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The aluminum alloy performance gradient plate was prepared by friction stir joining. Analysis results of the macro morphology, microstructure, and hardness of the aluminum alloy performance gradient plate prepared under various parameters show that when the feed speed of the stirring tool is 250 mm/min, the downward pressure of the stirring tool is 6.6 mm, and the rotation speed of the stirring tool changes from 200 rpm to 800 rpm. The macroscopic morphology of the aluminum alloy gradient plates prepared by the method first changed from burr to smooth, and vice versa. There is a different cross-section morphology of the prepared aluminum alloy gradient plates, however, the aluminum alloy plates are stirred and involved with each other, and the grains of the prepared plates are refined. The hardness of the upper and lower surfaces of the aluminum alloy gradient sheet decreases, whereas that of the upper surface of the side increases, and that of the middle and bottom sides also decreases. However, the hardness of the middle side of the sheet prepared with the rotation speed of the stirring tool at 800 rpm increases, but that of the bottom side still decreases. Obtained through analysis that the performance of the aluminum alloy gradient sheet prepared at the stirring tool rotation speed of 500 rpm increases in equal proportion to achieve a good performance gradient change.

Acupuncture and moxibustion are increasingly recognized as effective and safe modalities for the management of neurological disorders, garnering substantial interest from both neurologists and patients. This study systematically reviews literature from major databases spanning the years 2012 to 2024 to construct a comprehensive dataset on the acupuncture treatment of neurological diseases. The data were meticulously compiled through a detailed search and screening process, adhering to established principles for data extraction and segmentation. The resultant acupuncture treatment database served as the foundation for subsequent analyses utilizing the association rule algorithm. This advanced computational approach facilitated a deep investigation into the relationships among acupuncture points used in neurological treatments. By employing a complex network analysis, the study identified the optimal distribution of acupuncture points, and cluster analysis further categorized these points for diverse neurological conditions. Our findings indicate that a total of 206 acupuncture points are prevalently used in neurological therapies. The regions of the head, face, and neck are most frequently targeted, with these areas collectively accounting for 1,048 instances of point utilization. Specifically, 124 unique acupuncture points have been identified as particularly effective for neurological applications. The association pairs “Yangbai-Zusanli” and “Sanyinjiao-Zusanli” demonstrated the highest levels of support and confidence, at 96.29% and 48.59% respectively. The core constellation of acupuncture points, comprising “Zhuzhu,” “Yangbai,” “Sizhukong,” “Yuyin,” “Sibai,” “Zusanli,” and “Baihui,” encapsulates the strategic focal areas for enhancing therapeutic outcomes in neurology. The integration of data mining techniques in this research not only underscores the specific patterns in the distribution of acupuncture points but also suggests a potential framework for augmenting the efficacy of treatments for neurological conditions. Through such analytical methodologies, the study contributes to a nuanced understanding of acupuncture’s role in neurology, paving the way for targeted and optimized therapeutic strategies.

The present work envisages the friction stir welding of AZ40 M magnesium alloy to analyze the influence of different process parameters (rotation speeds: 600, 800, and 1000 r/min; feed speeds: 100, 120, and 150 mm/min) on the metallographic structure at different locations in the weld zone. The welded regularity, analysis of the distribution law of the weld surface, and section hardness value (HV) were obtained under different welding process parameters. Our results show that, when the current feed rate was constant, the grain size of the weld nugget increased with an increase in the rotation speed. When the rotation speed was constant, the grain size of the weld nugget area decreased initially, which subsequently increased with an increase in the advance speed. When the rotation speed was 600 r/min and the feed speed was 120 mm/min, the nugget region grain was uniform, fine, and exhibited a highest HV.

Sampling methods are important factors that can potentially limit the accuracy of predictions of spatial distribution patterns. A 10 ha tobacco-planted field was selected to compared the accuracy in predicting the spatial distribution of soil properties by using ordinary kriging and cross validation methods between grid sampling and simple random sampling scheme (SRS). To achieve this objective, we collected soil samples from the topsoil (0-20 cm) in March 2012. Sample numbers of grid sampling and SRS were both 115 points each. Accuracies of spatial interpolation using the two sampling schemes were then evaluated based on validation samples (36 points) and deviations of the estimates. The results suggested that soil pH and nitrate-N (NO3-N) had low variation, whereas all other soil properties exhibited medium variation. Soil pH, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), cation exchange capacity (CEC), total phosphorus (TP) and available phosphorus (AP) matched the spherical model, whereas the remaining variables fit an exponential model with both sampling methods. The interpolation error of soil pH, TP, and AP was the lowest in SRS. The errors of interpolation for OM, CEC, TN, available potassium (AK) and total potassium (TK) were the lowest for grid sampling. The interpolation precisions of the soil NO3-N showed no significant differences between the two sampling schemes. Considering our data on interpolation precision and the importance of minerals for cultivation of flue-cured tobacco, the grid-sampling scheme should be used in tobacco-planted fields to determine the spatial distribution of soil properties. The grid-sampling method can be applied in a practical and cost-effective manner to facilitate soil sampling in tobacco-planted field.

In this paper, biological synthesis of silver and gold crystals using grapefruit extract is reported. On treatment of aqueous solutions of silver nitrate and chloroauric acid with grapefruit extract, the formation of stable silver and gold particles at high concentrations is observed to occur. The silver particles formed are quasi-spherical or irregular with sizes ranging from several hundred nanometers to several microns. The gold quasi-spheres with holes on surfaces and with diameters ranging from 1 to 3 microns are obtained. The formation mechanism of silver and gold crystals is discussed, indicating that the soluble biomolecules such as protein(s) and vitamin C in grapefruit extract may play a crucial role in defining the morphology and/or crystal phase of silver and gold crystals.

The biological molecules in the extracts of four fruits or vegetables: kiwifruit, oranges, tomato and carrot, were used as templates to synthesize barium sulfate (BaSO4) particles. The products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray power diffractometry. The results showed that, leaf-shaped barite BaSO4 crystals with toothed edge were obtained with kiwifruit extracts; thorn spherical barium sulfate crystals with diameter of 2-4 micrometers were produced with tomato extracts; rod-like or quasi-spherical BaSO4 crystals with size of several hundred nanometers to several micrometers were gained with orange extracts; while quasi-spherical BaSO4 nano-crystals were obtained with carrot extracts. The formation mechanism of BaSO4 is also discussed, showing that the proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and organic acids in above four kinds of fruits or vegetables may provide nucleation sites, controlling the growth of BaSO4 crystals with different morphologies.

Abstract Background Embryonic genome activation (EGA) is a critical event for the preimplantation embryo, which is manifested by changes in chromatin structure, transcriptional machinery, expression of embryonic genes, and degradation of maternal transcripts. The objectives of this study were to determine transcript abundance of HMGN3a and SMARCAL1 in mature bovine oocytes and early bovine embryos, to perform comparative functional genomics analysis of these genes across mammals. Results New annotations of both HMGN3a and SMARCAL1 were submitted to the Bovine Genome Annotation Submission Database at BovineGenome.org. Careful analysis of the bovine SMARCAL1 consensus gene set for this protein (GLEAN_20241) showed that the NCBI protein contains sequencing errors, and that the actual bovine protein has a high degree of homology to the human protein. Our results showed that there was a high degree of structural conservation of HMGN3a and SMARCAL1 in the mammalian species studied. HMGN3a transcripts were present at similar levels in bovine matured oocytes and 2–4-cell embryos but at higher levels in 8–16-cell embryos, morulae and blastocysts. On the other hand, transcript levels of SMARCAL1 decreased throughout preimplantation development. Conclusion The high levels of structural conservation of these proteins highlight the importance of chromatin remodeling in the regulation of gene expression, particularly during early mammalian embryonic development. The greater similarities of human and bovine HMGN3a and SMARCAL1 proteins may suggest the cow as a valuable model to study chromatin remodeling at the onset of mammalian development. Understanding the roles of chromatin remodeling proteins during embryonic development emphasizes the importance of epigenetics and could shed light on the underlying mechanisms of early mammalian development.