, Jijuntun and Xiloutian Formations in the Fushun Basin located in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The Eocene Guchengzi Formation (54.51–47.8 Ma) and Jijuntun Formation (47.8–41.2 Ma) in the Fushun Basin were found to have been deposited under a humid climate. The lower (41.2–40.1 Ma) and upper (40.1–37.8 Ma) parts of the Xiloutian Formation were characterized by semiarid and semihumid–semiarid climates, respectively, which is very similar to the paleoclimatic information reflected by organic carbon isotopes. The Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM2, ~ 53.7 Ma), Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO, ~ 53.1–46.5 Ma, Eocene Thermal Maximum 3 (ETM 3, ~ 52.8 Ma), and Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO, ~ 40.7–40.1 Ma) events significantly enhanced chemical weathering during these periods. The rapid increase in pCO2 concentration leads to an increase in temperature, precipitation, and surface runoff, exhibiting strong chemical weathering. The mean annual temperature (MATa) and mean annual precipitation (MAPa, MAPb, and MAPc) were estimated using parameters, such as the corrosion index without potassium (CIA-K), CaO/Al2O3, and (Na2O + K2O)/Al2O3. Comparing MAPa, MAPb, and MAPc with the MAP estimated using pollen data, MAPa and MAPb were found to be more sensitive to the climate during high precipitation periods (precipitation > 1000 mm, Guchengzi Formation), and the recovered average precipitation was similar to MAP. In contrast, MAPc was more sensitive to the climate during low precipitation periods (precipitation < 1000 mm, Jijuntun, and Xiloutian Formations), with higher accuracy. To fully consider the influence of soluble inorganic salts Ca2+ and Na+, multivariate linear equations of CIA-K and CaO/Al2O3 with CIA, and CIA-K and CaO/Al2O3 with MAP were constructed, namely MAPd and MAPe. The results show that MAPe has the highest performance and can be effectively used to estimate the change of paleoprecipitation in Northeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mold oscillation is the key technology of steel continuous casting. The non-sinusoidal oscillator driven by the hydraulic servo system has the disadvantages of complex structure, high investment and maintenance cost, oil leakage, zero drift. Thus, the non-sinusoidal oscillator driven by mechanism was presented. However, the amplitude could not be changed on line for the existing mechanical oscillators. And the online oscillation process parameters optimizing and the billet surface quality improving become difficult. To realize the oscillation parameters adjusted online, a novel swing crank type non-sinusoidal oscillator driven by a servomotor was proposed in this paper. Firstly, the working principle of the oscillator was illustrated and the three-dimensional model of the oscillator was established. Secondly, the non-sinusoidal oscillation waveform function was given. To realize non-sinusoidal oscillation waveform, the angular speed of servomotor was determined. Thirdly, the oscillation process parameters calculation methods were presented, the multi process parameter curve was given and the synchronous control model of non-sinusoidal oscillation was established. And the oscillation process parameters were calculated. Finally, the oscillation mark depth and slag consumption were calculated. From the calculation results, it can be seen that the non-sinusoidal oscillation process parameters could meet the steel continuous casting process requirements well. For non-sinusoidal oscillation, the oscillation mark depth reduced by 9.76% and slag consumption increased by 22.78% compared with that of sinusoidal oscillation, which will help to improve the lubrication condition between the mold and the billet and enhance billet surface quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting magnetic ordering in kagome compounds offers the possibility of harnessing topological or flat-band physical properties through tuning of the magnetism. Here, we examine the magnetic interactions and phases of ErMn6Sn6 which belongs to a family of RMn6Sn6, R = Sc, Y, Gd–Lu, compounds with magnetic kagome Mn layers, triangular R layers, and signatures of topological properties. Using results from single-crystal neutron diffraction and mean-field analysis, we find that ErMn6Sn6 sits close to the critical boundary separating the spiral-magnetic and ferrimagnetic ordered states typical for non-magnetic versus magnetic R layers, respectively. Finding interlayer magnetic interactions and easy-plane Mn magnetic anisotropy consistent with other members of the family, we predict the existence of a number of temperature and field dependent collinear, noncollinear, and noncoplanar magnetic phases. We show that thermal fluctuations of the Er magnetic moment, which act to weaken the Mn-Er interlayer magnetic interaction and quench the Er magnetic anisotropy, dictate magnetic phase stability. Our results provide a starting point and outline a multitude of possibilities for studying the behavior of Dirac fermions in RMn6Sn6 compounds with control of the Mn spin orientation and real-space spin chirality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Towards realizing the future quantum internet1,2, a pivotal milestone entails the transition from two-node proof-of-principle experiments conducted in laboratories to comprehensive multi-node set-ups on large scales. Here we report the creation of memory–memory entanglement in a multi-node quantum network over a metropolitan area. We use three independent memory nodes, each of which is equipped with an atomic ensemble quantum memory3 that has telecom conversion, together with a photonic server where detection of a single photon heralds the success of entanglement generation. The memory nodes are maximally separated apart for 12.5 kilometres. We actively stabilize the phase variance owing to fibre links and control lasers. We demonstrate concurrent entanglement generation between any two memory nodes. The memory lifetime is longer than the round-trip communication time. Our work provides a metropolitan-scale testbed for the evaluation and exploration of multi-node quantum network protocols and starts a stage of quantum internet research.A metropolitan-area quantum network based on the generation of pairwise entanglement is formed by three atomic quantum memories connected to a central photonic server. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reports a tactic for superior antibacterial performance on cotton via synergism of complementary functionalities of quaternary ammonium salt and malonylurea-based N-chloramine combined in a silane. Knoevenagel Condensation between 4-(chloromethyl)benzaldehyde and malonylurea formed a product whose chloromethyl group was used to quaternize tertiary amine of N,N-dimethylethanolamine. The O − H of the quaternization product was subsequently alcoholyzed with Si − H of trimethoxysilane. The methoxysilyl groups of the alcoholysis silane were hydrolyzed to silanol ones that condensed with either their own kind or hydroxy groups of cellulose to polymerize into a crosslinked polysiloxane finishing on cotton. Upon chlorination of malonylurea-based N − H bonds, each repeating unit of the polysiloxane has one quaternary ammonium salt and two imide N-chloramine sites. Antibacterial assays against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli proved that the synergism of quaternary ammonium salt and N-chloramine, a higher efficacy and a broader spectrum arising from their complementary elimination mechanisms and physiochemical features. Biocidal stability and rechargeability of the polysiloxane finishing were both promising due to the robust and hydrophobicity of silicone backbone and the sturdy cyclic N-chloramine. This research presented a general approach for generation of super biocidability on substrates that can react with hydroxy group using silanes to carry complementary functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reinforcement phase of SnO2 particles in traditional Ag-SnO2 contact materials exhibits poor wettability with Ag molten. In the arc erosion process, the SnO2 ceramic particles were easily floated on the surface of contact materials, resulting in contact resistance increases and temperature rise, which eventually leads to contact materials failure. Ag-based metal matrix composite reinforced with SnO2 nanofibers or SnO2 particles was successfully fabricated by the spark plasma sintering (SPS). The reinforcement of SnO2 nanofibers was prepared by the electrospinning technique. The arc erosion behaviors and surface characteristics of SnO2 nanofibers/particles hybrid reinforced Ag-based composites and the SnO2 particles reinforced Ag-based composites were evaluated. It was found that the SnO2 nanofibers are able to being pinned in the Ag molten pool after the arc erosion and effectively inhibit the upward floating of SnO2 particles. The roughness of the fiber-reinforced contact surface is smaller than that of the traditional contact materials after arc erosions. The addition of the nanofibers significantly improves the anti-arc erosion properties and arc eroded surface morphology. In comparison to the traditional Ag-SnO2 material, the novel SnO2 nanofibers/particles hybrid reinforced Ag-SnO2 material is capable of restricting the upward floating of SnO2 particles and effectively lengthening the electrical life of the Ag-SnO2 contact materials with superior arc erosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the production process, the presence of surface defects seriously affects the quality of industrial products. Existing defect detectors are not suitable for surface with scattered distribution and complex texture of defects. In this study, a dual-branch information extraction and local attention anchor-free network for defect detection (DLA-FCOS), which is based on the fully convolutional one-stage network, is proposed to accurately locate and detect surface defects of industrial products. Firstly, a dual-branch feature extraction network (DFENeT) is proposed and used to improve the extraction ability of complex defects. Then, a local feature enhancement module is proposed, and a residual connection is established to enrich local semantic information. Meanwhile, the self-attention mechanism is introduced to form local attentional residual feature pyramid networks (LA-RFPN) to eliminate the influences of feature misalignments. The mean average accuracy (mAP) and frames per second (FPS) of the proposed DLA-FCOS on the cut layer of the tobacco packet defect dataset (CLTP-DD) are 96.8% and 20.7, respectively, which meets the requirements for accurate and real-time defect detection. Meanwhile, the average accuracy of the proposed DLA-FCOS on the NEU-DET and GC10-DET datasets is 78.4% and 67.7%, respectively. The results demonstrate that the DLA-FCOS has good feasibility and high generalization capability to perform defect detection tasks of industrial products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WRKY transcription factors play essential roles in a variety of plant signaling pathways associated with biotic and abiotic stress response. The transcriptional activity of many WRKY members are regulated by a class of intrinsically disordered VQ proteins. While it is known that VQ proteins interact with the WRKY DNA-binding domains (DBDs), also termed as the WRKY domains, structural information regarding VQ-WRKY interaction is lacking and the regulation mechanism remains unknown. Herein we report a solution NMR study of the interaction between Arabidopsis WRKY33 and its regulatory VQ protein partner SIB1. We uncover a SIB1 minimal sequence neccessary for forming a stable complex with WRKY33 DBD, which comprises not only the consensus "FxxhVQxhTG" VQ motif but also its preceding region. We demonstrate that the βN-strand and the extended βN-β1 loop of WRKY33 DBD form the SIB1 docking site, and build a structural model of the complex based on the NMR paramagnetic relaxation enhancement and mutagenesis data. Based on this model, we further identify a cluster of positively-charged residues in the N-terminal region of SIB1 to be essential for the formation of a SIB1-WRKY33-DNA ternary complex. These results provide a framework for the mechanism of SIB1-enhanced WRKY33 transcriptional activity. An NMR study on the SIB1-WRKY33 interaction identifies the minimal sequence in SIB1 that is essential for complex formation and provides a structural model for understanding how SIB1 regulates the DNA binding activity of WRKY33. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for tumor postoperative treatments aimed at recurrence prevention and tissue regeneration have raised wide considerations in the context of the design and functionalization of implants. Herein, an injectable hydrogel system encapsulated with anti-tumor, anti-oxidant dual functional nanoparticles has been developed in order to prevent tumor relapse after surgery and promote wound repair. The utilization of biocompatible gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) was geared towards localized therapeutic intervention. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8@ceric oxide (ZIF-8@CeO2, ZC) nanoparticles (NPs) were purposefully devised for their proficiency as reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers. Furthermore, injectable GelMA hydrogels loaded with ZC NPs carrying doxorubicin (ZC-DOX@GEL) were tailored as multifunctional postoperative implants, ensuring the efficacious eradication of residual tumor cells and alleviation of oxidative stress. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to substantiate the efficacy in cancer cell elimination and the prevention of tumor recurrence through the synergistic chemotherapy approach employed with ZC-DOX@GEL. The acceleration of tissue regeneration and in vitro ROS scavenging attributes of ZC@GEL were corroborated using rat models of wound healing. The results underscore the potential of the multifaceted hydrogels presented herein for their promising application in tumor postoperative treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]