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Liquid smoke processed by thermal pyrolysis at 450 ℃ under nitrogen protection was prepared as a flavoring agent from peach wood. Its effect on the flavor characteristics and consumer acceptability of sirloin steak was investigated. Various liquid smoke concentrations and marination times were applied to the smoking process. Sensory descriptors were summarized by focus group tests and illustrated by a word cloud method. Flavor evaluation was carried out using check-all-that-apply questions and principal component analysis (PCA). Results showed that the liquid smoke significantly improved the sensory descriptors of steak, including mild smokey, barbequed, cooked beef-like and meaty flavors, dark color, chewy and juicy texture. Correlation analysis showed that both the overall preference and odor preference were positively correlated with the flavor preference. Chemical analysis showed that the liquid smoke at low concentrations used in this study did not have significant effect on the moisture content, fat content or pH of steak.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of 5G-NR-V2X communication systems, the demand for efficient and adaptive power control mechanisms is paramount to address the challenges posed by high-density vehicular environments. This paper introduces the adaptive sidelink open loop power control (AS-OLPC) algorithm as a pioneering solution. The primary objective is to enhance vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication reliability through real-time signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) estimation, interference level measurements, and dynamic power adjustments. The main problem addressed in this research is the need for improved communication throughput in complex urban scenarios. Our specific objectives involve the development and evaluation of AS-OLPC against conventional open loop power control (OLPC) algorithms. To assess the algorithm’s effectiveness, an extensive simulation setup replicates realistic urban and highway scenarios. Key metrics such as packet reception ratio (PRR), interference levels, and energy efficiency are employed for analysis. The results showcase the adaptability and superior performance of AS-OLPC, establishing it as a promising solution for optimizing communication throughput in 5G-NR-V2X networks.

Objective To investigate the influence of high-dose atorvastatin on bile acid metabolism in mice with liver injury and its mechanism. Methods A total of 40 specific pathogen-free male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal saline group (group A) and low-, middle-, and high-dose atorvastatin groups (groups B, C, and D, respectively), with 10 mice in each group. After 30 days of intragastric administration of normal saline and atorvastatin at a dose of 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg, respectively, orbital blood was collected from the mice in each group, and these groups were compared in terms of the serum levels of total bile acid (TBA), endotoxin (ET), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT); after liver tissue samples were collected, HE staining was performed to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue, and PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of the bile acid metabolism-related genes farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and multidrug resis-tance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) in liver tissue. Results The mice in group D had slight swelling, sporadic inflammatory cell infiltration, and feather-like degeneration in liver tissue. Compared with the other groups, group D had significant increases in the serum levels of TBA, ET, AST, and ALT (P

After the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, it increases the risk of inducing an earthquake. We use the GRACE Gravity Field Model to analyze the relationship between the operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir and the change of gravity field in western Sichuan. The research results indicate that the reservoir water level and the western Sichuan gravitational field are positively correlated. In the early stage of rising water level, the change of gravity field is not apparent, and the change of gravity field gradually increases with time. Therefore, the change of reservoir water level affects the gravity field in western Sichuan. The dynamic changes of the gravity field can reflect the Earth’s material change and deformation process and are closely related to earthquakes. Consequently, the Three Gorges Dam will indirectly affect the seismicity in western Sichuan by affecting the gravity field. The research provides valuable information for studying regional reservoir earthquake disasters and supports related policy decisions.

In this article, the integrity of the seismic catalog obtained (1970–2014, M > 2.8) was verified according to the Gutenberg–Richter relation, the appropriate minimum magnitude was determined, and the whole region was divided into five areas according to the geological structure background of the whole research object and the trend of the historical seismic zone. We applied multifractal analysis in each partition. The results showed that although in different geological backgrounds, before major earthquakes, the earthquake time series information dimension had different degrees of growth, and the parameter after the flame had different degrees of decline. To a certain extent, this reflected the seismic energy accumulation and release process. In addition, the variation of fractal parameters in scale-free regions of time series and spatial distribution series also indicated that these two kinds of sequences in different regions show the characteristics of a multifractal structure rather than a single and uniform fractal structure.

Numerous studies have explored contractors' corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the macro or enterprise levels. Few, however, have considered CSR at the project level or contextualized it in post‐disaster reconstruction (PDR) projects. In the event of a disaster, contractors' CSR in PDR projects (P‐CSR) is beneficial for facilitating affected citizens in returning to normal life and improving their long‐term disaster resilience. Therefore, this study aims to formulate strategies that promote the implementation of contractors' P‐CSR. Employing a mixed‐methods research design within the context of Chinese PDR projects, the study identified 32 influencing factors, 24 measures, and 4 strategies. These strategies focus on (1) acquiring effective and efficient national emergency supports, (2) sharpening contractors' internal capabilities to enhance disaster resilience, (3) valuing contractors' P‐CSR activities and outcomes, and (4) reducing PDR projects' constraints and risks. Together, these measures and strategies form a Y‐shaped framework to facilitate contractors' P‐CSR implementation. The study findings contribute to the literature by bridging the gap between contractors' CSR implementation and their project‐level PDR efforts in the event of natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to identify ultrasound and clinicopathological characteristics related to recurrence in HER2‐positive (HER2+) breast cancer, and to develop nomograms for predicting recurrence. Methods: In this dual‐center study, we retrospectively enrolled 570 patients with HER2+ breast cancer. The ultrasound and clinicopathological characteristics of hormone receptor (HR)−/HER2+ patients and HR+/HER2+ patients were analyzed separately according to HR status. Eighty percent of the original samples from HR−/HER2+ and HR+/HER2+ patients were extracted by bootstrap sampling as the training cohorts, while the remaining 20% were used as the external validation cohorts. Informative characteristics were screened through univariate and multivariable Cox regression in the training cohorts and used to develop nomograms for predicting recurrence. The predictive accuracy was calculated using Harrell's C‐index and calibration curves. Results: Three informative characteristics (axillary nodal status, calcification, and Adler degree) were identified in HR−/HER2+ patients, and another three (histological grade, axillary nodal status, and echogenic halo) in HR+/HER2+ patients. Based on these, two separate nomograms were constructed to assess recurrence risk. In the training cohorts, the C‐index was 0.740 (95% CI: 0.667–0.811) for HR−/HER2+ nomogram, and 0.749 (95% CI: 0.679–0.820) for HR+/HER2+ nomogram. In the validation cohorts, the C‐index was 0.708 (95% CI: 0.540–0.877) for HR−/HER2+ group, and 0.705 (95% CI: 0.557–0.853) for HR+/HER2+ group. The calibration curves also indicated the excellent accuracy of the nomograms. Conclusions: Ultrasound performance of HER2+ breast cancers with different HR status was significantly different. Nomograms integrating ultrasound and clinicopathological characteristics exhibited favorable performance and have the potential to serve as a reliable method for predicting recurrence in heterogeneous breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]