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Texturally and chemically sector-zoned garnet crystals in two contiguous metapelitic rocks from the Danba dome, eastern Tibetan Plateau (SW China) were investigated. A petrographic boundary in one of the rocks (sample 21DB103) separates a thin section into two zones. Whereas one zone containing sector-zoned garnet and fined-grained matrix is enriched in graphite and quartz, the other zone encompasses garnets with relatively regular habit in a coarse-grained matrix poor in graphite and quartz. The two zones are distinct with regards to the chemical compositions of biotite and plagioclase, as well as the major and trace element zoning patterns of garnet. Electron back-scattered diffraction analysis shows that all the investigated garnet crystals in this sample are single crystals. Relatively higher P-T conditions are estimated for the initial growth of sector-zoned garnet (~ 5.0 kbar / ~540 ℃) compared to the regular garnet (~ 3.8 kbar / ~510 ℃) in this rock, possibly indicating that growth of the sector-zoned garnet postdates growth of the regular garnet. Texturally and chemically radial sectors with garnet-quartz intergrowths and irregular sectors of garnet are preserved in the other graphite-rich rock (sample 21DB104). Isopleth thermobarometry applied to the core of the largest garnet crystal exhibiting sector zoning in this sample reveals P-T conditions of initial garnet crystallization (~ 4.4 kbar / ~512 ℃) that deviate far (~ 0.8 kbar/~45 ℃) from equilibrium, potentially indicating significant overstepping required for garnet nucleation. Plagioclase inclusions in garnet display varying trace element abundances, indicating their replacements of different preexisting phases. These results suggest that abundant graphite may play a pivotal role in changing fluid conditions and reducing the solubility of SiO2 to grow sector-zoned garnet, as well as impeding matrix coarsening. Development of sector-zoned core and dodecahedral faces of garnet may be related to rapid growth with changes in crystal morphology. Irregular sectors may have developed through fluid infiltration and local chemical adjustments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The level structures of 92Mo have been investigated using the shell model code nushellx @ msu within two large model spaces containing neutron core excitations across the N = 50 closed shell. The calculated results are compared with the available experimental data, and reasonable agreements are obtained. The level structures of 92Mo, especially the levels come from neutron core excitations, are interpreted by the present calculations. The systematic features of neutron core excitations in the even–even N = 50 isotones have also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In current signal control schemes, the prevailing control method is still the arterial coordinated control, which involves coordinating a group of adjacent traffic signals along a major road. However, during the actual implementation process, technicians have observed substantial variations in the effectiveness of mainline coordinated control across different road segments. These variations are attributed to different signal control strategies, giving rise to an ongoing debate regarding the alignment of the beginning or end of the green phase. The impact of these two alignment methods on bandwidth and road capacity in arterial coordinated control remains a subject of controversy. Therefore, this paper aims to compare the two methods using a real-world scenario. Based on the inherent characteristics of coordinated control, a traffic capacity model for coordinated segments was established. Subsequently, the influence of green start alignment and green end alignment on the capacity of green wave segments and the improvement of existing traffic conditions was analyzed using the proposed capacity model. To validate the analytical model, simulations were executed using VISSIM, and data on delay and the number of stops were collected. The conclusion indicates that from the perspective of benefits and safety, green start alignment outperforms green end alignment. This research provides insights for parameter settings in signal coordinated control, with the potential to significantly reduce the number of vehicle stops, and has practical significance for energy conservation and emission reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the economic globalization, there is an increased disruption risk in the supply chain network due to the outsourcing, complexity and uncertainty. At the same time, the disruption may propagate across the entire supply chain network because of the interdependence. With the resource constraints, appropriate recovery strategies which can minimize the impact of disruption propagation and effectively improve the supply chain network resilience have attracted a great deal of attention. In this paper, we first construct the disruption propagation model considering the recovery strategy based on the characteristics of the competitiveness, time delay and underload cascading failure in the supply chain network. This model uses the memetic algorithm to determine the set of recovery nodes among all disruption nodes, which can minimize the impact of disruption propagation. And then, the simulation analysis is conducted on the synthetic network and the real-world supply chain network. We compare the proposed recovery strategy with other strategies (according to the genetic algorithm, according to the descending order of the load of failure node, according to the ascending order of the load of failure node, according to the descending order of the node degree, according to the ascending order of the node degree) and provide decision-making reference against supply chain disruptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the value of preoperative computed tomography (CT) histogram features in predicting the expression status of Ki-67 in patients with solid pseudopapillary pancreatic tumours (SPTP). This retrospective study analysed venous phase CT images of 39 patients with SPTP confirmed at surgery and histopathology and measured using the Ki-67 proliferation index from November 2015 to February 2022. According to the Ki-67 proliferation index, they were divided into high expression (Ki-67 ≥ 4%) and low expression (Ki-67 < 4%) groups. The histogram features of quantitative parameters were extracted using MaZda software, and the quantitative parameters of CT histograms were compared between groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the patients were plotted according to the parameters, with statistically significant differences. The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated, and the effectiveness of the histogram parameters in predicting Ki-67 expression was analysed and evaluated. In total, 27 SPTP patients were enrolled, including 11 with high expression of Ki-67 and 16 with low expression. Comparative analysis of the Ki-67 high- and low-expression groups revealed a statistically significant in necrosis and variance (p< 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of necrosis and variance predicting Ki-67 expression status were 0.753 and 0.841, the sensitivities were 81.8% and 81.3%, and the specificities were 68.7% and 81.8%, respectively. Preoperative CT histogram features help predict Ki-67 expression status in patients with SPTP. • We studied patients with solid pseudopapillary pancreatic tumors (SPTP). • We compared patients with high and low expression of Ki-67. • Prediction of Ki-67 expression status showed a significant difference between groups. • The sensitivity was 81.3% and the specificity was 81.8%. • Preoperative CT histogram features help predict the Ki-67 expression status in SPTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outcome of patients with resectable mucosal melanoma is poor. Toripalimab combined with axitinib has shown impressive results in metastatic mucosal melanoma with an objective response rate of 48.3% and a median progression-free survival of 7.5 months in a phase Ib trial. It was hypothesized that this combination administered in the neoadjuvant setting might induce a pathologic response in resectable mucosal melanoma, so we conducted this trial. This single-arm phase II trial enrolled patients with resectable mucosal melanoma. Patients received toripalimab 3 mg/kg once every 2 weeks (Q2W) plus axitinib 5 mg two times a day (b.i.d.) for 8 weeks as neoadjuvant therapy, then surgery and adjuvant toripalimab 3 mg/kg Q2W starting 2 ± 1weeks after surgery for 44 weeks. The primary endpoint was the pathologic response rate according to the International Neoadjuvant Melanoma Consortium recommendations. Between August 2019 and October 2021, 29 patients were enrolled and received treatment, of whom 24 underwent resection. The median follow-up time was 34.2 months (95% confidence interval 20.4-48.0 months). The pathologic response rate was 33.3% (8/24; 4 pathological complete responses and 4 pathological partial responses). The median event-free survival for all patients was 11.1 months (95% confidence interval 5.3-16.9 months). The median overall survival was not reached. Neoadjuvant therapy was tolerable with 8 (27.5%) grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events and no treatment-related deaths. Tissue samples of 17 patients at baseline and after surgery were collected (5 responders and 12 nonresponders). Multiplex immunohistochemistry demonstrated a significant increase in CD3+ (P = 0.0032) and CD3+CD8+ (P = 0.0038) tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes after neoadjuvant therapy, particularly in pathological responders. Neoadjuvant toripalimab combined with axitinib in resectable mucosal melanoma demonstrated a promising pathologic response rate with significantly increased infiltrating CD3+ and CD3+CD8+ T cells after therapy. • This is a phase II clinical trial of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with resectable mucosal melanoma. • A promising pathologic response rate of 33.3% and a median recurrence-free survival of 11.7 months in responders. • Infiltration of CD3+/CD8+ T cells after neoadjuvant therapy was associated with pathologic response. • J Clin Oncol The neoadjuvant regimen appears to prolong survival while maximizing the preservation of organ function in mucosal melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a thermoplastic polyester, is frequently used in plastic packaging such as bottles, films, and synthetic fibers. Due to its slow degradation in the natural environment, the accumulation of PET in large quantities poses a serious threat to the ecosystem. In this study, camphor pine wood was impregnated with these products by first alcoholyzing the waste PET, followed by the creation of a functional resin. The process of PET binary alcoholysis and unsaturated polyester (UPR) synthesis successfully incorporated certain characteristic groups from the PET raw material structure into the subsequent products of each stage, and cured them into a bulk unsaturated polyester with p-phenylene structure. The curing reaction primarily occurred in the carbon-carbon double bonds, according to the FTIR analysis of the PET raw material and the products at each stage. Under ideal conditions, the vacuum impregnation enhancement modification of camphor pine led to a 52.1 % increase in compressive strength and a decrease in water absorption from 103.8 % to 42 %, effectively enhancing the wood's compressive strength and resistance to water absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-polarized broadband coupled feed dipole antenna loaded with artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) structure is proposed. The proposed AMC structure with 4x4 elements shown in this paper consists of four perfect electrical conductor (PEC) rectangular strips and a ring to reduce the profile height of the dual-polarized dipole antenna. In addition, the dual-polarization antenna adopts coupling feed microstrip to excite two pairs of bow-tie patch. The overall size of the coupling feed dipole antenna is 1.1λ0x1.1λ0x0.09λ0 at 5.5 GHz. Measured results shows that the proposed dual-polarization antenna loaded AMC exhibit a 25.2% common working bandwidth (4.75-6.12 GHz). The isolation is less than -14 dB, and the peak gain is 10.6 dBi. This dipole antenna with AMC structure has the virtues of low profile, wide band, and good radiation performance and it has the potential to be used in C-band communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dual-polarized broadband coupled feed dipole antenna loaded with artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) structure is proposed. The proposed AMC structure with 4x4 elements shown in this paper consists of four perfect electrical conductor (PEC) rectangular strips and a ring to reduce the profile height of the dual-polarized dipole antenna. In addition, the dual-polarization antenna adopts coupling feed microstrip to excite two pairs of bow-tie patch. The overall size of the coupling feed dipole antenna is 1.1λ0x1.1λ0x0.09λ0 at 5.5 GHz. Measured results shows that the proposed dual-polarization antenna loaded AMC exhibit a 25.2% common working bandwidth (4.75-6.12 GHz). The isolation is less than -14 dB, and the peak gain is 10.6 dBi. This dipole antenna with AMC structure has the virtues of low profile, wide band, and good radiation performance and it has the potential to be used in C-band communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case report of a 39-year-old Asian male with chronic gout and chronic renal failure. The patient developed nodular papules on his joints, abdomen, and lower back, some of which ulcerated and discharged a chalky substance. Despite treatment with allopurinol and benzbromarone, the patient's hyperuricemia was not well managed. The patient's chronic kidney disease progressed, and allopurinol was replaced with febuxostat, which led to gout flares. Glucocorticoids were administered to reduce inflammation, and the patient was advised to abstain from alcohol. The article also discusses the challenges of diagnosing and managing cutaneous manifestations of gout, the role of alcohol intake and obesity in gout management, and the limitations of treatment options for gout in the context of kidney disease. [Extracted from the article]

To investigate the value of orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in predicting the efficacy of intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) for patients with retinoblastoma (RB). The pretreatment clinical and MRI data of 100 eyes from 80 RB patients who underwent IVC were collected retrospectively. There were 59 eyes in the effective group and 41 eyes in the ineffective group, and the baseline data of the two groups were compared statistically. Three radiologists reviewed and evaluated each lesion independently based on 25 MRI features. The predictive values of the MRI features for IVC efficacy were assessed by multi-factor logistic regression analysis, and their odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) with the area under the curve (AUC) were used to determine the predictive abilities. A predictive model was constructed by integrating all independent predictors visualised by the nomogram. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in sex or age between the effective and ineffective groups. The results of multivariate regression analysis showed that laterality, margin, and anterior eye segment enhancement were identified as independent factors that could predict IVC efficacy. The predictive model combining these three features was constructed, and it had an AUC of 0.732 (95% CI: 0.633, 0.831, p <0.01), a sensitivity of 71.2%, and a specificity of 70.7%. CONCLUSION: The data demonstrate that the orbital MRI features can be used to predict IVC efficiency before RB patients are treated. • Value of orbital MRI in predicting the efficacy of IVC for RB were analyzed. • Laterality, margin, and AES enhancement could predict IVC efficacy. • Calcification yielded a poor predictive ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new dinuclear complex, [Cu2I2(Pz)2(Phen)2] (I) was synthesized by solution method based on HPz, Phen and CuI2, where HPz is pyrazole and Phen is 1,10-phenanthroline, respectively. On this basis, complex I was characterized by IR spectra and analyzed by X-ray diffraction (CCDC no. 2169849). We also studied Hirshfeld surface of the title complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium sulphoaluminate (MSA) cement is a new type of inorganic coating for steel substrate with excellent fire retardant performance. In order to make full use of the advantages of MSA cement based coatings, the effect of fly ash on setting time, strength of MSA cement paste coating was studied. The phase compositions of MSA cement hydration products were analyzed by X - ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the addition of fly ash prolongs setting time and increases the strength of MSA cement at 1 day (d) significantly. After adding fly ash, no new hydration products were generated, but it can significantly improve morphology of MSA cement with the compact structure of hydration products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to establish a model for predicting the three-year survival status of patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma using artificial intelligence algorithms. Method: Data from 295 patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma were analysed retrospectively. Training sets comprised 70 per cent of the data and test sets the remaining 30 per cent. A total of 22 clinical parameters were included as training features. In total, 12 different types of machine learning algorithms were used for model construction. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and Cohen's kappa co-efficient were used to evaluate model performance. Results: The XGBoost algorithm achieved the best model performance. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and kappa value of the model were 80.9 per cent, 92.6 per cent, 62.9 per cent, 77.7 per cent and 58.1 per cent, respectively. Conclusion: This study successfully identified a machine learning model for predicting three-year survival status for patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma that can offer a new prognostic evaluation method for the clinical treatment of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonlinear interaction between the double tearing mode (DTM) and Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instabilities with different shear flow profiles has been numerically investigated via the use of a compressible magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model. We focus on KH instabilities in weak and reversed magnetic shear plasmas with strong stabilizing effect of field line bending. Results show that KH instabilities coupled with DTMs occur in these plasmas and the KH mode dominates the instability dynamics, suggesting the crucial role of weak magnetic shear in the formation of high-mode harmonics. For symmetric flows, an asymmetric forced magnetic reconnection configuration is maintained during the growth phase, leading to interlocking of the modes. Additionally, this investigation of the DTM-KH instability interaction contributes to our understanding of the nonlinear reconnection mechanism in the regime of weak and reversed magnetic shear plasmas, which is relevant for astrophysical and fusion studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction problem of flexural-gravity wave with multiple vertical cylinders frozen in an ice sheet on the surface of water with finite water depth is considered. The linearized velocity potential theory is adopted for fluid flow, and the thin elastic plate model is applied for ice sheet deflection. Each cylinder is bottom-mounted, and the shape of its cross section can be arbitrary while remaining constant in the vertical direction. The velocity potential is expanded into an eigenfunction series in the vertical direction, which satisfies the boundary condition on the ice sheet automatically. The horizontal modes, which satisfy the Helmholtz equations, are then transformed into a series of boundary integral equations along the ice sheet edges or the intersection of the ice sheet with the cylinders. The problem is then solved numerically by imposing the ice sheet edge condition together with the impermeable condition on the cylinders. The solution is exact in the sense that the error is only due to numerical discretization and truncation. Computations are first carried out for single and multiple vertical circular cylinders, and good agreements are obtained with the semi-analytical solution. To resolve the difficulty of excessive computation at a large number of cylinders, the effect of the evanescent wave of a cylinder on those at large distance is ignored. This allows for the case of a large number of cylinders in different arrangements to be simulated. Extensive results are provided. Their physics and practical relevance are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy loss functions (ELFs) of Fe and Ni have been derived from measured reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy (REELS) spectra by a reverse Monte Carlo analysis in our previous work. In this work, we present further improvements of ELFs for these metals. For Fe, we have updated ELFs at primary electron energies of 2 keV and 3 keV in a wider photon energy region (0–180 eV) with a better accuracy, which is verified by sum rules. Regarding to Ni, we supplement the ELF at primary energy of 5 keV and we also improve the data accuracy at 3 keV. Applying these new and more accurate ELFs we present the optical constants and dielectric functions for the two metals. The improvements were highlighted by comparing our present results with the previous data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is frequently associated with malnutrition, inflammation and a deficiency of vitamin D (VD) with the relationships between these symptoms being poorly defined. VD is a modulator of the immune system and is associated with the onset of CD and disease activity. The level of serum VD may have potential in the assessment of CD activity. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between VD, nutritional status and inflammation, and to identify more accurate VD thresholds. Methods: The study included 76 outpatients with CD diagnosed between October 2018 and October 2020 and 76 healthy volunteers. Levels of serum 25(OH)D and nutritional indicators, as well as biochemical and disease activity assessments, were conducted. Results: Patients with CD and healthy participants were found to differ significantly in their 25(OH)D levels as well in levels of nutritional and inflammatory indicators. The optimal VD cut‐off value was found to be 46.81 nmol/L for CD development and 35.32 nmol/L for disease activity. Levels of 25(OH)D were correlated with both nutritional status and inflammation. Conclusions: The VD level is likely to be a useful additional tool in the evaluation of CD patients and predicting the disease activity and clinical response. The VD level may relate both to the nutritional status and levels of inflammation in CD patients, and disease progression. Highlights: 1.This study included the NRS‐2002 and PG‐SGA scores to provide a comprehensive picture of the nutritional status with Crohn's disease (CD).2.We found serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with both nutritional status and inflammation.3.Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine the optimal vitamin D cut‐off values for predicting CD development and assessing disease activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argillaceous rocks are candidate host and/or cap formations for the geological disposal of nuclear wastes in many countries, including Canada, France and Switzerland. The understanding of the long term mechanical behaviour of such rocks is an essential requirement for the assessment of their performance as a barrier against radionuclide migration. Due to the existence of bedding, argillaceous rocks are inherently anisotropic and the development of stress-strain models for their mechanical behaviour needs to take this anisotropy into account. This paper presents two examples of the practical implementation of stress-strain relationships in finite element models to simulate the excavation damage zones (EDZ) in bedded argillaceous rocks. The first example concerns the EDZ around a micro-tunnel in Opalinus Clay, in Switzerland. The second example relates to the EDZ around the century-old tunnel in Tournemire shale, in France. Both examples show the importance of developing robust stress-strain models that can replicate inherent anisotropy of the rock, and of calibrating and validating the models with a comprehensive set of laboratory experiments. The second example shows the additional influence of dessication and fault zone on the extent and shape of the EDZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) with an olivine-type structure has garnered great interest due to its electrochemical activity. It is considered one of the most promising cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries because of its high discharge platform, large theoretical capacity, and excellent cycling performance and stability. However, the typical crystal structure of LiFePO4 restricts the formation of efficient electron conduction pathways and hampers the embedding and removal motion of lithium ions, resulting in low electron conductivity and a low ion diffusion rate. The experimental results show that element doping can reduce the activation energy of diffusion, increase the diffusion rate of lithium ions, improve the rate capability of lithium-ion batteries, and contribute to the improvement of its conductivity. In this work, the electronic structure and diffusion mechanism of a S/Co/Mn co-doped LiFePO4 system are systematically studied. The introduction of S, Co, and Mn atoms leads to the formation of impurity bands, resulting in a significant reduction in the bandgap from 3.593 eV to 0.190 eV, which is beneficial for improving the conductivity of LiFePO4. Moreover, the diffusion activation energy of lithium ions decreases from 0.73 eV to 0.34 eV, and the diffusion rate of lithium ions increases from 2.7 × 109 cm/s to 1.0 × 1016 cm/s. These results demonstrate that co-doping of S, Co, and Mn can effectively enhance the conductivity and diffusion rate of lithium ions in LiFePO4, providing a reliable reference for improving the electrochemical performance of lithium iron phosphate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted two three-dimensional numerical models to investigate the effects of the surrounding surface surcharge on the deformation of the retaining structure. The results obtained by the finite element model are in good agreement with the field measurements. The deflection of the diaphragm wall increased by 2-3 times owing to the surrounding surface surcharge, which implies that the surrounding surface surcharge magnifies the excavation-space effect. The maximum wall deflections were approximately 0.03-0.05 H (H is the excavation depth) in the case without surface surcharge. However, the maximum wall deflections increased up to 0.05-0.19 H when surrounding surface surcharges were applied on the surface ground around excavation. The surrounding surface surcharge leads to the increase of the maximum wall deflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately estimating property losses in road traffic accidents caused by traffic conflicts can help determine the compensation amount and clarify the responsibilities of both parties. The paper studies the estimation method of property losses in road traffic accidents under traffic conflict conditions. Firstly, collect information on property losses in road traffic accidents caused by traffic conflicts. Then, considering the indicators of vehicle loss, facility loss and cargo loss, the market value method is used to construct the loss function of accident property. Finally, using Gini impurities as the judgment indicator, a genetic algorithm is introduced to calculate the property estimation function and complete the estimation of property losses. The research results show that the estimation accuracy of this new method is 98.31%, and indicates that the new method proposed in this article has significant effectiveness in estimating accident property losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptomyces vilmorinianum sp. nov. (CGMCC.23383), is aerobic, gram-positive-staining bacterium isolated from soil of Zhengzhou, Henan Province in China. Granaticin was revealed among the secondary metabolites of S. vilmorinianum YP1 by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS-MS). Strain YP1 grew in a mineral medium with lactose and peptone. Whole-cell hydrolysates of strain YP1 contained LL-diaminopimelic acid, glucose and ribose. The major isoprenoid quinones were MK-9 (H8) and MK-9 (H6). The characteristic polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol mannoside (PIM), and an unidentified lipid. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain YP1 was closely related to Streptomyces lateritius LMG 19372T (NBCR 12788T) and Streptomyces zaomyceticus NBRC 13348T. The DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of strain YP1 and the closely related type strains were 28.5 and 33.9%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values were 83.95 and 87.56%, respectively. Based on the polyphasic study of this bacterium, we proposed a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, Streptomyces vilmorinianum with the strain YP1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Myxovirus resistance (Mx) is a protein produced by the interferon-induced natural immune response with broad spectrum antiviral function. However, the role and expression characteristics of the Mx gene in immune defence against viral infection in goose have not yet been reported. 2. This study found a 2576 bp genomic sequence and a 2112 bp mRNA sequence for Mx, encoding 703 amino acids. Multiple sequence alignments of the amino acid sequences showed that the Yangzhou goose Mx (goMx) had 86.99% similarity to the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos). 3. Tissue-specific expression profiling revealed that the expression of goMx was highest in the lung and spleen. Both poly (I:C) and GPV were found to elevate the expression of goMx. The upregulated expression of goMx was associated with interferon pathway-related genes IRF7, JAK1, STAT1, and STAT2. Furthermore, overexpression of goMx significantly activated the transcription of poly (I:C) induced TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18. 4. The findings of this study suggest that the goMx modulation of the antiviral response is mediated by the interferon pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Electron Cyclotron Emission Imaging (ECEI) diagnostic was used to observe a finite-n interchange mode structure in the edge of negative triangularity shaped plasmas on DIII-D. At a small negative triangularity ( δ u = −0.2), the plasma is in the H-mode with ELMs that are triggered by a low-n interchange mode. At a larger negative triangularity ( δ u = −0.4) and low NBI power (2 MW), a dithering oscillation is observed that is triggered by a low-n interchange mode, whereas at higher NBI power (>2 MW), the edge reverts to L-mode and the low-n interchange mode is present continuously. In all cases, the edge pressure gradient is clamped when the interchange mode is present. It is concluded that the low-n interchange mode prevents the plasma from transitioning to H-mode at a large negative triangularity. This agrees with linear BOUT++ simulations which suggest that the interchange-type MHD can be a resistive ballooning mode whereby resistivity can significantly increase the finite-n ballooning mode growth rate. The absence of H-mode at large negative triangularity can, thus, be explained by the excitation of low-n pressure driven resistive ballooning modes in the plasma edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate herein how long-wavelength perturbations affect the nonlinear evolution of the multimode ablative Rayleigh–Taylor instability (ARTI). A single-mode ARTI with an initial small amplitude is first investigated to validate the reliability of the proposed simulation code. The results show that both linear growth rates and asymptotic bubble velocities obtained from simulations are in reasonable agreement with theoretical results. Initial perturbations with different long-wavelength perturbations are compared to investigate the contribution of the long-wavelength perturbations to the nonlinear evolution of the ARTI mixing. Beyond the nonlinear saturation limit [S. W. Haan, Phys. Rev. A 39, 5812 (1989)], the long-wavelength perturbation promotes the ARTI mixing and facilitates the development of the large-scale structure on the ablation surface. In the self-similar analysis, the simulation results indicate that the self-similar growth parameters decrease with increasing initial longest-wavelength modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the characteristics of strip shape and roll change during the rolling process of six-high cold rolling mill (SHCRM), a three-dimensional finite element model of SHCRM was established by computer-aided design. The coupling deformation under various working conditions such as friction coefficient and bending roller force was analysed. Results show that the width of the plate, the amount of pressure, the friction coefficient, the rolling force, and the bending force are the key affecting factors of the deformation of the roller system, the shape of the load roll seam and the contact stress and strain. The deformation of the roll system, the shape change of the load roller seam and the stress and strain of the contact region are revealed. The obtained conclusions provide a reference for the development of rolling model of high cold rolling mill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Abdominal hernia (AH) is one of the most common clinical diseases. A large number of observational studies have found that obesity is an important risk factor for AH. However, the causal relationship between obesity and AH cannot be determined because of the clinical studies on AH induced by obesity are relatively few and only have some small- or medium-scale observational studies. Observational studies have so many confounding factors and reverse causality due to their shortcomings. From an evidence-based medicine perspective, they are not sufficiently convincing. Therefore, there is still a lack of high-quality, evidence-based medical evidence supporting a causal relationship between obesity and AH. A causal relationship between obesity and AH is also almost impossible to confirm by randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Our study based on Mendelian randomization (MR) may provide a higher level of evidence-based medical support for the relationship between obesity and AH. Body mass index (BMI) is the most common measure used for defining obesity. Finally, we employed two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) to explore the causal relationship between BMI and AH. Methods: AH-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) data were obtained from the FinnGen Biobank (FB), and BMI-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) data were obtained from the UK Biobank (UKB). Genetic loci are used as instrumental variables (IVs), methods such as inverse variance weighted (IVW) were used for two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis, and the odds ratio (OR) value was used to evaluate the causal relationship between BMI and AH. Results: The results of the horizontal pleiotropy test were calculated by Egger-intercept method: p = 0.34 > 0.05. The Cochran Q test of MR-Egger method and IVW method showed heterogeneity P = 0.03 < 0.05, so the IVW random effect model was used as the gold standard. We found a genetically determined 1-standard deviation (SD) increment of BMI causally increased a 66.0% risk of AH (N = 371 SNPs, OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.46–1.89, p = 1.55E–14) based on the IVW random effect model which was almost consistent with the results of other seven methods. Conclusions: Our MR found genetic evidence for BMI and AH. The risk of developing AH increases with the number of BMI. This finding provides further evidence that maintaining a healthy BMI can prevent the development of AH. In addition, clinicians may need to focus on the potential risk of AH on some high-BMI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The off-axis embedment behaviors of unidirectional and multidirectional laminated engineered bamboo panels used for glued-laminated bamboo (glubam) structures under dowel-type bolts with three different diameters, 12, 14, and 16 mm, were experimentally studied in this research. The half-hole loading method given by current standards was adopted to perform the embedment tests. Seven different off-axis loading directions from 0° to 90° related to the main bamboo fiber direction at an interval of 15° in the panel plane were considered. The different failure patterns, stress-displacement curves, and the corresponding full-field surface strain measured through the digital image correlation (DIC) method are reported. The loading angles significantly influenced the embedment performance of unidirectional bamboo panel specimens, and the strength values decreased with the increasing off-axis loading angles. A difference of 35% in the strength values between 0° and 90° loading specimens was observed. However, quasi-isotropic embedment properties were noticed for the multidirectional laminated engineered bamboo panels. The capacity functions were provided to predict the mean off-axis embedment strength and characteristic strength values by inputting the characteristic density values into the functions. Compared with the characteristic strength values estimated through the statistical method, with a 95% probability of exceedance and 75% significant level, the conventional capacity-function method underestimated the off-axis embedment strength values, and thus may leading to an overconservative design. The statistical characteristic embedment strength values are suggested to be used to calibrate the safety factor of capacity equations given by wood standards. Results from this research can be used to predict the ultimate strength of glubam joints under complex loading conditions and obtain reliable design values for engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the topic of ordinal sums of semigroups in the sense of A. H. Clifford – a method for constructing a new semigroup from a given system of semigroups indexed by a linearly ordered index set. We completely describe the linearly ordered index set for an ordinal sum of semigroups yielding a uninorm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sedimentary basins, the determination of the absolute timing of deposition and diagenetic events is a challenging yet critical parameter necessary in the reconstruction of paleo-fluid evolution and burial histories. Here we demonstrate the practical application of in situ calcite U–Pb geochronology on core samples from the Olympic 1 well in the Canning Basin of Western Australia. Using quantitative mineralogy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analytical techniques, we obtained an authigenic calcite U–Pb age of 469.7 ± 4.3 Ma for limestone in the Samphire Marsh Member of the Lower Ordovician Nambeet Formation. This precise depositional age can be independently verified using zircon thermal ionisation mass spectrometry U–Pb ages of 479.4 to 470.2 Ma determined on adjacent volcanic ash beds. Further geochronology studies on calcite cements from the Lower Ordovician Fly Flat Member sandstone from the Nambeet Formation returned a U–Pb age of 365.3 ± 5.8 Ma. This is the first study to place absolute age constraints on the diagenetic event that occluded the intergranular space in a sandstone reservoir. The calcite cementation age suggests that impairment of reservoir quality in the Fly Flat Member sandstone occurred in the Late Devonian, much earlier than major petroleum charge events in the Canning Basin. The calcite U–Pb geochronometer, when combined with complementary quantitative mineralogical analysis, can build direct temporal constraints on the depositional and diagenetic processes in both carbonate and clastic sedimentary rocks in basins worldwide. The integration of automated scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X‐ray spectrometry quantitative mineralogical analysis with LA-ICP-MS analysis enables more reliable and efficient in situ calcite U–Pb dating. An accurate age of 469.7 ± 4.3 Ma is obtained for carbonate sedimentation in the Samphire Marsh Member of the Lower Ordovician Nambeet Formation in the Canning Basin. The calcite cementation age of 365.3 ± 5.8 Ma provides an absolute time constraint on pore-occluding lithification of the Fly Flat Member sandstone reservoir in the Canning Basin. In situ calcite U–Pb dating can place precise temporal constraints on sediment deposition and paragenetic sequence in sedimentary basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imbalance of oxidation system and antioxidant system can lead to oxidative stress. Exercise is an important source of oxidative stress, which is closely related to the occurrence and development of exercise fatigue and sports injury. Molecular hydrogen has a good prevention and treatment effect on oxidative stress-related diseases, and has a good application prospect in the field of exercise. However, the effect of hydrogen on exercise-induced oxidative stress and its mechanism are still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the protective mechanism of hydrogen on exercise-induced injury through the effects of hydrogen on oxidative stress and intestinal flora. The 24 healthy SD male rats were randomly divided into control (Ctrl) group, exercise (Exe) group and hydrogen-inhaled exercise (Hydro) group. The rats in group Exe were trained on the treadmill 5 times a week for 4 weeks, and the rats in group Hydro were treated by 1% hydrogen after each exercise. Except for the second week of exercise, the body weight of group Exe was significantly lower than that of group Ctrl (p < 0.05), while the weight of group Hydro was not significantly different from that of group Ctrl. Compared with the group Ctrl, the levels of ROS, MDA, T-AOC, SOD, CAT and Nrf2 in the group Exe were significantly increased, while those in group Hydro had no significant changes except MDA and Nrf2. The ROS, CAT and Nrf2 levels in group Hydro were significantly lower than those in group Exe. In terms of intestinal barrier, compared with group Ctrl, the level of D-lactate in group Hydro was not significantly changed, but significantly increased in group Exe(p < 0.05); Compared with group Exe, serum D-lactate level in group Hydro had a downward trend, and the gene expression of ZO-1 and occludin increased significantly (p < 0.01). In addition, the abundance of beneficial bacteria in Group Exe was significantly decreased (p < 0.05), such as Ruminococcacea, Romboutsia , Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and Peptostreptococcaceae. While the abundance of some beneficial bacteria in group Hydro was significantly increased. Long term hydrogen supplement can effectively improve the exercise-induced oxidative stress injury, and its mechanism may be related to clearing excessive free radicals, increasing the expression of intestinal barrier related proteins, increasing the number of beneficial bacteria and promoting the balance of microecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the gradual promotion and popularization of new energy vehicles, the safety of new energy vehicles has attracted more and more attention. The thermal management system (TMS) is the key to whether the key assembly of new energy can work normally. In this paper an optimized control method is developed for the intelligent control of the TMS with the lowest overall energy consumption by taking into account the performance requirements of each subsystem. To realize this, the simulation of the integrated TMS is carried out along with a real vehicle test platform to provide practical and feasible solutions. This study has improved the design depth and level of system intelligence and digitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on several reports presented valence electron structure experimental results since the 1970s, a set of new itinerant electron models for typical magnetic materials were proposed to replace the conventional exchange interaction models. According to the new models, in this article, we investigate the temperature dependence relationship between the magnetization and resistivity of typical magnetic materials. At the ground state, valence electrons of the outer shell in an ion (or in an ionic core in a metal) move in a constant spin direction. When two approaching electrons with the same spin direction belong to two adjacent ions, they can exchange each other, to form itinerant electrons. When two approaching electrons with opposite spin directions belong to two adjacent ions, they cannot exchange each other; as a result, a Weiss electron pair (WEP) is formed with a specific probability and lifetime. The energy of WEPs serves as the origin of the magnetic ordering energy. With temperature increments, the spin direction of the itinerant electrons deviates from the ground state direction, increasing the resistivity of the materials; the spin directions of the electrons in a WEP deviate from the ground state direction, resulting in the magnetic ordering energy decreasing and, meanwhile, a decrease in the magnetization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competition among the two-plasmon decay (TPD) of backscattered light of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), filamentation of the electron-plasma wave (EPW) and forward side SRS is investigated by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Our previous work [K. Q. Pan et al., Nucl. Fusion 58, 096035 (2018)] showed that in a plasma with the density near 1/10 of the critical density, the backscattered light would excite the TPD, which results in suppression of the backward SRS. However, this work further shows that when the laser intensity is so high (> 1016 W/cm²) that the backward SRS cannot be totally suppressed, filamentation of the EPW and forward side SRS will be excited. Then the TPD of the backscattered light only occurs in the early stage and is suppressed in the latter stage. Electron distribution functions further show that trapped-particle-modulation instability should be responsible for filamentation of the EPW. This research can promote the understanding of hot-electron generation and SRS saturation in inertial confinement fusion experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blast loading from a detonation of a high explosive charge at high altitude is quite different from that at sea level. Due to diminished ambient pressure, the damage caused by the blast load may be more minor at high altitude. However, the shock wave parameters at diminished ambient pressure have not yet been thoroughly studied. In this research, experiments were carried out to study the relation between ambient air pressure and shock wave parameters. The explosion experiments were carried out in a sealed explosion chamber with an initial pressure of 95 kPa, 74 kPa, and 57 kPa. For these three atmospheric conditions, the history profiles of incident shock wave pressure generated by TNT charges of 106 g and 292 g were recorded. The influence of ambient pressure and temperature on the shock wave parameters was analyzed through numerical simulations. By analyzing the experimental and numerical data, it was found that ambient pressure is the main factor affecting the shock wave parameters, while the effect of temperature is not so obvious. Furthermore, based on the analysis of experimental data, formulas for evaluating shock wave overpressure, specific impulse, and arrival time using the Sachs variables are given, and the shock wave parameters at an altitude of 5000 m are calculated using these formulas. The observed maximum reduction in the shock wave overpressure was 23%, in specific impulse 27%, and in arrival time 12%, compared to the results calculated at sea level. The results can be applied to blast-resistant analyses of buildings in low-pressure environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prunella vulgaris L. have high medicinal and ornamental values. It blooms in summer and then quickly withers, and there is no research on the regulatory mechanisms of flowering-related genes. Therefore, in this study, the flowering (leaves and spicas) and nonflowering (leaves) parts of P. vulgaris were sequenced with an Illumina HiSeq 4000, and 187 387 transcripts were obtained using Trinity software package. A total of 10 158 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in the leaves of flowering and nonflowering P. vulgaris, with 6 294 upregulated genes and 3 864 downregulated genes. DEGs in leaves of flowering and nonflowering P. vulgaris were mainly annotated for metabolic processes (4 207) in Gene Ontology (GO) and ribosomal pathways (416) in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Screening of this set of genes yielded 50 flowering-related unigenes homologous to Arabidopsis genes involved in multiple regulatory pathways related to plant flowering, including autonomous, vernalization, gibberellin, and age pathways. In addition, there are significant differences in the expressions of genes related to flowering, such as PvFLC, PvSOC1, and PvFY, as well as genes involved in plant hormone signal transduction and sugar metabolism. The accuracy and reliability of the transcriptome results were verified by quantitative real-time RT-qPCR analysis of PvGA20OX, PvSVP, PvELF3, PvCRY1, and PvSOC1. Thus, we speculate that the flowering of P. vulgaris is regulated by certain genes related to the flowering regulation pathway and sugar and hormone metabolism pathways. Analysis of the P. vulgaris transcriptome will provide a basis for revealing its flowering mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

6-gingerol is the predominant constituent of Zingiber officinale (ginger) extract. The WRKY transcription factor families have been shown to be involved in the regulation of plant secondary metabolites. Here, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) method with barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) was used to investigate the regulatory role of ZoWRKY21 in modulating 6-gingerol biosynthesis. The expression levels of ZoWRKY21 and 6-gingerol biosynthetic relative enzyme genes including ZoPAL, ZoC4H, Zo4CL and ZoCCoAOMT in different tissues in BSMV::ZoWRKY21-inoculated plants were significantly reduced, indicating the viral vector exhibited a silencing effect. Downregulation of ZoWRKY21 significantly affected the expression of Zo4CL and ZoCCoAOMT. Additionally, the content of 6-gingerol was significantly reduced in BSMV: ZoWRKY21 plants compared to the control groups, which further verifies the positive regulatory function of ZoWRKY21 and ZoCCoAOMT or Zo4CL in 6-gingerol biosynthesis. The results provide clarification of the role of ZoWRKY21 and 6-gingerol biosynthetic relative enzyme genes in the biosynthetic pathway of 6-gingerol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maifan stone is a kind of mineral medicine in Chinese medicine, which has good adsorption, dissolution, mineralization and biological activity. It has an excellent therapeutic effect on livestock, poultry and aquatic animals suffering from intestinal diseases. This study explored the effect of Maifan stone on the growth ability of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (L. rhamnosus GG) and the effect of Maifan stone‐L. rhamnosus GG‐fermented product on the intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota. We find that Maifan stone can adsorb L. rhamnosus GG to form a carrier bacteria. Maifan stone has the characteristics of acid tolerance and bile salt tolerance and can also improve the activity of L. rhamnosus GG in artificial gastrointestinal juice. The fermented product can reduce the degree of diarrhoea and colon pathology in rats to a certain extent and significantly improve intestinal inflammatory factors and gut microbiota. This study improves the application effect of L. rhamnosus GG in the prevention and treatment of diarrhoea animals and provides a scientific basis for the rational development of Maifan stone resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide residues on plant surfaces are a primary source of pesticide bioaccumulation in crops. In this context, we propose a mechanism-based model for understanding the pesticide fate on the plant surface following aerial application, taking into account fate modelling of the pesticide spray solution on the plant surface. Using chlorothalonil as an example, the simulation results revealed that the spray solution dissipated rapidly after aerial application, resulting in the formation of a saturated pesticide solution, which facilitated the diffusion process of the pesticide residue from the plant surface into the peel tissue. The proposed model generated higher simulated residue concentrations in the peel or pulp than the current model, owing to the proposed model's assumption of rapid dissipation of the spray solution. This indicated that the proposed model specified the influence of the spray solution on the plant's exposure to residues via the surface deposition pathway, whereas the current modelling approach presented a generic estimate of the residue dissipation on the plant surface that linked to the residue's fate in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium-catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck reactions of monosubstituted olefins with nitrobenzenes via C–NO2 bond activation has been reported. In these transformations, the combination of Pd(acac)2 and Brettphos as ligand was chosen as the best catalytic system, CsF was proved to be the best base, and cyclohexane was the best solvent. More importantly, 7–9 equiv of nitrobenzene were necessary for this reaction to achieve excellent yields. Styrenes and nitrobenzenes with various substituents can well be used in these processes, and a variety of (E)-1,2-diarylethylene derivatives were synthesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]