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BackgroundSeveral recent investigations have posited that distinct metabolites in the bloodstream may be correlated with the pathogenesis of Pulmonary Hypertension (PH). Nonetheless, the interrelationship between the pathogenesis of PH and metabolite fluctuations remains incompletely elucidated, and findings may differ across studies.MethodsIn the extant research, data from 486 metabolite-and PH-related genetic variants in human subjects were procured based on Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and Finnish databases. Univariate Mendelian Randomization analyses were deployed to evaluate the causal relationships between them. The utilization of the randomized Inverse Variance weighted(IVW) method served as the primary analytic framework in this Mendelian Randomization (MR) study. Additionally, four alternative computational strategies, encompassing MR-Egger, were employed as auxiliary methods. A myriad of tests, including Cochran's Q Test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR-PRESSO, leave-one-out analysis, and linkage disequilibrium score were incorporated to assess the robustness of the study outcomes. Metabolite pathway analysis was also executed to identify potential metabolic pathways.ResultsAfter a series of validations and corrected for False discovery rate (FDR), we found a significant association between 1,5-anhydroglucitol (OR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.39–2.89, P = 0.0002) and PH, and a significant association between pyridoxalate (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.43–0.81, P = 0.0009) and 1-a achidonoylglycerophosphocholine (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.22–2.58, P = 0.0026) had a suggested association with PH. In addition, the vitamin B6 metabolic pathway was also determined to be associated with PH.ConclusionConclusively, we isolated 1,5-anhydroglucitol, 1-arachidonoylglycerophosphocholine, and pyridoxate as causally implicated in PH, thereby proffering substantial theoretical substantiation for the formulation of future PH prevention and screening paradigms.

The Williams–Landel–Ferry (WLF) equation is critical for predicting the rheological behavior of viscoelastic materials. However, no research has reported the main parameters, C1 and C2, in WLF equations for fiber-reinforced asphalts (FRAs). To provide the fundamental information for designing FRAs, this study investigated the rheological behaviors of asphalts reinforced by flocculent basalt fibers (fBFs) and short basalt fibers (sBFs) with a content of 2–6 wt%. The glass transition behavior and shift factor of basalt fiber-reinforced asphalts (BFRAs) were obtained using dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Material-specific C1 and C2 in the WLF equation were carried out using the programming solver method. As a result, the functions for C1 and C2 concerning a chosen reference temperature (Tref) were developed so that the predicted master curves of BFRA on non-measured conditions can be precisely established. C1 and C2 for BFRA varied from 9.6 to 6.5 and ∼110 to ∼160, respectively, with the Tref increasing from 46℃ to 76℃. Additionally, the study revealed that flocculent fibers reduce Tg and lift the softening point (Ts) of the FRA, extending the service temperature range of BFRAs by more than 10℃. Meanwhile, short fibers shift the Tg and Ts upward without extension of the service temperature range.

Testicular choriocarcinoma is a relatively rare malignancy with a highly aggressive nature. Timely diagnosis and treatment can help prolong the survival of patients and even cure them. This case reports a 29-year-old male who presented to the clinic for a month with epigastric pain. On examination, a massive mass of approximately 9*10 cm could be palpated in the upper abdomen. When asked about his previous history, the patient only described a history of a right inguinal hernia that had been repaired 12 years earlier. The admission diagnosis was considered the retroperitoneal tumor, which was found to have metastasized to the liver and lungs after the completion of relevant tests. We then performed a CT-guided lune puncture biopsy on day 8 of admission. The biopsy pathology suggested metastatic cancer was considered. As the symptoms of tumor compression gradually worsened, we performed surgical treatment (retroperitoneal tumor resection + partial duodenal resection + enteroanastomosis) on day 13 of admission. The postoperative pathology was choriocarcinoma. We subsequently conducted a detailed inquiry with the patient’s family about his medical history and found a history of inguinal testicle. Through testicular ultrasound examination, it was preliminarily determined to be testicular choriocarcinoma (not yet pathologically confirmed). We wanted to start salvage chemotherapy as soon as possible after surgery. However, the patient’s postoperative condition was poor, with rapid progression of hepatopulmonary metastases and gradually increased thyrotoxicosis, and we started salvage chemotherapy (EP regimen: etoposide and cisplatin) on postoperative day 12. However, the patient was forced to stop due to a severe chemotherapy reaction and died of respiratory and cardiac arrest in the hospital. For male patients with retroperitoneal mass, the possibility of germ-cell neoplasm should first be excluded. By inquiring in detail about a history of cryptorchidism and in the initial days of hospitalization, testicular exploration, ultrasounds, and serum tumor markers (AFP, β-HCG) tests can be conducted to rule out the possibility of germ-cell neoplasm, thereby preventing misdiagnosis and treatment delays. If the clinical diagnosis is metastatic germ-cell tumor with severe symptoms of metastatic disease, surgery should never be used as the initial treatment.

Background: Platelets have the hemostatic function, and their aberrant activation is associated with occlusive thrombus formation. Plasma exosomes are rich in platelets containing ubiquitin-specific peptidase 15 (USP15). Herein, we aim to explore the effect of USP15 on thrombosis, as well as expounding whether USP15 acts as an upstream target of FK506 binding protein 5 (FKBP5) to regulate occlusive thrombus formation. Methods: Washed human platelets were treated with thrombin for measurement of USP15 and FKBP5 expressions. USP15 loss/gain-of-function variant in HEK293 cells was performed by cell transfection, and the interaction between USP15 and FKBP5 was examined using immunoprecipitation and ubiquitination assays. Mice with USP15-knockout platelets (Plt USP15-/-) were modeled, and subjected to calculation of bleeding time, artery thrombosis imaging and clot retraction assay. FKBP5 expression and the inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase subunit epsilon (IKBKE)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Rap1 pathway in wild-type and Plt USP15-/- mice-derived platelets were detected using Western blot. The activation of αIIbβ3 in washed platelets was analyzed using flow cytometry. Results: USP15 and FKBP5 expressions were upregulated in platelets after thrombin treatment. Following transfection of USP15 knockdown and USP15 overexpression plasmids into HEK293 cells, FKBP5 protein expression was downregulated by USP15 knockdown while being upregulated by USP15 overexpression. USP15 bound to FKBP5 and protected FKBP5 against ubiquitination. Knockdown of platelet USP15 prolonged bleeding time, inhibited arterial thrombosis and delayed clot retraction in mice. Knockdown of platelet USP15 also decreased protein expressions of FKBP5, IKBKE and Rap1, p-PI3K/PI3K ratio, and activation of αIIbβ3 in mice. Conclusion: USP15 knockdown in platelets affects thrombosis in mice by promoting the instability of FKBP5 to repress the activation of IKBKE/PI3K/Rap1 pathway-mediated αIIbβ3.

Neurological disorders, particularly stroke, pose significant public health challenges, prompting a comprehensive investigation into the intricate interplay between ferroptosis and immune responses. This study aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms of stroke, emphasizing the connection between ferroptosis and immune regulation. Objectives include identifying differentially expressed genes in stroke patients, assessing immune cell subtype activation, employing advanced predictive modeling to pinpoint key candidate genes such as STMN1 and ATG16L1, exploring associations with immune cell subtypes, and revealing critical pathways, such as matrix degradation and inflammatory responses, activated in stroke through Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA). A comprehensive approach was adopted, involving differential gene expression analysis, functional enrichment analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, Lasso regularization, random forest models, and the CIBERSORT (https://cibersortx.stanford.edu) algorithm, to assess immune cell subtypes. The study pinpointed genes with significant expression differences in stroke patients, highlighting the activation of Th17 cells and the NF-κ B signaling pathway. Key candidate genes, including STMN1 and ATG16L1, were identified using advanced predictive modeling. The relative abundance of immune cell subtypes, particularly natural killer cells (NK cells) and T cell subgroups, was associated with stroke through CIBERSORT. GSVA uncovered the activation of critical biological pathways such as matrix degradation and inflammatory responses. The analysis pinpointed STMN1 and ATG16L1 as robust predictors, emphasizing their potential as therapeutic targets. Th17 cells and the NF-κ B signaling pathway emerged as pivotal contributors to stroke pathogenesis. Notably, NK cells and specific T cell subgroups demonstrated significant associations with stroke. GSVA further illuminated the activation of key pathways, providing deeper insights into the biological processes underlying stroke. This study sheds light on crucial genes and pathways implicated in stroke, emphasizing the roles of ferroptosis and immune cell subtypes. The identified genes and pathways offer promising avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions in stroke, with a broader implication for advancing neurological disorder treatments through innovative perspectives on ferroptosis and immune regulation.

Electric machines emulators (EMEs) based on hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), which effectively act as emulators to mimic the actual motor behavior of Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) machines. EME is frequently used to evaluate motor controller and motor control methodologies prior to development. The inverse magnetization motor model, which is used as the basis for real-time simulation in this paper's proposal for an electric machine emulator system based on HIL, uses FEA to create the motor model data. The nonlinear features of the motor may be successfully replicated with this motor model, and the accuracy of the electric machine emulator can be enhanced by using a straightforward and trustworthy motor controller. The real-time simulation tool typhoon HIL is used in the study to develop a hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform for an IPM electric machines emulator.

BackgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis interstitial lung disease (IPF-ILD) is a progressive lung disease characterized by excessive collagen deposition and fibrotic changes in the lungs. Identifying reliable serum markers that correlate with disease progression is crucial for diagnosis and prognosis.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the association between serum markers KL-6 and VEGF and IPF-ILD. Specifically, it assessed their correlation with PaO2, a measure of pulmonary gas function, to provide diagnostic and prognostic indicators.MethodsPatients with IPF-ILD were included, and their serum levels of KL-6 and VEGF were measured. Correlations with fibrotic damage and PaO2 were analyzed using statistical methods.ResultsThe analysis confirmed a positive correlation between the serum marker KL-6 and the degree of fibrotic damage in IPF-ILD. On the other hand, the serum marker VEGF was found to promote disease progression. In terms of correlation with PaO2, both KL-6 and VEGF demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity. Specifically, the correlation between KL-6 and PaO2 suggests that it can be used as a reliable indicator to assess the status of pulmonary oxygenation function in patients with ILD. The correlation between VEGF and PaO2 helps to understand its role in the progression of IPF-ILD and provides an important basis for predicting patient prognosis.ConclusionThis study confirmed the correlation between KL-6 and VEGF with IPF-ILD and their association with PaO2. KL-6 and VEGF demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity in diagnosing, monitoring, and predicting prognosis in IPF-ILD. These findings contribute to our understanding of the disease and have clinical implications for diagnosis and prognostication.

When faced with challenges such as adapting to dynamic environments and handling ambiguous identification, indoor service robots encounter manifold difficulties. This paper aims to address this issue by proposing the design of a service robot equipped with precise small-object recognition, autonomous path planning, and obstacle-avoidance capabilities. We conducted in-depth research on the suitability of three SLAM algorithms (GMapping, Hector-SLAM, and Cartographer) in indoor environments and explored their performance disparities. Upon this foundation, we have elected to utilize the STM32F407VET6 and Nvidia Jetson Nano B01 as our processing controllers. For the program design on the STM32 side, we are employing the FreeRTOS operating system, while for the Jetson Nano side, we are employing ROS (Robot Operating System) for program design. The robot employs a differential drive chassis, enabling successful autonomous path planning and obstacle-avoidance maneuvers. Within indoor environments, we utilized the YOLOv3 algorithm for target detection, achieving precise target identification. Through a series of simulations and real-world experiments, we validated the performance and feasibility of the robot, including mapping, navigation, and target detection functionalities. Experimental results demonstrate the robot’s outstanding performance and accuracy in indoor environments, offering users efficient service and presenting new avenues and methodologies for the development of indoor service robots.

To satisfy the preference of each driver, the development of a Lane-Keeping Assistance (LKA) system that can adapt to individual drivers has become a research hotspot in recent years. However, existing studies have mostly relied on the assumption that the LKA characteristic aligned with the driver’s preference is consistent with this driver’s naturalistic driving characteristic. Nevertheless, this assumption may not always hold true, causing limitations to the effectiveness of this method. This paper proposes a novel method for a Driver-Adaptive Lane-Keeping Assistance (DALKA) system based on drivers’ real preferences. First, metrics are extracted from collected naturalistic driving data using action point theory to describe drivers’ naturalistic driving characteristics. Then, the subjective and objective evaluation method is introduced to obtain the real preference of each test driver for the LKA system. Finally, machine learning methods are employed to train a model that relates naturalistic driving characteristics to the drivers’ real preferences, and the model-predicted preferences are integrated into the DALKA system. The developed DALKA system is then subjectively evaluated by the drivers. The results show that our DALKA system, developed using this method, can enhance or maintain the subjective evaluations of the LKA system for most drivers.

Background Inflammatory and hemostatic disorders in diabetic microangiopathy (DMA) can be linked to thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) and its own gene polymorphisms. Thus, the study aimed to investigate the associations of plasma TAFI and gene polymorphisms with DMA in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods Plasma TAFI of 223 patients with T2D was measured, and the genotypes and alleles of the 1040C/T, 438G/A, and 505G/A polymorphisms of the TAFI gene were analyzed. A ROC curve was constructed to evaluate the identifying power of TAFI between patients with T2D and DMA, and logistic regression analysis was used to observe the correlation of plasma TAFI and gene polymorphisms with the risk for DMA. Results Plasma TAFI was higher in patients with DMA than in patients with only T2D (p < 0.05). TAFI exhibited the largest area under ROC in identifying diabetic kidney disease (DKD) from only T2D (0.763, 95% CI [0.674–0.853], p < 0.01), and adjusted multivariate analysis showed a high odds ratio (OR: 15.72, 95% CI [4.573–53.987], p < 0.001) for DKD. Higher frequencies of the CT genotype and T allele of the 1040C/T polymorphism were found in DKD compared with only T2D (respectively p < 0.05), and the CT genotype exhibited a high OR (1.623, 95% CI [1.173–2.710], p < 0.05) for DKD. DKD patients with the CT genotype had higher plasma TAFI levels, while T2D and DKD patients with CC/TT genotypes had lower plasma TAFI levels. Conclusion Plasma TAFI and the CT genotype and T allele of the 1040C/T polymorphism are independent risk factors for DKD in Chinese T2D patients.

Introduction: Power load forecasting and market price analysis have become crucial in the context of complex power energy systems and volatile market prices. Deep learning technology has gained significant attention in time series forecasting, and this article aims to enhance the accuracy and reliability of power load and market price predictions by integrating and optimizing deep learning models.Methods: We propose a deep learning framework that combines artificial neural networks (ANNs), long short-term memory (LSTM), and transformer models to address key challenges in electricity load forecasting and market price prediction. We leverage ANNs for their versatility and use LSTM networks for sequence modeling to generate initial predictions. Additionally, we introduce transformer technology and utilize its self-attention mechanism to capture long-distance dependencies within the data, further enhancing the model’s performance.Results: In our experiments, we validate the proposed framework using multiple public datasets. We compare our method with traditional forecasting approaches and a single-model approach. The results demonstrate that our approach outperforms other methods in predicting power load and market prices. This increased accuracy and reliability in forecasting can be of significant value to decision-makers in the energy sector.Discussion: The integration of deep learning models, including ANN, LSTM, and transformer, offers a powerful solution for addressing the challenges in power load and market price prediction. The ability to capture long-distance dependencies using the transformer's self-attention mechanism improves forecasting accuracy. This research contributes to the field of energy and finance by providing a more reliable framework for decision-makers to make informed choices in a complex and dynamic environment.

The carbon–nitrogen double bond (C=N) is a fundamentally important functional group in organic chemistry. This is largely due to the fact that C=N acts as electrophilic synthon to give nitrogen-containing compounds. Here, we report the condensation of primary amine or hydrazine with very electron-deficient aldehyde to form C=N bond in the absence of any catalysts (metals and acids). The protocol performs at room temperature and applies water as co-solvent. Two hundred examples are presented here. With its intrinsic advantages of wide substrate scopes, excellent efficiency (high yields and short reaction time), operational simplicity, mild condition (room temperature as reaction temperature, no catalysts, no additions, water as co-solvent and opening to air) and available starting materials, the protocol can be compatible with various drugs, prodrugs, dyes and pharmacophores containing primary amino group. In addition, we also successfully apply this protocol to rapidly synthesize the core scaffolds of bioactive molecules.

Proprioceptive signals about ankle motion are essential for the control of balance and gait. However, objective, accurate methods for testing ankle motion sense in clinical settings are not established. This study presents a fast and accurate method to assess human ankle motion sense acuity. A one degree-of-freedom (DOF) robotic device was used to passively rotate the ankle under controlled conditions and applied a psychophysical forced-choice paradigm. Twenty healthy participants were recruited for study participation. Within a trial, participants experienced one of three reference velocities (10°/s, 15°/s, and 20°/s), and a smaller comparison velocity. Subsequently, they verbally indicated which of the two movements was faster. As outcome measures, a just-noticeable-difference (JND) threshold and interval of uncertainty (IU) were derived from the psychometric stimulus-response difference function for each participant. Our data show that mean JND threshold increased almost linearly from 0.53°/s at the 10°/s reference to 1.6°/s at 20°/s ( ${p} < 0.0001$ ). Perceptual uncertainty increased similarly (median IU = 0.33°/s at 10°/s and 0.97°/s at 20°/s; ${p} < 0.0001$ ). Both measures were strongly correlated ( ${r} _{s}$ = 0.70). This implies that the bias of the human ankle motion sense is approximately 5 - 8% of the experienced movement velocity. We demonstrate that this robot-aided test produces quantitative data on human ankle motion sense acuity. It provides a useful addition to the current measures of ankle proprioceptive function.

Most stroke survivors have mobility deficits and show a pathological gait pattern. Seeking to enhance the gait performance among this population, we have developed a hybrid cable-driven lower limb exoskeleton (called SEAExo). This study aimed to determine the effects of SEAExo with personalized assistance on immediate changes in gait performance of people after stroke. Gait metrics (i.e., the foot contact angle, knee flexion peak, temporal gait symmetry indices) and muscle activities were the primary outcomes to evaluate the assistive performance. Seven subacute stroke survivors participated and completed the experiment with three comparison sessions, i.e., walking without SEAExo (served as baseline) and without/with personalized assistance, at their preferred walking speeds. Compared to the baseline, we observed increases in the foot contact angle and knee flexion peak by 70.1% ( ${p} < 0.05$ ) and 60.0% ( ${p} < 0.05$ ) with personalized assistance. Personalized assistance contributed to the improvements in temporal gait symmetry of more impaired participants ( ${p} < 0.05$ ), and it led to a 22.8% and 51.3% ( ${p} < 0.05$ ) reduction in the muscle activities of ankle flexor muscles. These results demonstrate that SEAExo with personalized assistance has the potential to enhance post-stroke gait rehabilitation in real-world clinical settings.

Abstract The angle and position of the scapular glenoid are important in shoulder mechanics, the interpretation of diseases, and planning shoulder replacement surgery. In total shoulder replacement, understanding the bony parameters of the glenoid is also of considerable guiding significance for designing implant size and improving material adaptability. To compare glenoid parameters measured from skeletal scapula specimens with those measured by 3D modeling of CT scanning images, analyze correlations between these data, and draw conclusions to guide clinical treatment of shoulder joint injury and total shoulder joint replacement. The data of manual and CT measurements from the same Chinese dry glenoid was compared. Three-dimensional measurement data were collected from the Japanese population and compared with the Chinese population data generated in this study. There were no significant differences between manual measurement and CT measurement in the inclination angle, glenopolar angle, anteroposterior transverse diameter, upper to lower vertical diameter, and depth of the glenoid (P = 0.288, 0.524, 0.111, 0.194, and 0.055, respectively). Further, there were no significant differences between Japanese and Chinese glenoid bones in the upper and lower vertical diameters or anteroposterior transverse diameters (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences between CT and manual measurements, suggesting that the CT method may provide measurements very close to the actual specimen size. This result, however, indicated that the measurer should be careful when measuring the depth of the glenoid.

Abstract Background & Aims Lymphocyte-C-reactive Protein Ratio (LCR) has been demonstrated as a promising new marker for predicting surgical and oncological outcomes in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). However, anastomotic leakage (AL) is also likely related to this inflammatory marker. Herein, we aimed to identify preoperative predictors of AL and build and develop a novel model able to identify patients at risk of developing AL. Methods We collected 858 patients with CRC undergoing elective radical operation between 2007 and 2018 at a single center were retrospectively reviewed. We performed univariable and multivariable analyses and built a multivariable model that predicts AL based on preoperative factors. Propensity adjustment was used to correct the bias introduced by non-random matching of the LCR. The model's performance was evaluated by using the area under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUROCs), decision curve analysis (DCA), Brier scores, D statistics, and R2 values. Results Age, nutrition risk screening 2002 (NRS2002) score, tumor location and LCR, together with hemoglobin

Ocean engineering activities need to be carried out under the conditions of complete procedures and legal approval documents. However, because of the more complex environment and challenges, it is necessary to establish and improve the investigation and operation guarantee system. By analyzing the types, characteristics and demands of the engineering survey in far and deep sea, the contents and components of its guarantee system were discussed, and explanations on the ship and equipment support, organization and personnel support, offshore communication support, survey implementation scheme guarantee, quality management and control guarantee, HSE guarantee and emergency plan guarantee were given in detail. The construction method and process of engineering survey guarantee system in deep sea, were furtherly illustrated through an actual survey example. It is an important prerequisite for the smooth development and completion of the survey to build a complete guarantee system before the work of engineering survey in far and deep sea starts.

Abstract l-Ornithine, an important non-essential amino acid, has considerable medicinal value in the treatment of complex liver diseases. Microbial fermentation strategies using robust engineered strains have remarkable potential for producing l-ornithine. We showed that glucose and sucrose co-utilization accumulate more l-ornithine in Corynebacterium glutamicum than glucose alone. Further manipulating the expression of intracellular fructose-1-phosphate kinase through the deletion of pfkB1resulted in the engineered strain C. glutamicum SO30 that produced 47.6 g/L of l-ornithine, which represents a 32.8% increase than the original strain C. glutamicum SO26 using glucose as substrate (35.88 g/L). Moreover, fed-batch cultivation of C. glutamicum SO30 in 5-L fermenters produced 78.0 g/L of l-ornithine, which was a 78.9% increase in yield compared with that produced by C. glutamicum SO26. These results showed that manipulating the fructose metabolic pathway increases l-ornithine accumulation and provides a reference for developing C. glutamicum to produce valuable metabolites. Graphical Abstract

A novel method for complex amplitude manipulation of spin light is proposed based on a double-layer compact anisotropic metasurface. A new degree of freedom (DOF) is introduced through independently rotating the two layers to achieve a full range control of the amplitude. Then additional full range phase shift is further imparted independently based on the traditional Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase mechanism by the global rotation of the meta-atom. As a result, the ability of full range and arbitrary complex amplitude manipulation is achieved on meta-atom level. Time consuming massive geometric parameter searching is avoided in the proposed method, which is beneficial to the complicated metadevice design. Based on this theory, two devices for multi-beam generation and Airy beam deflection are designed and experimentally verified, respectively. The good agreement between the calculated and measured results confirms the advantage of the proposed method. Our findings may trigger great interest in high-performance functional metaoptics devices with compact size in integrated systems.

Abstract In the framework of the chiral quark model (ChQM), we systematically investigate the strange hidden-charm tetraquark systems $$cs{\bar{c}}{\bar{u}}$$ c s c ¯ u ¯ with two structures: $$q{\bar{q}}-q{\bar{q}}$$ q q ¯ - q q ¯ and $$qq-{\bar{q}}{\bar{q}}$$ q q - q ¯ q ¯ . The bound-state calculation shows that there is no any bound state in present work, which excludes the molecular state explanation ( $$D^{0}D_{s}^{*-}/D^{*0}D_{s}^{-}/D^{*0}D_{s}^{*-}$$ D 0 D s ∗ - / D ∗ 0 D s - / D ∗ 0 D s ∗ - ) of the reported $$Z_{cs}(3985)^{-}$$ Z cs ( 3985 ) - or $$Z_{cs}(4000)^{+}$$ Z cs ( 4000 ) + . However, the effective potentials for the $$cs-{\bar{c}}{\bar{u}}$$ c s - c ¯ u ¯ systems show the possibility of some resonance states. By applying a stabilization calculation and coupling all channels of both two structures, two new resonance states are obtained, which are the $$IJ^{P}=\frac{1}{2} 0^{+}$$ I J P = 1 2 0 + state with the energy around 4111–4116 MeV and the $$IJ^{P} =\frac{1}{2} 1^{+}$$ I J P = 1 2 1 + state with energy around 4113–4119 MeV, respectively. Both of them are worthy of search in future experiments. Our results show that the coupling calculation between the bound channels and open channels is indispensable to provide the necessary information for experiments to search for exotic hadron states.

α-carboline (9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole), contains a pyridine ring fused with an indole backbone, is a promising scaffold for medicinal chemistry. In recent decades, accumulating evidence shows that α-carboline natural products and their derivatives possess diverse bioactivities. However, hitherto, there is no comprehensive review to systematically summarize this important class of alkaloids. In this perspective, this paper represents the first review to provide a comprehensive description of α-carbolines including natural products, updated literature of synthesis, and their diverse biological activities. Their biological activities including antitumor, anti-microbial, anti-Alzheimer’s disease, anti-atherosclerosis, and antioxidant activities were hilighted. And the targets and the main structure activity relationships (SARs) will be presented. Finally, challenges and future directions of this class of compounds will be discussed. This review will be helpful in understanding and encouraging further exploration for this group of alkaloids.

After colonic diverticula, a duodenal diverticulum (DD) is the second most common type of gastrointestinal diverticulum. DD is mainly caused by poor congenital development, resulting in a limited outward protrusion of the duodenal wall in a sac (primary diverticula). Perforation is one of the infrequent but most severe complications of DD, most commonly in the second segment of the duodenum (D2, 58%), followed by the third segment (D3, 30%). In the current case reports on the treatment of DD perforation, preoperative diagnosis is rare, with most patients being diagnosed and treated by laparotomy; the surgical approach is complex and varied, with artificial choices; and there is a high rate of complications and mortality (6%–34%) after surgical treatment. This study aimed to review our experience treating spontaneous perforation of the primary duodenal diverticulum, focusing on the surgical treatment model. A retrospective review of all spontaneous perforations of primary DD was conducted at one center between January 2010 and January 2022. We identified 10 patients with spontaneous perforation of primary DD (6 women and 4 men; median age: 51.5 years; range: 24–87 years). The patients had a median American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score of 2. All patients underwent surgical treatment, of which six had percutaneous retroperitoneal drainage, two had diverticulectomy, one had distal gastrectomy + gastrojejunostomy + diverticuloplasty, and one had diverticulum repair. No patients died. The median length of stay was 12 days (range: 3–21 days). There were no long-term complications during the follow-up period (median follow-up of 12 months). A stepwise treatment model for spontaneous perforation of primary DD appears to have more advantages, and transabdominal exploratory surgery should probably not be the preferred treatment modality.

Time-frequency analysis technique is an effective analysis tool for non-stationary processes. In the field of reactor neutron noise, the time-frequency analysis method has not been thoroughly researched and widely used. This work has studied the time-frequency analysis of the reactor neutron noise experimental signals under bubble disturbance and control rod vibration. First, an experimental platform was established, and it could be employed to reactor neutron noise experiment and data acquisition. Secondly, two types of reactor neutron noise experiments were performed, and valid experimental data was obtained. Finally, time-frequency analysis was conducted on the experimental data, and effective analysis results were obtained in the low-frequency part. Through this work, it can be concluded that the time-frequency analysis technique can effectively investigate the core dynamics behavior and deepen the identification of the unstable core process.

The local reference frame (LRF) plays a vital role in local 3D shape description and matching. Numerous LRF methods have been proposed in recent decades. However, few LRFs can achieve a balance between repeatability and robustness under exposure to a variety of nuisances, including Gaussian noise, mesh resolution variation, clutter, and occlusion. Additionally, most LRFs are heuristic and lack generalizability to different applications and data modalities. In this paper, we first define the degree of distinction to describe the distribution of 2D point clouds and explore the relationship between the relative deviation of the distinction degree and the LRF error through experiments. Based on Gaussian noise and a random sampling analysis, several factors that affect the relative deviation of the distinction degree and result in the LRF error are identified. A scoring criterion is proposed to evaluate the robustness of the point cloud distribution. On this basis, we propose an LRF method (SliceLRF) based on slicing along the Z-axis, which selects the most robust adjacent slices in the point cloud region by scoring criteria for X-axis estimation to improve the repeatability and robustness. SliceLRF is rigorously tested on four public benchmark datasets which have different applications and involve different data modalities. It is also compared with the state-of-the-art LRFs. The experimental results show that the SliceLRF has more comprehensive repeatability and robustness than the other LRFs under exposure to Gaussian noise and random sampling.

The identification of the source of heavy metal pollution and its quantification are the prerequisite of soil pollution control. The APCS-MLR, UNMIX and PMF models were employed to apportion pollution sources of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni of the farmland soil in the vicinity of an abandoned iron and steel plant. The sources, contribution rates and applicability of the models were evaluated. The potential ecological risk index revealed greatest ecological risk from Cd. The results of source apportionment illustrated that the APCS-MLR and UNMIX models could verify each other for accurate allocation of pollution sources. The industrial sources were the main sources of pollution (32.41~38.42%), followed by agricultural sources (29.35~31.65%) and traffic emission sources (21.03~21.51%); and the smallest proportion was from natural sources of pollution (11.2~14.42%). The PMF model was easily affected by outliers and its fitting degree was not ideal, leading to be unable to get more accurate results of source analysis. The combination of multiple models could effectively improve the accuracy of pollution source analysis of soil heavy metals. These results provide some scientific basis for further remediation of heavy metal pollution in farmland soil.

Neutralizing antibody targeting to the SARS-CoV-2 could provide powerful therapies. A neutralizing antibody CC12.1 which was found in SARS-CoV-2 patient samples provides potential protection from disease. The aim of molecular dynamics simulations is to identify key epitopes that are crucial to the antibody binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein receptor binding domain (RBD) to promote the development of superior antibodies. Binding modes of the antibody were investigated and compared with RBD bound receptor ACE2. Key epitopes were revealed and a distal motif of RBD (residue numbers 473–488) was demonstrated by analyzing dynamic trajectories. Compared to the receptor ACE2, conformation of RBD could be better stabilized through additional interaction of antibody with the distal motif of RBD, which was further found driven by electrostatic complementarity. By further analysis of the extensive hydrogen-bonding networks, residues D405, K417, Y421, Y453, L455, R457, Y473, A475, N487, G502, Y505 of RBD, which mainly interacted with CDR H3/L3 and two conserved motifs SNY, SGGS, were identified as key epitopes. Higher binding free energy calculated after point mutations on key residues confirms the crucial role for the specific binding. Subsequently, mutations of VH V98E and VL G68D in CC12.1, which could significantly enhance the binding affinity of the antibody, were also proposed. The results indicate the key epitopes for antibody binding and give explanations for failure of neutralization antibody caused by specific residues mutations on structural basis. Simulations of two point mutations on antibody provide feasible information for advanced antibody design.

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and outbreaks have occurred worldwide. Laboratory test results are an important basis for clinicians to determine patient condition and formulate treatment plans. Methods Fifty-two thousand six hundred forty-four laboratory test results with continuous values of adult inpatients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized in the Fifth Hospital in Wuhan between 16 January 2020 and 18 March 2020 were compiled. The first and last test results were compared between survivors and non-survivors with variance test or Welch test. Laboratory test variables with significant differences were then included in the temporal change analysis. Results Among 94 laboratory test variables in 82 survivors and 25 non-survivors with COVID-19, white blood cell count, neutrophil count/percentage, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, platelet-large cell percentage, hypersensitive C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, D-dimer, fibrin (ogen) degradation product, middle fluorescent reticulocyte percentage, immature reticulocyte fraction, lactate dehydrogenase were significantly increased (P

As a new type of “zero-dimensional” fluorescent carbon nanomaterials, carbon dots (CDs) have some unique optical and chemical properties, they are being explored for a variety of applications in bio-related fields, such as bioimaging, biosensors, and therapy. This review mainly summarizes the recent progress of CDs in bioimaging. The overview of this review can be roughly divided into two categories: (1) In vitro bioimaging based on CDs in different cells and important organelles. (2) The distribution, imaging and application of CDs in mice and zebrafish. In addition, this review also points out the potential advantages and future development directions of CDs for bioimaging, which may promote the development of CDs in the field of bioimaging.

This paper selected Vanke as the case to study the governance problems of Vanke and the protection of the interests of small and medium shareholders under the situation of equity disputes. At the same time, the study further explored the advantages and disadvantages of the dispersed ownership structure, the long-term impact on the company’s development and the choice of the involved corporate governance methods under the current Chinese capital market conditions. This paper adopted the event research method and selected the period from June 2015 to June 2017 (24 months) as the observation period to analyze the market performance impact of Vanke in the equity disputes. At the same time, this paper also measured Vanke’s individual stock rate of return (Rit) and market rate of return (Rmt), and calculated Vanke’s normal rate of return [E(Ri,t)], abnormal rate of return (ARi,t), and cumulative abnormal rate of return (CARi) during different event windows ([−3,10]). Vanke’s shareholding was too dispersed and the stock price had been sluggish for a long time, which had greatly reduced the acquisition difficulty and cost of Baoneng, thus triggering the “barbarian invasion” of Baoneng. In the struggle for control, whether it was Vanke’s anti-takeover measures or China Resources, Baoneng, and Evergrande’s competition for equity, their actions had harmed the interests of small and medium shareholders. The market supervision department was too lenient to supervise and punish the interests of small and medium shareholders, and opportunism made behaviors that infringe on the interests of others more reckless. However, small and medium shareholders cannot actively participate in the company’s management decision-making to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, which intensifies the violations of all parties in the equity disputes, thus forming a vicious circle. Therefore, the protection of the interests of small and medium shareholders required the joint efforts and consciousness of regulators, small and medium shareholders, and acquirers.

With the development of economic globalization and the policy guidance of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the overseas investment of Chinese enterprises has been greatly affected. To study the overseas investment risks of Chinese enterprises, this paper applies a risk analysis model to summarize and analyze the results of overseas investment of Haier from 2008 to 2020. This paper defines the risk analysis model as risk identification, risk assessment, and risk response, and studies overseas investment risks including political, economic, cultural, legal, cost, epidemic, and business risks. (1) The existence of various risks is identified in the company’s overseas investment projects; (2). The overseas investment risks of Haier are evaluated, through a comprehensive evaluation method combining qualitative and quantitative, financial data, and market response; (3). In view of the deficiencies of the existing risk prevention measures in the overseas investment of enterprises, some reasonable suggestions are purposed. The innovation of this paper are: This paper combines IFRS 9, IFRS 15, and IFRS 16, selects theories, and combines cases to evaluate the risks of overseas investment that are difficult to quantify, and analyzes the risks of overseas investment by Z-value models and market effects. This research method has pertinence and applicability to enterprises investing overseas.

Due to the various biological activities of chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs), they have great potential value for use in many areas. Chitosanase plays an important role in enzymatic preparation of COSs. Herein, a gene encoding a chitosanase (ShCsn46) from marine Streptomyces hygroscopicus R1 was cloned and the sequences encoding ShCsn46 without signal peptide were optimized based on the codon usage of Pichia pastoris (P. pastoris). In addition, the optimized gene was ligated to pPICZαA and transformed to P. pastoris X33. After screening, a recombinant strain named X33-Sh33 with the highest activity was isolated from 96 recombinant colonies. The maximum activity and total protein concentration of the recombinant strain ShCsn46 were 2250 U/ml and 3.98 g/l, respectively. The optimal pH and temperature of purified ShCsn46 were 5.5 and 55°C, respectively. Meanwhile, ShCsn46 was stable from pH 5.0 to 10.0 and 40 to 55°C, respectively. The purified ShCsn46 was activated by Mn2+ and inhibited by Cu2+, Fe2+, and Al3+. In addition, substrate specificity of the purified ShCsn46 showed highest activity toward colloidal chitosan with 95% degree of deacetylation. Furthermore, the purified ShCsn46 exhibited high efficiency to hydrolyze 4% colloidal chitosan to prepare COSs. COSs with degree of polymerization of 2–6, 2–5, and 2–4 were controllably produced by adjusting the reaction time. This study provides an excellent chitosanase for the controllable preparation of COSs with a desirable degree of polymerization.

An anti-swaying or swaying-reduction effect for a container crane is key for improving the rapidity and safety of container handling operations. By analyzing the structure of a container crane hydraulic anti-swaying system, a dynamic system model was developed in the time domain, and the changing law of the load swaying angle was studied. In order to study the attenuation effect of the load swaying angle and the different working states of the anti-swaying system, the frequency domain equation of the load swaying angle was developed in the frequency domain. A time domain study on the dynamic model shows that the structure parameter is the key parameter that affects the load anti-swaying effect, and a larger structure parameter produces a better anti-swaying effect. A study regarding the load swaying angle in the frequency domain shows that the container crane hydraulic anti-swaying system works in a critical-damping state when the structure parameter load ratio is equal to twice the system frequency, and in this case, the hydraulic anti-swaying system has good load swaying-reduction effect and a small dependence on changes in the hoisting rope length. The longitudinal and transverse installation distances of the anti-swaying fixed pulleys jointly affect the structure parameter. In engineering applications, the longitudinal and transverse distances can be selected according to size near that of a standard container. To obtain a good swaying-reduction effect, data such as the hoisting load mass, the hoisting rope length, and the hoisting load swaying speed can be obtained in real-time and used to calculate the required pressure adjustments for the relief valve of the hydraulic anti-swaying system.

Application of activating agents can significantly improve efficiency of plants for remediation of soils contaminated by heavy metals, however, damage to soil and plants limits application of traditional activating agents. The aim of our experiments is to select an efficient,green and low-cost activating agent to improve efficiency of plant extraction technology. In this study, contaminated soil was remediated by Sedum alfredii. The effects of two plant extracts (i.e., Oxalis corniculata,OX and Medicago sativaextract, ME) in addition to citric acid (CA) were studied in oscillatory activation experiment and pot experiment. The oscillation activation experiment revealed that extraction quantity of heavy metals in the soil was enhanced significantly with concentration of plant extract. The extraction quantity of Zn from 100% OX extract and ME extract were significantly higher than 10 mmol/L CA (54.04% and 33.09%, respectively). The 10 mmol/L CA has best extraction efficiency for Cd, up to 41.36 µg/kg, which is significantly higher than CK (control) (p

Agricultural wastes, such as rice straw (RS) and pig manure (PM), cause serious environmental pollution due to the non-existence of effective disposal methods. Urgent investigations are needed to explore how such wastes can be transformed into resources. In this study, we comprehensively assessed methane yield and kinetics of RS and PM anaerobic co-digestion, with or without pretreatment of a previously developed cellulolytic microflora, under conditions of their maximum organic loading rate. The anaerobic co-digestion results revealed that the cumulative methane production of RS and PM after bio-pretreatment was 342.35 ml (g-VS)−1, which is 45% higher than that of the control group [236.03 ml·(g-VS)−1]. Moreover, the kinetic analysis showed the first-order kinetic, while the modified Gompertz models revealed higher fitting properties (R2 ≥ 0.966). After bio-pretreatment, the hydrolytic constant, maximum accumulative methane production, and maximum methane production rates of RS and PM reached 0.46 day−1, 350.79 ml·(g-VS)−1, and 45.36 ml·(g-VS)−1·day−1, respectively, which were 77, 45.1, and 84.3% higher than those without pretreatment. Also, we found that the lag phase and effective methane production time after bio-pretreatment decreased from 2.43 to 1.79 days and 10.7 to 8.92 days, respectively. Upon energy balance evaluation, we reported a net energy output of 5133.02 kWh·ton−1 after bio-pretreatment. Findings from this present study demonstrated that bio-pretreatment of RS and PM mixtures with cellulolytic microflora could greatly enhance methane production and anaerobic digestion efficiency.

In this study, the notch effect of different types of 304 stainless steel rod notch is studied because of the problem of difficulty in measuring the notch root strain of 304 rod stainless steel, and the parameters of the annular notch root are analyzed. The notch angle, notch depth, and notch root radius are the main parameters of the stress field affecting the annular notch, and the mathematical expression of the strain rate concentration factor is derived. In order to verify the accuracy of the theory, the mechanical model of 304 stainless steel bar is established by finite element and numerical simulation calculation. The results show that the theoretical and finite elements have a high degree of agreement. When the notch angle increases, both theoretical and finite elements show a downward trend. When the notch depth of 304 stainless steel bar increases, both theoretical and numerical simulations show an increasing trend. The notch root radius of 304 stainless steel bar increases with decreasing numerical simulation.

Aiming at the problems of poor bonding between the carbon fiber and the metal matrix and the friction and wear performance of the composite material during the preparation of carbon fiber reinforced zinc-based aluminum rich alloy composites, the carbon fiber surface metallization process was studied. Taking ZA27 as the research object, a new type of zinc-based aluminum rich alloy composite material was prepared by using surface metallized chopped carbon fibers with different contents as reinforcement materials. The microscopic morphology, element distribution and phase composition of the surface metallized carbon fiber and composite materials were characterized, and the hardness and friction and wear properties of the composite materials were tested. The results show that: the surface metallization of carbon fiber effectively reduces the diffusion of carbon elements into the matrix material during the sintering process, and improves the interface bonding between the carbon fiber and the matrix material; Compared with ZA27 alloy, the hardness of 6vt% carbon fiber is increased by 29.6%, and the average friction coefficient and wear rate are reduced by about 18.4% and 96%, respectively, indicating that the carbon fiber reinforced zinc-based aluminum rich alloy composite material optimizes the friction and wear performance of traditional materials.

Abstract Background The objective of the study is to explore the effects of retrosternal and prevertebral lifting paths of the tubular stomach on postoperative complications of patients undergoing cervical anastomosis in thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy. Methods Sixty-three patients were retrospectively analyzed. The patients received thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy by the same surgeon. According to the path by which the stomach was lifted upward, the patients were divided into two groups: the retrosternal path group (32 patients) and the prevertebral path group (31 patients). Operative indications and complications of postoperative patients in these two groups were observed. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the time duration of surgery, amount of bleeding, number of dissected lymph node, and postoperative hospitalization time between the retrosternal and prevertebral lifting paths (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the two groups did not show significant difference in the incidence rate of postoperative anastomosis fistula complications (P = 0.702). Instead, the amount of postoperative gastric drainage and the incidence rates of the pulmonary infection were significantly lower in the retrosternal path group than in the prevertebral path group, respectively (P = 0.001, P = 0.012, respectively). Conclusion The esophagogastrostomic cervical anastomoses performed via the retrosternal and prevertebral paths are both feasible methods of digestive tract reconstruction. The amount of postoperative gastric drainage volume and the pulmonary infection incidence rate in the retrosternal path group were lower than those in the prevertebral path group. Therefore, gastroesophageal anastomosis via the retrosternal lifting path may be preferably considered for thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery for esophageal carcinoma patients.

In order to measure the shock initiation behavior of JOB-9003 explosives, Al-based embedded multiple electromagnetic particle velocity gauge technique has been developed. In addition, a gauge element called the shock tracker has been used to monitor the progress of the shock front as a function of time, thus providing a position–time trajectory of the wave front as it moves through the explosive sample. The data is used to determine the position and time for shock to detonation transition. All the experimental results show that the rising-up time of Al-based electromagnetic particle velocity gauge is very short (

With a 10-kW, 120,000-r/min, ultra-high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motor taken as a prototype, experimental research is conducted on the rotor dynamic behaviours of a three-pad bidirectional gas foil bearing high-speed motor rotor system. Load-carrying properties of the three-pad bidirectional gas foil bearing are analysed, and natural frequencies of conical and parallel whirling modes of the elastically supported rotor are calculated based on an appropriate simplification to the stiffness and damping coefficients of the gas foil bearings. The prototype passes through a 90,000-r/min coast-down experiment. Experiments show that there are violent subsynchronous whirling motions that are evoked by the gas foil bearing–rotor system itself. The cause of shaft orbit drift is analysed, and the corresponding solution is put forward. The theoretical analysis and experimental results can offer a useful reference to the bearing–rotor system design of ultra-high-speed permanent magnet motors and its subsequent dynamic analysis.

Robotic technologies offer a range of functions to augment clinical rehabilitation practice. However, compliance with robot-assisted rehabilitation techniques has not been optimally achieved. Traditional approaches to improving the treatment efficacy are focusing more on the system function, while psychological factors have not been integrated comprehensively. In this perspective paper, eight key factors reflecting three conceptions-robot design, function design, and patients’ expectations have been evaluated and analyzed. Clinical results with 28 therapists and 84 patients indicate that integrating psychological strategies into robot-assisted physiotherapy may promote better trust and acceptance of rehabilitation robots.

Ultra-high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motors usually adopt the rotor in which a sleeve is interference fitted onto a ring permanent magnet or segmental permanent magnets. The rotors are always subject to the extreme working condition (e.g. high speed and high temperature). In order to predict the strength of the rotor, this article proposes analytical models considering three types of stress sources such as interference fit, centrifugal force, and temperature gradient. Examples are calculated and discussed. Results show that the effect of the temperature gradient on sleeve stresses is slight; however, the influence of the temperature gradient on stresses of the permanent magnet and shaft is dramatic; for the rotor with a outer surface forced air cooling, the shaft will generate a large radial expansion which causes a addition pressure effect on the permanent magnet and sleeve to prevent loosening and stripping of the interfaces. Moreover, segmental permanent magnets are helpful to reduce stress. The study will give a useful hint for the optimal design and manufacture of the ultra-high-speed permanent magnet rotor.

Bipolar rotors with cylindrical permanent magnets (PMs), which are magnetized in parallel, are generally used in ultra-high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs). Aiming for this type of PMSM, two methods, namely, the Poynting theorem and the Maxwell stress tensor, were used to deduce the analytic expression of the electromagnetic driving torque. A locked-rotor simulation by the finite element (FE) method verifies the analytical solution. In addition, the cogging torque, back-electromotive force (emf), armature reaction inductance, etc., were calculated, compared, and discussed. The no-load back-emf was checked by a 60,000 rpm free coast experiment. The proposed analytical solution is very convenient to guide the design of the ultra-high-speed PMSM and check its performance.

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This paper proposes an ultra-high frequency (UHF) fatigue test of a titanium alloy TA11 based on electrodynamic shaker in order to develop a feasible testing method in the VHCF regime. Firstly, a type of UHF fatigue specimen is designed to make its actual testing frequency reach as high as 1756 Hz. Then the influences of the loading frequency and loading types on the testing results are considered separately, and a series of comparative fatigue tests are hence conducted. The results show the testing data from the present UHF fatigue specimen agree well with those from the conventional vibration fatigue specimen with the loading frequency of 240 Hz. Furthermore, the present UHF testing data show good consistency with those from the axial-loading fatigue and rotating bending fatigue tests. But the obtained fatigue life from ultrasonic fatigue test with the loading frequency of 20 kHz is significantly higher than all other fatigue test results. Thus the proposed ultra-high frequency vibration-based fatigue test shows a balance of high efficiency and similarity with the conventional testing results.

In this paper, we propose a reverse modulation fiber-wireless system with two jointed DSP algorithms. The signal in the system is OFDM modulated millimeter wave (mm-wave) at 60GHz. In order to improve transmission of this system, the discrete Fourier transform spread (DFT-Spread) technology and the averaging of the channel frequency response (H-averaging) technology are applied. The DFT-Spread technology helps to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of the OFDM signal, and the H-averaging technology helps to optimize channel estimation. This is the first time that the two kinds of technology were used together in this reverse modulation system. According to the simulation, the 22Gbit/s 16QAM-OFDM at 60GHz can be generated and transmitted for 90km fiber transmission under the soft decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold 3.8×10-3. The results show that the two jointed DSP algorithms can improve the reverse modulation system transmission performance obviously.

We display a theoretical and experimental study of all-optical switching for signal lasers based on the plasma channel induced by the control laser. Using the plasma channel generated in the carbon disulfide (CS2) solution, the signal light can be modulated as some spatial distributions including unchanging, ring-shaped beam, and other intensity profiles. The modulation on the signal light can be conveniently adjusted by changing the control light’s incident intensity distribution. We can infer the dark spot shape in the modulated signal laser through the intensity profile of control laser beam. These results provide the great potential of plasma channel induced by lasers as an all-optical switching for various optoelectronic applications.

Corrosion failure is a thorny issue that restricts the applications of Al alloys. As a research hotspot in functional realization, hydrophobic fabrication exactly offers an efficient method to settle metallic corrosions. This work has developed a facile and low-cost method to enhance corrosion resistance of Al alloys. The micro-nano dendrites have been firstly prepared on metallic substrate using one-step potentiostatic deposition. Then, wetting and electrochemical behaviors have been systematically investigated after stearic acid modification. Results show that the as-prepared surface possesses amplified and durable water repellence with an apparent contact angle (CA) of 154.2° and a sliding angle (SA) of 4.7°. Meanwhile, owing to the trapped air in dendrites, the newly-generated solid-air-liquid interfaces help to resist seawater penetration by reducing interfacial interactions on the super-hydrophobic surface as well as significantly enhance its corrosion resistance. This work sheds positive insights into extending the applications of Al alloys in many areas, especially for ocean engineering fields.

Ultrasonic fatigue tests up to 1010 cycles were performed on a turbine engine titanium alloy (Ti-8Al-1Mo-1V) at the stress ratio (R) of −1 with smooth specimens and at R = −1, 0.1 and 0.5 with notched specimens. As a result, with increase of fatigue life, the source of reduced fatigue life caused by multi-point surface crack initiation changes from crack propagation stage to crack initiation stage in the high cycle fatigue regime. Notch effect further promotes the degeneration of high cycle and very high cycle fatigue strength at R > −1. The bilinear model, extended from the Goodman method, can better estimate the mean stress sensitivity of this titanium alloy. The fatigue mean stress sensitivity and fatigue-creep mean stress sensitivity of this material increased with the increase of fatigue life. The new model, based on the Murakami model, can provide more appropriate predictions for notch fatigue strength.