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Abstract Neuroimaging studies have revealed that the mechanisms of auditory hallucinations are related to morphological changes in multiple cortical regions, but studies on brain network properties are lacking. This study aims to construct intra-individual structural covariance networks and reveal network changes related to auditory hallucinations. T1-weighted MRI images were acquired from 90 schizophrenia patients with persistent auditory hallucinations (pAH group), 55 schizophrenia patients without auditory hallucinations (non-pAH group), and 83 healthy controls (HC group). Networks were constructed using the voxel-based gray matter volume and the intra-individual structural covariance was based on the similarity between the morphological variations of any two regions. One-way ANCOVA was employed to compare global and local network metrics among the three groups, and edge analysis was conducted via network-based statistics. In the pAH group, Pearson correlation analysis between network metrics and clinical symptoms was conducted. Compared with the HC group, both the pAH group (p = 0.01) and the non-pAH group (p = 3.56 × 10−4) had lower nodal efficiency of the left medial superior frontal gyrus. Compared to the non-pAH group and HC group, the pAH group presented lower nodal efficiency of the temporal pole of the left superior temporal gyrus (p = 1.09 × 10−3; p = 7.67 × 10−4) and right insula (p = 0.02; p = 8.99 × 10−6), and lower degree centrality of the right insula (p = 0.04; p = 1.65 × 10−5). The pAH group had a subnetwork with reduced structural covariance centered by the left temporal pole of the superior temporal gyrus. In the pAH group, the normalized clustering coefficient (r = −0.36, p = 8.45 × 10−3) and small-worldness (r = −0.35, p = 9.89 × 10−3) were negatively correlated with the PANSS positive scale score. This study revealed network changes in schizophrenia patients with persistent auditory hallucinations, and provided new insights into the structural architecture related to auditory hallucinations at the network level.

Abstract Background Glutamatergic function abnormalities have been implicated in the etiology of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), and the efficacy of clozapine may be attributed to its impact on the glutamate system. Recently, evidence has emerged suggesting the involvement of immune processes and increased prevalence of antineuronal antibodies in TRS. This current study aimed to investigate the levels of multiple anti-glutamate receptor antibodies in TRS and explore the effects of clozapine on these antibody levels. Methods Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure and compare the levels of anti-glutamate receptor antibodies (NMDAR, AMPAR, mGlur3, mGluR5) in clozapine-treated TRS patients (TRS-C, n = 37), clozapine-naïve TRS patients (TRS-NC, n = 39), and non-TRS patients (nTRS, n = 35). Clinical symptom severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), while cognitive function was evaluated using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Result The levels of all four glutamate receptor antibodies in TRS-NC were significantly higher than those in nTRS (p

The paper comprehensively describes the evolution of metastable microstructures in a cast low-Ta-containing γ-TiAl alloy during cooling-tempering-lamellarization heat treatments. The behavior and mechanism of microstructure refinement are discussed. The rapid cooling generates metastable microstructures, including Widmanstätten, feathery, and massive structures, with many γ variants in small sizes and different orientations. It significantly refines the coarsened colonies and randomizes the texture. The tempering can effectively stabilize the metastable microstructures. During tempering, the γ→α phase transformation is more active at higher temperatures while coarsening and recrystallization dominate at lower temperatures. After tempering, a refined microstructure with spherical grains and convoluted structures forms. Subsequent lamellarization treatment optimizes the microstructure and obtains a fine-grained nearly-lamellar microstructure with small colonies (∼70 μm) and dispersed fine γ grains (∼10 vol%), which yielded a 1.0 % elongation with a 487 MPa yield strength (0.2%) and a 589 MPa ultimate tensile strength at room temperature. Finally, the unique promotion effects and mechanism of a small amount of Ta addition on the nucleation, growth, evolution, and stabilization of metastable microstructures are concluded and discussed, which is crucial for the refinement of cast γ-TiAl alloy by heat treatment alone.

Currently, foliar diseases of chili have significantly impacted both yield and quality. Despite effective advancements in deep learning techniques for the classification of chili leaf diseases, most existing classification models still face challenges in terms of accuracy and practical application in disease identification. Therefore, in this study, an optimized and enhanced convolutional neural network model named MCCM (MCSAM-ConvNeXt-MSFFM) is proposed by introducing ConvNeXt. The model incorporates a Multi-Scale Feature Fusion Module (MSFFM) aimed at better capturing disease features of various sizes and positions within the images. Moreover, adjustments are made to the positioning, activation functions, and normalization operations of the MSFFM module to further optimize the overall model. Additionally, a proposed Mixed Channel Spatial Attention Mechanism (MCSAM) strengthens the correlation between non-local channels and spatial features, enhancing the model’s extraction of fundamental characteristics of chili leaf diseases. During the training process, pre-trained weights are obtained from the Plant Village dataset using transfer learning to accelerate the model’s convergence. Regarding model evaluation, the MCCM model is compared with existing CNN models (Vgg16, ResNet34, GoogLeNet, MobileNetV2, ShuffleNet, EfficientNetV2, ConvNeXt), and Swin-Transformer. The results demonstrate that the MCCM model achieves average improvements of 3.38%, 2.62%, 2.48%, and 2.53% in accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score, respectively. Particularly noteworthy is that compared to the original ConvNeXt model, the MCCM model exhibits significant enhancements across all performance metrics. Furthermore, classification experiments conducted on rice and maize disease datasets showcase the MCCM model’s strong generalization performance. Finally, in terms of application, a chili leaf disease classification website is successfully developed using the Flask framework. This website accurately identifies uploaded chili leaf disease images, demonstrating the practical utility of the model.

Abstract Accurate and comprehensive extraction of water bodies facilitates the study of watershed changes and water quality monitoring and also provides a reference for ecological evolution. When extracting tributaries and small water bodies based on remote sensing images, there are problems such as uncertain threshold selection, more edge voids, and extraction difficulties. The improved water body extraction method (Combination Normalized Difference Water Index), fuses Digital Elevation Model and remote sensing images. The river network is extracted from the Digital Elevation Model and the remote sensing image is normalized. After fusion, threshold comparison is performed, and the threshold of the river network location is used as the basis for connecting the broken water bodies, it is compared and verified with the normalized thresholds to achieve accurate identification and complete extraction of water bodies. Taking the water bodies in Xinyang City as an example, the overall accuracy of the confusion matrix was the highest, with an overall accuracy of 93.0% compared with the traditional index method. Combined with water bodies in Zhengzhou City for model validation, it has high applicability. Whether the water body is large or small, the extraction results are complete, with no voids or broken, and the accuracy is high.

Based on the d-electron theory, a new type of high strength metastable β alloy Ti-5.2Mo-5.2Cr-4.0Al-4.4V-2.4Nb (Ti-542) alloy was developed which presented excellent strength-plasticity matching. In solution state, the yield strength can reach 871 MPa, where the fracture elongation is as high as 23.6 %. The twining and martensitic transformation have been founded which contributes to achieve a superhigh plasticity. After aging treatment, the yield strength of Ti-542 can increase to 1256 MPa and the fracture elongation is still reach 8.7 % which is obviously better than other commercial alloys at the same strength level. The multiple twins of αW produced during deformation are expected to improve the synergistic deformation ability of micro-zone and enhance the plasticity of the alloy. The strengthening mechanism was also thoroughly discussed based on microstructures and strengthening models. This work provides a valuable choice for structural materials on new generation of aviation equipment.

Abstract Background Low-grade inflammation and altered inflammatory markers have been observed in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines linked with TRS and receives increasing attention. Previous studies showed that patients with TRS might have higher IL-6 levels compared with healthy individuals and treatment-responsive patients. Besides, emerging evidence has suggested that there are sex differences in the associations between IL-6 levels and various illnesses, including chronic hepatitis C, metabolic syndrome, etc.; however, there is limited study on TRS. In this present study, we aimed to compare the serum IL-6 levels of TRS and partially responsive schizophrenia (PRS) and explore potential sex differences in the association of TRS and IL-6 levels. Methods The study population consisted of a total of 90 patients with schizophrenia: 64 TRS patients (45.3% males and 54.7% females) and 26 PRS patients (46.2% males and 53.8% females). We measured serum IL-6 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and analyzed them separately by gender, controlling for confounders (age, education, medication, body mass index, and PANSS scores) rigorously. Result The results showed that patients with TRS had higher serum IL-6 levels than patients with PRS (p = 0.002). In females, IL-6 levels increased significantly in the TRS group compared with the PRS group (p = 0.005). And a positive correlation tendency was observed between IL-6 levels and PANSS general sub-scores (r = 0.31, p = 0.039), although this correlation was not significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. Whereas, there were no differences in IL-6 levels between the TRS and PRS (p = 0.124) in males. Conclusion Our findings provided evidence supporting the hypothesis that the inflammatory response system (IRS) may play a role in the pathogenesis of TRS in a sex-dependent manner. In addition, sex differences in the immune dysfunction of individuals with schizophrenia cannot be neglected, and inflammation in male and female TRS should be discussed separately.

The Al2O3 coating on continuous TiNb fiber can effectively suppress the interfacial reaction in TiNbf/TiAl composites. Some phase transitions in fiber have been founded and their formation reason was analyzed. The micromechanical properties of each phase and macroscopic mechanical properties of the composites were also systematically studied. The α+β duplex structure exhibiting texture feature was found in the most regions of TiNb fiber. Meanwhile α+δ layer, σ layer, outer α layer, and β layer would be formed respectively within 10 μm of the fiber surface whose formation reasons were explained from thermodynamics dominated by Al element. Nanoindentation tests indicated the deformation capacity of each phase satisfied: β＞δ＞σ＞α (outer)＞α (inner)＞Al2O3 coating. The composite with coated fibers has excellent fracture strength of 498 MPa and the fracture toughness of 18.72 MPa m, which was benefited from the fine grain strengthening and precipitation strengthening mechanisms. The Al2O3 coating can significantly improve the thermal stability of the composites during thermal exposure below 1250 °C, and keep the mechanical properties from degradation. This work is of great significance for understanding the phase transformation and deformation process of innovative Al2O3 coated TiNb fiber reinforced TiAl matrix composites.

Soil adhesion is one of the main factors affecting the working resistance and energy consumption of agricultural machinery. Many scholars have been doing much research on the method of soil antiadhesion, but the conditions for the occurrence of adhesion need to be further discussed. By measuring and comparing the repose angle and external friction angle of the soil, this paper discussed the influence of soil texture and soil water content on soil adhesion. It was found that when the soil moisture content was less than 20%, the cohesive soil showed weak adhesion. When the soil moisture content was more than 20% and lower than the soil liquid limit, the cohesive soil shows strong adhesion. When the soil shows strong adhesion, the nonsmooth convex structure on the surface of the subsoiler has a good desorption effect. Notably, in clay loam with a 30% moisture content, the average tillage resistance of a subsoiler with convex structures was 15.13% lower compared to a smooth-surfaced subsoiler.

The grain size of the full lamellae TiAl-based alloy changes from ~400 μm to ~40 μm through the precipitation of metastable structures by cyclic heat treatment. Based on this, two kinds of variant selection processes—coherent metastable γ variants precipitated during the air-cooling process and αs variants precipitated during the holding at a single α phase region process—are identified to promote the formation of refined Type I and Type II coherent grain boundaries. The oxidation tests at 1000 °C for 100 h show that the formation of refined coherent grain boundaries can greatly improve oxidation resistance by inducing the continuous multi-layer protective barrier consisting of (Ti, (Nb, Ta))O2, TiN, and Al(Nb,Ta)2. This protective barrier inhibits the inward diffusion of oxygen and nitrogen.

Soil adhesion is one of the important factors affecting the working stability and quality of agricultural machinery. The application of bionic non-smooth surfaces provides a novel idea for soil anti-adhesion. The parameters of sandy loam with 21% moisture content were calibrated by the Engineering Discrete Element Method (EDEM). The final simulated soil repose angle was highly consistent with the measured soil repose angle, and the obtained regression equation of the soil repose angle provides a numerical reference for the parameter calibration of different soils. By simulating the sinusoidal swing of a sandfish, it was found that the contact interface shows the phenomenon of stress concentration and periodic change, which reflects the effectiveness of flexible desorption and soil anti-adhesion. The moving resistance of the wedge with different wedge angles and different serrated structures was simulated. Finally, it was found that a 40° wedge with a high-tail sparse staggered serrated structure on the surface has the best drag reduction effect, and the drag reduction is about 10.73%.

Conventional subsoiling has the problem of excessive draught resistance, which has long been a major concern. A great reduction in draught is urgently required to make better use of the subsoiling technique with many agronomic benefits. In this study, an attempt was made to test the draught reduction performance of a series of tools with continuous belt motions. Comparative simulations between regular tools and belt tools were carried out using the discrete element method (DEM) to investigate the effects of belt motion on tool force, soil disturbance characteristics, particle velocity distribution, and soil deformation and movement patterns. The results indicated that the belt motion reduced the draught force by 13.18%, 25.21%, 37.98%, and 44.64% for the rake angles of 30°, 45°, 60°, and 75°, respectively, and caused acceptable increases in downward vertical force. The changes in soil disturbance, particle velocity distribution, and soil deformation and movement patterns contributed to the reduction in draught force. Negative effects on soil disturbance were acceptable considering the 13.18% to 44.64% reductions in draught force. The present study suggests that the belt motion has a great application potential for draught reduction in subsoiling. Also, this can serve as a theoretical foundation for future studies.

Noncarbon support materials (NCSMs) used in the membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) have received extensive attentions due to their better chemical stability, excellent corrosion resistance and high electrical conductivity. To develop high-quality MEA, great efforts have been devoted to improving the electrochemical performance and durability of MEAs through the surface engineering of NCSMs. With this context, the recent progress of the NCSMs as catalyst support and diffusion layer is summarized. The functional mechanisms and critical roles of NCSMs in MEAs are firstly discussed in terms of the structure-functions relationship. The design strategies and fabrication process based on different noncarbon materials (e.g., metal-based materials and carbides) as catalyst supports are summarized from the perspective of nanoscale structures like nanoparticles, nanofibers, and nanotubes. The structural design and surface modification of the noncarbon materials applied to the diffusion layer and stack-level MEA are also analyzed. Finally, the current limitations, prospective and future development tendency of NCSMs in MEA are proposed. This review is believed to provide an in-depth overview and promising research directions for the design of catalyst supports in fuel cells.

The phase transformation sequence and transition temperatures of Ti–48Al–4Nb–2Cr-0.3Ru alloy are studied by using in-situ synchrotron radiation high energy X-ray diffraction, which was confirmed as α → α+γ → α/α2+β/B2+γ. The α transus and β/B2 solvus temperatures are located at 1390 °C and 1300 °C, respectively. Significantly, the acceleration of Ru element on the precipitation of metastable massive and feathery microstructures was found for the first time. Based on that, a multi-step heat treatment consisting of homogenization treatment, cyclic air-cooling heat treatment, γ equiaxed treatment and lamella reprecipitation treatment was designed to optimize the Ti–48Al–4Nb–2Cr-0.3Ru alloy. The coarse microstructure after homogenization was refined by feathery microstructure during cyclic air-cooling heat treatment. Finally, a fine duplex microstructure with γ grain and lamellar colony sized approximately 25 μm and 40 μm, respectively, was achieved. First-principles calculation revealed that the interfacial energies can be decreased when Ru atom occupies the Al sublattice position of true twin and Σ5 coincidence site lattice boundaries, which promote the occurrence of metastable transformations. Comparing with the initial microstructure, the tensile properties of the duplex microstructure were highly improved both at room temperature and 800 °C.

Abstract Studies of schizophrenia (SCZ) have associated auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) with structural and functional abnormalities in frontal cortex, especially medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Although abnormal prefrontal network connectivity associated with language production has been studied extensively, the relationship between mPFC dysfunction (highly relevant to the pathophysiology of SCZ) and AVH has been rarely investigated. In this study, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure metabolite levels in the mPFC in 61 SCZ patients with persistent AVH (pAVH), 53 SCZ patients without AVH (non-AVH), and 59 healthy controls (HC). The pAVH group showed significantly lower levels of N-acetyl-aspartate + N-acetyl-aspartyl-glutamate (tNAA) and glutamate + glutamine (Glx), compared with the non-AVH (tNAA: p = 0.022, Glx: p = 0.012) and HC (tNAA: p = 0.001, Glx: p = 0.001) groups. No difference was found in the levels of tNAA and Glx between non-AVH and HC. The levels of tNAA and Glx in the mPFC was negatively correlated with the severity of pAVH (tNAA: r = −0.24, p = 0.014; Glx: r = −0.30, p = 0.002). In conclusion, pAVH in SCZ patients might be related to decreased levels of tNAA and Glx in the mPFC, indicating that tNAA or Glx might play a key role in the pathogenesis of pAVH.

BackgroundIndividuals who experience the prodromal phase of schizophrenia (SCZ), a common and complex psychiatric disorder, are referred to as ultra-high-risk (UHR) individuals. Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) is imperative in the microbiota-gut-brain axis and brain function. Accumulating amount of evidence shows the connections between psychiatric disorders and SCFAs. This study aims to explore the underlying roles SCFAs play in SCZ by investigating the association of alterations in SCFAs concentrations with common cognitive functions in both the SCZ and UHR populations.MethodsThe study recruited 59 SCZ patients (including 15 participants converted from the UHR group), 51 UHR participants, and 40 healthy controls (HC) within a complete follow-up of 2 years. Results of cognitive functions, which were assessed by utilizing HVLT-R and TMT, and serum concentrations of SCFAs were obtained for all participants and for UHR individuals at the time of their conversion to SCZ.ResultsFifteen UHR participants converted to SCZ within a 2-year follow-up. Valeric acid concentration levels were lower in both the baseline of UHR individuals whom later converted to SCZ (p = 0.046) and SCZ patients (p = 0.036) than the HC group. Additionally, there were lower concentrations of caproic acid in the baseline of UHR individuals whom later transitioned to SCZ (p = 0.019) and the UHR group (p = 0.016) than the HC group. Furthermore, the caproic acid levels in the UHR group are significantly positively correlated with immediate memory (r = 0.355, p = 0.011) and negatively correlated with TMT-B (r = -0.366, p = 0.009). Significant differences in levels of acetic acid, butyric acid and isovaleric acid were absent among the three groups and in UHR individuals before and after transition to SCZ.ConclusionOur study suggests that alterations in concentrations of SCFAs may be associated with the pathogenesis and the cognitive impairment of schizophrenia. Further researches are warranted to explore this association. The clinical implications of our findings were discussed.

In this study, Ti-48Al-3Nb-1.5Ta powders were manufactured from cast bars by the supreme-speed plasma rotating electrode process (SS-PREP) and used to prepare hot isostatically pressed (HIPed) material at 1050–1260 °C with 150 MPa for 4 h. The phase, microstructure and mechanical performance were analyzed by XRD, SEM, electrical universal material testing machine and other methods. The results revealed that the phase constitution changed from γ phase to α2 phase and then to γ phase with the material changing from as-cast to powders and then to as-HIPed. Compared with the as-cast material, the grain size and element segregation were significantly reduced for both powders and as-HIPed. When the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) temperature was low, the genetic characteristics of the powder microstructure were evident. With the HIP temperature increasing, the homogeneity of the composition and microstructure increased, and the prior particle boundaries (PPBs) gradually disappeared. The elastic moduli of powder and as-HIPed were superior to those of as-cast, which increased with the HIP temperature increasing. The hardness of as-HIPed was lower than that of the powder. The compressive strength, compressive strain, bending strength, and tensile strength of as-HIPed were higher than those of as-cast. With an increase in the HIP temperature, the compressive strength decreased gradually, and the compressive strain first decreased and then increased.

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are one of the most common and severe symptoms of schizophrenia (SCZ), but the neuroanatomical mechanisms underlying AVHs remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether persistent AVHs (pAVH) are associated with cortical thinning of certain brain regions in patients with SCZ. With the use of the 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, we acquired and analyzed data from 79 SCZ patients with pAVH (pAVH group), 60 SCZ patients without AVHs (non-AVH group), and 83 healthy controls (HC group). The severity of pAVH was assessed by the P3 hallucination items in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale (AHRS). Cortical thickness analysis was used to compare the region of interest (ROI) cortical thickness between the groups. The relationship between the severity of pAVH and cortical thickness was also explored. Compared with the non-AVH and HC groups, the pAVH group exhibited significantly reduced cortical thickness in the bilateral lateral orbitofrontal region (p < 0.0007, after Bonferroni correction); no significant difference was found between the non-AVH group and the HC group. The cortical thickness of the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (P3: r = −0.44, p < 0.001; AHRS: r = −0.45, p < 0.001) and the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex (P3: r = −0.36, p = 0.002; AHRS: r = −0.33, p = 0.004) were negatively correlated with the severity of pAVH (after Bonferroni correction, p < 0.0125). Therefore, abnormal thickness of the bilateral lateral orbitofrontal cortices might be associated with pAVHs in SCZ patients.

Fine-grained nearly-lamellar (FGNL) microstructures and ultrafine α2/γ lamellar microstructure were successfully obtained by means of α-recrystallization in a Ti–48Al–2Nb–2Cr alloy. The dynamic recrystallization of α phases and subsequent cooling control contributed to microstructure refinements, which were governed by small-strain α-deformation. Lamellar grain refinement is due to dominating continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX). Lamellar structure refinement is mainly achieved by the increase in γ lamellae precipitation sites by α-deformation and fast cooling. Finally, the microstructure evolution and control mechanisms were illustrated, suggesting a promising method for improving the mechanical properties of TiAl alloy.

Continuous TiNb fiber reinforced TiAl composites (TiNbf/TiAl) have tremendous potential for substituting brittle TiAl alloy to service on advanced aerospace equipment. This study has clarified microstructure evolution of TiNbf/TiAl composites and successfully achieved the structure modification of TiNb fiber by aging process where strengthening phase α-Ti could precipitate homogeneously in basket shape at the core of fiber meanwhile the formation and growth of brittle O phase could be effectively inhibited. Through aging process, both strength and toughness of composites have achieved a remarkable enhancement. Tensile fracture strength and strain of composites were significantly improved by 87% and 74% respectively compared with TiAl matrix. The K1C reflecting the toughness was enhanced nearly doubled benefit from multiple interaction mechanisms. The compressive strength of composites at 700 °C can reach 1078 MPa which still reached up to 847 MPa at 800 °C. The micromechanical properties of each phase were investigated systematically to reveal the strengthening and toughening mechanism. The growth behavior and the stability of interface structure were also involved with first-principles method.

It has been claimed that individuals with schizophrenia have difficulty in self-recognition and, consequently, are unable to identify the sources of their sensory perceptions or thoughts, resulting in delusions, hallucinations, and unusual experiences of body ownership. The deficits also contribute to the enhanced rubber hand illusion (RHI; a body perception illusion, induced by synchronous visual and tactile stimulation). Evidence based on RHI paradigms is emerging that auditory information can make an impact on the sense of body ownership, which relies on the process of multisensory inputs and integration. Hence, we assumed that auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), as an abnormal auditory perception, could be linked with body ownership, and the RHI paradigm could be conducted in patients with AVHs to explore the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the performance of patients with/without AVHs in the RHI. We administered the RHI paradigm to 80 patients with schizophrenia (47 with AVHs and 33 without AVHs) and 36 healthy controls. We conducted the experiment under two conditions (synchronous and asynchronous) and evaluated the RHI effects by both objective and subjective measures. Both patient groups experienced the RHI more quickly and strongly than HCs. The RHI effects of patients with AVHs were significantly smaller than those of patients without AVHs. Another important finding was that patients with AVHs did not show a reduction in RHI under asynchronous conditions. These results emphasize the disturbances of the sense of body ownership in schizophrenia patients with/without AVHs and the associations with AVHs. Furthermore, it is suggested that patients with AVHs may have multisensory processing dysfunctions and internal timing deficits.

A 6061 Al coating for AZ31 Mg alloy was prepared by multi-pass friction stir welding (FSW) with different travel speeds. The microstructure, mechanical properties of the interfacial region and the corrosion behavior of the coating were investigated systematically. The results indicate that the interfacial intermetallic compounds formed in the stir zone (SZ) consist of mainly Al12Mg17 and Al3Mg2. The intermetallic compounds in the SZ are significantly increased when the travel speed is increased from 30 mm/min to 60 mm/min. Microhardness measurements and results of shear-tensile tests show that the mechanical properties are influenced by the intermetallic compounds formed in the SZ during FSW. Corrosion tests indicate that the 6061 Al coating can significantly improve the corrosion resistance of AZ31 plate. The 6061 Al coating obtained with a travel speed of 30 mm/min has a maximum corrosion potential Ecorr of -0.503 VVSE. Keywords: AZ31 alloy, 6061Al alloy, FSW, Microstructure, Properties, Corrosion

The high-temperature compressive property of Ti2AlN/TiAl composites, which are promising lightweight materials for high-temperature applications, was investigated. In situ high-energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD) was utilized to analyze the micromechanical behavior at different deformation stages. It is determined {110}γ fiber texture firstly formed at work hardening stage and {0002}H fiber texture appeared at softening stage. The micro-deformation sequences were related to crystallographic orientations where [200]//LD, [202]//LD oriented γ grains were easier to work-hardening while [002]//LD, [110]//LD oriented γ grains presented hardening-softening transformation characteristic. The lattice strain wave of [0002]//LD oriented H grain reflected an interesting atomic-scale ripples meanwhile [10_13]//LD oriented H phase presented a unique interface-dislocation mechanism. A significantly higher stress level in H phase demonstrates its strong bearing capacity. Our investigations establish a relationship between macroscopic deformation of composite and the microscopic elastic/plastic deformation of each component meanwhile provide in-depth understanding of the cooperative deformation characteristics in Ti2AlN/TiAl composites.

Introduction: Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a severe neurological syndrome often associated with alcoholism. Clinicians tend to ignore WE in other non-alcoholic clinical settings related to malnutrition and thiamine deficiency, resulting in delayed diagnosis. The diagnosis becomes more difficult when WE is secondary to psychiatric illnesses as symptoms can be masked by the primary disease.Case Presentation: We present a case of a 56-year-old female patient with schizophrenia who was admitted to the hospital for mental and behavioral disorder, without history of alcohol. She presented symptoms of ophthalmoplegia and high muscular tension, and the brain MRI showed symmetric lesions in the bilateral basal ganglia and third ventricle. She responded well to thiamine and was discharged on hospital day 22.Conclusion: The psychiatrists should be on the alert for starvation-induced WE, especially for patients suffering from malnutrition. WE is a preventable and treatable disease, so once suspected of WE, patients ought to take adequate supplements of thiamine immediately.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the treatment-related changes of the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in the default mode network (DMN) across different bands after the medication-free patients with bipolar II depression received a 16-week treatment of escitalopram and lithium.Methods: A total of 23 medication-free patients with bipolar II depression and 29 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. We evaluated the fALFF values of slow 4 (0.027–0.073 Hz) band and slow 5 (0.01–0.027 Hz) band of the patients and compared the results with those of the 29 HCs at baseline. After 16-week treatment of escitalopram with lithium, the slow 4 and slow 5 fALFF values of the patients were assessed and compared with the baselines of patients and HCs. The depressive symptoms of bipolar II depression in patients were assessed with a 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) before and after treatment.Results: Treatment-related effects showed increased slow 5 fALFF in cluster D (bilateral medial superior frontal gyrus, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, and bilateral anterior cingulate), cluster E (bilateral precuneus/posterior cingulate, left cuneus), and cluster F (left angular, left middle temporal gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, and left supramarginal gyrus) in comparison with the baseline of the patients. Moreover, a positive association was found between the increase in slow 5 fALFF values (follow-up value minus the baseline values) in cluster D and the decrease in HDRS scores (baseline HDRS scores minus follow-up HDRS scores) at follow-up, and the same association between the increase in slow 5 fALFF values and the decrease in HDRS scores was found in cluster E.Conclusions: The study reveals that the hypoactivity of slow 5 fALFF in the DMN is related to depression symptoms and might be corrected by the administration of escitalopram with lithium, implying that slow 5 fALFF of the DMN plays a key role in bipolar depression.

A rotary cultivator is a primary cultivating machine in many countries. However, it is always challenged by high operating torque and power requirement. To address this issue, biomimetic rotary tillage blades were designed in this study for reduced torque and energy requirement based on the geometric characteristics (GC) of five fore claws of mole rats, including the contour curves of the five claw tips (GC-1) and the structural characteristics of the multiclaw combination (GC-2). Herein, the optimal blade was selected by considering three factors: (1) the ratio (r) of claw width to lateral spacing, (2) the inclined angle (θ) of the multiclaw combination, and (3) the rotary speed (n) through the soil bin tests. The results showed that the order of influence of factors on torque was n, r, and θ; the optimal combination of factors with the minimal torque was r=1.25, θ=60°, and n=240 rpm. Furthermore, the torque of the optimal blade (BB-1) was studied by comparing with a conventional (CB) and a reported optimal biomimetic blade (BB-2) in the soil bin at the rotary speed from 160 to 320 rpm. Results showed that BB-1 and BB-2 averagely reduced the torque by 13.99% and 3.74% compared with CB, respectively. The field experiment results also showed the excellent soil-cutting performance of BB-1 whose average torques were largely reduced by 17.00%, 16.88%, and 21.80% compared with CB at different rotary speeds, forward velocities, and tillage depths, respectively. It was found that the geometric structure of the five claws of mole rats could not only enhance the penetrating and sliding cutting performance of the cutting edge of BB-1 but also diminish the soil failure wedge for minimizing soil shear resistance of BB-1. Therefore, the GC of five fore claws of mole rats could inspire the development of efficient tillage or digging tools for reducing soil resistance and energy consumption.

The glutamatergic system has previously been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and the mechanisms of action of antipsychotic treatment. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the levels of glutamate (Glu) or Glu/total creatine (Glu/Cr+PCr) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and psychiatric symptoms as well as the response to antipsychotic treatment. We performed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H–MRS) to measure Glu and Glu/Cr+PCr in the ACC of 35 drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and 40 well-matched healthy controls (HCs). After scanning, we treated the patients with risperidone for eight weeks. Remission status was based on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores at week 8. At baseline, there were no significant differences in the levels of Glu or Glu/Cr+PCr in the ACC between drug-naïve FES patients and HCs. Lower baseline levels of Glu/Cr+PCr but not Glu in the ACC were associated with more severe negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Compared to the remission group (RM), the non-remission group (NRM) had lower baseline ACC Glu levels (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that ACC Glu levels may be related to the severity of symptoms in the early stages of schizophrenia and therefore may be a marker with which to evaluate the treatment effect of antipsychotics in schizophrenia patients.

The effect of Ca addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behaviors of the extruded Mg−7Li−3Al alloys was investigated. The results showed that the extruded Mg−7Li−3Al−xCa alloys consisted of α-Mg (hcp) + β-Li (bcc) matrix phases and Al2Ca. With increasing Ca content, the amount and morphology of the Al2Ca phase changed significantly. The grains of the extruded Mg−7Li−3Al−xCa alloys were refined by dynamic recrystallization during the extrusion process. The tensile tests results indicated that the extruded Mg−7Li−3Al−0.4Ca alloy exhibited favorable comprehensive mechanical properties; its ultimate tensile strength was 286 MPa, the yield strength was 249 MPa, and the elongation was 18.7%. The corrosion results showed that this alloy with 0.4 wt.% Ca addition exhibited superior corrosion resistance, with a corrosion potential Ecorr of −1.48742 VVSE, attributed to the formation of protective Al2Ca phases.

Mechanisms for differential regulation of gene expression may underlie much of the phenotypic variation and adaptability of malaria parasites. Here we describe transcriptional variation among culture-adapted field isolates of Plasmodium falciparum, the species responsible for most malarial disease. It was found that genes coding for parasite protein export into the red cell cytosol and onto its surface, and genes coding for sexual stage proteins involved in parasite transmission are up-regulated in field isolates compared with long-term laboratory isolates. Much of this variability was associated with the loss of small or large chromosomal segments, or other forms of gene copy number variation that are prevalent in the P. falciparum genome (copy number variants, CNVs). Expression levels of genes inside these segments were correlated to that of genes outside and adjacent to the segment boundaries, and this association declined with distance from the CNV boundary. This observation could not be explained by copy number variation in these adjacent genes. This suggests a local-acting regulatory role for CNVs in transcription of neighboring genes and helps explain the chromosomal clustering that we observed here. Transcriptional co-regulation of physical clusters of adaptive genes may provide a way for the parasite to readily adapt to its highly heterogeneous and strongly selective environment.

As the main by-product of rice processing, rice bran is rich in many nutriments, such as oil, protein, and bioactive substances. The protein content in rice bran accounts for about 15%~17% of rice bran, which is divided into albumin, globulin, gliadin and glutenin with the amino acid composition close to the pattern recommended by FAO/WHO. It is a high-quality plant protein source with low allergenicity and high bio-efficacy. The acquisition of rice bran protein can increase the added value of rice and has broad application prospects in the fields of food and medicine. Therefore, this paper reviewes the extraction methods, functional properties and functional complexes of rice bran protein, and the application status of rice bran protein and its complexes in the fields of bioactive peptides, infant food, food additives, nutrition delivery system are also introduced. Finally, the challenge of future research on rice bran protein is proposed. This review provides certain ideas and references for the industrial production and high-value utilization of rice bran protein.