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To more accurately characterize the load characteristics of birds under the impact of aviation structures, this study conducted computed tomography scanning of a 1-kg chicken and proposed a geometric model of the bird, including bones, muscles, viscera, and cavities. The constitutive model of fluid dynamics was used to describe the rheological properties of muscle viscera, and a bilinear follow-up plastic model with failure was proposed to describe the mechanical behavior of bones under high-speed impact, and then the bone and muscle/viscera models were assembled into a refined bird model to establish a finite element model. The model was verified with bird impact testing on a rigid target. By comparing and analyzing the impact pressure with the traditional bird model, it was found that the initial impact pressure and stagnation flow pressure of the CT scan refined bird model were lower than those of the traditional bird model and were close to the experimental values. The reason for this phenomenon is that the CT scan refined bird model to some extent reproduces the response of the real structure inside the bird body during the impact process, the high strength level of the bone part model will reduce the material's movement speed after the bird body model rheological changes, and it well demonstrates the phenomenon of reduced mixing density after rheological deformation during simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs residents’ attentiveness index of the Belt and Road Initiative by big data, and combines social and economic factors to study the spatial and temporal distribution of initiative attentiveness, we can find that (1) the attentiveness of the initiative will be greatly affected by large government conferences, and there is a mismatch between the areas covered by the initiative and the areas. (2) both per capita GDP and the proportion of fiscal investment in GDP have a significantly positive impact on the initiative attentiveness of residents, while CPI has a significantly negative Population size and unemployment rates do not have a significant impact on the initiative’s attentiveness. (3) the impact of initiative attentiveness has obvious regional differences. This paper breaks the habitual cognition of the attention of the initiative, and combines the social and economic conditions, and puts forward some suggestions, such as expanding the boundary of the Belt and Road, taking multiple measures to mobilize the social forces to build the Belt and Road, and treating the different policies.

Simple Summary: Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) is a termite species recognized for its capacity to cause substantial harm to trees and buildings. Termites have co-evolved with pathogenic bacteria, leading to the emergence of a robust innate defense mechanism. Termicin, an antimicrobial peptide, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding termites against external threats. This study has successfully devised a method for the rapid production of inactivated dsRNA-HT115, thereby augmenting the efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and Beauveria bassiana (Bb) against termites. Additionally, it lays the groundwork for a novel approach to termite control. Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) is a subterranean termite species known for causing severe damage to trees and structures such as dams. During the synergistic evolution of O. formosanus with pathogenic bacteria, the termite has developed a robust innate immunity. Termicin is a crucial antimicrobial peptide in termites, significantly contributing to the defense against external infections. Building upon the successful construction and expression of the dsRNA-HT115 engineering strains of dsOftermicin1 and dsOftermicin2 in our laboratory, this work employs the ultrasonic breaking method to establish an inactivated dsOftermicins-HT115 technological system capable of producing a substantial quantity of dsRNA. This approach also addresses the limitation of transgenic strains which cannot be directly applied. Treatment of O. formosanus with dsOftermicins produced by this method could enhance the virulence of both Bt and Bb to the termites. This study laid the theoretical groundwork for the development of novel termite immunosuppressants and for the advancement and application of termite biological control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The assessment of skin aging through skin measurements faces limitations, making perceived age evaluation a more valuable and direct tool for assessing skin aging. Given that the aging process markedly affects the appearance of the eye contour, characterizing the eye region could be beneficial for perceived age assessment. This study aimed to analyze age‐correlated changes in the eye contour within the Chinese Han female population and to develop, validate, and apply a multiple linear regression model for predicting perceived age. Materials and methods: A naïve panel of 107 Chinese women assessed the perceived ages of 212 Chinese Han women. Instrumental analysis evaluated periorbital parameters, including palpebral fissure width (PFW), palpebral fissure height (PFH), acclivity of palpebral fissure (AX), angle of inner canthal (AEN), and angle of outer canthal (AEX). These parameters were used to construct a multiple linear regression model for predicting the perceived ages of Chinese Han women. A combined treatment using Fotona 4D and an anti‐aging eye cream, formulated with plant extracts, peptides, and antioxidants, was conducted to verify the cream's anti‐aging efficacy and safety. This eye cream was then tested in a large‐scale clinical trial involving 101 participants. The prediction model was employed in this trial to assess the perceived ages of the women after an 8‐week application of the eye cream. Results: All parameters were observed to decrease with age. An intergroup comparison indicated that eyelid aging in Chinese Han women accelerates beyond the age of 50. Consequently, a linear regression model was constructed and validated, with the perceived age being calculated as 183.159 ‐ 1.078 * AEN ‐ 4.487 * PFW + 6.061 * PFH ‐ 1.003 * AX ‐ 0.328 * AEX. The anti‐aging efficacy and safety of the eye cream were confirmed through combined treatment with Fotona 4D, showing improvements in wrinkles, elasticity, and dark circles under the eyes. In a large‐scale clinical evaluation using this eye cream, a perceived age prediction model was applied, suggesting that 8 weeks of use made participants appear 2.25 years younger. Conclusion: Our study developed and validated a multiple linear regression model to predict the perceived age of Chinese Han women. This model was successfully utilized in a large‐scale clinical evaluation of anti‐aging eye cream, revealing that 8 weeks of usage made participants appear 2.25 years younger. This method effectively bridges the gap between clinical research and consumer perceptions, explores the complex factors influencing perceived age, and aims to improve anti‐aging formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Maize is one of the most important crops for food, cattle feed and energy production. However, maize is frequently attacked by various pathogens and pests, which pose a significant threat to maize yield and quality. Identification of quantitative trait loci and genes for resistance to pests will provide the basis for resistance breeding in maize. Here, a β‐glucosidase ZmBGLU17 was identified as a resistance gene against Pythium aphanidermatum, one of the causal agents of corn stalk rot, by genome‐wide association analysis. Genetic analysis showed that both structural variations at the promoter and a single nucleotide polymorphism at the fifth intron distinguish the two ZmBGLU17 alleles. The causative polymorphism near the GT‐AG splice site activates cryptic alternative splicing and intron retention of ZmBGLU17 mRNA, leading to the downregulation of functional ZmBGLU17 transcripts. ZmBGLU17 localizes in both the extracellular matrix and vacuole and contribute to the accumulation of two defence metabolites lignin and DIMBOA. Silencing of ZmBGLU17 reduces maize resistance against P. aphanidermatum, while overexpression significantly enhances resistance of maize against both the oomycete pathogen P. aphanidermatum and the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis. Notably, ZmBGLU17 overexpression lines exhibited normal growth and yield phenotype in the field. Taken together, our findings reveal that the apoplastic and vacuolar localized ZmBGLU17 confers resistance to both pathogens and insect pests in maize without a yield penalty, by fine‐tuning the accumulation of lignin and DIMBOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purified terephthalic acid (PTA) is widely used as a chemical raw material, with its production process resulting in significant compounds that generate a substantial amount of sludge waste annually. These compounds are known to possess active hydrogen. Utilizing this property, a novel approach for the treatment of PTA sludge waste was developed for its modification and re-use. This study focuses on the preparation of epoxy curing agents using PTA sludge-tank material. The modification of PTA sludge-tank material is achieved by using the one-pot method to investigate the toughening effect of home-made curing agents on epoxy resins and compare them with commercially available curing agents, and to analyze the mechanism of the structure of the curing agent on the material. The results showed that while the tensile strength of the experimental group was generally lower than that of the control group, the impact strength was significantly higher. Additionally, the hardness and tensile strength of the materials gradually decreased with an increase of the amount of hardener, while the elongation at break and impact strength increased. Notably, at a hardener amount of 35%, the elongation at break increased by 3.89%, and the tensile strength and impact strength reached 10.13 MPa and 42.86 kJ m−2, respectively, demonstrating excellent toughness and strength characteristics. These findings testified the feasibility of modifying PTA sludge waste to prepare an epoxy toughening curing agent is not only feasible, but also significantly enhances the material's toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]