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Abstract Iron is an essential biomineral in the human body. Here, we describe a subset of iron-loaded cancer-associated fibroblasts, termed as FerroCAFs, that utilize iron to induce immunosuppression in prostate cancer and predict an unfavorable clinical outcome. FerroCAFs secrete myeloid cell-associated proteins, including CCL2, CSF1 and CXCL1, to recruit immunosuppressive myeloid cells. We report the presence of FerroCAFs in prostate cancer from both mice and human, as well as in human lung and ovarian cancers, and identify a conserved cell surface marker, the poliovirus receptor. Mechanistically, the accumulated iron in FerroCAFs is caused by Hmox1-mediated iron release from heme degradation. The intracellular iron activates the Kdm6b, an iron-dependent epigenetic enzyme, to induce an accessible chromatin state and transcription of myeloid cell-associated protein genes. Targeting the FerroCAFs by inhibiting the Hmox1/iron/Kdm6b signaling axis incurs anti-tumor immunity and tumor suppression. Collectively, we report an iron-loaded FerroCAF cluster that drives immunosuppression through an iron-dependent epigenetic reprogramming mechanism and reveal promising therapeutic targets to boost anti-tumor immunity.

Abstract Planting potatoes through plastic film with incomplete or excessive soil coverage over seed holes significantly impairs yield. Existing covering methods rely solely on mechanical transmissions, leading to bulky and inconsistent soil coverage of the seed holes. This paper reports an innovative method using a precise soil covering device based on the YOLOv4-tiny real-time object detection system to accurately identify potato plastic film holes and cover them with soil. The system adopts a lightweight and high-precision detection scheme, balancing increased network depth with reduced computation. It can identify holes in the plastic film in real-time and with high accuracy. To verify the effectiveness of YOLOv4-tiny real-time object detection system, a precise soil covering device based on this detection system has been designed and applied to a double crank multi-rod hill-drop planter. Field tests revealed that the system's average accuracy rate for detecting holes is approximately 98%, with an average processing time of 15.15 ms per frame. This fast and accurate performance, combined with the device's robust real-time operation and anti-interference capabilities during soil covering, effectively reduce the problems of soil cover omission and repeated covering caused by existing mechanical transmission methods. The findings reported in this paper are valuable for the development of autonomous potato plastic film precise soil covering devices for commercial use.

BackgroundExtensive observational evidence has suggested an association between depression and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the causal relationships between these two diseases require further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the bidirectional causal effect between two types of depression and T2D using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).MethodsWe applied two-step MR techniques, using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as the genetic instruments for analysis. We utilized summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for major depression (MD), depressive status (frequency of depressed mood in the last two weeks), T2D, and other known T2D risk factors such as obesity, sedentary behavior (time spent watching television), and blood pressure. The analysis utilized inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, weighted median, weighted mode, MR pleiotropy residual sum, and outlier methods to determine potential causal relationships.ResultsThe study found that MD was positively associated with T2D, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.26 (95% CI: 1.10-1.43, p = 5.6×10-4) using the IVW method and an OR of 1.21 (95% CI: 1.04-1.41, p = 0.01) using the weighted median method. Depressive status was also positively associated with T2D, with an OR of 2.26 (95% CI: 1.03-4.94, p = 0.04) and an OR of 3.62 (95% CI: 1.33-9.90, p = 0.01) using the IVW and weighted median methods, respectively. No causal effects of MD and depressive status on T2D risk factors were observed, and T2D did not influence these factors.ConclusionOur study demonstrates a causal relationship between depression and an increased risk of developing T2D, with both major depression and depressive status being positively associated with T2D.

Copper/stainless steel composite is often used for preparation of superconducting busbar “double box” lap joints. However, it is a challenge for the large thickness T2 copper/316L stainless steel composite is fabricated by explosive welding, because of the bonding interface is always present many problems such as large ripple size, many microscopic defects, low bonding strength and poor sealing etc. In this paper, the big-thickness T2 copper/316L stainless steel composite with small size wavy interface was successfully fabricated by explosive welding. Microstructure of bonding interface indicated that the welding process could be divided into three stages: detonation growth stage, detonation stabilization stage, detonation descent stage. The morphology of bonding interface presented a regular wavy interface and no defects such as cracks, voids and intermetallic compound were formed in the stable stage, which was consistent with the results of ultrasonic and permeability quality inspection. The hardness of copper side and stainless steel side close to the bonding interface reached 131HV and 432HV, respectively. Dynamic recrystallization and fine grain generated in the bonding interface. The mechanical properties of tensile strength, pull-off strength and shear strength in the stable detonation stage is greater than 110 MPa, which is meeting the requirements of preparation of superconducting busbar “double box” lap joints. The deformation failure mainly occurred in the copper side near the bonding interface, which presented a higher bonding strength than copper. Some dimples and tearing edges with different sizes on the fracture surfaces, indicating that the fracture was a typical ductile fracture.

Abstract De novo peptide sequencing, which does not rely on a comprehensive target sequence database, provides us with a way to identify novel peptides from tandem mass spectra. However, current de novo sequencing algorithms suffer from low accuracy and coverage, which hinders their application in proteomics. In this paper, we present PepNet, a fully convolutional neural network for high accuracy de novo peptide sequencing. PepNet takes an MS/MS spectrum (represented as a high-dimensional vector) as input, and outputs the optimal peptide sequence along with its confidence score. The PepNet model is trained using a total of 3 million high-energy collisional dissociation MS/MS spectra from multiple human peptide spectral libraries. Evaluation results show that PepNet significantly outperforms current best-performing de novo sequencing algorithms (e.g. PointNovo and DeepNovo) in both peptide-level accuracy and positional-level accuracy. PepNet can sequence a large fraction of spectra that were not identified by database search engines, and thus could be used as a complementary tool to database search engines for peptide identification in proteomics. In addition, PepNet runs around 3x and 7x faster than PointNovo and DeepNovo on GPUs, respectively, thus being more suitable for the analysis of large-scale proteomics data.

Abstract Background Chronic remote ischemic conditioning (CRIC) has been shown to improve myocardial ischemia in experimental animal studies; however, its effectiveness in patients with chronic stable angina (CSA) has not been investigated. We conducted a proof-of-concept study to investigate the efficacy and safety of a six-month CRIC treatment in patients with CSA. Methods The EARLY-MYO-CSA trial was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial evaluating the CRIC treatment in patients with CSA with persistent angina pectoris despite receiving ≥ 3-month guideline-recommended optimal medical therapy. The CRIC and control groups received CRIC (at 200 mmHg) or sham CRIC (at 60 mmHg) intervention for 6 months, respectively. The primary endpoint was the 6-month change of myocardial flow reserve (MFR) on single-photon emission computed tomography. The secondary endpoints were changes in rest and stress myocardial blood flow (MBF), angina severity according to the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) classification, the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ), and a 6-min walk test (6-MWT). Results Among 220 randomized CSA patients, 208 (105 in the CRIC group, and 103 in the control group) completed the treatment and endpoint assessments. The mean change in MFR was significantly greater in the CRIC group than in the control group (0.27 ± 0.38 vs. − 0.04 ± 0.25; P

Explosive welding interface commonly show wavy shapes, makes microstructure anisotropic. The effects of microstructure and different loading directions on shear properties of bonding interfaces at dynamic loading conditions are still unclear. In this work, characteristics on transverse and longitudinal sections of TA2/Q235 welding interface was characterized by optical microscopy. It was found that the transverse sections of bonding interface showed wavy shapes with wavelength and amplitude of 1200 μm and 400 μm. The longitudinal sections of bonding interfaces were composed of wavy interface, dislocation shaped interface and stacking fault shaped interface, which was explained by non-equilibrium theory. A small-size S-shaped specimens was processed to investigate shear properties of bonding interface varied with orientation angles (0°, 45°and 90°) at both quasi-static (0.001 s−1) and dynamic (5000∼7000 s−1) loadings. Meanwhile, fracture mechanism of interfaces was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometer. The results indicated that the maximum shear strength of joining interfaces (380 MPa–410 MPa under quasi-static loading, and 450 MPa–600 MPa under dynamic loading) was obtained along 90° orientation angle. Fluctuation of explosive detonation pressure was the fundamental cause of the interface inhomogeneity, and strength of joining interfaces increases with increasing strain rates, indicating positive strain rate sensitivity. Fracture mainly occurred in bonding interfaces near TA2 side at quasi-state loading, and failure occurred in interface waves at dynamic loading because of TA2 showed more obvious strain rate sensitivity than Q235. Fracture morphology indicated the ductile-brittle mixed fracture occurred in both quasi-static and dynamic tests.

Abstract Background The development of multidrug resistance (MDR) during postoperative chemotherapy for colorectal cancer substantially reduces therapeutic efficacy. Nanostructured drug delivery systems (NDDSs) with modifiable chemical properties are considered promising candidates as therapies for reversing MDR in colorectal cancer cells. Selenium-doped manganese phosphate (Se-MnP) nanoparticles (NPs) that can reverse drug resistance through sustained release of selenium have the potential to improve the chemotherapy effect of colorectal cancer. Results Se-MnP NPs had an organic–inorganic hybrid composition and were assembled from smaller-scale nanoclusters. Se-MnP NPs induced excessive ROS production via Se-mediated activation of the STAT3/JNK pathway and a Fenton-like reaction due to the presence of manganese ions (Mn2+). Moreover, in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated Se-MnP NPs were effective drug carriers of oxaliplatin (OX) and reversed multidrug resistance and induced caspase-mediated apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. OX@Se-MnP NPs reversed MDR in colorectal cancer by down-regulating the expression of MDR-related ABC (ATP binding cassette) transporters proteins (e.g., ABCB1, ABCC1 and ABCG2). Finally, in vivo studies demonstrated that OX-loaded Se-MnP NPs significantly inhibited proliferation of OX-resistant HCT116 (HCT116/DR) tumor cells in nude mice. Conclusions OX@Se-MnP NPs with simple preparation and biomimetic chemical properties represent promising candidates for the treatment of colorectal cancer with MDR.

Abstract Background Mild-temperature photothermal therapy (mild PTT) is a safe and promising tumor therapeutic modality by alleviating the damage of healthy tissues around the tumor due to high temperature. However, its therapeutic efficiency is easily restricted by heat shock proteins (HSPs). Thus, exploitation of innovative approaches of inhibiting HSPs to enhance mild PTT efficiency is crucial for the clinical application of PTT. Results Herein, an innovative strategy is reported: pyroptosis-boosted mild PTT based on a Mn-gallate nanoformulation. The nanoformulation was constructed via the coordination of gallic acid (GA) and Mn2+. It shows an acid-activated degradation and releases the Mn2+ and GA for up-regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial dysfunction and pyroptosis, which can result in cellular ATP deprivation via both the inhibiton of ATP generation and incresed ATP efflux. The reduction of ATP and accumulation of ROS provide a powerful approach for inhibiting the expression of HSPs, which enables the nanoformulation-mediated mild PTT. Conclusions Our in-vitro and in-vivo results demonstrate that this strategy of pyroptosis-assited PTT can achieve efficient mild PTT efficiency for osteosarcoma therapy. Graphical Abstract

Introduction: The lower limb exoskeleton rehabilitation robot should perform gait planning based on the patient’s motor intention and training status and provide multimodal and robust control schemes in the control strategy to enhance patient participation.Methods: This paper proposes an adaptive particle swarm optimization admittance control algorithm (APSOAC), which adaptively optimizes the weights and learning factors of the PSO algorithm to avoid the problem of particle swarm falling into local optimal points. The proposed improved adaptive particle swarm algorithm adjusts the stiffness and damping parameters of the admittance control online to reduce the interaction force between the patient and the robot and adaptively plans the patient’s desired gait profile. In addition, this study proposes a dual RBF neural network adaptive sliding mode controller (DRNNASMC) to track the gait profile, compensate for frictional forces and external perturbations generated in the human-robot interaction using the RBF network, calculate the required moments for each joint motor based on the lower limb exoskeleton dynamics model, and perform stability analysis based on the Lyapunov theory.Results and discussion: Finally, the efficiency of the APSOAC and DRNNASMC algorithms is demonstrated by active and passive walking experiments with three healthy subjects, respectively.

PurposeTo explore the application of Custom-made Semi-joint prosthesis replacement combined with Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System (LARS) ligament reconstruction for the limb salvage surgery (LSS) of malignant tumors in the distal femur and provide selections for the LSS of malignant tumors in skeletal immature children.MethodsA total of 8 children with malignant tumors in the distal femur who underwent Custom-made Semi-joint prosthesis replacement combined LARS ligament reconstruction for LSS from January, 2018 until December, 2019 in our bone and soft tissue tumor center were retrospectively recruited. The prosthesis related complications, oncological prognosis and knee function were observed, and the surgical efficacy was comprehensively evaluated.ResultsThe average follow-up time was 36.6 months (30–50 months). The average osteotomy length was 13.2 cm (8–20 cm) according to the preoperative imaging results and the length of the customized prosthesis. Two years after operation, the average MSTS-93 score was 24.4 (16–29) which indicated good limb functions. The range of motion of the knee was 0°–120°, with an maximum average of 100°. At last follow-up, the average height of the children increased by 8.4 cm (6–13 cm), and the average limb shortening was 2.7 cm (1.8–4.6 cm). One patient had wound complications in the early postoperative period, wound scab fell off to form superficial ulcer, in whom debridement and suturing were performed. One patient developed hematogenous disseminated prosthesis infection 2 years after surgery, and the prosthesis is now in situ with anti-infection treatment. One patient developed pulmonary metastasis during follow-up, and received chemotherapy and targeted therapy with lesion well controlled. At the last follow-up, there was no local tumor recurrence or prosthesis loosening.ConclusionUnder the premise of appropriate case selection, customized semi-joint prosthesis replacement combined with LARS ligament reconstruction provides a new option for LSS in children with distal femur malignant tumors. LARS ligament reconstruction ensures the stability and range of motion of the knee joint, which maximally preserves the epiphysis of the tibia side and the growth function of the tibia side, reduces the complications of limb length inequality in the long term and creates conditions for limb lengthening or total joint replacement in adults.

Abstract Great attention is paid to the role of androgen receptor (AR) as a central transcriptional factor in driving the growth of prostate cancer (PCa) epithelial cells. However, the understanding of the role of androgen in PCa‐infiltrated immune cells and the impact of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), the first‐line treatment for advanced PCa, on the PCa immune microenvironment remains limited. On the other hand, immune checkpoint blockade has revolutionized the treatment of certain cancer types, but fails to achieve any benefit in advanced PCa, due to an immune suppressive environment. In this study, it is reported that AR signaling pathway is evidently activated in tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) of PCa both in mice and humans. AR acts as a transcriptional repressor for IL1B in TAMs. ADT releases the restraint of AR on IL1B and therefore leads to an excessive expression and secretion of IL‐1β in TAMs. IL‐1β induces myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) accumulation that inhibits the activation of cytotoxic T cells, leading to the immune suppressive microenvironment. Critically, anti‐IL‐1β antibody coupled with ADT and the immune checkpoint inhibitor anti‐PD‐1 antibody exerts a stronger anticancer effect on PCa following castration. Together, IL‐1β is an important androgen‐responsive immunotherapeutic target for advanced PCa.

Maritime transportation is vital for the movement of cargo between different continents and distant locations but can be disrupted by the frequent occurrence of pirate attacks. Based on the pirate attacks from July 1994 to December 2019, a spatial analysis of pirate attacks using a Geographic Information System (GIS) was conducted in the present study using the data available for tankers, dry bulk carriers, container vessels, general cargo vessels, and tugs. The adoption of the kernel density analysis was intended to identify the spatial pattern of global pirate attacks. The research results demonstrated that the pirate attacks showed a clustering pattern and were mostly associated with areas experiencing economic depression, a high unemployment rate, and social unrest. Accordingly, spatiotemporal hot spot analysis was carried out to recognize the changing directions of cold spots and hot spots over a period of time. The waters off Somalia, the Strait of Malacca, the Philippines, the Bay of Bengal, the Gulf of Guinea, and the northwest of South America were found to be the common locations of pirate attacks. The cold and hot spots of pirate attacks on the three key vessel types, including tankers, dry bulk carriers, and container vessels, were found to be similar. When considering the same area, the trends of cold and hot spots of different vessel types being attacked were substantially different. This study can provide a useful guideline for the International Maritime Organization and other relevant organizations in the world to design and implement targeted strategies to combat and mitigate pirate attacks. Additionally, the introduction of a GIS may help to envision the spatial and temporal distribution of pirate attacks and to explore the characteristics of pirate behaviors at sea and the patterns of piracy.

This paper proposes a novel voltage estimation scheme for the modular multilevel converter (MMC) based on model predictive control (MPC). The developed strategy is presented by combining a disturbance observer (DOB) with an adaptive neural network (ANN) for voltage estimation in the MMC. Firstly, the ac-side and dc bus voltages are estimated as the disturbance items of the DOB which acts as the cost function during each control cycle and ensures the minimal computational cost. Then, the submodule (SM) capacitor voltage estimation is achieved based on the ANN with the estimated ac-side and dc bus voltages. The proposed method requires only one current sensor per arm and has a simple structure with three weights to be adjusted. Comprehensive simulation studies and experiments are presented to demonstrate its effectiveness and feasibility. The results indicate that the proposed method has a high accuracy, a fast dynamic response, and no effects on the original MPC performance.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of an intraoperative optical coherence tomography angiography (iOCTA) system integrated with a surgical microscope, and further investigate the real-time retinal vascular change in intraocular pressure fluctuation during surgery in rabbits.Methods: The feasibility of this system was confirmed through fundus angiography imaging in 12 rabbit eyes during simulated surgeries in 4 groups, 30 mmHg infusion pressure (IP), 60 mmHg IP, 100 mmHg IP, and control groups. The eyes were removed after seven days. Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage was analyzed histologically.Results: The OCTA technique can acquire images of retinal capillaries in rabbit eyes and quantitatively analyzing the vessel density. In the 30 mmHg IP group, there was no significant difference in the retinal vasculature during the operation. The OCTA signal and the RGCs decreased significantly in the 60 and 100 mmHg groups.Conclusions: The system can real-timely monitor the human retinal vasculature in high-resolution images and help surgeons to make decision during intraocular surgery.

The recycling of waste products can bring enormous economic and environmental benefits to supply chain participants. Under the government’s reward and punishment system, the manufacturing industry is facing unfolded pressure to minimize carbon emissions. However, various factors related to the design of closed-loop logistics networks are uncertain in nature, including demand, facility capacity, transportation cost per unit of product per kilometer, landfill cost, unit carbon penalty cost, and carbon reward amount. As such, this study proposes a new fuzzy programming model for closed-loop supply chain network design which directly relies on fuzzy methods based on the necessity measure. The objective of the proposed optimization model is to minimize the total cost of the network and the sum of carbon rewards and penalties when selecting facility locations and transportation routes between network nodes. Based on the characteristics of the problem, a genetic algorithm based on variant priority encoding is proposed as a solution. This new solution encoding method can make up for the shortcomings of the four traditional encoding methods (i.e., Prüfer number-based encoding, spanning tree-based encoding, forest data structure-based encoding, and priority-based encoding) to speed up the computational time of the solution algorithm. Several alternative solution approaches were considered to evaluate the proposed algorithm including the precision optimization method (CPLEX) and priority-based encoding genetic algorithm. The results of numerous experiments indicated that even for large-scale numerical examples, the proposed algorithm can create optimal and high-quality solutions within acceptable computational time. The applicability of the model was demonstrated through a sensitivity analysis which was conducted by changing the parameters of the model and providing some important management insights. When external parameters change, the solution of the model maintains a certain level of satisfaction conservatism. At the same time, the changes in the penalty cost and reward amount per unit of carbon emissions have a significant impact on the carbon penalty revenue and total cost. The results of this study are expected to provide scientific support to relevant supply chain enterprises and stakeholders.

The two-dimensional strip-packing problem (2D-SPP) emerges as a notable variant of the cutting and packing (C&P) problem, aiming to optimize the arrangement of small rectangular items within unique strips with a fixed width and infinite height to minimize the usage of height. Despite extensive academic exploration, applying 2D-SPP solutions in industrial settings remains challenging. Two significant issues, often overlooked in academia yet frequently encountered in industrial contexts, are the uncertain demand for items, exacerbated by the bullwhip effect, and the need for diverse types of strips to cater to varying customer needs. Our paper addresses this academia–industry gap by proposing a robust optimization model for the uncertain 2D-SPP with variable-sized bins, aiming to manage the demand fluctuations within a box uncertainty set framework. Additionally, we employ the contiguous one-dimensional relaxation technique in conjunction with column generation to tighten the lower bound of the problem, thereby augmenting solution accuracy. Furthermore, we leverage the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) condition to transform the model into a more tractable form, subsequently leading to an exact solution. Based on datasets from a real-life plastic-cutting company, comprehensive experiments validate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed relaxation method and algorithm, showcasing the potential for an improved industrial application of 2D-SPP solutions.

Traditional position-speed-current loop nested structure cannot satisfy the requirements in industrial applications with high trajectory tracking accuracy and fast dynamic response like vehicle-used laser radars and wafer stages. Thus, a position and speed parallel control structure is proposed to achieve high tracking accuracy in this paper. First, the mechanism analysis and parameters tuning method of the classical PI-Lead structure and two traditional three-closed-loop structures, P-PI-PI and PI-P-PI are given. In the proposed position and speed parallel control structure based on improved active damping, the speed controller with proportional control is connected in parallel with the position controller of the PI-Lead structure to improve the stability of the PI-Lead structure and maintain its accuracy. Finally, comparative experiments between the proposed parallel structure and traditional three-closed-loop structure are carried out on commercial-grade microminiature drivers under permanent magnet synchronous motors, the experimental results indicate that the parallel structure can improve the dynamic response performance effectively and enhance the stability of the system.

Summary: Cell plasticity and neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate and lung adenocarcinomas are one of the major reasons for therapeutic resistance to targeted therapy. Whether and how metabolic changes contribute to this adenocarcinoma-to-neuroendocrine cell fate transition remains largely unclear. Here we show that neuroendocrine prostate or lung cancer cells possess mostly fragmented mitochondria with low membrane potential and rely on glycolysis for energy metabolism. We further show an important role of the cell fate determinant Numb in mitochondrial quality control via binding to Parkin and facilitating Parkin-mediated mitophagy. Deficiency in the Numb/Parkin pathway in prostate or lung adenocarcinomas causes a metabolic reprogramming featured with a significant increase in production of lactate acid, which subsequently leads to an upregulation of histone lactylation and transcription of neuroendocrine-associated genes. Collectively, the Numb/Parkin-directed mitochondrial fitness is a key metabolic switch and a promising therapeutic target on cancer cell plasticity through the regulation of histone lactylation.

Ecological efficiency (EE) provides much reference for formulating appropriate regional economic, social and environmental policies to promote sustainable development. Interactive subsystems of economy, society and environment within EE system have been considered in this paper. By innovatively integrating the merits of two advanced economic research methods (global super efficiency network data envelopment analysis (GSE-NDEA) and panel vector autoregression (PVAR) and updating the EE evaluation indicator system by following the new features of sustainable development in the recent China, this paper comprehensively evaluates EE by drawing evidence from 3 regions in China during the period of 2011–2020, and further reveals how the three subsystems within EE system interact to achieve EE enhancement. The findings show EE and its three subsystems’ trend, the major constrains of EE development, the regional discrepancies in EE progress, and the interactions among the subsystems of economy-society-environment within the EE system in different regions of China. The policy implications are proposed accordingly. First published online 15 November 2022

Abstract Background This randomized controlled study compared standard supervised physiotherapy (SPT) with a self-developed, home-based, enhanced knee flexion exercise program involving a low stool (KFEH) in patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods Patients were recruited from July 2014 to December 2015 and randomly assigned to one of two groups: KFEH (n = 60) and SPT (n = 59). Outcomes (joint function) were evaluated according to the Knee Society Score (KSS), visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and range of motion (ROM) assessment at selected time points (preoperatively; 1 week; 1, 3, and 6 months; and 1 year after surgery). Results Pain and functional improvement were observed in both groups. Non-inferiority of KFEH was evident 12 months postoperatively; however, patients in the KFEH group exhibited better ROM at 1 month (P < 0.01). Absolute WOMAC and KSS scores were slightly better in the KFEH group, although the difference was not statistically significant. There was no difference in VAS scores and complication rates between the two groups. Additionally, the home program would save patient time and decrease the economic burden associated with in-hospital SPT. Conclusion Considering rehabilitation and economic efficiency as well as the COVID pandemic, a home-based enhanced knee flexion exercise program for TKA rehabilitation is recommended.

The effects of annealing time on microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of Ti-0.3Mo-0.8Ni (TA10) titanium alloy hot-rolled sheets are investigated. With the increase in annealing time, the α → β phase transition occurs, and the grain size grows gradually. The strength deteriorates, and elongation increases. The grains grow up, the number of grain boundaries decreases, and intergranular corrosion decreases. With the increase in the annealing time, the corrosion kinetics and thermodynamics are enhanced. When annealed at 780 °C for 2 h, TA10 alloy sheets exhibit the best comprehensive properties, and its microstructure is composed of fine equiaxed α phase. The mechanical properties and corrosion resistance are improved.

The acoustic response characteristics of shales were investigated by the acoustic transmission experiment, which is the basis of solving geological and engineering problems using the seismic or logging information during the process of the exploration and development of shale gas reservoirs. Based on the theory of acoustic wave and the background of acoustic transmission experiment, the initial condition, vibration source condition, boundary condition and stability condition were constructed, and the numerical simulation of acoustic transmission experiment of shales were completed through Matlab programming. The results show that under the same bedding angle, the acoustic time and attenuation coefficient of shales shown positive correlation with the bedding density; whereas under the same bedding density, the variation laws of the acoustic time and the attenuation coefficient of shales were more complex with the change of the bedding angle, that is, the acoustic time and attenuation coefficient of shales increased first, then decreased and then increased again with the increase of the bedding angle.

Deadbeat predictive control (DBPC) requires accurate model parameters in its application, therefore it is difficult to use DBPC for surface mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM) with uncertain motor parameters. As a solution, this paper proposes a strategy to obtain the needed parameters, and then uses them to achieve DBPC on SPMSMs whose parameters are unknown. A detailed investigation on parameter sensitivity of DBPC is presented, and attention is paid to different influences between the incremental inductance and the apparent inductance. On this basis, parameter configurations in the DBPC are suggested. And novel current-controller-free self-commissioning schemes are proposed to identify the stator resistance together with the stator inductances under different magnetic saturation levels. Compared with existing commissioning schemes that do not depend on current controllers, solutions for commissioning voltage auto-tuning is provided. So the methods are able to automatically decide the amplitudes of the injected voltage for a given motor, and achieve a controllable current feedback during the commissioning. This brings significant convenience for the inductance identification at a specific saturation level. Moreover, the inverter nonlinearity compensation is not needed but still, identification accuracy can be guaranteed. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are confirmed by the achieved DBPC and the corresponding current tracking performances on two different SPMSMs.

Background: The gut microbiota is associated with osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Miya (MY) is a product made from Clostridium butyricum, a member of gut microbiota. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of MY on OA and its underlying mechanisms.Methods: An OA rat model was established, and MY was used to treat the rats for 4 weeks. Knee joint samples from the rats were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and fecal samples from the OA and OA+MY groups were subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomic analysis. The contents of succinate dehydrogenase and muscle glycogen in the tibia muscle were determined, and related genes and proteins were detected using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting.Results: Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that treatment with MY alleviated the symptoms of OA. According to the sequencing results, MY significantly increased the Chao1, Shannon, and Pielou evenness values compared to those in the untreated group. At the genus level, the abundances of Prevotella, Ruminococcus, Desulfovibrio, Shigella, Helicobacter, and Streptococcus were higher in the OA group, whereas Lactobacillus, Oscillospira, Clostridium, and Coprococcus were enriched after MY treatment. Metabolomic analysis revealed 395 differentially expressed metabolites. Additionally, MY treatment significantly increased the succinate dehydrogenase and muscle glycogen contents in the muscle caused by OA (p > 0.05). Finally, AMPK, Tfam, Myod, Ldh, Chrna1, Chrnd, Rapsyn, and Agrin were significantly downregulated in the muscles of OA mice, whereas Lcad, Mcad, and IL-1β were upregulated; MY significantly reversed these trends induced by OA.Conclusions: MY may promote the repair of joint damage and protect against OA via the gut-muscle-joint axis.

ObjectiveEvaluation of the endoscopic features of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is the key diagnostic approach in distinguishing these two diseases. However, making diagnostic differentiation of endoscopic images requires precise interpretation by experienced clinicians, which remains a challenge to date. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model to facilitate the diagnostic classification among CD, UC, and healthy controls based on colonoscopy images.MethodsA total of 15,330 eligible colonoscopy images from 217 CD patients, 279 UC patients, and 100 healthy subjects recorded in the endoscopic database of Tongji Hospital were retrospectively collected. After selecting the ResNeXt-101 network, it was trained to classify endoscopic images either as CD, UC, or normal. We assessed its performance by comparing the per-image and per-patient parameters of the classification task with that of the six clinicians of different seniority.ResultsIn per-image analysis, ResNeXt-101 achieved an overall accuracy of 92.04% for the three-category classification task, which was higher than that of the six clinicians (90.67, 78.33, 86.08, 73.66, 58.30, and 86.21%, respectively). ResNeXt-101 also showed higher differential diagnosis accuracy compared with the best performing clinician (CD 92.39 vs. 91.70%; UC 93.35 vs. 92.39%; normal 98.35 vs. 97.26%). In per-patient analysis, the overall accuracy of the CNN model was 90.91%, compared with 93.94, 78.79, 83.33, 59.09, 56.06, and 90.91% of the clinicians, respectively.ConclusionThe ResNeXt-101 model, established in our study, performed superior to most clinicians in classifying the colonoscopy images as CD, UC, or healthy subjects, suggesting its potential applications in clinical settings.

Abstract Background Although cisplatin-based chemotherapy represents the standard regimen for osteosarcoma (OS), OS patients often exhibit treatment failure and poor prognosis due to chemoresistance to cisplatin. Emerging research has highlighted the tumor suppressive properties of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) in various human cancers via the inhibition of the histone demethylase jumonji domain containing protein 2C (JMJD2C). As a coactivator for hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), JMJD2C targets hairy and enhancer of split-1 (HES1) gene. Hence, the current study aimed to elucidate the role of miR-216b in OS cell cisplatin resistance to identify the underlying mechanism of miR-216b regulating the JMJD2C//HIF1α/HES1 signaling. Methods Tumor and paracancerous tissues were collected from OS patients to determine the expression patterns of miR-216b and JMJD2C. After ectopic expression and knockdown experiments in the OS cells, CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were employed to determine cell viability and apoptosis. The interaction of miR-216b, JMJD2C, HIF1α and HES1 was subsequently determined by dual luciferase reporter, co-immunoprecipitation (IP) and ChIP-qPCR assays. In vivo experiments were conducted to further verify the role of the miR-216b in the resistance of OS cells to cisplatin. Results miR-216b expression was reduced in the OS tissues, as well as the MG63 and SaOS-2 cells. Heightened miR-216b expression was found to be positively correlated with patient survival, and miR-216b further enhanced cisplatin-induced apoptosis of MG63 and SaOS-2 cells. Mechanistically, miR-216b inhibited JMJD2C expression by binding to its 3’UTR. Through interaction with HIF1α, JMJD2C removed the H3K9 methylation modification at the HES1 promoter region, leading to upregulation of HES1 in vitro. Furthermore, miR-216b was observed to increase the tumor growth in nude mice in the presence of cisplatin treatment. HES1 overexpression weakened the effects of miR-216b in MG63 and SaOS-2 cells and in nude mouse xenografts. Conclusion Overall, miR-216b enhanced the sensitivity of OS cells to cisplatin via downregulation of the JMJD2C/HIF1α/HES1 signaling axis, highlighting the capacity of miR-216b as an adjunct to cisplatin chemotherapy in the treatment of OS.

Abstract Background If closed suction drainage (CSD) should be used after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA), remains controversial. The current study aimed to explore whether CSD offers more clinical benefit with the administration of tranexamic acid in Chinese patients. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 200 patients who had received TKA. One hundred patients were placed on drainage after TKA, whereas the rest of 100 patients were not. Multiple clinical parameters were dynamically monitored and compared between the two groups. Results The length of the hospitalization days was significantly shorter in patients who did not receive CSD (6.0 ± 0.8 vs. 7.0 ± 0.8 days, p

Abstract Background Despite the continued improvement in the surgical techniques during primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA), literatures indicate that up to 10 to 20% patients are not satisfied with their outcomes. Psychological factors in this dissatisfaction are yet to be clearly identified. The aim of this study is to develop a method to assess whether the patient’s current mental state is suitable enough to accept a TKA surgery. Methods Preoperative demographic and clinical data of 532 patients who underwent TKA were prospectively obtained from January 2012 until December 2016. We recorded the scores evaluated by SF-36 questionnaire and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively. Preoperative Life Satisfaction Rating (LSR) is emphatically evaluated. Results Poor preoperative score of LSR was a significant predictor of dissatisfaction after TKA. Patients with low LSR reported significant pain and stiffness, although there was no remarkable effect on functionality of the replaced joint. The results also showed that age and BMI were not strong predictors of satisfaction in TKA. Conclusion Our outcomes can help clinicians evaluate whether a patient’s current mental status is favorable for TKA. If patients have extreme low scores of LSR (less than 10), a psychological intervention should be recommended for better satisfaction following a TKA surgery. This would also allow surgeons to individually assess the risks and benefits of surgery.

Objective: The study aims at discussing the clinical efficacy of tranexamic acid in knee arthroplasty and its effects on erythrocyte, ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and FDP (fibrinogen degradation product) after the operation. Method: Totally, 94 patients who underwent knee arthroplasty in our hospital from June 2015 to June 2017 were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group, with 47 patients, respectively. The patients in the observation group were given tranexamic acid at a dose of 15 mg/kg dissolved in 100 mL normal saline before knee replacement, while those in the control group were given 100 mL normal saline. The dominant blood loss, recessive blood loss, total blood loss, intraoperative blood loss and the drainage, blood transfusion and blood transfusion rate 24 h in postoperative were counted and observed in both groups, and then the differences of HCT (hematocrit), Hb (hemoglobin), ALT, AST and FDP before and 4d after the operation in two groups were compared, to research and analyze the clinical efficacy of tranexamic acid in knee arthroplasty and its effects on erythrocyte, ALT, AST and FDP after the operation. Results: Firstly, the total blood loss, dominant blood loss, recessive blood loss, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative blood flow, blood transfusion volume and blood transfusion rate in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P 0.05). Conclusion: The application of tranexamic acid before knee arthroplasty can reduce intraoperative and postoperative blood loss, and do not affect the coagulation function and liver function of patients, and has high drug safety. Keywords: Tranexamic acid, Knee arthroplasty, Blood loss

Abstract Background The design of an external fixator with the optimal biomechanical function and the lowest profile has been highly pursued, as fracture healing is dependent on the stability and durability of fixation, and a low profile is more desired by patients. The plate-type external fixator, a novel prototype of an external tibial fixation device, is a low profile construct. However, its biomechanical properties remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the stiffness and strength of the plate-type external fixator and the unilateral external fixator. We hypothesized that the plate-type external fixator could provide higher stiffness while retaining sufficient strength. Methods Fifty-four cadaver tibias underwent a standardized midshaft osteotomy to create a fracture gap model to simulate a comminuted diaphyseal fracture. All specimens were randomly divided into three groups of eighteen specimens each and stabilized with either a unilateral external fixator or two configurations of the plate-type external fixator. Six specimens of each configuration were tested to determine fixation stiffness in axial compression, four-point bending, and torsion, respectively. Afterwards, dynamic loading until failure was performed in each loading mode to determine the construct strength and failure mode. Results The plate-type external fixator provided higher stiffness and strength than the traditional unilateral external fixator. The highest biomechanics were observed for the classical plate-type external fixator, closely followed by the extended plate-type external fixator. Conclusions The plate-type external fixator is stiffer and stronger than the traditional unilateral external fixator under axial compression, four-point bending and torsion loading conditions.

BackgroundWe hypothesized that subluxating patellar during minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA) would affect intraoperative soft tissue balance and postoperative clinical outcome.MethodsFrom December 2018 to May 2020, 189 patients receiving primary MIS-TKA were enrolled. The gap-balance technique was used, with patients randomly assigned to undergo osteotomy and balance of soft tissue with patella reduced (group A; n = 93) or subluxated (group B; n = 96). The gap and varus?valgus angle were compared between groups in both extension and flexion position. The gap and varus?valgus angle were also compared before and after reducing patellar in group B. Femoral prosthesis rotation, mechanical femoral axis–to–tibial axis angle, Knee Society Score (KSS), visual analog scale (VAS), and range of motion (ROM) were compared postoperatively between two groups. Follow-up was 12 months.ResultsThe flexion gap and the varus angle were significantly greater (0.4 mm and 0.7 degree) after patella reduction than before reduction, but the extension joint gap and varus angle were comparable before and after patella reduction. The femoral prosthesis tended to be internally rotated (0.65 degree) in group B. ROM and VAS was better in the group A than in group B at 1 month after surgery, but the differences were not significant at 3, 6 and 12 months. KSS was comparable between the groups after surgery.ConclusionsDuring MIS-TKA, as far as possible, soft tissue balance should be achieved with the patella reduced; otherwise, the femoral prosthesis may be installed more internally and, after patella reduction, the flexion gap and varus angle would increase.Clinical Trial RegistrationCurrent Controlled Trials ChiCTR2000034106, https://www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowproject.aspx?id=39987.

A study by Tsvetkov et al. recently published a proposed novel form of copper-induced cell death in Science; however, few studies have looked into the possible mechanism in soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Herein, this study sought to investigate the function of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in the development of tumor-associated immune cells and the prognosis of sarcoma. Herein, this study aimed to explore the role of cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in the development, tumor-associated immune cells, and the prognosis of sarcoma. Methods: The prognostic model was established via the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm as well as multivariate Cox regression analysis. The stromal scores, immune scores, ESTIMA scores, and tumor purity of sarcoma patients were evaluated by the ESTIMATE algorithm. Functional analyses were performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of immune cell infiltration and the prognosis of CRGs in sarcoma. Results: Two molecular subgroups with different CRG expression patterns were recognized, which showed that patients with a higher immune score and more active immune status were prone to have better prognostic survival. Moreover, GO and KEGG analyses showed that these differentially expressed CRGs were mainly enriched in metabolic/ions-related signaling pathways, indicating that CRGs may have impacts on the immune cell infiltration and prognosis of sarcoma via regulating the bioprocess of mitochondria and consequently affecting the immune microenvironment. The expression levels of CRGs were closely correlated to the immunity condition and prognostic survival of sarcoma patients. Conclusions: The interaction between cuproptosis and immunity in sarcoma may provide a novel insight into the study of molecular mechanisms and candidate biomarkers for the prognosis, resulting in effective treatments for sarcoma patients.

Water surface object detection is one of the most significant tasks in autonomous driving and water surface vision applications. To date, existing public large-scale datasets collected from websites do not focus on specific scenarios. As a characteristic of these datasets, the quantity of the images and instances is also still at a low level. To accelerate the development of water surface autonomous driving, this paper proposes a large-scale, high-quality annotated benchmark dataset, named Water Surface Object Detection Dataset (WSODD), to benchmark different water surface object detection algorithms. The proposed dataset consists of 7,467 water surface images in different water environments, climate conditions, and shooting times. In addition, the dataset comprises a total of 14 common object categories and 21,911 instances. Simultaneously, more specific scenarios are focused on in WSODD. In order to find a straightforward architecture to provide good performance on WSODD, a new object detector, named CRB-Net, is proposed to serve as a baseline. In experiments, CRB-Net was compared with 16 state-of-the-art object detection methods and outperformed all of them in terms of detection precision. In this paper, we further discuss the effect of the dataset diversity (e.g., instance size, lighting conditions), training set size, and dataset details (e.g., method of categorization). Cross-dataset validation shows that WSODD significantly outperforms other relevant datasets and that the adaptability of CRB-Net is excellent.

The repertoire of adaptive immune receptor is generated by V(D)J recombination, somatic rearrangements of V, D and J gene segments, in the respective loci. Here the authors show that the deficiency of Setd2, a histone methyl transfer, impairs V(D)J recombination and induces severe developmental blocks in both T and B lineages.

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to compare 2-year BMI changes between patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA), staged bilateral TKA, and unilateral TKA. We also sought to determine the predictors of weight change and whether clinically meaningful weight changes affected outcomes. Patients and methods This retrospective, single-institution study included 202 Chinese patients who received simultaneously bilateral TKA, staged bilateral TKA, or unilateral TKA from 2008 to 2015. There were 49 simultaneous bilateral TKAs, 52 staged bilateral TKAs, and a matched 101 unilateral TKAs. Results 66.8% (135/202) of patients lost weight after TKA surgery. However, 20.7% (42/202) of patients experienced clinically meaningful weight loss (a BMI decrease of more than 5%). Paired t test showed that 2-year BMI was significantly lower than preoperative BMI (p

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) takes the flowing red blood cells (RBCs) as intrinsic contrast agents, enabling fast and three-dimensional visualization of vasculature perfusion down to capillary level, without a requirement of exogenous fluorescent injection. Various motion-contrast OCTA algorithms have been proposed to effectively extract dynamic blood flow from static tissues utilizing the different components of OCT signals (including amplitude, phase and complex) with various operations (such as differential, variance and decorrelation). Those algorithms promote the application of OCTA in both clinical diagnosis and scientific research. The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematical review of OCTA based on the inverse SNR and decorrelation features (ID-OCTA), mainly including the OCTA contrast origins, ID-OCTA imaging, quantification and applications.

To accurately guide surgical instruments during ophthalmic procedures, some necessary intraoperative depth perception is required, which standard surgical microscopes supply limitedly. Intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT), combining optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology and surgical microscope, enables noninvasive, real-time and high-resolution cross-sectional imaging. Currently, though iOCT enables structural imaging, little research has been done on intraoperative angiography. In this work, we presented a swept-source intraoperative OCT angiography (SS-iOCTA) system based on a standard surgical microscope, which provides both structural and angiographic images. The feasibility of the proposed SS-iOCTA was confirmed through deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) of ex vivo porcine eyes and blood perfusion imaging of in vivo rat cortex. High-resolution intraoperative feedback, including sub-surface structure and angiogram of biological tissue, can be visualized simultaneously with the SS-iOCTA system, which expand the surgeon’s capabilities and could be widely used in clinical surgery.

In this study, under the open-close conditions of a roadway outlet, ANSYS/LS-DYNA was used to build models of explosions on roadways with 0° and 90° bending angles, to compare and analyze the shock wave propagation characteristics and variation laws. Combined with the damage degree classification of shock wave overpressure to human body, the destructive effect zoning of explosion in roadway under the condition of opening and closing of roadway entrance was studied. The results showed that as the bending angle increased, the peak overpressure attenuation of the shock waves became prominent, and the arrival time for the same distance increased. The closure of the roadway outlet had a distance effect on the peak overpressure of the shock waves. The explosion shock waves caused the peak overpressure to rise sharply owing to the reflection and stacking effects near the closure. In the far zone of the outlet, the attenuation of the shock waves was too fast and had minimal impact on the peak overpressure. In addition, the existence of the roadway closure increased the damage area and the severity of the blast wave to human body as a whole. With an increase in the bending angle, the damage range and severity decreased.

Endoscopic optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a promising modality to inspect the microvasculature of inner organs in the early-stage tumor diagnosis. However, an endoscopic clinical proximal-end scanning catheter has limited flow imaging capability due to the nonuniform rotational distortion (NURD) and physiological motion. In this study, a combined local and global (CLG) optical flow algorithm was used to estimate the motion vectors caused by NURD and physiological motion. The motion vectors were used to bicubic-interpolation-resample the OCT structure to ensure that the circumferential pixels were equally spaced in the space domain. Then, angiograms were computed based on the statistical relation between inverse SNR (iSNR) and amplitude decorrelation (IDa), termed as IDa-OCTA. Finally, the ability of this technique for endoscopic OCTA imaging was demonstrated by flow phantom experiments and human nailfold capillary imaging.

The rock physics experiments and fracture toughness tests of shales from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin in China were carried out. Based on this, the calculation model of the fracture toughness was constructed, thus, the single well evaluation of the fracture toughness in shale formation would be obtained based on the well logging data, which can be used to summarize the spatial distribution characteristics of the fracture toughness in the shale formation. However, it is difficult to obtain transverse distribution characteristics of fracture toughness in shale formation based solely on the well logging data. Therefore, in order to investigate the spatial distribution of the fracture toughness, jointing well logging and seismic method could be adopted to quantitatively predict the fracture toughness in shale formation. The results show that fracture toughness of shales is sensitive to acoustic interval transit time and wave impedance. The prediction model of the fracture toughness of shales was constructed, which had a good prediction effect. The fracture toughness values of shales from the Upper Silurian Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation were larger, whereas those of shales from the Lower Silurian Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation were lower. The fracture toughness is mainly distributed in strips along the vertical direction while the distribution area is continuous in the lateral direction, indicating that it has obvious stratification characteristics.

A kind of living body recognition method was proposed,which was applied in mobile terminal and based on the deep learning.A facial movements LSTM network was trained using data sets.When users input a random sequence of video,user’s facial feature point data can be gained and whether the video forgery attacks happened will be determined by input user’s facial feature point data into circulation neural network.The test data shows that the proposed method can be protected effectively from photograph attack and video replay attack.

When the finite element-strength reduction method is used for two-dimensional slope stability analysis for elastic-perfectly plastic material, the failure criterion usually adopts the criterion of plastic zone penetration. That is, when the slope is in the limit equilibrium state, the plastic zone goes through the slope from the toe to the top. Meanwhile, the critical slip surface is composed of a series of points of maximum equivalent plastic strain along the depth direction. By deploying a set of parallel lines approximately perpendicular to the slope surface and picking out the points of these lines with the maximum equivalent strain points, we obtain a series of points taking on a wave shape, which constitutes a signal function. Subsequently, the wavelet packet analysis is used to smooth these points, i.e., locating the critical slip surface. The analysis of classic examples and comparison with Spencer’s method show that the proposed method in this paper is reasonable and effective.

Abstract Flexoelectric effects hold promising applications in sensing, actuating, and energy capturing, and thus it is demanded to measure the flexoelectric coefficient tensors of dielectric materials accurately. In this work, an approach to measuring the effective flexoelectric coefficient tensor component μ 2312 of polymeric materials is developed by imposing a torque load upon a half cylindrical specimen. It is proven that μ 2312 can be calculated by assessing the electric charge on the axial plane and the strain gradient along the radial direction, both induced by the torque. To overcome the difficulty in experimental measurements, the relationship between the strain gradient and torque is deduced theoretically and further verified with finite element analysis. This approach is applied to testing bars machined from bulk polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Potential errors from the piezoelectric effects and the non-uniform strain gradient are discussed to verify the validity of the measurement. The experimental results show good reproducibility and agreement with other measured effective flexoelectric tensor components of PVDF. This work indicates a potential application of PVDF-based mechanical sensors and provides a method to investigate the effective flexoelectric coefficient component of polymers.

Under the action of vertical loading, batter piles rarely appear individually, as they undergo horizontal and vertical displacements at the same time and produce a sizeable additional bending moment. However, previous studies have mainly focused on a single batter pile, which is inconsistent with engineering practices. Although single pile tests can easily reveal its working behavior, they also ignore two important factors, namely, the internal force redistribution caused by the deformation limitation of the mirror-like pile, and the interaction between the symmetrical piles and “clamped” soil (the soil between two symmetrical piles). Therefore, this paper took symmetrical batter piles as the test object to explore the influence of the two factors on the load transfer mechanism. Moreover, the deformation mode, distribution of inertial forces, and group effect of symmetrical batter piles were also discussed. The results showed that the “clamping effect” caused by the pile deformation had a significant impact on the load transfer. Under vertical loading, the flexible symmetrical floating batter piles were the only deformation mode. Under the constraint of the cap and mirror-like batter piles, the symmetrical conformation partially compensated for the disadvantage of the additional bending moment.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

N-doped porous carbon encapsulated NiO/Ni composite nanomaterials (N-doped NiO/Ni@C) was successfully obtained by a one-step solution combustion method. This study demonstrates a one-step combustion method to synthesize n-doped porous carbon encapsulated NiO/Ni composite nanomaterials, using carbon dioxide as the carbon source, nickel nitrate as the nickel source, and hydrazine hydrate as the reaction solution. Spherical NiO nanoparticles with a particle size of 20 nm were uniformly distributed in the carbon matrix. The load of NiO/Ni can be controlled by the amount of nickel nitrate. The range of carbon content of recovered samples is 69–87 at%. The content of incorporated nitrogen for recovered samples is 1.94 at%. As the anode of lithium ion battery, the composite material exhibits high capacity, excellent multiplier performance and stable circulation performance. N-doped NiO/Ni@C-2 was applied to lithium ion batteries, and its reversible capacity maximum is 980 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at the current density of 0.1 A g−1. Its excellent electrochemical properties imply its high potential application for high-performance lithium-ion battery anode materials.

Mesoporous LaFeO3/g-C3N4 Z-scheme heterojunctions (LFC) were synthesized via the incorporation of LaFeO3 nanoparticles and porous g-C3N4 ultrathin nanosheets. The as prepared LFC were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra and N2 adsorption analysis. The structural analysis indicated that the reheating process and the addition of NH4Cl in the thermal polymerization were the key factors to get porous g-C3N4 ultrathin nanosheets and to obtain high specific surface areas of LFC. It remarkably enhanced the adsorption capacity and photocatalytic degradation of LFC for removal of oxytetracycline (OTC). The effect of the mass percentage of LaFeO3 in LFC, pH and temperature on the OTC adsorption was investigated. The LaFeO3/g-C3N4 heterojunction with 2 wt % LaFeO3 (2-LFC) exhibited highest saturated adsorption capacity (101.67 mg g−1) and largest photocatalytic degradation rate constant (1.35 L g−1 min−1), which was about 9 and 5 times higher than that of bulk g-C3N4 (CN), respectively. This work provided a facile method to prepare mesoporous LaFeO3/g-C3N4 heterojunctions with especially well adsorption and photocatalytic activities for OTC, which can facilitate its practical applications in pollution control.