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To enrich the technical means of quality control of Torreya, the qualitative analysis model of storage time and conditions of Torreya grandis was established by near infrared spectroscopy. Additionally, a quantitative analysis model for protein and fat content of Torreya was established using chemometric methods. After preprocessing the spectra and selecting feature wavelengths, a convolutional neural network (CNN) model based on genetic algorithm (GA) and multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) algorithm was developed, achieving an identification accuracy of 99.2% in distinguishing Torreya with different storage times and conditions. Furthermore, partial least squares (PLS), radial basis function neural network (RBF), and extreme learning machine (ELM) models were established and compared. Competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) was used as a spectral feature selection method, resulting in 41 and 56 selected features for protein and fat content, respectively, significantly improving computational efficiency. The results showed that the D2-CARS-PLS model with second derivative (D2) preprocessing and CARS method was the optimal model, achieving good prediction performance for protein and fat content of Torreya with coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.977 and 0.984, respectively. The findings demonstrated the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy technology for rapid and non-destructive detection of Torreya nut quality, providing a reliable analytical method for Torreya nut quality assessment.

In order to solve the existing problem of low efficiency of multi-layer and multi-pass welding methods for thick stainless steel clad plate (SSCP), this paper proposes high-power laser-arc hybrid welding (HP-LAHW) single-pass weld thick SSCP. The effects of wire feeding rate (WFR) on the weld's composition distribution, microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The weld morphology is nail-shaped, consisting of a wide arc zone (ArcZ) within the stainless steel layer and a long narrow laser zone (LaserZ), mainly in the carbon steel layer. With the increase of WFR, the dilution rate of the carbon steel layer to the ArcZ decreases first and then increases. The influence of WFR on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld is observed mainly in the ArcZ. When the WFR reaches 6 m/min, the composition of the microstructure within the ArcZ will change from martensite, ferrite, and a small amount of granular austenite to ferrite and a small amount of austenite, resulting in the microhardness of the ArcZ decreasing rapidly from 398 HV to 210 HV. The solidification type and microstructure transformation mechanisms within the weld were elucidated based on quantitative calculations of the chromium and nickel equivalent ratios. The microstructure of the LaserZ in all welds is predominantly martensitic due to the rapid cooling rate, which makes the tensile properties of the weld higher than the base metal (BM). The results of this study provide technical support for realizing high-efficiency and high-performance single-pass HP-LAHW of thick SSCP.

Abstract Gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) is involved in the signal transduction and metabolism of various substances in plants. Its in vivo detection in plants is of great importance for understanding its physiological role. In this study, an ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor is developed for in vivo detecting GABA in plants based on screen printed electrode (SPE) electrode. Gold nanoparticles (Au NP) was electrodeposited on the SPE to improve the conductivity of the electrode. Nanocomposite of ferrocene‐Carboxylated graphene oxide‐carboxylated multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (Fc‐GO‐MWCNT) was fabricated on the electrode to improve the electrochemical properties of the sensor, and Fc was used to generate electrochemical signals. Then polydopamine (PDA) was electropolymerized on the electrode to improve the electrochemical activity of the sensor and increase the loading amount of GABA antibody. The as‐prepared immunosensor shows the widest detection range of 10 fM to 10 mM, and lowest detection limit of 1.9 fM (S/N=3) for GABA. This immunosensor was applied for in vivo detecting GABA in the cucumber leaves under salt stress. Our sensor is the first electrochemical immunosensor for in vivo detecting GABA in plant. It proposes a new strategy for the development of immunosensor for in vivo detection of biomolecules in plants.

Study region: The Dongzhi tableland on the loess plateau, China. Study focus: This study investigates how various land use types on the Loess Plateau affect groundwater recharge using the chloride mass balance method (CMB). By integrating data from Cl–, NO3/Cl–, and stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H), the research develops a new approach to estimate the average ion concentration rates in soil profiles. This methodology provides a nuanced understanding of how precipitation infiltration recharges groundwater under different land use scenarios and the impact of land use changes on these processes. New hydrological insights for the region: The research findings highlight significant variations in groundwater recharge rates among different land uses. Grasslands show the highest recharge rate at 26 mm/yr, followed by forests at 23 mm/yr, while shrublands have the lowest at 5 mm/yr. Agricultural lands have moderate recharge rates ranging from 14 to 16 mm/yr. Transitioning from agricultural land to other land uses like shrublands and forests results in dramatic changes in recharge rates, with decreases and increases in recharge of 72% and 61%, respectively. These insights are crucial for developing strategic land-use planning to optimize groundwater recharge and enhance water security on the Loess Plateau. The study emphasizes the need for policies that balance hydrological science and land management to sustain both human livelihoods and ecological continuity.

Purpose: The aim was to determine the combined value of serological lipid metabolism and an orbital MRI quantitative parameter in predicting the effectiveness of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy in patients with thyroid eye disease (TED). Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 46 patients with active and moderate-to-severe TED (GC-effective group, n = 29; GC-ineffective group, n = 17). Serological lipid metabolism, the orbital MRI-based minimum signal intensity ratio of extraocular muscles (EOM-SIRmin), as well as other clinical parameters before GC therapy were collected and compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were adopted to identify independent predictable variables and assess their predictive performances. Results: Compared to the GC-ineffective group, the GC-effective group showed lower serum total cholesterol levels (P = 0.006), lower serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P = 0.019), higher EOM-SIRmin values (P = 0.005), and shorter disease durations (P = 0.017). Serum total cholesterol and EOM-SIRmin were found to be independent predictors of GC-effective TED through multivariate analysis (odds ratios = 0.253 and 2.036 per 0.1 units, respectively) (both P < 0.05). The integration of serum total cholesterol ≤4.8 mmol/L and EOM-SIRmin ≥ 1.12 had a better predictive efficacy (area under the curve, 0.834) than EOM-SIRmin alone, with a sensitivity of 75.9% and a specificity of 82.4% (P = 0.031). Conclusion: Serological lipid metabolism, combined with an orbital MRI-derived parameter, was a useful marker for predicting the effectiveness of GCs in patients with active and moderate-to-severe TED.

Harvesting energy from ambient water, a renewable technology of generating electrical energy, promises to relieve the worldwide energy shortage. However, most of the electricity from ambient water is flowing potential, which has a short duration and is greatly affected by external conditions. Herein, a graphene oxide-polypyrrole-nonwoven fabric (GO-PPy-NWF) with asymmetric structure based water-induced energy generator is developed to harvest electricity via synergistic flowing potential and ionovoltaic effect. Electric power of ∼0.86 V and ∼40 μA can be harvested for ∼40 min with 0.1 mL brine or seawater infiltrating into the generator. Moreover, under one sun, the GO-PPy-NWF achieves electric power up to ∼0.93 V due to rapid evaporation. The GO-PPy-NWF harvests electricity by water to light up light emitting diodes (LEDs) and small electronic devices, showing good practicability prospects with flexibility, low cost and sustainability.

Alternative oxidase (AOX) serves as a critical terminal oxidase within the plant respiratory pathway, playing a significant role in cellular responses to various stresses. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica), a crop extensively cultivated across Asia, is renowned for its remarkable tolerance to abiotic stresses and minimal requirement for fertilizer. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide identification of AOX genes in foxtail millet genome, discovering a total of five SiAOX genes. Phylogenetic analysis categorized these SiAOX members into two subgroups. Prediction of cis-elements within the promoter regions, coupled with co-expression network analysis, intimated that SiAOX proteins are likely involved in the plant’s adaptive response to abiotic stresses. Employing RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), we scrutinized the expression patterns of the SiAOX genes across a variety of tissues and under multiple abiotic stress conditions. Specifically, our analysis uncovered that SiAOX1, SiAOX2, SiAOX4, and SiAOX5 display distinct tissue-specific expression profiles. Furthermore, SiAOX2, SiAOX3, SiAOX4, and SiAOX5 exhibit responsive expression patterns under abiotic stress conditions, with significant differences in expression levels observed between the shoot and root tissues of foxtail millet seedlings. Haplotype analysis of SiAOX4 and SiAOX5 revealed that these genes are in linkage disequilibrium, with Hap_2 being the superior haplotype for both, potentially conferring enhanced cold stress tolerance in the cultivar group. These findings suggest that both SiAOX4 and SiAOX5 may be targeted for selection in future breeding programs aimed at improving foxtail millet’s resilience to cold stress.

Marburg hemorrhagic fever (MHF) is a fatal infectious disease caused by Marburg virus (MARV) infection, and MARV has been identified as a priority pathogen for vaccine development by the WHO. The glycoprotein (GP) of MARV mediates viral adhesion and invasion of host cells and therefore can be used as an effective target for vaccine development. Moreover, DNA vaccines have unique advantages, such as simple construction processes, low production costs, and few adverse reactions, but their immunogenicity may decrease due to the poor absorption rate of plasmids. Lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1) can direct antigens to lysosomes and endosomes and has great potential for improving the immunogenicity of nucleic acid vaccines. Therefore, we constructed a DNA vaccine based on a codon-optimized MARV GP (ID MF939097.1) fused with LAMP1 and explored the effect of a LAMP targeting strategy on improving the immunogenicity of the MARV DNA vaccine. ELISA, ELISpot, and flow cytometry revealed that the introduction of LAMP1 into the MARV DNA candidate vaccine improved the humoral and cellular immune response, enhanced the secretion of cytokines, and established long-term immune protection. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the LAMP targeting strategy significantly enriched antigen processing and presentation-related pathways, especially the MHC class II-related pathway, in the candidate vaccine. Our study broadens the strategic vision for enhanced DNA vaccine design and provides a promising candidate vaccine for MHF prevention.

The hydration heat generated during the concreting of cast-in-place piles causes thermal disturbance to the surrounding permafrost, leading to its thawing. This further affects the stability of the pile foundation and degrades the construction progress. To explore the influence mechanisms of the concrete hydration heat on the permafrost temperature field around the pile, as well as that of different construction seasons on the pile-side boundary conditions and permafrost temperature field, monitoring results of on-site tests and numerical simulation were used to analyze the distribution law of the pile soil temperature field in space and time, and the pile-side boundary conditions and permafrost temperature field during construction seasons. The results show that the temperature trend of the pile foundation can be divided into three stages: a rapid rise phase (0∼2 d), a rapid decline phase (2∼10 d), and a slow decline and stabilization phase (10∼90 d). As the radial distance from the pile center decreases, there occur a corresponding acceleration in temperature increase and an elevated maximum temperature rise (MTR). The influence range of the molding temperature and the hydration heat is about 1∼2 times the pile diameter and less than 1.5 m in the depth direction. Compared to the atmospheric temperature, there is a lag in the change in the permafrost temperature caused by accumulation of ground temperature, and the significant difference between the two leads to an increased rate of heat exchange at the boundary condition. Conducting drilling operation and cast-in-place pile construction in the cold seasons is conducive to reducing the thermal disturbance to the permafrost around the pile in permafrost areas.

Vaccines has long been the focus of antiviral immunotherapy research. Viral epitopes are thought to be useful biomarkers for immunotherapy (both antibody-based and cellular). In this study, we designed a novel vaccine molecule, the Hantaan virus (HTNV) glycoprotein (GP) tandem Th epitope molecule (named the Gnc molecule), in silico. Subsequently, computer analysis was used to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth study of the various properties of the molecule and its effects as a vaccine molecule in the body. The Gnc molecule was designed for DNA vaccines and optimized with a lysosomal-targeting membrane protein (LAMP) strategy. The effects of GP-derived Th epitopes and multiepitope vaccines were initially verified in animals. Our research has resulted in the design of two vaccines based on effective antiviral immune targets. The effectiveness of molecular therapies has also been preliminarily demonstrated in silico and in laboratory animals, which lays a foundation for the application of a vaccines strategy in the field of antivirals.

The overuse of tetracycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, has posed a severe threat to both the ecological environment and public safety. This paper presents the one-step synthesis of Bi2O2S/Bi2O3 heterojunctions utilizing a simple and environmentally friendly chemical synthesis method. These heterojunctions were subsequently employed in the fabrication of photoelectrochemical sensors tailored for tetracycline detection. Under optimal conditions, with a bias voltage of 0 V, the sensor manifests exceptional self-powered capability, yielding a photocurrent density of approximately 270nA/cm2. The detection sensitivity for tetracycline spans a wide linear range from 0.1 pM to 200 nM, accompanied by a remarkably low detection limit of 0.5 pM (S/N = 3). Furthermore, the photoelectrochemical sensor demonstrates commendable stability, rapid response characteristics, high selectivity, and consistent detection reproducibility. These findings not only offer a novel opportunity for advancing photoelectrochemical sensors but also present a fresh perspective in the realm of photoelectrochemical sensor development.

Climate change has a detrimental impact on permafrost soil in cold regions, resulting in the thawing of permafrost and causing instability and security issues in infrastructure, as well as settlement problems in pavement engineering. To address these challenges, concrete pipe pile foundations have emerged as a viable solution for reinforcing the subgrade and mitigating settlement in isolated permafrost areas. However, the effectiveness of these foundations depends greatly on the mechanical properties of the interface between the permafrost soil and the pipe, which are strongly influenced by varying thawing conditions. While previous studies have primarily focused on the interface under frozen conditions, this paper specifically investigates the interface under thawing conditions. In this study, direct shear tests were conducted to examine the damage characteristics and shear mechanical properties of the soil-pile interface with a water content of 26% at temperatures of −3 °C, −2 °C, −1 °C, −0.5 °C, and 8 °C. The influence of different degrees of melting on the stress–strain characteristics of the soil-pile interface was also analyzed. The findings reveal that as the temperature increases, the shear strength of the interface decreases. The shear stress-displacement curve of the soil-pile interface in the thawing state exhibits a strain-softening trend and can be divided into three stages: the pre-peak shear stress growth stage, the post-peak shear stress steep drop stage, and the post-peak shear stress reconstruction stage. In contrast, the stress curve in the thawed state demonstrates a strain-hardening trend. The study further highlights that violent phase changes in the ice crystal structure have a significant impact on the peak freezing strength and residual freezing strength at the soil-pile interface, with these strengths decreasing as the temperature rises. Additionally, the cohesion and internal friction angle at the soil-pile interface decrease with increasing temperature. It can be concluded that the mechanical strength of the soil-pile interface, crucial for subgrade reinforcement in permafrost areas within transportation engineering, is greatly influenced by temperature-induced changes in the ice crystal structure.

This study develops a model to assess building vulnerability across Xinxing County by integrating quantitative derivation with machine learning techniques. Building vulnerability is characterized as a function of landslide hazard risk and building resistance, wherein landslide hazard risk is derived using CNN (1D) for nine hazard-causing factors (elevation, slope, slope shape, geotechnical body type, geological structure, vegetation cover, watershed, and land-use type) and landslide sites; building resistance is determined through quantitative derivation. After evaluating the building susceptibility of all the structures, the susceptibility of each village is then calculated through subvillage statistics, which are aimed at identifying the specific needs of each area. Simultaneously, different landslide hazard classes are categorized, and an analysis of the correlation between building resistance and susceptibility reveals that building susceptibility exhibits a positive correlation with landslide hazard and a negative correlation with building resistance. Following a comprehensive assessment of building susceptibility in Xinxing County, a sample encompassing different landslide intensity areas and susceptibility classes of buildings was chosen for on-site validation, thus yielding an accuracy rate of the results as high as 94.5%.

As increasing fiber hydrophobicity can significantly improve the paper dewatering process, we found that replacing SBKP and HBKP with 0.5% superhydrophobic CPGMA can significantly improve the dewatering of paper sheets. Therefore, it can be concluded that if CPGMA has little effect on paper properties, it will have potential industrial value in the papermaking industry. Consequently, it is necessary to further study the effect of the CPGMAs@CPAM/SiO2/APAM system on paper properties. To evaluate the application potential of the system in the papermaking industry, we investigated the effects of CPGMAs, which replaced the fibers in the stocks, on the paper properties in the CPAM/SiO2/APAM system. The findings demonstrate that as the CPGMA replacement increased, the paper’s tensile strength, bursting strength, tear resistance, and folding endurance all declined. The trend can be segmented into two phases: a rapid decrease for substitution amounts below 0.5% and a gradual decline for substitution amounts exceeding 0.5%. When replaced with a small amount of CPGMAs, there was a negligible effect on these properties. Second, the paper air permeability increased with the CPGMA substitution amount in the stock. Furthermore, the trend of paper air permeability can be divided into two stages—a rapid stage with a substitution amount of 0.5%. A small amount of CPGMAs could distinctly improve the paper’s air permeability. Third, CPGMAs, which replaced fibers in the stock, minutely affected the paper formation. A small amount of CPGMAs substantially boosted the efficacy of the process of paper manufacture and certain characteristics of the paper, and it had a negligible impact on the strength of paper. The CPGMAs@CPAM/SiO2/APAM technology has the potential to improve the retention and filtration performance of CPAM/SiO2/APAM.

In order to improve the quality stability of frozen reconstructed squid mince, the influence of three additions at various concentrations, namely trehalose (2%, 4%, 6%), lactitol (2%, 4%, 6%), and sodium lactate (2%, 3%, 4%) on the cryoprotective effect of squid mince during 5-month frozen storage was evaluated using Peru squid as raw materials. Gel strength, water holding capacity, Ca2+-ATPase activity, water distribution, and microstructures were monitored. The results showed that trehalose, lactitol, and sodium lactate could effectively improve the gel strength and water-holding capacity with increasing addition amounts (P

Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) have strong environmental adaptability and high pollen transfer efficiency, making them well-suited pollinators of economic crops. However, bumblebee pollination is still not widely applied in northern China due to the lack of data on foraging behavior and pollination effects. We conducted a three-year experiment involving cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and pears (Pyrus spp.) treated with bumblebee pollination to evaluate the foraging behavior and pollination effects on these two crops. Results showed that B. terrestris had enhanced foraging activities as daytime temperatures rose from 18 °C to 26 °C, as indicated by the increased number of bees leaving the hive and returning bees carrying pollen in greenhouses in winter. There were two peaks in the foraging activity of bumblebees in pear orchards in early spring, which was closely related to the temperature change in the daytime. Undoubtedly, cherry tomatoes treated with B. terrestris had higher fruit setting rate, weight, seed number, and fruit yields compared to those with hormone 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid treatments, as well as a lower rate of deformed fruits. B. terrestris pollination can significantly increase the fruit setting rate and fruit yield of pears, compared with open pollination, and can fully achieve the effect of hand pollination. B. terrestris pollination can improve cultivation efficiency, increase yield, and produce more economic benefits. Moreover, it can also contribute to reducing hormone residues and ensure the safety of agricultural products. We recommend its application to cherry tomatoes in greenhouses in winter and potential application to pears in orchards in early spring in northern China. However, the risk to local bumblebee species of introducing commercially available bumblebees into orchards should be considered and evaluated in future research. This study provides both empirical support and a theoretical basis for the selection of bumblebees as pollinators in the production of economically important crops and the improvement of crop cultivation management in northern China.

Inter-individual variation exists in response to diet and in the endpoints related to vascular diseases and cognitive impairment. Therefore, the evaluation and characterisation of responses to a dietary intervention targeting these endpoints is important. A dietary intervention with 37 participants has been performed comparing two forms of blueberry, either whole fresh blueberry (160 g), freeze-dried blueberry powder (20 g) or a placebo control (microcrystalline cellulose), in a 1-week single-blinded cross-over randomised controlled trial (RCT) in a healthy population. The response to the intervention was calculated for each endpoint using the percentage change (±%) compared to the baseline. Extensive inter-individual variation was found in vascular health parameters (−141 to +525%) and cognitive domains (−114 to +96%) post-intervention, but there was no consistent response following the two interventions between and within participants for each endpoint measured. No significant putative discriminating urinary metabolites between interventions were found using supervised multivariate analysis. Although several discriminatory metabolites were found between the responder and non-responder groups, it was not possible to identify predictors of the response using receiver operating curve analysis. To conclude, this is the first blueberry intervention applying quartile divisions to characterise individual responses in vascular and cognitive endpoints following a specific dietary intervention; however, we did not find any consistency in the individual responses to the interventions, and we could not identify a predictive urinary metabolite as a potential biomarker for differentiation between responders and non-responders. However, the overall approach of defining a metabolic signature of response could be used in the future for tailored personalised nutritional advice.

Insect-resistant substances from plants are important natural resources that human beings can potentially develop and use to control pests. In this study, we explored the adverse effects of rutin and quercetin on grasshopper (Calliptamus abbreviatus), as well as the insect’s physiological response to these substances in laboratory and field experiments. These two plant compounds exhibited toxic effects on C. abbreviatus, with quercetin showing a stronger toxicity, indicated by a lower survival, slower development, and higher induced gene expression and activities of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, cytochrome P450s, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase, compared to rutin. These compounds, especially quercetin, have the potential to be developed as biopesticides to control grasshoppers.

Heavy metal contamination has long been a concern of intense research within the field of environmental protection. The exacerbation of heavy metal pollution due to mineral resource over-exploitation and the implementation of agricultural modernization has further emphasized the need for rapid monitoring. Although traditional geochemical survey methods have been deemed reliable, they lack the ability to conduct non-destructive and rapid surveys of large areas due to their high cost, low real-time capability, and cumbersome operations. We collected 120 soil samples in the field using Xin'an County, Henan Province as the research region, and obtained hyperspectral curves and contents of the samples using the spectrometer and chemical analysis. After preprocessing the spectral curves, we used the slime mold algorithm (SMA) to preselect feature wavebands, and then the mathematically transformed method was used to improve their correlation. Next, we calculated the correlation coefficients of these wavebands with six heavy metals, and the final modeled wavebands were obtained through precise feature selection based on the criterion that the correlation coefficient’s absolute value exceeded 0.298. The inversion model was also established by using adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), gradient boosted decision tree (GBDT), random forest (RF), and partial least squares (PLS). The results indicated that SMA-PCC can effectively downscale the high-dimensional hyperspectral data and obtain the feature wavebands with a high contribution to the modeling. We also observed that the mathematical transformation method improved the relevance between heavy metal elements and spectra. Among the four models, RF showed better overall inversion accuracy for all heavy metals (i.e., Zn: RAdaBoost2=0.85,RGBDT2=0.56,RRF2=0.89,RPLS2=0.57). This paper showcases that the algorithm presented can provide meaningful technical guidance for the large-scale investigation and assessment of heavy metal levels in soil.

Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) as an antibiotic is widely used in our daily life, but it has posed potential threats to the ecological environment for flowing into the natural environment. To address this issue, The photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor is first developed for the detection of TC-HCl by comparing and analyzing ternary Bi2(Te1-xSex)3 nanomaterials prepared through different ratios of hydrothermal methods. Specifically, the Bi2(Te1-xSex)3/Indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode can interact with TC-HCl rapidly and selectively which results in a significant reduction of the photocurrent signal. By regulating the ratio of x, it is found that Bi2Te2.85Se0.15/ITO have the best stability and the fastest response time in the detection of TC-HCl. The response/recovery speed of the sensor to TC-HCl is fast to 0.23 s, a low detection limit of 0.08 pmol/l (S/N = 3) and a linear detection fit of up to R2 = 0.992. Moreover, the sensor has good stability and specificity for TC-HCL detection, providing a new perspective for the development of PEC sensors.

The effects of soybean protein isolate powder, whey protein isolate powder, and egg white powder on 3D printing properties, gel strength, texture properties, water holding capacity, rheological properties, sensory properties, DSC, protein secondary structure content, and microstructures of mixed shrimp mince were investigated in order to improve the gel properties of Antarctic krill mixed shrimp mince. According to the findings, the three kinds of protein powder could improve the 3D printing capabilities, gel strength, elastic and viscosity modulus of mixed shrimp mince. Compared to the control group, the gel strength of shrimp mince with whey protein isolated powder was the highest, increasing by 100.15%, while the water holding capacity of shrimp mince with soy protein isolate powder was the highest, increasing by 20%. DSC results indicated that protein powder could elevate the denaturation temperature and enthaply, thus enhancing protein stability of mixed shrimp mince enhance the protein stability. According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) findings, the gel network of shrimp mince with protein powder was more compact and mince added with whey protein isolate showed more consistent porosity. Combined with sensory evaluation, egg white powder could improve the gel properties of mixed shrimp surimi, providing a theoretical foundation for improving the quality of Antarctic krill surimi and its products.

Abstract Background Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is a common and organ-specific autoimmune disease. Early diagnosis and novel treatments are essential to improve the prognosis of TAO patients. Therefore, the current work was performed to identify the key genes and pathways for the biological and clinical implications of TAO through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis and a series of clinical validations. Methods GSE105149 and GSE185952 were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for analysis. The data were normalized to identify the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two datasets, and the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted to assess key pathways in TAO. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and hub genes among the common DEGs were identified. Furthermore, we collected the general information and blood samples from 50 TAO patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs), and the expression levels of the proteins encoded by hub genes in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then we further assessed the relationship between the ELISA data and the TAO development. Results Several common pathways, including neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, the IL-17 signaling pathway, and the TNF signaling pathway, were identified in both datasets. In parallel, 52 common DEGs were identified. The KEGG analysis showed that these common DEGs are mainly enriched in long-term depression, the VEGF signaling pathway, the IL-17 signaling pathway, the TNF signaling pathway, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions. The key hub genes PRKCG, OSM, DPP4, LRRTM1, CXCL6, and CSF3R were screened out through the PPI network. As confirmation, the ELISA results indicated that protein expression levels of PRKCG, OSM, CSF3R, and DPP4 were significantly upregulated in TAO patients compared with HCs. In addition, PRKCG and DPP4 were verified to show value in diagnosing TAO, and CSF3R was found to be a valuable diagnostic marker in distinguishing active TAO from inactive TAO. Conclusions Inflammation- and neuromodulation-related pathways might be closely associated with TAO. Based on the clinical verification, OSM, CSF3R, CXCL6, DPP4, and PRKCG may serve as inflammation- or neuromodulation-related biomarkers for TAO, providing novel insights for the diagnosis and treatment of TAO.

Abstract Herein, we evaluated the potential therapeutic effects of water extracts from Eucommia on periodontitis in experimental rats. We ligated the maxillary second molars of Sprague–Dawley(SD) rats with 4.0 silk threads and locally smeared Porphyromonas gingivalis(P. gingivalis) to induce gingivitis and periodontitis.After the model was successfully established, we exposed the rats to Eucommia water extracts through topical smearing and intragastric administration and evaluated the therapeutic effect of the extracts on gingivitis (for a 2 week treatment period) and periodontitis (over 4 weeks). We analyzed histopathological sections of the periodontal tissue and quantified the alveolar bone resorption levels, molecules related to periodontal oxidative stress, and periodontal inflammatory factors to assess the feasibility of Eucommia in treating gingivitis and periodontitis. We found that damage to the periodontal tissue was reduced after treatment with extracts,indicating that Eucommia has a positive effect in treating gingivitis and periodontitis in experimental rats. These findings are expected to provide the foothold for future research on secondary metabolites derived from Eucommia and guide the development of novel approaches for preventing and treating periodontal disease.

PurposeTo explore fecal immune-related proteins that can be used for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis.Patients and methodsThree independent cohorts were used in present study. In the discovery cohort, which included 14 CRC patients and 6 healthy controls (HCs), label-free proteomics was applied to identify immune-related proteins in stool that could be used for CRC diagnosis. Exploring potential links between gut microbes and immune-related proteins by 16S rRNA sequencing. The abundance of fecal immune-associated proteins was verified by ELISA in two independent validation cohorts and a biomarker panel was constructed that could be used for CRC diagnosis. The validation cohort I included 192 CRC patients and 151 HCs from 6 different hospitals. The validation cohort II included 141 CRC patients, 82 colorectal adenoma (CRA) patients, and 87 HCs from another hospital. Finally, the expression of biomarkers in cancer tissues was verified by immunohistochemistry (IHC).ResultsIn the discovery study, 436 plausible fecal proteins were identified. And among 67 differential fecal proteins (|log2 fold change| > 1, P< 0.01) that could be used for CRC diagnosis, 16 immune-related proteins with diagnostic value were identified. The 16S rRNA sequencing results showed a positive correlation between immune-related proteins and the abundance of oncogenic bacteria. In the validation cohort I, a biomarker panel consisting of five fecal immune-related proteins (CAT, LTF, MMP9, RBP4, and SERPINA3) was constructed based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate logistic regression. The biomarker panel was found to be superior to hemoglobin in the diagnosis of CRC in both validation cohort I and validation cohort II. The IHC result showed that protein expression levels of these five immune-related proteins were significantly higher in CRC tissue than in normal colorectal tissue.ConclusionA novel biomarker panel consisting of fecal immune-related proteins can be used for the diagnosis of CRC.

The overuse of mixed pesticides poses a threat to both the ecosystem and human health, yet general pesticide detection methods are complex in terms of steps, such as the need for pretreatment and cleaning. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been used for real-life trace detection of residues due to its rapid detection and ultra-high sensitivity. Here, we prepared a novel Ti3C2Tx (MXene)-noble metal hybrid flexible substrate with a layer of MXene on top of flower-like Ag nanoparticles (AgNFs), and finally grew Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) by galvanic replacement and self-reduction reactions. The limit of detection (LOD) can be as low as 2 × 10-12 M by detecting 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4MBA). For efficient sampling, transparent and flexible platform made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were used for the extraction and detection of thiabendazole (TBZ), thiram, methyl parathion (MP) and their mixtures. Notably, the lowest concentrations detected by swabbing on the tomato surface (3.7 ng/mL, 2.8 ng/mL) were lower than the EU maximum permissible limits of pesticides on raw fruits and vegetables (4.0 mg/L, 6.33 mg/mL). This high performance Ti3C2Tx-noble metal hybrid flexible substrate offers a great advantage in the trace detection of molecules.

Remote sensing image change detection (CD) is an essential technique for analyzing surface changes from co-registered images of different time periods. The main challenge in CD is to identify the alterations that the user intends to emphasize, while excluding pseudo-changes caused by external factors. Recent advancements in deep learning and image change detection have shown remarkable performance with ConvNet-based and Transformer-based techniques. However, ConvNet-based methods are limited by the local receptive fields of convolutional kernels that cannot effectively capture the change features in spatial–temporal information, while Transformer-based CD models need to be driven by a large amount of data due to the lack of inductive biases, and at the same time need to bear the costly computational complexity brought by self-attention. To address these challenges, we propose a Transformer-based Siamese network structure called BTNIFormer. It incorporates a sparse attention mechanism called Dilated Neighborhood Attention (DiNA), which localizes the attention range of each pixel to its neighboring context. Extensive experiments conducted on two publicly available datasets demonstrate the benefits of our proposed innovation. Compared to the most competitive recent Transformer-based approaches, our method achieves a significant 12.00% improvement in IoU while reducing computational costs by half. This provides a promising solution for further development of the Transformer structure in CD tasks.

IntroductionThe objective of fine-grained image classification on marine organisms is to distinguish the subtle variations in the organisms so as to accurately classify them into subcategories. The key to accurate classification is to locate the distinguishing feature regions, such as the fish’s eye, fins, or tail, etc. Images of marine organisms are hard to work with as they are often taken from multiple angles and contain different scenes, additionally they usually have complex backgrounds and often contain human or other distractions, all of which makes it difficult to focus on the marine organism itself and identify its most distinctive features.Related workMost existing fine-grained image classification methods based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) cannot accurately enough locate the distinguishing feature regions, and the identified regions also contain a large amount of background data. Vision Transformer (ViT) has strong global information capturing abilities and gives strong performances in traditional classification tasks. The core of ViT, is a Multi-Head Self-Attention mechanism (MSA) which first establishes a connection between different patch tokens in a pair of images, then combines all the information of the tokens for classification.MethodsHowever, not all tokens are conducive to fine-grained classification, many of them contain extraneous data (noise). We hope to eliminate the influence of interfering tokens such as background data on the identification of marine organisms, and then gradually narrow down the local feature area to accurately determine the distinctive features. To this end, this paper put forwards a novel Transformer-based framework, namely Token-Selective Vision Transformer (TSVT), in which the Token-Selective Self-Attention (TSSA) is proposed to select the discriminating important tokens for attention computation which helps limits the attention to more precise local regions. TSSA is applied to different layers, and the number of selected tokens in each layer decreases on the basis of the previous layer, this method gradually locates the distinguishing regions in a hierarchical manner.ResultsThe effectiveness of TSVT is verified on three marine organism datasets and it is demonstrated that TSVT can achieve the state-of-the-art performance.

The task of accurately classifying marine fish species is of great importance to marine ecosystem investigations, but previously used methods were extremely labor-intensive. Computer vision approaches have the advantages of being long-term, non-destructive, non-contact and low-cost, making them ideal for this task. Due to the unique nature of the marine environment, marine fish data is difficult to collect and often of poor quality, and learning how to identify additional categories from a small sample of images is a very difficult task, meanwhile fish classification is also a fine-grained problem. Most of the existing solutions dealing with few-shot classification mainly focus on the improvement of the metric-based approaches. For few-shot classification tasks, the features extracted by CNN are sufficient for the metric-based model to make a decision, while for few-shot fine-grained classification with small inter-class differences, the CNN features might be insufficient and feature enhancement is essential. This paper proposes a novel attention network named Sandwich Attention Covariance Metric Network (SACovaMNet), which adds a new sandwich-shaped attention module to the CovaMNet based on metric learning, strengthening the CNN’s ability to perform feature extraction on few-shot fine-grained fish images in a more detailed and comprehensive manner. This new model can not only capture the classification objects from the global perspective, but also extract the local subtle differences. By solving the problem of feature enhancement, this new model can accurately classify few-shot fine-grained marine fish images. Experiments demonstrate that this method outperforms state-of-the-art solutions on few-shot fine-grained fish species classification.

Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and is accompanied by low diagnosis and survival rates. The molecular mechanism of GC must be elucidated to improve treatment strategies. Recent research has shown that the expression of myelin and lymphocyte (MAL) protein is reduced in a variety of adenocarcinomas and has the function of suppressing tumor growth. However, the mechanism by which MAL regulates the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in GC remains unclear. Here, we showed that MAL expression was downregulated in specimens from patients with GC and was negatively correlated with the clinical stage. Gain- and loss-of function assays showed that interference with MAL significantly increased tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion and the EMT. Overexpression of MAL significantly inhibited the malignant behavior of GC cells. Moreover, MAL suppressed the malignant behavior of GC cells by inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation in vitro and in vivo. Our data indicate that MAL suppresses the malignant behavior of GC cells via the STAT3/EMT axis. This study also provides insights into the pathophysiological process of GC and a reference for diagnosis and treatment.

To study the mechanisms of strong and weak combined water on the mechanical properties of in situ loess deformation and strength, triaxial compression tests with different combined water contents were carried out to in situ loess in a region of Shaanxi Province, China. The influence on the mechanical properties and structural variation of in situ loess was discussed from the perspective of combined water. The endogenous factors of deformation and strength properties of in situ loess in triaxial tests were investigated from a fine-scale perspective by combining numerical simulations of discrete elements. The results show that the failure specimen under the condition of strong combined water has an obvious shear band and shows brittle failure. The failure mode of soil samples under weak combined water is characterized by no obvious cracks and bulging, which is plastic failure. The water content at the boundary of strong and weak combined water is the boundary to distinguish weak and strong strain hardening. With the increase of combined water, the ultimate strength, the structural strength, and structural parameters decrease, and the initial structural parameters decrease nonlinearly, resulting in the decrease of soil structure and deformation resistance. Weak combined water is the main factor affecting soil structure. The particle flow numerical simulation explains the whole process of triaxial test of in situ loess from macro to meso and explains from the meso perspective that the structural strength change of intact loess under different combined water contents is mainly caused by the change of contact force and pore between particles.

ObjectiveTo report the efficacy, long-term safety, and tolerability of using a small dose (125 mg/m2 weekly for 4 weeks) of rituximab to treat Chinese patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO).MethodsSeven patients with active moderate-to-severe TAO were prospectively recruited in this study. A small dose of rituximab (125mg/m2 body surface area) was given weekly with a duration of four weeks. Thyroid function, thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb), B cell and T cell subsets, ophthalmological examination, magnetic resonance imaging derived parameters, and adverse reactions were recorded at each visit.ResultsSeven patients were followed for an average of 224 weeks. B-cell depletion was observed in all patients following rituximab infusion. The clinical activity score (CAS) decreased from 4.86 ± 0.69 to 3.00 ± 0.82 at 5 weeks after treatment (P = 0.033) and remained significantly lower than baseline values at the end of follow-up (P = 0.001). Compared to baseline values, significant decreases in exophthalmos of the right eye, the thickness of extraocular muscles with maximum signal intensity, and the highest signal intensity ratio (SIR) of extraocular muscle to ipsilateral temporal muscle values were observed at the last follow-up (all P < 0.05). Disease progressions or recurrences were not observed during follow-up. Only mild fatigue was observed after the first infusion as a side effect (n = 1).ConclusionSmall dose of rituximab may be a promising option with adequate safety, tolerability, and long-term efficacy for patients with active moderate-to-severe TAO.

This study investigated the effectiveness of carbon adsorbents as remediation material for sediments contaminated with heavy metals and the feasibility of utilizing diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) as a biomimetic tool to estimate the accumulation of heavy metals in Venerupis philippinaram (Manila clam). The results showed that carbon materials had significant inhibitory effects (14.0–53.0%) on the enrichment of heavy metals in organisms and the order of increasing overall inhibitory effect was: charcoal, peat, activated carbon, and biochar. There were significant correlations (P

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a medicinal plant in the Lamiaceae family that contains high levels of 4’-deoxyflavone and other flavonoids in its roots. Therefore, it has strong potential as a plant resource for researching the biosynthesis of specific flavonoids. In this study, we report on a chromosome-level S. baicalensis genome assembled to nine chromosomes (376.81M) using PacBio, HiSeq XTen, and Hi-C assisted assembly. The assembly ratio was 99.22%, the contig N50 was 1.80 million bases, and the scaffold N50 was 40.57 million bases, with 31896 genes being annotated. Comparative genome analysis revealed that S. baicalensis and Salvia miltiorrhiza belonged to the same branch, and diverged 36.3 million years ago. Other typically correlated species were Boea hygrometrica and Sesamum indicum. We investigated the structural genes involved in flavonoid synthesis in combination with transcriptome sequencing analysis for different tissues (roots, stems, flowers, leaves) of purple, pink, and white flowers. The results revealed that S.baiF6H is involved in the accumulation of baicalein and was significantly increased in both purple roots vs. pink roots and white roots vs. pink roots. S.baiMYB gene family expression pattern analysis and co-expression network analysis revealed that S.baiMYB transcription factors primarily regulated the production of flavonoids in S. baicalensis. S.baiMYB serves as a major factor regulating flavonoid synthesis in the roots, where yeast one-hybrid assays revealed that these transcription factors could bind to the promoter regions of structural genes to control the accumulation of flavonoids. Genome and transcriptome sequencing, co-expression analysis, and yeast one-hybrid experiments provided valuable genetic resources for understanding flavonoid biosynthesis in S. baicalensis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the accumulation of metabolites in Lamiaceae.

ABSTRACT: Ethylene-responsive element binding factors (ERFs) are widely involved in the regulation of plant responses to different abiotic stresses. In petunia (Petunia × hybrida), PhERF2 belonging to the subfamily Ⅶ of ERF transcription factors participates in the response to waterlogging stress. In this study, we investigated waterlogging tolerance variation of WT and transgenic petunia plants with RNAi silencing and overexpression of PhERF2 through photosynthetic and physiological performance. Chlorophyll content and root vigor declined continuously in both WT and PhERF2 transgenic lines under waterlogging stress, but the extent of the fall in PhERF2-overexpressing lines was less than that in WT and PhERF2-RNAi lines. At the end of waterlogging treatment, soluble protein levels in PhERF2-overexpressing lines were significantly higher than those in WT and PhERF2-RNAi lines, while the latter showed a higher malondialdehyde content overall. Different degrees of reductions in Pn, Gs, and Tr levels occurred in both WT and PhERF2 transgenic lines upon exposure to waterlogging. The Ci levels of PhERF2-overexpressing lines decreased after 3 hours of waterlogging treatment, and the Ci levels of WT and PhERF2-RNAi lines gradually increased from 6 to 72 hours of waterlogging treatment. These data suggested that non-stomatal factors were the primary limiting factors for Pn in WT and PhERF2-RNAi lines under severe stress, while the stomatal opening was the main factor limiting Pn in PhERF2-overexpressing lines. Our results demonstrated that the contribution of PhERF2 to the waterlogging tolerance of petunia appears to depend on the regulation of physiological and photosynthetic responses. PhERF2 represents a hopeful candidate gene for enhancing waterlogging tolerance of ornamental plants.

The phenomenon of mixed migration of liquid water and water vapor appeared in subgrade covered with an impermeable semi-arid rigid base. The soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) at different temperatures are a key factor in revealing the mechanism of liquid water migration. In particular, the matric suction of unsaturated soil is considerably affected by the change in temperature. A moisture migration laboratory experiment can visually observe the moisture migration process. Therefore, matric suction tests with different temperatures and moisture migration of the one-dimensional soil column were conducted. Then the non-isothermal SWCC model was extended based on the Van Genuchten (VG) model, and the validity was given. Based on the above results, the mechanism of the mixed migration of liquid water and water vapor in moisture migration of unsaturated soil under the effect of the cyclic diurnal temperature variation was revealed. The research demonstrated that the matric suction of unsaturated sand decreases with the increase in temperature. During the daytime, the temperature of the soil column gradually increases. Except for a part of liquid water transformed into water vapor, the liquid water migrated downward under the action of gravity and matric potential. At night, the water vapor accumulated beneath the lid condensed into liquid water under the action of the temperature sharply decreased, which was the main reason for the moisture aggregate beneath the closed layer. Meanwhile, the liquid water and water vapor mutually transformed and dynamically migrated in the soil column under the effect of the cyclic diurnal temperature variation. The moisture in the soil column dynamically migrates between daytime and night, which is named the “moisture circulation of covering effect” in this paper. The “moisture circulation of covering effect” would progressively attain a dynamic equilibrium and dynamic circulatory between the daytime and night with time.

Objective: To observe the preventive effect of new mouthwash on experimental dental caries and gingivitis in SD rats. Materials and Methods: 1. The animal model of dental caries was established and evaluated according to the classical Keyes scoring method.2.After the animal model of gingivitis was established, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured and superoxide dismutase inhibition (SOD) and peroxidase activity (CAT) were evaluated. Results: 1.Caries group: the Keyes scoring results showed that the number of surface caries and the E and DS grade caries in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P

In this paper, to effectively solve the joint motion planning of a nine-DOF redundant hybrid boarding system in the process of ocean wave active compensation, we present a multi-task motion planning (MTMP) method for the redundant hybrid boarding system. First, the hybrid mechanism is disassembled into a six-DOF parallel mechanism and a three-DOF serial mechanism for kinematic analysis separately to obtain the Jacobian matrix of the hybrid mechanism in the task space. Then, according to the configuration characteristics of the hybrid mechanism and to avoid the defects of the pseudo-inverse and weighted pseudo-inverse methods in motion planning, several secondary tasks are proposed to constrain the motion planning of the hybrid mechanism. Based on simulations and comparisons, the results show that the MTMP method solves the problems of joint limitation, reverse compensation, overlap compensation, and divergence with time in the motion planning of the pseudo-inverse method and the weighted pseudo-inverse method. Meanwhile, the MTMP method has more superiority in the joint margin and compensation space range.

Most recent existing image generation methods have made great progress in creating high-quality images, mainly focusing on improving the generator or discriminator of convolutional generative adversarial networks (GANs). In this paper, we propose up and down residual blocks for convolutional GANs, dubbed upResBlock and downResBlock respectively. This structure is based on deconvolutions, strided convolutions, and residual blocks. With the upResBlock module for the generator of convolutional GANs, our method can further enhance the generative power of the feature extraction while synthesizing image details for the specified size. With the downResBlock module for discriminator combined with upResBlock for generator, the proposed method can speed up the back propagation of gradient and doesn't suffer from the vanishing or exploding gradients problems, generating more realistic images as well. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed up and down residual blocks can help convolutional GANs in generating photo-realistic images. In addition, our method shows its universality for the improvement of existing methods.

Abstract Background This is a retrospective study of the use of parallel endplate osteotomy (PEO) for correction of severe rigid thoracolumbar spine deformity. Methods From July 2016 to January 2019, 12 patients with severe rigid thoracolumbar spine deformity underwent PEO on T12 or L1 vertebrae were studied. Results Following PEO at T12 or L1, the mean kyphosis and scoliosis correction rates reached 77.0 ± 8.9% and 75.5 ± 8.0%, respectively and the intraoperative estimated blood loss was 1950 ± 1050 mL, and the mean operative time was 6.98 ± 4.02 h. The SF-36 scores of physical function, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social function, role-emotional and mental health changed from 63 ± 28, 50 ± 25, 50 ± 30, 34 ± 19, 53 ± 28, 45 ± 30, 30 ± 36 and 54 ± 18 at baseline to 83 ± 18, 69 ± 19, 72 ± 12, 66 ± 21, 75 ± 15, 72 ± 22, 66 ± 34 and 76 ± 12 at 1 year postoperatively, 83 ± 8, 68 ± 32, 83 ± 17, 73 ± 17, 82 ± 18, 76 ± 26, 70 ± 37 and 88 ± 12 at 18 months postoperatively, 86 ± 6, 83 ± 33, 90 ± 16, 81 ± 16, 89 ± 14, 88 ± 25, 83 ± 17 and 94 ± 10 at 24 months postoperatively, respectively (P

Abstract Background Equity is one of the major goals of China’s new medical reforms launched in 2009. This study aimed to analyze the disequilibrium in primary health care (PHC) workforce among various economic zones in China and to compare the fairness between urban and rural areas since the implementation of the new medical reforms. Method According to China’s 11th Five-Year Plan, China is divided into eight economic regions. The data of this study were obtained from China Statistical Yearbook 2009–2016. The Atkinson index was used to depict the trend of PHC workforce fairness; the Gini coefficient was used to compare the fairness of workforce distribution between urban and rural areas; the health resource agglomeration degree was used to analyze the distributional equity of the workforce in the eight regions; and the Theil Index was used to compare the fairness of urban and rural workforce distribution across eight regions. Result The Atkinson index indicated that the equity of the entire PHC workforce allocation had generally improved during the new medical reforms; the Gini coefficient indicated that the fairness of the entire workforce allocation had improved in cities, but only the nurse allocation became fairer in rural areas. The agglomeration degree and the Theil index indicated that the fairness gaps across the eight regions were still large. These analyses differed from previous studies where China was divided into western, central and eastern regions. In what was previously defined as eastern region, the northeast was under-resourced, while the eastern coastal areas were observing a resource surplus. In western region, we found that the fairness in the northwest was significantly worse than southwest. Conclusion In China, the distribution of healthcare workforce has been improved with continuous effort. The gaps in the distribution of PHC workforce across different economic regions and between urban and rural areas are still large, with different regions facing different problems. The government should consider the population and geographical factors in allocation of PHC workforce, especially nurses.

The rainfall conditions cause seepage in the soil-rock mixture (SRM) filler subgrade, leading to the loss of fine particles and the change of soil structure, which eventually leads to large uneven deformation or instability of the subgrade. The particle loss test device was applied to conduct the seepage test of SRM filler, monitor the change process of permeable quality, fine particle loss and sedimentation of filler under different rainfall conditions, and analyze the evolution process of soil structure and sedimentation characteristics. The result shows that the rainfall intensity affects the permeability of the filler, and then accelerates the loss of fine particles under water migration. With the condition of the same rainfall duration, the hourly water permeability increased firstly and then gradually stabilized with the rainfall duration. The total water permeability mass, fine particle loss, and real-time sedimentation increased with the rainfall intensity. With the same rainfall condition, the maximum hourly water permeability under short-term heavy rainfall condition is about three times that under heavy rainfall condition, which is more serious for the internal erosion of SRM filler. The total water permeability mass, fine particle loss, and real-time sedimentation increased with the rainfall intensity. The stages of skeleton remodeling and relative stability are the most serious stages of filler skeleton structure damage. The sedimentation deformation of filler has hysteresis, resulting in the occurrence of sedimentation much later than the loss of fine particles and skeleton deformation. After the rainfall stops, with the loss of fine particles and water dissipation, the filler will occur secondary sedimentation, resulting in an increase in the final sedimentation as the rainfall intensity increases, making it possible for subsidence damage of the roadbed to occur both during and after the rainfall. Extreme rainfall conditions (short-term heavy rainfall) have the most obvious effect on the structural damage of the subgrade.

In permafrost areas, the degradation of permafrost greatly affects the stability of concrete pile composite foundations. Hence, direct shear tests were carried out to analyze the effect of the rising frozen temperature, moisture content, and normal stress on the mechanical properties of the frozen soil-pile interface during the thawing process of permafrost. A constitutive model was established to describe the shear stress-displacement variation law of interface, considering the hydrothermal coupling effect. The results show that the frozen strength of the interface was provided by the ice crystal structure formed at the interface, and its area increases with increasing water content. The whole shear process can be divided into three stages: the prepeak stage with growing shear stress, the postpeak stage with deep dropping shear stress, and the shear stress reconstruction stage. The peak frozen strength was positively correlated with water content and normal stress, however, it was negatively correlated with the rising frozen temperature. The residual frozen strength has a linear relationship with normal stress and water content, however, it shows different regularity with rising frozen temperature at different water content. Moreover, the Gompertz model prediction results are in good agreement with the experimental results. This model can describe well the stress-displacement variation law of interface with different rising frozen temperature and water content.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a free-form technology that shows great potential in the integrated creation of three-dimensional (3D) electronics. However, the fabrication of 3D conformal circuits that fulfill the requirements of high service temperature, high conductivity and high resolution remains a challenge. In this paper, a hybrid AM method combining the fused deposition modeling (FDM) and hydrophobic treatment assisted laser activation metallization (LAM) was proposed for manufacturing the polyetheretherketone (PEEK)-based 3D electronics, by which the conformal copper patterns were deposited on the 3D-printed PEEK parts, and the adhesion between them reached the 5B high level. Moreover, the 3D components could support the thermal cycling test from −55 °C to 125 °C for more than 100 cycles. Particularly, the application of a hydrophobic coating on the FDM-printed PEEK before LAM can promote an ideal catalytic selectivity on its surface, not affected by the inevitable printing borders and pores in the FDM-printed parts, then making the resolution of the electroless plated copper lines improved significantly. In consequence, Cu lines with width and spacing of only 60 µ m and 100 µ m were obtained on both as-printed and after-polished PEEK substrates. Finally, the potential of this technique to fabricate 3D conformal electronics was demonstrated.

B-box (BBX) is a type of zinc finger transcription factor that contains a B-box domain. BBX transcription factors play important roles in plant photomorphogenesis, signal transduction, as well as abiotic and biological stress responses. However, the BBX gene family of Salvia miltiorrhiza has not been systematically investigated to date. For this study, based on the genomic data of Salvia miltiorrhiza, 27 SmBBXs genes were identified and clustered into five evolutionary branches according to phylogenetic analysis. The promoter analysis suggested that SmBBXs may be involved in the regulation of the light responses, hormones, stress signals, and tissue-specific development. Based on the transcriptome data, the expression patterns of SmBBXs under different abiotic stresses and plant hormones were analyzed. The results revealed that the expressions of the SmBBXs genes varied under different conditions and may play essential roles in growth and development. The transient expression analysis implied that SmBBX1, SmBBX4, SmBBX9, SmBBX20, and SmBBX27 were in the nucleus. A transcriptional activation assay showed SmBBX1, SmBBX4, SmBBX20, and SmBBX24 had transactivation activities, while SmBBX27 had none. These results provided a basis for further research on the role of SmBBXs in the development of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

The overall electrochemical performance of natural graphite is intimately associated with the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer developed on its surface. To suppress the interfacial electrolyte decomposition reactions and the high irreversible capacity loss relating to the SEI formation on a natural graphite (NG) surface, we propose a new design of the artificial SEI by the functional molecular cross-linking framework layer, which was synthesized by grafting acrylic acid (AA) and N,N′−methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA) via an in situ polymerization reaction. The functional polymeric framework constructs a robust covalent bonding onto the NG surface with —COOH and facilitates Li+ conduction owing to the effect of the —CONH group, contributing to forming an SEI layer of excellent stability, flexibility, and compactness. From all the benefits, the initial coulombic efficiency, rate performance, and cycling performance of the graphite anode are remarkably improved. In addition, the full cell using the LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode against the modified NG anode exhibits much-prolonged cycle life with a capacity retention of 82.75% after 500 cycles, significantly higher than the cell using the pristine NG anode. The mechanisms relating to the artificial SEI growth on the graphite surface were analyzed. This strategy provides an efficient and feasible approach to the surface optimization for the NG anode in LIBs.

In this research, we investigate a novel class of granular type optimality guidelines for the fuzzy multi-objective optimizations based on guidelines of vector granular convexity and granular differentiability. Firstly, the concepts of vector granular convexity is introduced to the vector fuzzy-valued function. Secondly, several properties of vector granular convex fuzzy-valued functions are provided. Thirdly, the granular type Karush-Kuhn-Tucker(KKT) optimality guidelines are derived for the fuzzy multi-objective optimizations.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is one of the most famous traditional Chinese medicinal plants. The two most important classes of pharmaceutically relevant compounds in S. miltiorrhiza are phenolic acids and tanshinones. The MYB family of transcription factors may efficiently regulate the secondary metabolism in plants. In this study, a subgroup 4 R2R3MYB transcription factor gene, SmMYB4, was isolated from S. miltiorrhiza and functionally characterized using overexpression and a RNAi-mediated silencing. We achieved a total of six overexpressions and eight RNAi transgenic lines from the Agrobacterium leaf disc method. The content of the total phenolics, rosmarinic acid, and salvianolic acid B markedly decreased in the SmMYB4-overexpressing lines but increased in the SmMYB4-RNAi lines. The content of the total tanshinones, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone IIA decreased in the SmMYB4-overexpressing transgenic lines but increased in the SmMYB4-RNAi lines. A gene expression analysis demonstrated that SmMYB4 negatively regulated the transcription of the critical enzyme genes involved in the phenolic acid and tanshinone biosynthesis. The genetic control of this transcriptional repressor may be used to improve the content of these bioactive compounds in the cultivated S. miltiorrhiza.