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To enhance the design and research work on dynamic characteristics of high-rise laminated timber buildings, this paper carried out a modal analysis study on one of the largest laminated timber buildings in China. The finite element calculating modal analysis was carried out using SAP2000 software, and the experimental modal analysis of the building was carried out via environmental excitation. The calculating modal results and the experimental modal results showed good agreement. The calculating modal frequency values were generally lower than the experimental modal frequency values. The natural frequencies obtained by the two methods appeared in the Y-direction first-order bending mode and had values of 2.03 and 2.5 Hz, respectively. The corresponding frequencies of the first-order torsional mode were 2.82 and 3.25 Hz, respectively. The distribution of the CLT core tube along the length direction of the building has an impact on the vibration mode. The six-story part shows the second-order bending form, while the four-story section only shows the first-order bending form. The above work provides a case study and reference for the simulation and modal analysis of high-rise laminated timber buildings, demonstrating the critical role of the core tube structure in such wooden buildings. This insight contributes to a better understanding of structural performance and design considerations in similar projects.

Abstract Detrital zircon U–Pb chronology database of Precambrian deposits provides a context for the interpretation of the origin and evolution of ancient crust. Here, we tried to summarize the published literature containing detrital zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotope data of Precambrian deposits in South China and then established a database, which contains details of information, such as reference, sample ID, locality, rock type, research institution, GPS coordinates, U–Pb ages and εHf(t) values. The data statistics of this paper rely on the OneSediment Working Group of The Deep‐time Digital Earth program (DDE). By November 2022, 610 samples with 38,278 U–Pb ages and 8,798 Lu‐Hf isotope data were collected from 136 papers, and these data can be downloaded from DDE Data Publish & Repository website, https://repository.deep‐time.org/. The purpose of the establishment of the dataset is to provide guidance and convenience for the research direction of future generations in South China and to improve the previous studies through the integrated data to avoid the waste of resources caused by a large number of repeated studies.

Abstract Complications of detrital zircons databases provide a means for statistically analysing a variety of significant geological problems. In this work, we tried to collect a database about the South China Phanerozoic detrital zircon geochronology data. The data statistics of this paper rely on the OneSediment Working Group of The Deep‐time Digital Earth program (DDE). By November 2022, the database contains a total of 699 samples with 55,532 U–Pb ages and 3,770 effective Hf isotope data, from 130 papers. Abundant information including reference title, sample ID, locality, rock type, research institution, GPS coordinates, U–Pb ages, εHf(t) values, etc., have been involved in our database, and all data can be downloaded from DDE Data Publish & Repository website, https://repository.deep‐time.org/. Through the integrated data, we can improve the previous studies and avoid the waste of resources caused by a large number of repeated studies.

Abstract Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer deaths. Despite the rise of immunotherapies, many HCC patients don't benefit. There's a clear need for biomarkers to guide treatment decisions. This research aims to identify such biomarkers by combining radiological data and machine learning. We analyzed clinical and CT imaging data of 54 HCC patients undergoing immunotherapy. Radiologic features were examined to develop a model predicting short-term immunotherapy effects. We utilized 9 machine learning and 2 ensemble learning techniques using RapidMiner for model construction. We conducted the validation of the above feature combination using 29 HCC patients who received immunotherapy from another hospital, and tested and validated it using XGBoost combined with a genetic algorithm. In 54 HCC patients, radiomics features varied significantly between those with partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD). Key features in Gray Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM) and in adjacent tissues' Intensity Direct, Neighborhood Gray Tone Difference Matrix (NGTDM), and Shape correlated with short-term immunotherapy efficacy. Selected feature combinations of 15, 19, and 8/15 features yielded better outcomes. Deep learning, random forest, and naive bayes outperformed other methods, with Bagging being more reliable than Adaboost. In the validation set of 29 HCC patients, the mentioned feature combination also demonstrated favorable performance. Furthermore, we achieved improved results when employing XGBoost in conjunction with a genetic algorithm for testing and validation. The machine learning model built with CT image features derived from GLCM, GLRLM, IntensityDirect, NGTDM, and Shape can accurately forecast the short-term efficacy of immunotherapy for HCC.

Abstract Metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) has a dismal prognosis. Herein, we conducted a prospective, multicentre, single-arm, phase II trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of penpulimab and anlotinib in combination with nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine (PAAG) in patients with first-line mPC (NCT05493995). The primary endpoints included the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR), while secondary endpoints encompassed progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. In 66 patients analysed for efficacy, the best response, indicated by the ORR, was recorded at 50.0% (33/66) (95% CI, 37.4–62.6%), with 33 patients achieving partial response (PR). Notably, the DCR was 95.5% (63/66, 95% CI, 87.3–99.1%). The median PFS (mPFS) and OS (mOS) were 8.8 (95% CI, 8.1–11.6), and 13.7 (95% CI, 12.4 to not reached) months, respectively. Grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 39.4% of patients (26/66). In prespecified exploratory analysis, patients with altered SWI/SNF complex had a poorer PFS. Additionally, low serum CA724 level, high T-cell recruitment, low Th17 cell recruitment, and high NK CD56dim cell scores at baseline were potential predicative biomarkers for more favourable efficacy. In conclusion, PAAG as a first-line therapy demonstrated tolerability with promising clinical efficacy for mPC. The biomolecular findings identified in this study possess the potential to guide the precise clinical application of the triple-combo regimen.

This study aimed to estimate the incidence rate and clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the Chinese population, specially comparing the North and South regions.

This paper proposes an improvement in the test method for determining the flexural dynamic modulus of elasticity of strawboard with two triangular prisms as supports, for quality control and classification. Free-plate modal and free-plate transient excitation methods were used to test the elastic modulus of 1/4-plate and whole-plate strawboards. The dynamic test results were verified with the four-point bending method and tensile method. The results show that the elastic moduli of strawboards is approximately 2 GPa. The dynamic test method proposed is efficient, simple, repeatable, and accurate. This method is more suitable for factory applications than existing dynamic testing methods. The framed cases produced by the strawboard all meet the performance requirements in GB/T 7284 (2016).

Objective: To build a radiomics signature based on MRI images and evaluate its capability for preoperatively identifying the benign and malignant Soft tissue neoplasms (STTs). Materials and methods: 193 patients (99 malignant STTs and 94 benign STTs) were at random segmented into a training cohort (69 malignant STTs and 65 benign STTs) and a validation cohort (30 malignant STTs and 29 benign STTs) with a portion of 7:3. Radiomics features were extracted from T2 with fat saturation and T1 with fat saturation and gadolinium contrast images. Radiomics signature was developed by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression model. The receiver that operated characteristics curve (ROC) analysis was used to assess radiomics signature's prediction performance. Inner validation was performed on an autonomous cohort that contained 40 patients. Results: A radiomics was developed by a total of 16 radiomics features (5 original shape features and 11 were wavelet features) achieved favorable predictive efficacy. Malignant STTs showed higher radiomics score than benign STTs in both training cohort and validation cohort. A good prediction performance was shown by the radiomics signature in both training cohorts and validation cohorts. The training cohorts and validation cohorts had an area under curves (AUCs) of 0.885 and 0.841, respectively. Conclusions: A radiomics signature based on MRI images can be a trustworthy imaging biomarker for identification of the benign and malignant STTs, which could help guide treatment strategies.

Traffic congestion has become an increasingly severe problem and needs to be solved urgently. Reinforcement learning (RL) is an advanced data-driven approach for large-scale adaptive traffic signal control (ATSC) in the complex urban traffic network. The decentralized multi-agent RL (MARL) framework is feasible for multi-intersection scenarios. However, the environment becomes partially observable and nonstationary without effective communication among agents from the perspective of each local agent. Previous studies solve this problem by improving the observation of each local agent and using a spatial discount factor. In this paper, we are motivated by achieving coordination among intersections in the RL settings and better performance in ATSC and solve the problem of traffic signal control at multiple intersections in large-scale networks based on RL techniques. Pressure is used as an indicator to represent the traffic conditions of an intersection considering its neighbor intersections. A new reward function with pressure and vehicle waiting time is designed to achieve coordination among intersections. The above three control policies are innovatively applied to a multi-agent Q-learning method for ATSC at multiple intersections. Experiments are carried out on a large synthetic traffic grid under simulated peak-hour traffic dynamics. Results demonstrate that our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art decentralized MARL algorithms in average queue length and intersection delay.

Background and objective The application of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies has greatly improved the clinical outcomes of lung cancer patients. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of PD-1 antibody therapy in locally advanced non-surgical or metastatic lung cancer patients, and preliminarily explored the correlation between peripheral blood biomarkers and clinical responses. Methods We conducted a single center study that included 61 IIIA-IV lung cancer patients who received PD-1 antibody treatment from March 2020 to December 2021, and collected the medical record data on PD-1 antibody first-line or second-line treatment. The levels of multiple Th1 and Th2 cytokines in the patient's peripheral blood serum, as well as the phenotype of peripheral blood T cells, were detected and analyzed. Results All the patients completed at least 2 cycles of PD-1 monoclonal antibody treatment. Among them, 42 patients (68.9%) achieved partial response (PR); 7 patients (11.5%) had stable disease (SD); and 12 patients (19.7%) had progressive disease (PD). The levels of peripheral blood interferon gamma (IFN-γ) (P=0.023), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (P=0.007) and interleukin 5 (IL-5) (P=0.002) before treatment were higher in patients of the disease control rate (DCR) (PR+SD) group than in the PD group. In addition, the decrease in absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte count after PD-1 antibody treatment was associated with disease progression (P=0.023). Moreover, the levels of IL-5 (P=0.0027) and IL-10 (P=0.0208) in the blood serum after immunotherapy were significantly increased compared to baseline. Conclusion Peripheral blood serum IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-5 in lung cancer patients have certain roles in predicting the clinical efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy. The decrease in absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte count in lung cancer patients is related to disease progression, but large-scale prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the value of these biomarkers.

This study proposed an event-triggered quantized model predictive control (ETQMPC) method for the dynamic docking of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and human-occupied vehicles (HOVs). The proposed strategy employed a non-periodic control approach that initiated the non-linear model predictive control (NMPC) optimization and state sampling based on tracking errors and deviations from the predicted optimal state, thereby enhancing computing performance and system efficiency without compromising the control quality. To further conserve communication resources and improve information transfer efficiency, a quantitative feedback mechanism was employed for sampling and state quantification. The simulation experiments were performed to verify the effectiveness of the method, demonstrating excellent docking trajectory tracking performance, robustness against bounded current interference, and significant reductions in computational and communication burdens. The experimental results demonstrated that the method outperformed in the docking trajectory tracking control performance significantly improved the computational and communication performance, and comprehensively improved the system efficiency.

Furfural is an essential compound that contributes to the distinctive flavor of sauce-flavored Baijiu. However, traditional detection methods are hindered by lengthy and complex sample preparation procedures, as well as the need for expensive equipment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new approach that allows rapid detection. In this study, we developed a novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate by constructing MXene (Ti3C2TX) @Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) through an electrostatic attraction method. The MXene (Ti3C2TX) @Ag NPs were successfully fabricated, with adsorbed NaCl-treated Ag NPs uniformly absorbed on the surface of MXene (Ti3C2TX), creating high-density distributed SERS “hot spots”. The prepared substrate demonstrated excellent sensitivity, uniformity, repeatability, and long-term stability, with a low detectable concentration of 10−9 M for R6G (Rhodamine 6G) and an enhancement factor of up to 7.08 × 105. When applied for the in situ SERS detection of furfural in Baijiu, the detection limit was as low as 0.5 mg/L. Overall, the proposed method offers rapid, low-cost, and sensitive quantitative analysis, which is significant not only for detecting furfural in Baijiu but also for identifying hazardous substances and distinguishing between authentic and counterfeit Baijiu products.

Abstract Pancreatic fibrosis (PF) is primarily characterized by aberrant production and degradation modes of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, resulting from the activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and the pathological cross‐linking of ECM mediated by lysyl oxidase (LOX) family members. The excessively deposited ECM increases matrix stiffness, and the over‐accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) induces oxidative stress, which further stimulates the continuous activation of PSCs and advancing PF; challenging the strategy toward normalizing ECM homeostasis for the regression of PF. Herein, ROS‐responsive and Vitamin A (VA) decorated micelles (named LR‐SSVA) to reverse the imbalanced ECM homeostasis for ameliorating PF are designed and synthesized. Specifically, LR‐SSVA selectively targets PSCs via VA, thereby effectively delivering siLOXL1 and resveratrol (RES) into the pancreas. The ROS‐responsive released RES inhibits the overproduction of ECM by eliminating ROS and inactivating PSCs, meanwhile, the decreased expression of LOXL1 ameliorates the cross‐linked collagen for easier degradation by collagenase which jointly normalizes ECM homeostasis and alleviates PF. This research shows that LR‐SSVA is a safe and efficient ROS‐response and PSC‐targeted drug‐delivery system for ECM normalization, which will propose an innovative and ideal platform for the reversal of PF.

Abstract Background Except for gene fusions, FGFR2 genetic alterations in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICCs) have received limited attention, leaving patients harboring activating FGFR2 gene mutations with inadequate access to targeted therapies. Experimental design We sought to survey FGFR2 genetic alterations in ICC and pan-cancers using fluorescence in situ hybridization and next-generation sequencing. We conducted an analysis of the clinical and pathological features of ICCs with different FGFR2 alterations, compared FGFR2 lesion spectrum through public databases and multicenter data, and performed cellular experiments to investigate the oncogenic potential of different FGFR2 mutants. Results FGFR2 gene fusions were identified in 30 out of 474 ICC samples, while five FGFR2 genetic alterations aside from fusion were present in 290 ICCs. The tumors containing FGFR2 translocations exhibited unique features, which we designated as the “FGFR2 fusion subtypes of ICC”. Molecular analysis revealed that FGFR2 fusions were not mutually exclusive with other oncogenic driver genes/mutations, whereas FGFR2 in-frame deletions and site mutations often co-occurred with TP53 mutations. Multicenter and pan-cancer studies demonstrated that FGFR2 in-frame deletions were more prevalent in ICCs (0.62%) than in other cancers, and were not limited to the extracellular domain. We selected representative FGFR2 genetic alterations, including in-frame deletions, point mutations, and frameshift mutations, to analyze their oncogenic activity and responsiveness to targeted drugs. Cellular experiments revealed that different FGFR2 genetic alterations promoted ICC tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis but responded differently to FGFR-selective small molecule kinase inhibitors (SMKIs). Conclusions FGFR2 oncogenic alterations have different clinicopathological features and respond differently to SMKIs.

Nickel-based superalloys have been widely used in the aerospace industry, and regulating the reinforcing phases is the key to improving the high-temperature strength of the alloy. In this study, a series of aging treatments (650 °C, 750 °C, 850 °C and 950 °C for 8 h) were designed to study different thermal deformation behaviors and microstructure evolutions for a novel nickel-based superalloy. Among the aged samples, the 950 °C aged sample achieved the peak stress of ~323 MPa during the thermal deformation and the highest microhardness of ~315 HV after thermal compression, which were the greatest differences compared to before deformation. In addition, the grains of the 950 °C sample exhibit deformed fibrous shapes, and the grain orientation is isotropic, while the other samples exhibited isotropy. In the 850 °C and 950 °C high-temperature aging samples, the γ′ precipitate (about 20 nm in size) is gradually precipitated, which inhibits the movement of dislocation in the grain during compression, thus inhibiting the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization and improving the high-temperature mechanical properties of the alloy.

This study investigates the clinical effects of the novel Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) topical wash used in combination with negative pressure irrigation and tadalafil for the treatment of vascular erectile dysfunction. Eighty-seven patients with vascular erectile dysfunction were divided into an observation group and a control group. The observation group was administered negative pressure irrigation (TCM) in combination with oral tadalafil for four weeks, and the control group was administered oral tadalafil for four weeks. The observation group included 21 patients with arterial erectile dysfunction and 22 with intravenous erectile dysfunction. After treatment, IIEF-5, EHS, GAD scores, PSV, EDV and RI in observation group were improved compared with those before treatment (P = 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, L0.000/R0.000, L0.000/R0.000, L0.003/R0.000). Erectile function (IIEF-5, EHS) was significantly improved compared with the control group (P = 0.008, 0.002). In the observation group, there were 21 cases of arterial erectile dysfunction and 22 cases of intravenous erectile dysfunction. After treatment, PSV of arterial ED improved significantly (P = L0.000/R0.000), but EDV did not decrease significantly (P = L0.084/R 0.098). In patients with venous ED, PSV increased (P = L0.026/R0.032) and EDV decreased significantly (P = L0.000/R0.000). These findings suggest that TCM negative pressure lavage combined with tadalafil improves the blood supply of the penile artery, relaxes smooth muscle, and improves the closing mechanism of venous vessels in patients with vascular erectile dysfunction, ultimately improving the erectile function.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have limited efficacy in metastatic pancreatic cancer due to the complex tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Studies have shown that radiotherapy can cause cell lesions to release tumor antigens and then take part in the remodeling of the tumor environment and the induction of ectopic effects via regional and systemic immunoregulation. Here, we reported a case of advanced metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy and a sharp shift of the TIME from T3 to T2 was also observed. One hepatic metastasis within the planning target volume (PTV) was evaluated complete response (CR), the other one was evaluated partial response (PR) and 2 hepatic metastases outside the PTV were surprisingly considered PR. In the study, we found that immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy achieved significant therapeutic benefits, which may provide a new strategy for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.

Abstract Refractory multi-principal element alloys (RMPEAs) are promising materials for high-temperature structural applications. Here, we investigate the role of short-range ordering (SRO) on dislocation glide in the MoNbTi and TaNbTi RMPEAs using a multi-scale modeling approach. Monte carlo/molecular dynamics simulations with a moment tensor potential show that MoNbTi exhibits a much greater degree of SRO than TaNbTi and the local composition has a direct effect on the unstable stacking fault energies (USFEs). From mesoscale phase-field dislocation dynamics simulations, we find that increasing SRO leads to higher mean USFEs and stress required for dislocation glide. The gliding dislocations experience significant hardening due to pinning and depinning caused by random compositional fluctuations, with higher SRO decreasing the degree of USFE dispersion and hence, amount of hardening. Finally, we show how the morphology of an expanding dislocation loop is affected by the applied stress.

Abstract Severe lattice distortion is a prominent feature of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) considered a reason for many of those alloys’ properties. Nevertheless, accurate characterizations of lattice distortion are still scarce to only cover a tiny fraction of HEA’s giant composition space due to the expensive experimental or computational costs. Here we present a physics-informed statistical model to efficiently produce high-throughput lattice distortion predictions for refractory non-dilute/high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) in a 10-element composition space. The model offers improved accuracy over conventional methods for fast estimates of lattice distortion by making predictions based on physical properties of interatomic bonding rather than atomic size mismatch of pure elements. The modeling of lattice distortion also implements a predictive model for yield strengths of RHEAs validated by various sets of experimental data. Combining our previous model on intrinsic ductility, a data mining design framework is demonstrated for efficient exploration of strong and ductile single-phase RHEAs.

Increasing the use of organic fertilizers is an effective measure to improve, increase soil fertility and maintain crop yields. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different types of organic fertilizers on the early yield of grapes and soil parameters, as well as the relationship between soil parameters and grape yield under fertilization conditions. The ‘Shine Muscat’ grape was used as the material, with early maturing cultivation in the solar greenhouse. From the time of grape planting, three-year continuous fertilization management was carried out using five types of base fertilizers: chemical fertilizer (CK), fermented corn stalk residue (A1), mature sheep manure (A2) and two types of commercial organic fertilizers (B1 and B2). In the third year, berry and soil samples were collected to determine grape yield and evaluate soil physicochemical properties, nutrient status and changes in enzyme activity, studying the relationship between grape yield and soil indicators. The results show that compared to CK, the grape yields with B1 and B2 increased by 19.04% and 16.26%, respectively, while A1 and A2 decreased by 24.09% and 18.97%. Organic fertilizer application reduced soil bulk density, increased soil porosity, enhanced soil organic matter content and effectively buffered soil pH levels. Two types of commercial fertilizers (B1 and B2) improved soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, available nitrogen and available phosphorus content to varying degrees. All organic fertilizer treatments effectively increased soil enzyme activity, except for soil sucrase activity. Through correlation and regression analyses, it was found that in this study, the levels of available nitrogen, available potassium and soil saccharase activity were most closely related to early grape yield. Their influence on grape yield was in the order of available nitrogen > soil saccharase activity > available potassium. Therefore, with a combined organic and inorganic basal fertilization system, the fertilizer nutrients are more comprehensive and help to increase the productivity of grapes at the beginning of the fruiting period. Nitrogen and phosphorus are very important in the maintaining of grape yields and improving sucrose activity in the soil through the application of organic fertilizers cannot be ignored when increasing yields.

In the context of sustainable development strategies, the recycling of discarded products has become increasingly important with the development of electronic technology. Choosing the human–robot collaborative disassembly mode is the key to optimizing the disassembly process and ensuring maximum efficiency and benefits. To solve the problem of human–robot cooperative parallel dismantling line balance, a mixed integer programming model is established and verified by CPLEX. An improved Moth-Flame Optimization (IMFO) algorithm is proposed to speed up convergence and optimize the disassembly process of various products. The effectiveness of IMFO is evaluated through multiple cases and compared with other heuristics. The results of these comparisons can provide insight into whether IMFO is the most appropriate algorithm for the problem presented.

The growing emphasis on ecological preservation and natural resource conservation has significantly advanced resource recycling, facilitating the realization of a sustainable green economy. Essential to resource recycling is the pivotal stage of disassembly, wherein the efficacy of disassembly tools plays a critical role. This work investigates the impact of disassembly tools on disassembly duration and formulates a mathematical model aimed at minimizing workstation cycle time. To solve this model, we employ an optimized advantage actor-critic algorithm within reinforcement learning. Furthermore, it utilizes the CPLEX solver to validate the model’s accuracy. The experimental results obtained from CPLEX not only confirm the algorithm’s viability but also enable a comparative analysis against both the original advantage actor-critic algorithm and the actor-critic algorithm. This comparative work verifies the superiority of the proposed algorithm.

Vacuum electron-beam welding (EBW) was used to join the precipitation-strengthened GH4169 superalloy and a new nickel-based superalloy IC10 to fabricate the turbine blade discs. In this study, a solid solution (1050 °C/2 h for GH4169 and 1150 °C/2 h for IC10) and different heat-exposure temperatures (650 °C, 750 °C, 950 °C and 1050 °C/200 h, respectively) were used to study the high-temperature tensile properties and microstructure evolution of welded joints; meanwhile, the formation and evolution of the second phases of the joints were analyzed. After EBW, the welded joint exhibited a typical nail morphology, and the fusion zone (FZ) consisted of columnar and cellular structures. During the solidification process of the molten pool, Mo elements are enriched in the dendrites and inter-dendrites, and that of Nb and Ti elements was enriched in the dendrites, which lead to forming a non-uniform distribution of Laves eutectic and MC carbides in the FZ. The microhardness of the FZ gradually increased during thermal exposure at 650 °C and reached 300–320 HV, and the γ′ and γ″ phases were gradually precipitated with size of about 50 nm. Meanwhile, the microhardness of the FZ decreased to 260–280 HV at 750 °C, and the higher temperature resulted in the coarsening of the γ″ phase (with a final size of about 100 nm) and the formation of the acicular δ-phase. At 950 °C and 1050 °C, the microhardness of FZ decreased sharply, reaching up to 170~190 HV and 160~180 HV, respectively. Moreover, the Laves eutectic and MC carbides are dissolved to a greater extent without the formation of γ″ and δ phases; as a result, the absent of γ″ and δ phases are attributed to the significant improvement of segregation at higher temperatures.

BackgroundAlthough subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is related to abnormalities in left ventricular diastolic function, the use of levothyroxine as a regular treatment remains debatable. This meta-analysis aimed to determine whether thyroid hormone replacement therapy affects cardiac diastolic function in patients with SCH as measured by echocardiography.MethodsThis meta-analysis included a search of the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from their inception to May 18, 2023, for studies analyzing cardiac morphology and functional changes in patients with SCH before and after thyroid hormone replacement. The outcome measures were cardiac morphology and diastolic and overall cardiac function, as assessed using ultrasound parameters (including ventricular wall thickness, chamber size, mitral wave flow, tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking). The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The standard mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models.ResultsSeventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 568 patients participated and completed the follow-up. All studies specifically stated that serum thyrotropin levels returned to normal by the end of the study period. Compared with baseline levels, no significant morphological changes were observed in the heart. In terms of diastolic function, we discovered that the ratios of E-velocity to A-velocity (E/A) had greatly improved after thyroid hormone replacement therapy, whereas the ratios of the mitral inflow E wave to the tissue Doppler e’ wave (E/e’) had not. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) increased significantly after treatment with levothyroxine.ConclusionIn adult patients with SCH, thyroid hormone supplementation can partially but not completely improve parameters of diastolic function during the observation period. This meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement, an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews (11) and was registered with INPLASY (INPLASY202320083).Systematic review registrationhttps://inplasy.com/inplasy-2023-2-0083.

The regulator of expression of virion (Rev) protein binds specifically to the Rev-responsive element (RRE) RNA in order to regulate the expression of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 genes. Fluorescence indicator displacement assays have been used to identify ligands that can inhibit the Rev–RRE interaction; however, the small fluorescence indicators cannot fully replace the Rev peptide or protein. As a result, a single rhodamine B labeled Rev (RB-Rev) model peptide was utilized in this study to develop a direct and efficient Rev–RRE inhibitor screening model. Due to photon-induced electron transfer quenching of the tryptophan residue on the RB fluorophore, the fluorescence of RB in Rev was weakened and could be dramatically reactivated by interaction with RRE RNA in ammonium acetate buffer (approximately six times). The interaction could reduce the electron transfer between tryptophan and RB, and RRE could also increase RB fluorescence. The inhibitor screening model was evaluated using three known positive Rev–RRE inhibitors, namely, proflavin, 6-chloro-9-[3-(2-chloroethylamino)propylamino]-2-methoxyacridine (ICR 191), and neomycin, as well as a negative drug, arginine. With the addition of the positive drugs, the fluorescence of the Rev–RRE decreased, indicating the displacement of RB-Rev. This was confirmed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the fluorescence was essentially unaffected by the addition of arginine. The results demonstrated that RB-Rev can be used as a fluorescent probe for recognizing small ligands that target RRE RNA. The Rev–RRE inhibitor screening model offers a novel approach to evaluating and identifying long-acting Rev inhibitors.

Abstract Purpose Our goal was to examine the therapeutic effect of a self-designed digital six-axis external fixator technique for the correction of severe lower extremity deformities. Patients and methods Between January 2017 and December 2020, our institution employed self-developed digital hexapod external fixator technology (QSF), based on CT data, to gradually correct 28 severe tibial deformities, and 15 femurs underwent osteotomy and internal fixation. The mean patient age was 32.6 ± 14.3 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 27.4 ± 16.1 months. We also recoded and analyzed the values of preoperative and final follow-up MAD, mFTA, MPTA, LLD, mLDFA, LEFS, KSS, and functional score. Results The QSF adjustment duration was 21.4 ± 10.8 days, and the healing duration of the tibial osteotomy site was 17.6 ± 7.0 weeks. The preoperative MAD, mFTA, and MPTA were 54.1 ± 26.2 mm, 167.7 ± 15.7°, and 75.2 ± 12.0°, respectively. At the last follow-up, the MAD was 8.2 ± 9.9 mm, mFTA was 177.6 ± 3.4°, and MPTA was 87.6 ± 2.4°. Based on these data, we achieved significant improvement post operation. The preoperative LLD and mLDFA values were 13.8 ± 18 mm and 83.7 ± 10.8°, respectively, and the values were 7.6 ± 7.6 mm and 87.8 ± 2.6°, respectively, at the last follow-up. This indicated no significant difference in these values before and after the operation. Finally, the LEFS, KSS, and functional scores improved from preoperative 51.6 ± 11.2, 68.5 ± 11.7, and 67.8 ± 11.2 to postoperative 72.3 ± 6.1, 92.9 ± 3.4, and 94.2 ± 6.3, respectively. Conclusions Based on our analyses, the QSF technique accurately corrected severe multiplanar tibial deformities in adults. When combined with femoral osteotomy, satisfactory lower extremity alignment was obtained while correcting for femoral deformity. This technology has the advantages of simple operation, reliable fixation, less trauma, and less complications.

I1 stacking faults (SFs) in Mg alloys are regarded as the nucleation sites of 〈c+a〉 dislocations that are critical for these alloys to achieve high ductility. Previously it was proposed that the formation of I1 SFs requires the accumulations of a large number of vacancies, which are difficult to achieve at low temperatures. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) and molecular statics (MS) simulations based on empirical interatomic potentials were applied to investigate the deformation defect evolutions from the symmetric tilt grain boundaries (GBs) in Mg and Mg-Y alloys under external loading along 〈c〉-axis. The results show the planar faults (PFs) on Pyramidal I planes first appear due to the nucleation and glide of 〈12c+p〉 partial dislocations from GBs, where 〈p〉=13〈101¯0〉. These partial dislocations with pyramidal PFs interact with other defects, including pyramidal PFs themselves, GBs, and 〈p〉 partial dislocations, generating a large amount of I1 SFs. Detailed analyses show the nucleation and growth of I1 SFs are achieved by atomic shuffle events and deformation defect reactions without the requirements of vacancy diffusion. Our simulations also suggest the Y clusters at GBs can reduce the critical stress for the formation of pyramidal PFs and I1 SFs, which provide a possible reason for the experimental observations that Y promotes the 〈c+a〉 dislocation activities.

Product disassembly is an effective means of waste recycling and reutilization that has received much attention recently. In terms of disassembly efficiency, the number of disassembly skills possessed by workers plays a crucial role in improving disassembly efficiency. Therefore, in order to effectively and reasonably disassemble discarded products, this paper proposes a partial parallel disassembly line balancing problem (PP-DLBP) that takes into account the number of worker skills. In this paper, the disassembly tasks and the disassembly relationships between components are described using AND–OR graphs. In this paper, a multi-objective optimization model is established aiming to maximize the net profit of disassembly and minimize the number of skills for the workers. Based on the bat algorithm (BA), we propose an improved discrete bat algorithm (IDBA), which involves designing adaptive composite optimization operators to replace the original continuous formula expressions and applying them to solve the PP-DLBP. To demonstrate the advantages of IDBA, we compares it with NSGA-II, NSGA-III, SPEA-II, ESPEA, and MOEA/D. Experimental results show that IDBA outperforms the other five algorithms in real disassembly cases and exhibits high efficiency.

In recent years, the global resource shortage has become a serious issue. Recycling end-of-life (EOL) products is conducive to resource reuse and circular economy and can mitigate the resource shortage issue. The disassembly of EOL products is the first step for resource reuse. Disassembly activities need tools, and tool deterioration occurs inevitably during the disassembly process. This work studies the influence of tool deterioration on disassembly efficiency. A disassembly line balancing model with the goal of maximizing disassembly profits is established, in which tool selection and assignment is a critical part. A modified discrete migratory bird optimizer is proposed to solve optimization problems. The well-known IBM CPLEX optimizer is used to verify the correctness of the model. Six real-world products are used for disassembly experiments. The popular fruit fly optimization algorithm, whale optimization algorithm and salp swarm algorithm are used for search performance comparison. The results show that the discrete migratory bird optimizer outperforms all three other algorithms in all disassembly instances.

Accurate delineation of individual agricultural plots, the foundational units for agriculture-based activities, is crucial for effective government oversight of agricultural productivity and land utilization. To improve the accuracy of plot segmentation in high-resolution remote sensing images, the paper collects GF-2 satellite remote sensing images, uses ArcGIS10.3.1 software to establish datasets, and builds UNet, SegNet, DeeplabV3+, and TransUNet neural network frameworks, respectively, for experimental analysis. Then, the TransUNet network with the best segmentation effects is optimized in both the residual module and the skip connection to further improve its performance for plot segmentation in high-resolution remote sensing images. This article introduces Deformable ConvNets in the residual module to improve the original ResNet50 feature extraction network and combines the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) at the skip connection to calculate and improve the skip connection steps. Experimental results indicate that the optimized remote sensing plot segmentation algorithm based on the TransUNet network achieves an Accuracy of 86.02%, a Recall of 83.32%, an F1-score of 84.67%, and an Intersection over Union (IOU) of 86.90%. Compared to the original TransUNet network for remote sensing land parcel segmentation, whose F1-S is 81.94% and whose IoU is 69.41%, the optimized TransUNet network has significantly improved the performance of remote sensing land parcel segmentation, which verifies the effectiveness and reliability of the plot segmentation algorithm.

High-temperature susceptibility (HT-χ) data are routinely measured in Earth, planetary, and environmental sciences to rapidly identify the magnetic mineralogy of natural systems. The interpretation of such data can be complicated. Whilst some minerals are relatively unaltered by heating and are easy to identify through their Curie or Néel temperature, other common magnetic phases, e.g., iron sulphides, are very unstable to heating. This makes HT-χ interpretation challenging, especially in multi-mineralogical samples. Here, we report a review of the HT-χ data measured primarily at Imperial College London of common magnetic minerals found in natural samples. We show examples of “near pure” natural samples, in addition to examples of interpretation of multi-phase HT-χ data. We hope that this paper will act be the first reference paper for HT-χ data interpretation.

Abstract Background Uniparental disomy (UPD) refers to an epigenomic abnormality in which both copies of, or a part of, a homologous pair of chromosomes are inherited from one parent. UPD arises via a number of mechanisms, including monosomic and trisomic rescue (in embryonic development), incomplete segregation of chromosomes, and mitotic recombination. Case presentation A 34-year-old, gravida 2, para 0 woman underwent amniocentesis at 18 weeks of gestation because the noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) showed the highly possibility of trisomy chromosome 8. GTG-banding karyotype analysis was performed on cultured amniocytes. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH), whole-exome sequencing(WES) on uncultured amniocytes were performed. Results CMA detected a 29.4 Mb uniparental isodisomy of chromosome 8, arr 8p23.3p12(168484_29427840) × 2 hmz [GRCh37(hg19)]. FISH, WES and ultrasound examination showed no abnormal. At the 36-month checkup, the baby was developing normally. Conclusion Combination of NIPT,prenatal ultrasound, karyotype analysis, CMA, FISH, WES and genetic counseling will prove a more accurate risk assessment for the prenatal diagnosis of UPD.

In this study, we conducted research on the preparation of aerogels using cellulose and starch as the primary materials, with the addition of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a cross-linking agent. The chemical, morphological and textural characteristics of the aerogels were found to be influenced by the proportions of cellulose, starch, and cross-linking agent that were utilized. An increase in the proportion of cellulose led to stronger adsorption forces within the aerogel structure. The aerogel showed a fine mesh internal structure, but the pores gradually increased with the further increase in cellulose. Notably, when the mass fractions of starch and cellulose were 5 wt% and 1 wt% respectively, the aerogels exhibited the smallest pore size and largest porosity. With an increase in the crosslinking agent, the internal structure of the aerogel first became dense and then loose, and the best internal structure was displayed at the addition of 3 wt%. Through texture analysis and the swelling test, the impact of the proportion of cellulose and MBA on the aerogel structure was significant. Dye adsorption experiments indicated that MBA affected the water absorption and expansion characteristics of the aerogel by improving the pore structure. Lastly, in tests involving the loading of vitamin E, the aerogels exhibited a higher capacity for incorporating vitamin E compared to native starch.

Petri nets (PNs) can model various event-driven systems well and detect a fault via reachability analysis. Some state-equation-based approaches are designed for only subclasses of PNs with specific structures. A key issue for PNs’ reachability analysis approach based on state equation is that a non-negative integer solution (NIS) to a state equation is necessary but not sufficient for a marking’s reachability. In this paper, we propose a circuit-based subnet. For ordinary Petri nets with token-free circuit-based subnets, we present an algorithm to determine that the state equation has NISs but the marking is non-reachable. We adopt a divide-and-conquer strategy to consider each circuit-based subnet. The proposed method is tested on a PN-based flexible manufacturing system with unreliable resources. When unreliable resources are lost, the non-reachable markings can be determined effectively. Besides, simulations are done, and the results verify the efficiency of the proposed algorithm compared with the reachability-tree-based method.

Emergency vehicles (EVs) play an essential role in emergency services. One of the most intuitive indicators of the emergency service process is the response time of EVs. This survey reviews the latest traffic control strategies to reduce response time during EV’s traveling. Firstly, it classifies traffic control strategies into route optimization, signal preemption, lane reservation, and mixed traffic control strategies. Then, a systematic literature review of traffic control strategies with different algorithms is presented. Besides, this survey classifies the articles by objective metrics. In addition to response time, several other objective metrics are summarized. Finally, this survey reviews the limitations of existing emergency traffic control strategies and critically analyzes them. Based on this, it indicates the core problems and proposes potential research areas to be explored.

Carbon sources of cellulose plants are promising materials that enhance the activities of denitrifying bacteria in the groundwater system. To further verify the denitrification performance of cellulose plants and the main factors of affecting the denitrifying system, six cellulose plants from agricultural wastes (wood chip, corn cob, rice husk, corn straw, wheat straw, and sugar cane) were selected for bioavailable organic matter leaching experiments, carbon denitrification experiments, functional bacteria identification, and analysis experiments. The results show that the extracts of cellulose plants contain a mixed carbon sources system including small molecular organic acids, sugars, nitrogen-containing organic components, and esters. The qPCR results showed that the denitrifying bacteria had obvious advantages compared to anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria during the stable period; the denitrification experiment showed that each of six cellulose plants removed more than 80% of nitrogen, and the denitrification rates reached 1.00–2.00 mg N cm−3·d−1. The supplement of cellulose plants promotes the metabolism rate of denitrifying bacteria, and the additional denitrifying bacteria have little effect on nitrate removal. In summary, the expected denitrification reaction occurred in the cellulose plant system, which is suitable as a carbon source material for water body nitrogen pollution remediation. HIGHLIGHTS The original matter released from the cellulose plants was efficient for denitrification.; The supplemental cellulose plants can intensify the growth of denitrifying bacteria.; Adding cellulose plants presented a continuous denitrification process, but the denitrifying rate was slow at the beginning.;

The aim of this study is to reveal the potential value of dynamin3 (DNM3) in colorectal cancer (CRC) evaluation of clinical diagnosis and prognosis. A total of 100 tissue samples were collected from 50 patients with stages I–IV, CRC tissues (n = 50) paired with non-cancerous adjacent colorectal tissues (n = 50). The expression levels of DNM3 were detected in 50 cases of CRC tissues and 50 cases of non-cancerous adjacent colorectal tissues by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Immunohistochemical method (IHC) was conducted to semi-quantify the expression of DNM3 protein. Results showed that the relative expression of DNM3 mRNA in CRC tissues was 0.634-fold of that in non-cancerous adjacent colorectal tissues. The positive rate of DNM3 protein in CRC tissues (42.0%) was much lower than that in non-cancerous adjacent colorectal tissues (66.0%; P < 0.05). The expression level of DNM3 protein in CRC tissues was dependent on tumor size, degree of histological differentiation, and clinical stage (P < 0.05). The expression level of DNM3 mRNA in CRC tissues was significantly correlated with tumor size and pathology classification (P < 0.05). The research shows that detecting the expression of DNM3 helps in analyzing the tumor size, degree of histological differentiation, and clinical stage. Expression of DNM3 may be associated with good outcome in CRC.

PurposeOpen-wedge high tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a common surgical treatment for medial osteoarthritis in young and active patients. The accuracy of osteotomy is closely associated with postoperative efficacy. The accuracy of digital preoperative planning is higher than that of the preoperative manual measurement and several computer software with varying accuracy and convenience are used for digital preoperative planning. This study aimed to use the SolidWorks software for HTO preoperative planning and to determine its accuracy and reliability in HTO preoperative planning.MethodsWe reviewed the data of 28 patients with 54 with medial compartment knee arthritis who underwent open-wedge HTO preoperative planning using SolidWorks between June 2019 and March 2021. The standard anteroposterior standing whole-leg radiographs were assessed before and 6 weeks after the surgery. The correction angle, weight-bearing line (WBL) ratio, mechanical femorotibial angle (mFTA), and medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) before and after the surgery were compared. The clinical results were evaluated using the Knee Society score.ResultsAt 6 weeks after the surgery, the WBL ratio was corrected from 16.8% to 50.5%, mFTA was corrected from 6.4° varus to 1.2° valgus, and MPTA was corrected from 83.4° to 89.3°. No significant difference was observed between the predicted correction angle before the surgery and the correction angle measured 6 weeks after the surgery (t = −1.745, p = 0.087). The knee score and function score of Knee Society increased from 76.4 and 80.7 before surgery to 95.0 and 95.7, respectively.ConclusionsThe SolidWorks software showed high accuracy and reliability in preoperative planning of open-wedge HTO in patients with medial compartment knee arthritis.

Abstract The morphology and structures of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanomaterials greatly influence their physicochemical properties and bio‐applications. In this study, HA nanostructures with tailored length regulated by different fatty acids were prepared via a solvothermal route. By using ricinoleic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid as the template, the growth of HA crystals was regulated and the morphology of HA nanomaterials was transformed from long nanowires to short nanowires and then nanorods. The underlying mechanism for the formation of HA nanomaterials synthesized by different kinds of fatty acids under solvothermal condition was proposed. This study provides a simple and environmentally friendly way to obtain HA nanomaterials with tailored length for biomedical applications.

BackgroundMounting studies have investigated impairments in social cognitive domains (including theory of mind [ToM] and facial emotion recognition [FER] in adult patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). However, to date, inconsistent findings remain.MethodsA search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases was conducted until December 2021. Hedges g effect sizes were computed with a random-effects model. Meta-regressions were used to assess the potential confounding factors of between-study variability in effect sizes.ResultsThe meta-analysis included 41 studies, with a combined sample of 1,749 adult patients with TLE and 1,324 healthy controls (HCs). Relative to HCs, adult patients with TLE showed large impairments in ToM (g = −0.92) and cognitive ToM (g = −0.92), followed by medium impairments in affective ToM (g = −0.79) and FER (g = −0.77). Besides, no (statistically) significant differences were observed between the magnitude of social cognition impairment in adult with TLE who underwent and those who did not undergo epilepsy surgery. Meta-regressions exhibited that greater severity of executive functioning was associated with more severe ToM defects, and older age was associated with more severe FER defects.ConclusionsResults of this meta-analysis suggest that adult patients with TLE show differential impairments in the core aspects of social cognitive domains (including ToM and FER), which may help in planning individualized treatment with appropriate cognitive and behavioral interventions.

Objective: To reveal the effect of drying processes on the quality of Gansu purple-spoted peonycorolla tea, and to explain the drying mechanism of different drying processes. Methods: Vacuum freezing-hot air combined drying （FHCD）, variable temperature hot air drying （VHD） and vacuum freeze drying （VFD） were used to dry the flowers of peony. The active ingredient （anthocyanin content） and quality attributes （moisture content, shrinkage rate and rehydration） of the purple-spotted peony corolla tea processed by three drying processes were determined, and the energy consumption of the drying processes and sensory characteristics （appearance, tea color, taste, etc.） of corolla tea were compared with three drying processes. Results: the anthocyanin content of the purple-spotted peony corolla tea processed by the above three drying processes were 8.63%, 4.68% and 12.26%, and the rehydration of them were 491.52%, 433.28% and 531.75%, respectively. Compared with VHD, anthocyanin content of the purple-spot peony corolla tea processed by FHCD increased by 3.95%, rehydration of it increased by 58.24%, and shrinkage of it reduced by 13.82%; Compared with VFD, the efficiency of FHCD process doubled, and it's energy consumption reduced by 51.79%. The anthocyanin content of corolla tea was significantly positively correlated with shrinkage rate, rehydration and water content, and the correlation coefficients were 0.749, 0.741 and 0.738, respectively. The color of purple-spotted peony was related to the anthocyanin content. The anthocyanin content rule was: rose red corolla tea＞pink corolla tea＞white corolla tea. Conclusion: The purple-spot peony corolla tea processed by FHCD has high quality, high efficiency and energy saving. The anthocyanin content, moisture content, shrinkage rate and rehydration rate of corolla tea processed by this process were 8.63%, 9.46%, 52.85% and 492.40%, respectively. The test results provide a reference for improving the comprehensive quality and drying process of purple-spotted peony corolla tea.

The effects of isothermal and pre-transformation temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ultrafine bainitic steels are investigated and theoretically analyzed by using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction analyses in this study. The results show that the QBT (quenching followed by isothermal transformation of bainite) samples exhibit a multiphase microstructure containing lamellar ferrite, lenticular martensite, retained austenite. The isothermal and pre-transformation temperatures have an effect on the morphology, quantity of bainite and the stability of retained austenite. As the pre-transformation temperature is decreased from 245 °C to 210 °C, the content of premartensite increases significantly from 21% to 56%. The premartensite not only refines the bainite structure, but also provides nucleation points for the bainite transformation and accelerates the bainite transformation. Correspondingly, the pre-martensite has a good contribution to the strength of ultrafine bainitic steels, when premartensite transformation temperature is 210 °C, the martensite content is 56%, ultrafine bainitic steels reach the highest tensile strength of 1857 MPa. With the increase of isothermal temperature of bainite, the width of bainite lath increases accordingly, and the retained austenite changes from thin film to blocky, which results in the decrease of strength and improvement of plasticity of ultrafine bainitic steels. However, when the bainitic isothermal temperature is too high, the transformation of bainite gradually stops because of the enrichment of carbon in austenite.

Abstract To understand the chloride (Cl)-induced initiation mechanism of localized corrosion of Aluminum (Al) alloys, we apply density functional theory (DFT) calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations to investigate the interactions between Cl and hydroxylated α–Al2O3 surfaces, mainly (0001) orientation, under aqueous electrochemical conditions. Hydroxylated alumina surfaces thermodynamically stable in aqueous environments are constructed based on DFT calculations for both the single-crystal and bicrystal configurations. AIMD simulations suggest a Cl anion can only be stabilized on these surfaces by substituting a surface hydroxyl (OH) group. This substitution is thermodynamically favorable at sites on surface terminations of grain boundaries (GBs) in bicrystal configurations but not favorable at sites on single-crystal surfaces. Electronic structure analyses show that the different adsorption behaviors originate from the higher sensitivity of the Al–OH bond strength to the local coordination than its counterpart of the Al–Cl bond. The adsorbed Cl significantly increases the thermodynamic driving force for Al cation dissolution from alumina surfaces into the aqueous electrolyte, which can initiate localized corrosion.

Robots are now widely used in product disassembly lines, which significantly improves end-of-life (EOL) product disassembly efficiency. Most of the current research on disassembly line balancing problems focuses on decomposing one product. More than one product can be disassembled concurrently, which can further improve the efficiency. Moreover, uncertainty such as the depreciation of EOL products, may result in disassembly failure. In this research, a stochastic multi-product robotic disassembly line balancing model is established using an AND/OR graph. It takes the precedence relationship, cycle constraint, and disassembly failure into consideration to maximize the profit and minimize the energy consumption for disassembling multiple products. A Pareto-improved multi-objective brainstorming optimization algorithm combined with stochastic simulation is proposed to solve the problem. Furthermore, by conducting experiments on some real cases and comparing with four state-of-the-art multi-objective optimization algorithms, i.e., the multi-objective discrete gray wolf optimizer, artificial bee colony algorithm, nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II, and multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition, this paper validates its excellent performance in solving the concerned problem.

The permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) has been used in electric propulsion and other fields. However, it is prone to the stator winding inter-turn short-circuit, and if no effective measures are taken, the ship’s power system will be paralyzed. To realize intelligent diagnosis of inter-turn short circuits, this paper proposes an intelligent fault diagnosis method based on improved variational mode decomposition (VMD), multi-scale principal component analysis (PCA) feature extraction, and improved Bi-LSTM. Firstly, the stator current simulation dataset is obtained by using the mathematic model of the inter-turn short-circuit of PMSM, and the parameters of VMD are optimized by the grey wolf algorithm. Then, the data is coarse-grained to obtain multi-scale features, and the main features are selected as the sample data for fault classification by PCA. Subsequently, the Bi-LSTM neural network is used for training and analyzing the data of the sample set and the test set. Finally, the learning rate and the number of hidden-layer nodes of the Bi-LSTM are optimized by the whale algorithm to increase the diagnosis accuracy. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the proposed method for inter-turn short-circuited fault diagnosis is as high as 100%, which confirms the effectiveness of the method.

High precision data acquisition requires very-high-resolution Analog-to-digital converters (ADC) for kHz speed or to keep a relatively high resolution for wider bandwidth (BW) around the MHz range. Although widely used, noise-shaping (NS) in ADCs offers a high-resolution characteristic, but obtaining good power efficiency and compact die area is still challenging. Recent literature showed promising progress by utilizing hybrid Discrete-Time (DT) NS-ADCs with measured silicon results. This paper focuses its analysis and discussion on two important trending classes: hybrid Incremental ADCs (I-ADC) and hybrid Time-interleaved (TI) NS-ADCs. Furthermore, this paper presents a review and addresses the benefits of those hybrid architectures.

The increasing number of voltage domains along with the size of the data bus requires an exponential increase in the number level shifter (LS) circuits for signal interfacing, creating an exploding in silicon area and power consumption. Higher area-efficiency can be attained by further improving the integration density of the LS circuit. In this paper, we present a multi-function ultra-low-voltage LS with re-configurable logic with embedded time-borrowing latch. The proposed circuit is implemented on CMOS 45nm technology. It is capable of converting the input voltage of 0.3 V to an output voltage of 1.8 V with an input frequency of 1 MHz. The proposed architecture has achieved a superior area efficiency with reduced transistors number of $2.4\times $ and reduced power delay product (PDP) of $4.65\times $ compared with its discrete logic block level implementation when the input voltage, output voltage, and the input frequency are 0.3 V, 1.8 V, and 1 MHz, respectively. The average propagation delay and power consumption are 52.7 ns and 34.6 nW, respectively.

Saltmarshes can sequester atmospheric CO2 in sediments, but limited studies have quantified porewater-derived carbon exports and identified related carbon sources. Here, we estimated porewater exchange, carbon outwelling, and greenhouse gas emissions in a subtropical multi-species saltmarsh. The radon-based porewater exchange rate was estimated to be 5.60 ± 2.78 cm d-1. As the most dominant (~90%) carbon species, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes through porewater exchange and outwelling were 447 ± 227 and 1200 ± 61 mmol m-2 d-1, respectively, which were 1.2 and 3.2 times that of carbon burial. As most DIC can remain in the ocean for a long time, porewater-derived DIC outwelling represents another important carbon sink, in addition to carbon burial. CO2 and CH4 emissions from creek water were 54.6 ± 0.5 and 0.19 ± 0.01 mmol m-2 d-1, respectively, which could offset 16% of carbon burial. The δ13C and C/N ratios suggest that saltmarsh organic carbon mainly originates from the C3 plant Scirpus mariqueter rather than the C4 plant Spartina alterniflora. Overall, we suggest that porewater-derived DIC outwelling is an important long-term carbon sink in multi-species saltmarshes, providing a scientific basis for the protection and restoration of saltmarshes in the context of global climate change.

Micro/nanostructured TiO2, ion-doped TiO2, and heterojunction TiO2 composite photocatalysts have low toxicity, high biocompatibility, and high photocatalytic and antibacterial activities and have broad applications in the fields of photocatalytic, antibacterial, and orthopedic implants. The photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of TiO2 and TiO2-based photocatalysts depend on their preparation methods. In this review, the preparation methods of TiO2, ion-doped TiO2, and heterojunction TiO2 composite photocatalysts and their effects on photocatalytic and antibacterial activities were reviewed. Based on the excellent physical and chemical properties of TiO2, ion-doped TiO2, and heterojunction TiO2-based photocatalysts, their applications in the field of orthopedic implants were reviewed. Meanwhile, the development trend of the photocatalyst in the fields of photocatalysis, bacteriostasis, and medicine was prospected. The purpose of this review was to point out the direction for further study on photocatalytic and antibacterial activities and related applications of TiO2 and TiO2-based photocatalysts.