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The purpose of this research is to develop a new method for automatically optimizing the seawall cross-section with composite slopes and a berm, considering both overtopping discharge and construction cost. Minimizing these competing multi-objectives is highly challenging due to the intricate geometry of seawalls. In this study, the surrogate model optimization algorithm DYCORS (Dynamic COordinate search using Response Surface models) is employed to search for the optimal seawall geometry, coupled with the ANN (Artificial Neural Network) model for determining the overtopping discharge. A total of 20 trials have been run to evaluate the performance of our methodology. Even the worst-performing Trial 7 among these 20 trials shows a satisfactory performance, with a reduction of 17.67% in overtopping discharge and a 12.1% decrease in cost compared to the original solution. Furthermore, compared to other optimization schemes using GAs (Genetic Algorithms) with the same decision vectors, constraints, and multi-objective functions, the methodology has been proven to be more effective and robust. Additionally, when facing different combinations of wave conditions and water levels, there was a 27.8% reduction in objective function value compared to the original solution. The optimal results indicate that this method can still be effectively applied for optimizing the seawall cross-section as it is a general method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaucoma is a leading cause of permanent blindness, affecting 80 million people worldwide. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of neuroinflammation in the early stages of glaucoma, involving immune and glial cells. To investigate this further, we used the GSE27276 dataset from the GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) database and neuroinflammation genes from the GeneCards database to identify differentially expressed neuroinflammation-related genes associated with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Subsequently, these genes were submitted to Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes for pathway enrichment analyses. Hub genes were picked out through protein-protein interaction networks and further validated using the external datasets (GSE13534 and GSE9944) and real-time PCR analysis. The gene–miRNA regulatory network, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, genome-wide association study (GWAS), and regional expression analysis were performed to further validate the involvement of hub genes in glaucoma. A total of 179 differentially expressed genes were identified, comprising 60 upregulated and 119 downregulated genes. Among them, 18 differentially expressed neuroinflammation–related genes were found to overlap between the differentially expressed genes and neuroinflammation–related genes, with six genes (SERPINA3, LCN2, MMP3, S100A9, IL1RN, and HP) identified as potential hub genes. These genes were related to the IL-17 signaling pathway and tyrosine metabolism. The gene–miRNA regulatory network showed that these hub genes were regulated by 118 miRNAs. Notably, GWAS data analysis successfully identified significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) corresponding to these six hub genes. ROC curve analysis indicated that our genes showed significant accuracy in POAG. The expression of these genes was further confirmed in microglia, Müller cells, astrocytes, and retinal ganglion cells in the Spectacle database. Moreover, three hub genes, SERPINA3, IL1R1, and LCN2, were validated as potential diagnostic biomarkers for high-risk glaucoma patients, showing increased expression in the OGD/R-induced glaucoma model. This study suggests that the identified hub genes may influence the development of POAG by regulation of neuroinflammation, and it may offer novel insights into the management of POAG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three kinds of organomodified montmorillonites (OMMTs), OMMT1, OMMT2, and OMMT3, were prepared by using different organic modifiers. Nanocomposites of bitumen and three kinds of OMMTs were prepared by melt blending. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to evaluate the degree of intercalation or exfoliation of OMMT and its dispersion in the bitumen. The effect of OMMTs on the physical and aging properties of the modified bitumen was studied. XRD results show that OMMT1-modified bitumen had an intercalated nanostructure, while OMMT2- and OMMT3-modified bitumens formed an exfoliated nanostructure. Compared with OMMT1-modified bitumen, the OMMT2- and OMMT3-modified bitumens showed a higher value of softening point and viscosity, and the better resistance to aging was due to the formation of exfoliated structure in the OMMT2- and OMMT3-modified bitumens. OMMT2 improved the aging resistance more remarkably than OMMT3, which can be attributed to the physical differences of the organic modifiers. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000012 CE Database subject headings: Asphalts; Organic matter; Aging; Material properties; Nanotechnology. Author keywords: Bitumen; Montmorillonite; Organic modifiers; Aging resistance.

The resonant frequency of LLC resonant converter has a wide range of switching frequency due to load changes and it easily enters high frequency band during light load and no-load conditions. Therefore, this study proposes a self-adaptation load change control strategy. According to different load conditions, the converter automatically selects the best control mode among three control methods, which are pulse-frequency modulation, symmetrical pulse-width modulation and burst. By fully utilising the characteristics of the load-independent point in the gain curve and the relationship between the resonant current and the load, the switching conditions between the control strategies are further designed and optimised. In addition, based on the adaptive load change control strategy, the design value of k (the ratio of the excitation inductor to the resonant inductance of the transformer) is increased, which solved the disadvantage of large change of the switch range. And the converter can not only effectively control the output voltage during light load, but also works in the soft-switching state, which can improve the working efficiency of the converter to above 91%. Finally, taking a three-phase staggered parallel LLC resonant converter as the research object, an experimental prototype was developed based on SiC devices to verify the correctness and rationality of the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention and treatment of fear-related disorders in offspring affected by pregnancy stress remains challenging at clinic. Here, we examined the effects of gut microbiota of stressed pregnant rats on the fear extinction of their offsprings, and the potential mechanisms. We found that gut microbiota transplantation from rats with pregnancy stress to normal pregnant rats impaired fear extinction, induced microglial activation and synaptic phagocytosis, increased synapse loss in offsprings. Probiotics supplement during pregnancy stress partly normalized pregnancy stress-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis of pregnant rats, and promoted fear memory extinction, inhibited fear memory reappearance, and limited microglial activation and synaptic phagocytosis in offsprings. These data revealed that gut microbiota of stressed pregnant mother improved the development of fear-related disorders of offspring, which may be associated with microglial synaptic pruning., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Several studies have found that lactate correlates with surgical outcomes in patients with heart disease. However, the prognostic value of postoperative lactate in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between postoperative lactate and in-hospital mortality in patients with AAAD. Patients who underwent AAAD surgery at Fujian Cardiac Medical Center from February 2020 to January 2022 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Correlations between in-hospital mortality and various parameters, including lactate, were investigated. A total of 357 patients were included in this study, 58 of which died. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that body mass index (BMI) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.099, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.017-1.188, P = 0.017), cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (OR = 1.005; 95% CI: 1.000-1.010, P = 0.039), and lactate (OR = 1.291, 95% CI: 1.182-1.409, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in AAAD patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that lactate had a moderate power for in-hospital mortality (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.729, 95% CI: 0.647-0.810, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the combination of lactate, BMI, and CPB time showed better performance (AUC = 0.780; 95% CI: 0.706-0.854, P < 0.001) in predicting in-hospital mortality than in using these variables independently. Among patients undergoing AAAD surgery, postoperative lactate was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. Lactate can be used as a potential predictor of in-hospital mortality. The combination of lactate, BMI, and CPB time showed better performance in predicting in-hospital mortality than using single one.