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Abstract Objective To systematically evaluate the difference in clinical efficacy between two surgical approaches, oblique lateral approach and intervertebral foraminal approach, in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods English databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of Science, were systematically searched using keywords such as "oblique lumbar interbody fusion" and "transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion." Concurrently, Chinese databases, including CNKI, WanFang data, VIP, and CBM, were also queried using corresponding Chinese terms. The search spanned from January 2014 to February 2024, focusing on published studies in both Chinese and English that compared the clinical efficacy of OLIF and TLIF. The literature screening was conducted by reviewing titles, abstracts, and full texts. Literature meeting the inclusion criteria underwent quality assessment, and relevant data were extracted. Statistical analysis and a meta-analysis of the observational data for both surgical groups were performed using Excel and RevMan 5.4 software. Findings revealed a total of 14 studies meeting the inclusion criteria, encompassing 877 patients. Of these, 414 patients were in the OLIF group, while 463 were in the TLIF group. Meta-analysis of the statistical data revealed that compared to TLIF, OLIF had a shorter average surgical duration (P 0.05) and fusion rates (P > 0.05). Conclusion When treating degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, OLIF demonstrates significant advantages over TLIF in terms of shorter surgical duration, reduced intraoperative bleeding, shorter hospital stay, superior improvement in postoperative VAS and ODI scores, better restoration of disc height, and more effective correction of lumbar lordosis.

The effect of yttrium on the 475 °C brittleness and microstructure stability of Fe–13Cr–6Al–2Mo-0.5Nb-0.15Zr alloy after long-term aging at 475 °C has been investigated. At the early stage of aging, the nanoscale metastable transition phase precipitates in large quantities. After aging for 10,000 h, the nanophase in the Y-free alloy has completely disappeared, and only a great deal of granular Laves phases are left, while a large number of nanoscale phases still exist in the grain of Y-containing alloys. This is because the addition of yttrium combines with vacancies, hinders the diffusion of Laves phase-forming elements, and has the result that the transformation of nanoscale phases Fe2(Mo0.3Nb0.7)Al to Laves phase is inhibited during the aging process of the Y-containing alloys. During aging, precipitation-free zones (PFZ) are formed in the surrounding area where the Laves phase and grain boundaries exist. The elongation of Y-containing alloys decreases with yttrium content, but it is still higher than that of Y-free alloy. The addition of yttrium improves the aging plasticity and weakens the degree of 475 °C brittleness of the alloy, and the effectiveness is diminished with the yttrium. This plays a key role in the further study of Fe–Cr–Al alloys for fuel cladding materials.

Water immersion significantly influences the mechanical characteristics of rock materials, with the degradation of these properties often leading to engineering hazards. Understanding the micro mechanism of rock-water interaction is crucial when evaluating the mechanical behavior of a rock mass. A series of multiscale tests were conducted to investigate the micro and macro behaviors of Plagioclase amphibolite, sourced from Gansu, China, under water immersion conditions. The results indicated that the micro particles transitioned from a flake-dispersed structure in a dry state to floc clusters after 20 days of immersion. The surface micro morphology was analyzed using a laser scanning machine, revealing a transformation from a smooth state to roughness, attributed to the emergence and swelling of numerous micro humps. The evolution of parameters such as the standard deviation of the height distribution (Sq), profile area ratio(Sdr), and the root mean square of the first derivative of surface (Sdq) demonstrated that the rock expanded uniformly, with the micro grains swelling to varying degrees. NMR-based porosity testing suggested an exponential increase in damage, leading to the interconnectedness of newly formed micro-pores with neighboring ones due to water immersion. Ultimately, the water-induced porosity doubled compared to the original porosity. Additionally, the axial swelling rate exhibited a corresponding increase in tandem with the growth in porosity, with an average value of 0.141 %. Finally, linear functions were established between uniaxial compressive strength, elastic modulus, and axial swelling rate. These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of the multiscale evolution characteristics of Plagioclase amphibolite under water intrusion.

Nangqian grey yak (Bos grunniens) is a unique yak population in Qinghai Province, China. In this study, the whole mitogenome sequences of 18 Nangqian grey yaks were sequenced based on the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and annotated. The total length of whole mitogenome sequence is between 16.323 bp and 16.325 bp, including a non-coding control region (D-loop region), 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and two rRNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA). Maternal genetic diversity based on the mitogenome variations was analyzed. A total of 12 haplotypes were identified among 18 complete mitogenome sequences, the haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity of Nangqian grey yak were 0.948±0.033 and 0.001±0.001, respectively. Compared with the wild yak population and six other domestic yak breeds/populations in China, the haplotype diversity of Nangqian grey yak population was higher, indicating abundant maternal genetic diversity in Nangqian grey yak. The phylogenetic tree showed that Nangqian grey yak was most closely related to Tibet alpine, Xueduo, Changtai, Sibu, Zhongdian, Tianzhu white, Ashdan, Jinchuan, Jiulong, Pamir, Pali, Qinghai plateau, Huanhu, Datong, Bazhou and wild yak breeds/populations, closer to Chawula, Muli, Gannan, Niangya and Yushu yak breeds, but far away from other yak breeds (i.e. Leiwuqi and Maiwa yak).

Weeds present a significant challenge to high crop yield and quality. In our study, we investigated the phytotoxic activity of β-caryophyllene (BCP) and eugenol, which are natural allelopathic chemical compounds, on Arabidopsis seedlings. We found that these compounds inhibited the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana plants. When either BCP or eugenol was applied, it led to decrease in the content of cell wall components such as lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin; and increase in the levels of endogenous hormones like ETH, ABA, SA, and JA in the seedlings. Through transcriptome profiling, we identified 7181 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the roots and shoots that were induced by BCP or eugenol. The genes involved in the synthesis of lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin were down-regulated, whereas genes related to synthesis and signal transduction of ABA, ETH, SA, and JA were up-regulated. However, genes related to IAA synthesis and signal transduction were found to be down-regulated. Furthermore, we characterized 24 hub genes using Weighted Correlation Network Analysis (WGCNA). Among them, the identified 16 genes in response to BCP was primarily associated with hypoxia stress, while 8 genes induced by eugenol were linked to inhibition of cell division. Our results suggested that BCP and eugenol had ability to target multiple genes to inhibit growth and development of Arabidopsis plants. Therefore, they can serve as excellent candidates for natural biological herbicides.

In the process of engineering construction such as tunnels and slopes, rock mass is frequently subjected to multiple levels of loading and unloading, while previous research ignores the impact of unloading rate on the stability of rock mass. A number of uniaxial multi-level cyclic loading-unloading experiments were conducted to better understand the effect of unloading rate on the deformation behavior, energy evolution, and damage properties of rock-like material. The experimental results demonstrated that the unloading rate and relative cyclic number clearly influence the deformation behavior and energy evolution of rock-like samples. In particular, as the relative cyclic number rises, the total strain and reversible strain both increase linearly, while the total energy density, elastic energy density, and dissipated energy density all rise nonlinearly. In contrast, the irreversible strain first decreases quickly, then stabilizes, and finally rises slowly. As the unloading rate increases, the total strain and reversible strain both increase, while the irreversible strain decreases. The dissipated energy damage was examined in light of the aforementioned experimental findings. The accuracy of the proposed damage model, which takes into account the impact of the unloading rate and relative cyclic number, is then confirmed by examining the consistency between the model predicted and the experimental results. The proposed damage model will make it easier to foresee how the multi-level loading-unloading cycles will affect the rock-like materials.

In the cold regions of China, the existing rural houses are widely distributed and in large numbers. There are widespread problems such as low thermal performance of building envelopes, high building energy consumption, and poor indoor thermal environments. Reducing the energy consumption of building heating by reforming the envelope structure can reduce the environmental pollution caused by heating. In this paper, the existing rural houses in Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province are taken as the research object, and EnergyPlus software is used to calculate building heating energy consumption, and the schemes are compared and selected via the entropy value method. Based on a comprehensive benefit evaluation, the best scheme for the renovation of building envelopes of rural houses in Tongchuan City is put forward. The research results show that the energy saving rate of buildings can reach more than 50% after renovation. In the evaluation of energy saving, incremental cost, return on investment, carbon emission reduction and unguaranteed hours, the weights are 0.1915, 0.2104, 0.2312, 1755, and 0.187, respectively. The best renovation scheme for rural housing is as follows: the thickness of the XPS board is 90 mm for exterior wall insulation; the thickness of the XPS board is 80 mm for roof insulation; the window-to-wall ratio of additional sunspace is 0.6; and the type of exterior windows is a broken-bridge hollow aluminum window of 6 + 12A + 6 (mm).

Abstract Background Acute liver failure (ALF) is a serious liver disease that is difficult to treat owing to its unclear pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the roles and molecular mechanisms of calycosin (CA) in ALF. Methods In this study, the roles and mechanism of CA in ALF were explored using an in vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced ALF cell model. Additionally, 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)−2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was used to assess the effect of CA on the activity of LPS‐induced L02 human liver epithelial cells, and flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis in L02 cells. Expression levels of apoptosis‐related genes, Bax and Bcl‐2, were measured using reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Expression levels of inflammatory factors in LPS‐induced L02 cells were measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, the effect of CA on ALF was inhibited via transfection of a toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)‐plasmid to elucidate the relationship between CA and TLR4/nuclear factor (NF)‐κB signaling pathway in ALF. Results CA had no toxic effects on L02 cells, but enhanced the activity of LPS‐induced L02 cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Apoptosis and inflammatory factor release was increased in ALF, activating the TLR4/NF‐κB signaling pathway. However, CA treatment inhibited the apoptosis and release of inflammatory factors. Further mechanistic studies revealed that the upregulation of TLR4 expression reversed the alleviating effects of CA on inflammation and apoptosis in LPS‐induced L02 cells. Conclusion CA alleviates inflammatory damage in LPS‐induced L02 cells by inhibiting the TLR4/NF‐κB pathway and may be a promising therapeutic agent for ALF treatment.

From a theoretical point of view, promoting the construction of ecological civilization has a positive effect on reducing carbon emissions. However, ecological civilization construction has rich connotations, and the mechanism of its impact on carbon emissions is relatively complex, with regional differences. Therefore, it is necessary to further explore the influence mechanism of ecological civilization construction on carbon emissions. In order to investigate the mechanism of the effect of the construction of ecological civilization on carbon emissions. 30 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions in China were used as research objects. Based on the perspective of configuration, use the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method (fsQCA), from the six dimensions of ecological civilization construction to study the configuration path of ecological civilization construction affecting carbon emissions. The findings show that the antecedent variables are related to each other and there are three types of paths to achieve low-carbon emissions, eco-economy-driven type with eco-economic construction as a key factor; eco-environmental protection type with a focus on eco-environmental protection; and land space optimization type that enhances the rational use of land resources. Comparing the low-carbon emission group pathway with the non-low-carbon emission group pathway illustrates that eco-logical management alone cannot effectively curb carbon emissions. The study explores how to promote the construction of ecological civilization and help reduce carbon emissions accordingly. To provide direction for the direction of ecological civilization construction in different regions.

The research aimed to examine the impact of different pH solutions on the tensile mechanical properties of saturated and natural sandstone specimens. The study utilized the WHY-300/10 microcomputer-controlled pressure testing machine to conduct Brazil splitting tests and employed acoustic emission and local dynamic strain testing techniques. The results indicated the tensile strength and split tensile modulus of the sandstone specimens gradually decreased with the polarisation of the solution pH, and the acoustic emission signal ring number monitoring values showed an increasing trend. The pH of the soaking solution followed an exponential decay pattern over time, eventually tending towards weak alkalinity. A new damage variable based on the cumulative ring count after chemical corrosion was defined to indirectly analyze the degree of corrosion degradation. It was discovered that in acidic or alkaline environments, the internal crystals of the rock are dissolved, weakening the mineral interconnections and causing a deterioration in tensile stress and strength. These findings can provide valuable insights for ensuring the safety and stability of the Denglou Mountain Tunnel in Yunnan Province.

232Th/233U fuel cycle is an alternate candidate for future nuclear energy. Neutron-induced fission cross section of 232Th is one of the important nuclear data if using thorium as the fuel in the future. 232Th(n, f) cross sections from 1 to 300 MeV were measured at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) Back-streaming neutron facility (Back-n) relative to 235U(n, f) and n-p scattering. A fast ionization chamber for fission cross section measurement (FIXM) and a proton recoil telescope (PRT) were used to perform the measurement. The neutron energy in this measurement reaches up to 300 MeV which is supposed to be the highest among the current Experimental Nuclear Reaction Data (EXFOR) library. It stands as the only experimental data in the region of 200-300 MeV in EXFOR as well. The experimental and evaluated data of 232Th(n, f) cross section above 60 MeV are scarce, the measurement data of this work will be valuable references for future evaluation in high energy. For the data below 60 MeV, most of our data are more consistent with ENDF/B-VIII.0, excepting in the region of 1-2 MeV where our data are more in favor of CENDL-3.2.

The interval section of the Liuyang River flood control levee project of the Changsha Metro Line 6 is used as the engineering background of this study. A three-dimensional finite element numerical model of a tunnel shield containing complex interfaces is established by using the multifield coupling software COMSOL. The paper studied the deformation of flood control levees under shield tunnel excavation working conditions. The results show that when the left line shield machine is excavated below the Liuyang River flood control levee, the deformation of the flood control levee and the surrounding rock of the tunnel is biased towards the built right line tunnel. And it has an impact on the bridge pile near the tunnel. When the shield of the left line crosses the flood control levee, it can easily cause a large deformation and displacement of the levee above the area between the two shields. To ensure the controlled deformation of the levee, the construction should ensure the spacing between the two tunnel palm faces as far as possible and should be far away from other structures on the levee. When the shield crosses the levee, the deformation that occurs at the base of the levee is significantly higher than the deformations that occur at other locations of the levee. Displacement monitoring and secondary reinforcement at the base of the flood control levee appear to be necessary. The numerical simulation results validate the feasibility of using the multifield coupling software COMSOL to study the construction modeling of shield tunnels through rivers and its advantages. This method provides a practical framework for similar tunnel performance engineering or displacement monitoring in future projects.

With the rapid advancement of the informatization process of China’s construction industry, the requirements for the integration of engineering design and construction are getting higher and higher. The quality of engineering design and the level of design management directly affect the quality of construction. The emergence of the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) model overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional contracting model, but it is still not ideal in terms of work integration and information transmission. BIM (building information modeling) is a collaborative process of creating, managing and exchanging information throughout the construction project. BIM has revolutionized the construction, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. This paper examines the problems related to current project design management in China and their causes. On the basis of summarizing the existing research on design management, it introduces a form of BIM integrating design BIM and construction BIM, so as to better depict the leading role of design in the construction process. By analyzing the changes in organizational management and communication methods brought about by BIM, this paper optimizes and innovates upon the traditional project design process in view of the problems in project practice. It advances BIM design work, increases detailed BIM design work and enables the downstream participants to intervene in the design stage, so as to develop a more smooth and efficient design workflow, which provides operable work detail guidance for BIM-based design management in the future.

This article combines numerical simulation and field monitoring methods to study the stability of the overlying Liuyang River embankment in the tunnel crossing between Huaqiao Station and Rice Museum Station of Changsha Metro’s Line 6. Using AutoCAD, 3Dmine, and COMSOL Multiphysics, a calculation model of the entire subway tunnel section crossing the flood control embankment under the coupling of fluids and solids was established. The process of tunnel-crossing the embankment and the variation in spatial displacement and plastic strain in different geological layers were analyzed from the perspective of time evolution and spatial distribution. The research results show that during the process of crossing the embankment, the deformation of the east bank is greater than that of the west bank, and crossing the west bank is the relatively riskier stage of the entire project. Moreover, during the process of crossing the embankment, the overlying soil layer will produce a plastic strain zone, and only a small amount of plastic strain is generated in the surrounding sandstone layer of the tunnel walls. In terms of the magnitude of plastic strain, the plastic strain area produced by the leading tunnel’s surrounding rocks is larger than that of the following tunnel. As the excavation progresses, a funnel-shaped settlement displacement gradually forms during the passage of the leading tunnel, and this settlement funnel gradually expands during the passage of the following tunnel, with the maximum settlement point transitioning from directly above the leading tunnel to the middle position between the two tunnels. Using the jitter filter algorithm and the adjacent average method to process the field monitoring data, the results show that the monitored deformation results well match the simulated settlement results.

With the global economy and population growing rapidly, the problems of excessive resource consumption and environmental pollution have become increasingly serious. Thus, the need to promote sustainable development has become more urgent. Sustainable consumption behavior plays a crucial role in achieving sustainable development goals as it can significantly reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption. Artificial intelligence technology has broken the limitations of time and space in environmental protection. For example, the Ant Forest leverages the design of “green energy” to inspire the public to engage in energy-saving and emission-reducing activities. To examine the impact mechanisms of customers’ sustainable consumption behavior, this study applies the stimulus-organism-response theory and the theory of planned behavior. The study conducts regression analysis and bootstrapping methods on a sample consisting of 280 Ant Forest users to explore the influence of artificial intelligence technology stimuli on sustainable consumption behavior and the mediating effects of customer-perceived value and customer stickiness. The results demonstrate a “linkage effect” between online green consumption habits and offline sustainable consumption behavior. Moreover, the study finds that passion and usability indirectly promote offline sustainable consumption behavior through customer-perceived value and customer stickiness. Specifically, the influence of customer-perceived emotional value (β = 0.121; β = 0.100) is stronger than that of customer-perceived social value (β = 0.043; β = 0.038). Due to the limitation of the sample size, future research should broaden its scope by incorporating additional variables, specifically customer-specific factors. Furthermore, more advanced research methods, such as big data analysis, should be employed to comprehensively explore the influencing factors of sustainable consumer behavior.

Prefabricated buildings have the advantages of high efficiency and saving resources. However, China’s prefabricated buildings were built relatively late, and there are problems in terms of their low standardization, integration, and industrialization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk of constructing prefabricated buildings under the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) general contracting mode from the perspective of general contractors and to propose countermeasures for the key risks. Firstly, a risk evaluation index system was established via a literature analysis, and a questionnaire survey was used to collect the data. SPSS was used to conduct the data factor analysis to finally identify 4 first-level indicators and 14 second-level indicators. Then, a structural equation model (SEM) was developed to further evaluate the impact of each indicator on the risk of constructing prefabricated buildings under the EPC general contracting mode. The results showed that the construction and design risk had the greatest impact. Among them, the technical level of the construction personnel while conducting the hoisting, stacking, and protection of on-site materials and the lack of integrated design experience among the designers were the key points for risk control. On the one hand, this study explored the whole life cycle of a project, which makes up for the lack of risk analyses and the control being limited to a single engineering stage that has been presented in previous studies. On the other hand, in terms of the design, procurement, and construction as a whole research object, we found that the fuzzy evaluation method and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) used in previous risk analyses and evaluation methods have defects. They cannot verify the rationality of the logical relationship between the evaluation indices. In contrast, this study used the SEM method to fill this research gap. This ensures the scientific nature of our research to the greatest extent. Additionally, we also found some problems with this type of research: the selection of the evaluation indicators and data collection vary with the region, project characteristics, project contracting mode, and risk management subject, which influence the results of studies. Overall, the SEM method established in this study provides a reference and can help us conduct similar research and model evaluations in other regions. This method can guide project implementers to make the best risk-management decisions, so it is of great significance for practitioners in this field.

ObjectivesThe left tracheobronchial (4L) lymph nodes (LNs) are considered as regional LNs for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but there is a controversy about routine prophylactic 4L LN dissection for all resectable ESCCs. This study aimed to develop a nomogram for preoperative prediction of station 4L lymph node metastases (LNMs).MethodsA total of 522 EC patients in the training cohort and 370 in the external validation cohort were included. The prognostic impact of station 4L LNM was evaluated, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors of station 4L LNM. A nomogram model was developed based on multivariable logistic regression analysis. Model performance was evaluated in both cohorts in terms of calibration, discrimination, and clinical usefulness.ResultsThe incidence of station 4L LNM was 7.9% (41/522) in the training cohort. Patients with station 4L LNM exhibited a poorer 5-year overall survival rate than those without (43.2% vs. 71.6%, p

Abstract Objectives To explore the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression pattern of congenital lung malformations on a genome-wide scale and investigate their potential biological function in four subtypes of congenital lung malformations. Methods We obtained both lesions and normal lung control tissues from the patients diagnosed with CPAM-I, CPAM-II, ILS, and ILS-CPAM, and underwent lobectomy (i.e., surgical removal of the whole lobe which contains the localized lesion as well as normal lung tissue). Then, we performed lncRNA transcriptome profiling in these tissues by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was conducted to characterize the expression profiles and relevant biological functions and for multiple comparisons of lncRNA expression in the different subtypes of congenital lung malformation tissues. Furthermore, the lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network was constructed, and dysregulated mRNAs were functionally analyzed. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to predict the potential molecular mechanism of the identified lncRNAs. Results A total of 5921 lncRNA transcripts were identified between congenital lung malformations tissues and normal lung control tissues. Compared with normal lung control, 481of these expressed lncRNAs were upregulated and 142 were downregulated in CPAM-I, 91 were upregulated and 14 were downregulated in CPAM-II, 39 were upregulated and 38 were downregulated in ILS, and 201 were upregulated and 38 were downregulated in ILS-CPAM. Unsupervised clustering and principal component analysis of the expressed lncRNAs visualized the differences between normal lung control and different subtypes of congenital lung malformations samples. We also confirmed significant differences in the composition of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE lncRNAs) between CPAM-I and other subtypes of congenital lung malformations, as well as in normal lung control tissues, and observed enrichment of DEGs in the regulation of the immune system, cell projection organization, and inflammatory pathways. Finally, we identified the lncRNA FLJ26850 might be related to congenital lung malformations via ZNF473. Conclusions Significant differences in lncRNAs expression patterns were observed between different subtypes of congenital lung malformations and normal control. The lncRNA FLJ26850 might be related to congenital lung malformations via ZNF473.

Background and AimsEmergency endoscopy is recommended for patients with acute esophageal variceal bleeding (EVB) and their prognosis has improved markedly over past decades due to the increased specialization of endoscopic practice. The study aimed to compare outcomes following emergency endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) and endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) in cirrhotic patients with acute EVB.MethodsCirrhotic patients with acute EVB who underwent emergency endoscopy were retrospectively enrolled from 2013 to 2020 across 34 university hospitals from 30 cities. The primary outcome was the incidence of 5-day rebleeding after emergency endoscopy. Subgroup analysis was stratified by Child-Pugh class and bleeding history. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed.ResultsA total of 1,017 and 382 patients were included in EIS group and EVL group, respectively. The 5-day rebleeding incidence was similar between EIS group and EVL group (4% vs. 5%, P = 0.45). The result remained the same after PSM (P = 1.00). Among Child-Pugh class A, B and C patients, there were no differences in the 5-day rebleeding incidence between the two groups after PSM (P = 0.25, 0.82, and 0.21, respectively). As for the patients with or without bleeding history, the differences between EIS group and EVL group were not significant after PSM (P = 1.00 and 0.26, respectively).ConclusionThe nationwide cohort study indicates that EIS and EVL are both efficient emergency endoscopic treatment strategies for acute EVB. EIS should not be dismissed as an economical and effective emergency endoscopic treatment strategy of acute EVB. ClincialTrials.gov number NCT04307264.

As the second-largest contributor to historical global warming, methane emissions must be controlled to slow down temperature increase and achieve climate benefits. Due to a lack of knowledge about the specific sources and processes, a quantitative approach will lead to inaccurate estimation. In this paper, a typical local distribution company with more than 100 years of operation history was chosen. Detailed procedures of pipeline constructions and accidents were investigated, and critical steps leading to methane emissions were clarified. Then emission quantification methodologies for all processes were proposed, including a new pipeline connection, new regulator connection, emergency repair and third-party damages. As a basis for emission estimation, the distribution of parameters, such as diameter, length and pressure, was counted. Then the emission rates of all projects were calculated, and emission factors were established. The average emission rates of the new pipeline connection, new regulator connection, emergency repair, third-party damage (medium pressure) and third-party damage (low pressure) were 234 kg, 147 kg, 217 kg, 17,282 kg and 62 kg, respectively. In addition, the total methane emission in China from these sources was estimated to be about 5 × 104 t, which is large enough to attract attention. The work in this paper aims to establish a reasonable framework to evaluate venting methane emissions from the distribution process of natural gas.

The historical training or exam data of an athlete produced in the past sport exercise or test activities have provided a promising way to objectively and accurately evaluate the real-time sport performance of the athlete. However, the continuous generation of sport training or exam data has placed a heavy transmission and processing burden on the traditional centralized data processing paradigm (e.g., cloud platform). Considering this drawback, a decentralized blockchain-based athlete sport data transmission and utilization solution is proposed in this research work. Moreover, the available athlete sport data produced in past sport exercise or test activities is often sparse and time-related, which call for a robust and time-aware data fusion and processing solution. In this situation, HMM model is employed in this article to cope with the data sparsity and dynamics and further make accurate sports performance prediction for athletes accordingly. Finally, we design a set of experiments on a real-world dataset to validate the feasibility of our proposal in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.

The decrease in periodic scouring of pulsed flows in regulated rivers can result in algal communities dominated by filamentous algae, not available as food sources for fish and macroinvertebrates. To study the pulsed flow velocity required to scour benthic algae from natural river beds, the removal effects on the algal biomass and resistances of different species were tested in a laboratory flume at different velocities of 0.8, 1.1, 1.4, 1.7, and 2.0 m/s. The removal of total algal biomass showed a significant positive relationship with increasing velocities, which reached 22% at 2.0 m/s. The biomass removal of green algae and diatoms was higher than that of blue–green algae. The flow velocity at 1.4 m/s had a clear removal effect on filamentous algae. The velocity higher than 1.7 m/s caused a significant increase in the removal percentage of total biomass dominated by diatoms and blue–green algae. To reduce the filamentous algae and retain the diatoms and blue–green algae, a range of near bed flow velocity was suggested to be 1.4–1.7 m/s. This range could serve as a reference for required pulsed flow velocity to reduce the growth of excessive or nuisance periphyton.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how pre-hypoxia exposure affected the mitochondrial structure and bioenergetic function of large yellow croaker in responding to Cu stress. Fish were acclimated to normoxia and 3.0 mg DO L−1 for 48 h, then subjected to 0 and 120 μg Cu L−1 for another 48 h. Hypoxic acclimation did not affect mitochondrial ultrastructure and reactive oxygen species (ROS), but reduced oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) efficiency. Cu exposure impaired mitochondrial ultrastructure, increased ROS generation and inhibited OXPHOS efficiency. Compared with Cu exposure alone, hypoxic acclimation plus Cu exposure reduced ROS production and improved OXPHOS efficiency by enhancing mitochondrial respiratory control ratio, mitochondrial membrane potential, and activities and gene expressions of electron transport chain enzymes. In conclusion, hypoxic acclimation improved the mitochondrial energy metabolism of large yellow croaker under Cu stress, facilitating our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regarding adaptive responses of hypoxia-acclimated fish under Cu stress.

In the process of cryopreservation of dairy goat semen, it will face many threats such as oxidative damage, which will affect the motility and plasma membrane function of sperm. As an endogenous antioxidant in animals, glutathione (GSH) can significantly improve the quality of thawed sperm when added to the frozen diluent of semen of pigs and cattle. In this study, different concentration gradients of GSH [0 mmol/L (control), 1, 2, 3, 4 mmol/L] were added to the frozen diluent of Guanzhong dairy goat semen. By detecting the sperm motility parameters, acrosome intact rate and plasma membrane intact rate after thawing, the effect of GSH on the cryopreservation of dairy goat semen was explored. Sperm motility parameters were measured with the computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) system (total power, TM; forward power, PM; linearity, LIN; average path speed, VAP; straight line speed, VSL; curve speed, VCL; beat cross frequency, BCF). The sperm acrosome integrity rate after thawing was detected by a specific fluorescent probe (isothiocyanate-labeled peanut agglutinin, FITC-PNA), and the sperm plasma membrane integrity rate after thawing was detected by the hypotonic sperm swelling (HOST) method. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) kit, malondialdehyde (MDA) kit, superoxide dismutase (SOD) kit, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) kit were used to detect various antioxidant indicators of thawed sperm. in vitro fertilization experiment was used to verify the effect of adding glutathione on sperm fertilization and embryo development. The results showed that when the concentration of glutathione was 2 mmol/l, the sperm viability, plasma membrane intact rate, and acrosome intact rate were the highest after thawing, reaching 62.14, 37.62, and 70.87% respectively, and they were all significantly higher. In terms of antioxidant indexes; the values of SOD and GSH-PX were 212.60 U/ml and 125.04 U/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the control group; The values of ROS and MDA were 363.05 U/ml and 7.02 nmol/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than the control group. The addition of 2 mmol/L glutathione significantly improves the fertilization ability of sperm. In short, adding 2 mmol/l glutathione to the semen diluent can improve the quality of frozen Guanzhong dairy goat sperm.

Infantile hepatic hemangioma (IHH) is the most common benign liver tumor in infancy, some life-threatening complications like abdominal compartment syndrome, consumptive hypothyroidism and cardiac failure may occur in these patients. Hypothyroidism should be focused on and managed earlier to prevent intellectual and growth retardation. We described a 4 months old infant complaint of progressive abdominal distention, who was diagnosed with diffuse hepatic hemangiomas by ultrasonography and MRI, treated successfully with propranolol and levothyroxine for consumptive hypothyroidism. At 8 months old levothyroxine was stopped, she grew up with a normal growth trajectory and neurodevelopment at her last follow-up at the age of 13 months. Our study suggests that thyroid function should be evaluated even though negative neonatal screen and propranolol should be first-line agent for diffuse IHH. It is instrumental that simultaneous anti-tumor and thyroid replacement make diffuse IHH patients with consumptive hypothyroidism recovery better.

Introduction: Recently, bile acids (BAs) are increasingly being considered as unique metabolic integrators and not just for the cholesterol metabolism and absorption of dietary lipids. Human BAs profiles are evolved to be individual under different environmental, dietary, and inherited factors. Variation of BAs for crewmembers from freshly prepared kitchen diets to wholly prepackaged industrial foods in a ground-based spacecraft simulator has not been clearly interpreted.Methods: Three crewmembers were confined in a docked spacecraft and supplied with 7 days periodic wholly prepackaged industrial foods for 50 days. Fecal samples were collected before entry in the spacecraft simulator and after evacuation. Determination of 16 kinds of BAs was carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method.Results: Bile acids metabolism is sensitive to diet and environment transition from freshly prepared kitchen diets in the canteen to wholly prepackaged industrial foods in a ground-based spacecraft simulator, which is also specific to individuals. A significant positive relationship with a coefficient of 0.85 was found for primary BAs as chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and cholic acid (CA), and a significantly negative relationship with a coefficient of −0.69 for secondary BAs as lithocholic acid (LCA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA).Discussion: The profile of BA metabolism of individuals who share the same food in the same environment appears to be unique, suggesting that the inherent ability of different individuals to adapt to diet and environment varies. Since the transition from the free diet in open space to whole prepackaged space food diet in a space station simulator causes the variations of BAs pool in an individual manner, assessment of BA metabolic profiles provides a new perspective for personalized diet design, astronaut selection and training, and space flight diet acclimatization.

The hippocampus plays an important role in the memory and cognition abilities of humans. Precise three-dimensional (3D) segmentation of the hippocampus from magnetic resonance imaging scans is of great importance in the diagnosis of neurological diseases. Conventional automatic segmentation methods poorly achieve satisfactory performance because of the irregular shape and small volume of the hippocampus. We propose a novel two-stage segmentation method, which includes a localization stage and a segmentation stage, to handle the task of the 3D segmentation of the hippocampus. In the localization stage, a novel strategy for localizing multi-size candidate regions was developed to improve the sample balance for the 3D segmentation task. In the segmentation stage, a method which fuses the multi-size candidate regions was proposed to improve the accuracy in predicting the hippocampal boundary, after which we aggregated the segmentation results from three orthogonal views to further improve the performance. Quantitative evaluation was performed on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset. The experimental results achieved Dice similarity coefficients of 92.48 ± 0.61% and 92.90 ± 0.51% for the left and right hippocampus, respectively, outperforming state-of-the-art studies in hippocampus segmentation tasks.

With the advent of Internet of Health (IoH) age, traditional medical or healthy services are gradually migrating to the Web or Internet and have been producing a considerable amount of medical data associated with patients, doctors, medicine, medical infrastructure and so on. Effective fusion and analyses of these IoH data are of positive significances for the scientific disaster diagnosis and medical care services. However, IoH data are often distributed across different departments and contain partial user privacy. Therefore, it is often a challenging task to effectively integrate or mine the sensitive IoH data, during which user privacy is not disclosed. To overcome the above difficulty, we put forward a novel multi-source medical data integration and mining solution for better healthcare services, named PDFM (Privacy-free Data Fusion and Mining). Through PDFM, we can search for similar medical records in a time-efficient and privacy-preserving manner, so as to offer patients with better medical and health services. A group of experiments are enacted and implemented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposal in this work.

Existing rock material damage models always ignore the initial damage characteristics of rock materials, and the actual rock materials have initial damage characteristics. To consider the rock’s initial damage characteristics, a series of compression tests for yellow sandstone was carried out. First, the acoustic emission characteristics and damage model of yellow sandstone, considering the loading rates, were analyzed. Second, an initial damage model, which can better describe the initial damage characteristics of yellow sandstone materials, is presented. The research results show that the strength and elastic modulus of yellow sandstone depends on the loading rate, and increases as the loading rate increases.

According to fracture mechanics theory, the initial cracking law and wing crack propagation model of compression shear rock cracks subjected to hydraulic pressure and far field stresses are discussed. The results of the theoretical study show that crack initiation strength is inversely related to hydraulic pressure, that hydraulic pressure aggravates the wing crack’s growth, and that the wing crack’s behavior under high hydraulic pressure shifts from stable to unstable expansion. The confining pressure is proportional to the rock mass strength, the wing crack’s stress intensity factor drops as the remote field stress σ3 increases, and the wing crack tends to expand stably. As the crack angle increases, the cracking strength reduces at first, then increases. At the same time, damage fracture mechanics models are established for the occurrence of wing crack-wing crack failure, wing crack-shear crack failure, wing crack-shear crack-wing crack failure, and shear crack-shear crack failure in the compression-shear crack bridge under far-field stress and hydraulic pressure. The link between hydraulic pressure, confining pressure, fracture angle, stress intensity factor, and compression-shear factor λ12 is also clarified. The value of the stress intensity factor increases when the hydraulic pressure decreases, the confining pressure increases, and the crack angle increases, whereas the compression-shear factor decreases. This study lays the groundwork for a quantitative assessment of fractured rock mass destruction under hydraulic pressure.

Multiple compression tests on rock-like samples of pre-existing cracks with different geometries were conducted to investigate the strength properties and crack propagation behavior considering multi-crack interactions. The progressive failure process of the specimens was segmented into four categories and seven coalescence modes were identified due to different crack propagation mechanisms. Ultimately, a mechanical model of the multi-crack rock mass was proposed to investigate the gradual fracture and damage evolution traits of the multi-crack rock on the basis of exploring the law of the compression-shear wing crack initiation and propagation. A comparison between theory and experimental results indicated that the peak strength of the specimens with multiple fractures decreased initially and subsequently increased with the increase in the fissure inclination angles; the peak strength of specimens decreased with the increase in the density of fissure distribution.

BackgroundSubcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a malignant primary T-cell lymphoma that is challenging to distinguish from autoimmune disorders and reactive panniculitides. Delay in diagnosis and a high misdiagnosis rate affect the prognosis and survival of patients. The difficulty of diagnosis is mainly due to an incomplete understanding of disease pathogenesis.MethodsWe performed single-cell RNA sequencing of matched subcutaneous lesion tissue, peripheral blood, and bone marrow from a patient with SPTCL, as well as peripheral blood, bone marrow, lymph node, and lung tissue samples from healthy donors as normal controls. We conducted cell clustering, gene expression program identification, gene differential expression analysis, and cell-cell interaction analysis to investigate the ecosystem of SPTCL.ResultsBased on gene expression profiles in a single-cell resolution, we identified and characterized the malignant cells and immune subsets from a patient with SPTCL. Our analysis showed that SPTCL malignant cells expressed a distinct gene signature, including chemokines families, cytotoxic proteins, T cell immune checkpoint molecules, and the immunoglobulin family. By comparing with normal T cells, we identified potential novel markers for SPTCL (e.g., CYTOR, CXCL13, VCAM1, and TIMD4) specifically differentially expressed in the malignant cells. We also found that macrophages and fibroblasts dominated the cell-cell communication landscape with the SPTCL malignant cells.ConclusionsThis work offers insight into the heterogeneity of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma, providing a better understanding of the transcription characteristics and immune microenvironment of this rare tumor.

Cross-river twin tunnels are prone to deformation and uneven settlement of the surrounding soil due to the complexity of the strata crossed, which has a negative impact on the tunnel structure. A numerical calculation model was established using the COMSOL Multiphysics to study the effects of twin tunnel excavation in composite strata on the ground settlement and the ground settlement pattern. The results indicated that after the construction of the twin tunnels is completed, the ground settlement above the first tunnel is slightly larger than the ground settlement above the second tunnel. The further the spacing between the two tunnels before and after excavation, the smaller the amount of ground settlement and the impact on the surrounding soil. The ground settlement value increases with the increase in burial depth, and the ground settlement curve gradually changes from a W-shaped curve to a V-shaped curve. As the distance between the two tunnels increases, the maximum settlement value of the settlement curve gradually decreases, and the ground lateral settlement curve changes from V-shaped to W-shaped. The higher the water level on the riverbed side, the greater the settlement value of the ground.

In view of the nonlinear mechanical characteristics of rock foundation creep fracture and its influence on the stability of wind turbine under wind load, based on the influence of wind load, this paper proposed the elastoplastic creep fracture and rock foundation bearing capacity on wind turbine. Considering the superstructure concrete with rock foundation and its boundary conditions, the wind load standard value was obtained and wind turbine system composition was constructed. The two grades of freedom system of viscous damping vibration model was proposed. Furthermore, the frequency characteristic equations and the relations of the first- and second-order natural frequencies were obtained. Considering plastic yield theory on power hard rock base material, the analytical expressions of principal stress distribution, plastic zone, and plastic state of I-II composite crack were obtained and used for coupling Mohr–Coulomb plastic yield condition and creep fracture characteristics. Furthermore, the nonlinear creep model equation and accelerated creep fracture time were also obtained, to be used for the modified Kelvin nonlinear accelerated creep model. Combined with the calculation examples, it is verified that the accelerated creep displacement and crack propagation of rock foundation are obvious, taking full account of the wind bracing and creep characteristics of rock foundation. Final, the failure mode of rock foundation is of compressive shear, local shear, and bending-shear; so, it is necessary to reinforce the interface of the rock foundation in a timely manner.

The reason for instability in a rock mass with a weak interlayer is not only the sliding failure of the rock interlayer structural plane but also the tip crack propagation caused by the stress concentration at the tip of the interlayer. In this study, a uniaxial compression test of an anchored rock mass with a weak interlayer was carried out to determine the influence of the anchorage on the failure pattern and the strength of samples with different interlayer dip angles. In addition, the coupled DEM–FEM numerical simulation method was used to study the internal stress evolution of the sample and the stress distribution of the anchor under the anchorage effect. The results showed that the anchorage effect on reinforcement and strength enhancement was greatest for the sample with an interlayer dip angle of 30°. Under the anchorage effect, crack initiation was limited and there was more shear failure in the samples. The reinforcement range of the anchorage effect for anchors with restrained ends was larger than for anchors with free ends. When the rock–anchor interface was unbonded, the effect of the free-ends anchor reflected the residual friction, but the restrained-ends anchor still worked by limiting the lateral expansion of the rocks. The stress values and deformation of the anchors decreased gradually with an increase in dip angle.

Nearly half of the tailings dams in China are in a state of high-security risks and overservice, and the safety of these tailings dams has always been a concern for relevant scholars. The seepage characteristics of tailings are one of the essential factors affecting the safety of tailings dam. Now, due to the improvement of mineral processing technology, there are many fine tailings dam; the study of the seepage characteristics of the tailings dam is no longer applicable. Fine-grained tailings form uneven deposition in these tailings dams, resulting in the permeability of tailings not conforming to the previous law. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the permeability of fine-grained tailings with uneven deposition. In this paper, the physical model of the simulated tailings dam is established to study the influence of the dry beach slope on the distribution and deposition law of fine tailings during discharge. The test results show that the average particle size of tailings decreases along the length of dry beach, showing the phenomenon of coarsening upstream and thinning downstream. Then, based on the data of fine tailings deposition, the variation characteristics of the permeability coefficient of layered tailings under stable and unstable seepage conditions are studied. The test results show that the variation process of tailings permeability coefficient can be divided into four stages: rapid compaction stage, slow compaction stage, failure stage, and stable stage. Under stable and unstable seepage conditions, the permeability coefficients of unstratified tailing sand are about 10% and 15% higher, respectively, than those in the initial state. The permeability coefficient of layered tailings formed by uneven settlement changes more obviously, which is about 12% and 20% higher than the initial state.

Hydromorphology is a major component of riverine ecosystems. Therefore, proper assessments of the status quo, as well as the detection of pressures in river basins, are of high relevance. Process-based morphological methods have been developed, relying on a broad data basis and resulting in suitable instruments, such as the Morphological Quality Index (MQI). In this study, the hydromorphological status of the Nanxi river system in Eastern China was assessed by an adapted application of the MQI. Adaptations and amendments in the methodical approach were developed in cycles and carried out to transfer the well-approved method for European river systems to another geographical setting. The strengths of the tested approach are the few data requirements, the applicability for modified river basins, and the decoupling of historical information. The assessment of 161 river kilometers resulted in a hydromorphological status quo with the focus being a relative comparison of different sections ranging from “moderate” to “bad”, with an average classification of a “poor” state. On the one hand, the results build the basis for future restoration and river management planning, specifically, and on the other hand, they create a foundation for the development of an assessment method fitted for modified river systems conditions.

To accurately detect micro crack widths in rocks in real time, a new method based on a microwave resonance vibration model is proposed. Repeated experiments carried out by the developed microwave resonance vibration model-based sensor and the measuring apparatus determined that the center frequency of this model is 3.665 GHz. The experimental verification on various crack widths (below 1 mm) is performed after the calibration experiment of taking the plug gauge and dial gauge as standard. The relationship between the actual value and the amplitude of the output voltage of the microwave signal is analyzed; in addition, the influence of different environmental relative humidity and specimen water content on rock crack width measurement results is discussed. The experimental results show that, under the condition of a resonance vibration frequency of 3.575 GHz, the proposed method can accurately and directly determine the micro crack width in rocks. The detection system is developed with a relative error of less than ±5%, the minimum value of stability detection is 50 μm, and the fastest response speed of 0.28 ns. In terms of the influence of different environmental relative humidity and specimen water content on the measurement results, the greater the relative humidity, the higher the specimen water content, and the greater the influence on the measurement results. It provides an important reference for rock crack width variation monitoring and serves well for the rock masses engineering stability evaluation.

The strength and failure characteristics of most natural rock mass are influenced by discontinues such as fissures, joints, and weak surfaces. In the present study, the strength and failure behavior of ubiquitous-joint rock-like specimens under uniaxial loading have been investigated by DIC (digital image correlation) and discrete element numerical method (PFC2D). The results are obtained. Firstly, the UCSJ of specimens with γ = 15° or 30° shows similar tendency while α goes from 0° to 75°. With γ = 45° or 60°, the UCSJ of specimens increases when α goes from 0° to 30° and decreases after α goes beyond 30°. With γ = 75°, the peak UCSJ value is reached when α = 0°. The UCSJ value shows an increasing trend when α goes from 60° to 75°. Secondly, the ubiquitous-joint specimens present different failure modes for various levels of α and γ(β-α). Based on the experimental results, the failure mode of ubiquitous-joint specimens can be classified into three categories: stepped path failure, failure through parallel plane, and failure through cross plane. Keywords: Ubiquitous-joint, Digital speckle correlation technique, PFC2D, Strength, Failure mode

Much geotechnical construction needs to be carried out under the condition of stepped excavation. However, there is still a lack of research on crack coalescence and failure modes of jointed rock mass under stepped excavation conditions. In order to simulate the stepped excavation test of the real project, the polylactic acid (PLA) material is selected as the filler for the excavation area. The stepped excavation tests are performed on sandstone specimens containing a preexisting joint under different normal load conditions. The dynamic stepped excavation of simulating excavate rock engineering is realised. The constant normal loads during the excavation process are determined to be 80 kN and 100 kN. The influence of the joint inclination on the failure characteristics of the excavation process is analysed. Four typical failure modes are summarised: (a) Mode I: crack coalescence of tensile failure; (b) Mode II: crack coalescence of mixed failure; (c) Mode III: without crack coalescence of mixed failure; (d) Mode IV: without crack coalescence of shear failure. Furthermore, the failure characteristics of the area above the excavation hole and the preexisting joint are analysed. The results show that there are three failure modes: (a) Type I: spalling failure; (b) Type II: shear slip failure; (c) Type III: shear slip and spalling mixed failure.

Under high horizontal ground stress, the squeezing failure has been a common failure pattern for deep roadway. And the large deformation of surrounding rock mass around the roadway has also been a major challenge for deep mining practices. This paper describes a case study of the failure mechanisms and stability control technology of deep roadway under high horizontal ground stress in Jinchuan mine in Gansu Province, China. And this paper also aims to propose a kind of support strategy to prevent the plastic slippage around the floor of roadway. This study started with an in situ broken zone measurement programme to determine the depth of broken zone at each part of the roadway. Combined with long bolt and floor beam, an improved support strategy has been proposed. The field test results show that the improved support strategy can successfully solve the problems of side wall collapse and floor heaven. It can significantly restricts rock mass large deformation and avoid frequent repair. Compare to the original support, the improved support strategy can greatly save investment of mines and also has good application value.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the role of FEN1 E160D mutation in lupus nephritis (LN) patients with cell apoptosis dysfunction. Methods: (1) Cell apoptosis was detected from 50 paraffin samples obtained from renal biopsies of patients with Class IV LN by TUNEL method and the relationship of the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI 2000) and renal tissue cell apoptotic index (AI) was discussed. (2) FEN1 gene 61563142–61563342 containing E160D were analysed by extracting genomic DNA from peripheral blood collected from the above 50 LN patients and 25 patients with nephrectomy caused by renal trauma. The difference between these two groups was statistically significant. Results: Cell apoptosis was detected in all patients with LN, and correlation analysis results revealed a positive relationship between SLEDAI 2000 and AI (r = 0.39, p = .032). The FEN1 gene 61563142–61563342 fragment had site mutations at C/− (+61563189), A/T (+61563198), A/− (+61563204), G/T (+61563303), and T/C (+61563304). However, no statistical significance was found between LN patients detected with cell apoptosis and healthy individuals. Conclusions: This study revealed that cell apoptosis dysfunction plays a key role in the pathogenesis of LN, even though the difference in FEN1 gene 61563142–61563342 between LN patients and healthy individuals was not statistically significant. Larger sample size studies or genome-wide association studies are needed.

The successful fish upstream movement through a dam/gate is closely associated with the hydraulic conditions of a fishway. To improve the passage efficiency, this study investigated the upstream swimming behaviors of juvenile grass carp, a representative fish of four major Chinese carps, under characteristic hydraulic conditions of a designed vertical slot fishway model. The impacts of different discharges and baffle lead angles on the successful movement of test fish were analyzed, and the selection of the movement trajectory was studied through overlay of their upstream swimming trajectories on the water flow field resulting from numerical modeling. We found that under the same discharge, the percentage of successful test fish movement with a lead angle of 45° was higher than 60° and 30°. Within a fixed lead angle, the higher the discharge, the lower the percentage of successful movement. During upstream movement, the test fish had a preferred water velocity of 0.01–0.45 m/s in the pool, and avoided areas where the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) was greater than 0.012 m2/s2. These results provide a basis for the hydraulic design of vertical slot fishways and a reference for studying swimming behaviors of other fish species.

Rock masses are heterogeneous materials containing a large number of discontinuities, and the failure of the natural rock mass is induced by the crack propagation and coalescence of discontinuities, especially for the rock mass around tunnel or underground space. Because the deformation or failure process of jointed rock mass exhibits strongly nonlinear characteristics, it is also very difficult to predict the strength and failure modes of the rock mass. Therefore, it is very necessary to study the failure mechanisms of jointed rock mass under different stress conditions. Apart from the stress condition, the discontinuities geometry also has a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of jointed rock mass. Then, substantial, experimental, and numerical efforts have been devoted to the study of crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence of rock or rock-like specimens containing different kinds of joints or fissures. The purpose of this review is to discuss the development and the contribution of the experiment test and numerical simulation in failure behavior of jointed rock or rock-like specimens. Overall, this review can be classified into three parts. It begins by briefly explaining the significance of studying these topics. Afterwards, the experimental and numerical studies on the strength, deformation, and failure characteristics of jointed rock or rock-like materials are carried out and discussed.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Automatic diagnosis of MCI by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images has been the focus of research in recent years. Furthermore, deep learning models based on 2D view and 3D view have been widely used in the diagnosis of MCI. The deep learning architecture can capture anatomical changes in the brain from MRI scans to extract the underlying features of brain disease. In this paper, we propose a multi-view based multi-model (MVMM) learning framework, which effectively combines the local information of 2D images with the global information of 3D images. First, we select some 2D slices from MRI images and extract the features representing 2D local information. Then, we combine them with the features representing 3D global information learned from 3D images to train the MVMM learning framework. We evaluate our model on the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. The experimental results show that our proposed model can effectively recognize MCI through MRI images (accuracy of 87.50% for MCI/HC and accuracy of 83.18% for MCI/AD).

In nuclear reactors, inelastic neutron scattering is a significant energy-loss mechanism which has deep impacts on designments of nuclear reactor and radiation shielding. Iron is an important material in reactor. However, for the existing nuclear data for iron, there exists an obvious divergence for the inelastic scattering cross sections and the related gamma production sections. Therefore the precise measurements are urgently needed for satisfying the demanding to design new nuclear reactors (fast reactors), Accelerator Driven Subcritical System (ADS), and other nuclear apparatus. In this paper, we report a new system with an array of HPGe detectors, electronics and acquisition system. Experiments had been carried out on three neutron facilities.