Aging ships and offshore structures face harsh environmental and operational conditions in remote areas, leading to age-related damages such as corrosion wastage, fatigue cracking, and mechanical denting. These deteriorations, if left unattended, can escalate into catastrophic failures, causing casualties, property damage, and marine pollution. Hence, ensuring the safety and integrity of aging ships and offshore structures is paramount and achievable through innovative healthcare schemes. One such paradigm, digital healthcare engineering (DHE), initially introduced by the final coauthor, aims at providing lifetime healthcare for engineered structures, infrastructure, and individuals (e.g., seafarers) by harnessing advancements in digitalization and communication technologies. The DHE framework comprises five interconnected modules: on-site health parameter monitoring, data transmission to analytics centers, data analytics, simulation and visualization via digital twins, artificial intelligence-driven diagnosis and remedial planning using machine and deep learning, and predictive health condition analysis for future maintenance. This article surveys recent technological advancements pertinent to each DHE module, with a focus on its application to aging ships and offshore structures. The primary objectives include identifying cost-effective and accurate techniques to establish a DHE system for lifetime healthcare of aging ships and offshore structures—a project currently in progress by the authors.

The self-sustained interactions between a flexible film and periodic vortices epitomize the spirit of fish swimming and flag flapping in nature, involving intricate patterns of flow–structure coupling. Here, we comprehensively investigate the multiple coupling states of a film in the cylinder wake mainly with experiments, complemented by theoretical solutions and nonlinear dynamical analyses. Four regimes of film motion states are identified in the parameter space spanned by the reduced velocity and the length ratio. These regimes are (i) keeping stationary, (ii) deflection flutter, (iii) hybrid flutter and (iv) periodic large-amplitude flapping, each governed by a distinct coupling mechanism, involving regular and irregular Kármán vortices, local instability of the elongated shear layers and 2P mode vortex shedding. The film futtering in regimes (ii) and (iii) is substantiated to be chaotic and bears a resemblance to the ‘entraining state’ of fish behind an obstacle in the river. The periodic flapping in regime (iv) manifests itself in an amalgam of standing and travelling waves, and has intrinsic relations to the ‘Kármán gaiting’ of fish in periodic vortices. With the spatiotemporal reconstruction for the periodic flapping, we procure the energy distributions on the film, revealing the energy transfer processes between the film and the large-scale vortices. The findings unequivocally indicate that the flow–structure interaction during the energy-release stage of the film is more intense than that during the energy-extraction stage. Given the similarities, the mathematical and physical methods presented in this work are also applicable to the research on biological undulatory locomotion.

In this paper, we obtain the $H^{p_1}\times H^{p_2}\times H^{p_3}\to H^p$ boundedness for trilinear Fourier multiplier operators, which is a trilinear analogue of the multiplier theorem of Calderón and Torchinsky [4]. Our result improves the trilinear estimate in [22] by additionally assuming an appropriate vanishing moment condition, which is natural in the boundedness into the Hardy space $H^p$ for $0<p\le 1$.

Gust response has consistently been a concern in engineering. Critical theories have been proposed in the past to predict the unsteady lift response of an airfoil experiencing vertical gusts by Atassi, and longitudinal gusts by Greenberg. However, their applicability for an airfoil with non-zero angles of attack still needs clarification. Thus, force measurements are conducted to examine these theories’ validity and quasi-steady corrections are applied to compensate potential disparities between the idealised and real flow conditions. Velocity measurements are performed to scrutinise the effect of gusts on the flow around the airfoil, and subsequently to reveal the underlying mechanism governing the airfoil's response to gust-induced perturbations. In the study, two pitching vanes are arranged upstream to generate periodic vertical and longitudinal gusts, whereas a downstream airfoil with angles of attack of 0–12° is subjected to two gust types. It is found that Greenberg's theory demonstrates superior predictive capability in pre-stall regimes, with the potential for its effectiveness to be expanded to post-stall regimes through theoretical refinements. In contrast, Atassi's theory exhibits significant deviations from experimental outcomes across the measured angles of attack. Nevertheless, a modified version of the theory aligns better with experimental results at small angles of attack, whereas substantial discrepancies persist as the angle of attack increases. In the pre-stall regime, the aerodynamic response of the airfoil to vertical gusts displays a linear correlation with the flow angle near the leading edge. In the post-stall regime, the vertical gust induces dynamic stall of the airfoil. The flow angle has an essential effect on the lift coefficient but it alone is inadequate to dictate the trend of the lift coefficient. The vorticity statistics show that negative vortex circulation strongly correlates with the lift coefficient. Thus, further correction of the theory or a new vortex model can be expected to predict the lift variation.

Background. The most common site of prostate cancer metastasis is bone tissue with many recent studies having conducted genomic and clinical research regarding bone metastatic prostate cancer. However, further work is needed to better define those patients that are at an elevated risk of such metastasis. Methods. SEER and TCGA databases were searched to develop a nomogram for predicting prostate cancer bone metastasis. Results. Herein, we leveraged the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to construct a predictive nomogram capable of readily and accurately predicted the odds of bone metastasis in prostate cancer patients. This nomogram was utilized to assign patients with prostate cancer included in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to cohorts at a high or low risk of bone metastasis (HRBM and LRBM, respectively). Comparisons of these LRBM and HRBM cohorts revealed marked differences in mutational landscapes between these patient cohorts, with increased frequencies of gene fusions, somatic copy number variations (CNVs), and single nucleotide variations (SNVs), particularly in the P53 gene, being evident in the HRBM cohort. We additionally identified lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs that were differentially expressed between these two patient cohorts and used them to construct a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. Moreover, three weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) modules were constructed from the results of these analyses, with KIF14, MYH7, and COL10A1 being identified as hub genes within these modules. We further found immune response activity levels in the HRBM cohort to be elevated relative to that in the LRBM cohort, with single sample gene enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) scores for the immune checkpoint signature being increased in HRBM patient samples relative to those from LRBM patients. Conclusion. We successfully developed a nomogram capable of readily detecting patients with prostate cancer at an elevated risk of bone metastasis.

The immobilization of antimicrobial drugs can be used to expand the application of antibacterial properties to consumer products. The purpose of this study was to stabilize an antimicrobial agent, levofloxacin (LVX), for sustained antibacterial activity by immobilizing the drug molecules in a layered double hydroxide (LDH) and embedded in a polyurethane substrate. As-prepared MgAl-LDH was calcined at 400°C and reconstructed with LVX for intercalation. The X-ray diffraction patterns and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images showed lattice expansion along the crystallographic c axis upon LVX intercalation, suggesting successful loading of the drug. Fourier-transform infrared spectra revealed that the structure of LVX was well preserved between LDH layers. Elemental analysis indicated that the loading capacity of LVX in the hybrid was 41.7%. Bacterial-colony forming inhibitory assay on Bacillus subtilis exhibited ~100% antibacterial activity of both LVX alone and LVX-LDH hybrid (LL). To determine sustainability of antibacterial activity by the hybrid, either LVX alone or LL hybrid was loaded in the polyurethane (PU) substrate for which antibacterial activity was evaluated before and after immersion in a phosphate-buffered saline for 3 days. The LVX-composited PU showed a dramatic decrease in antibacterial activity, down to 0% after buffer treatment; LL-composited PU still contained antibacterial activity (~34% of colony suppression) after phosphate-buffered saline immersion.

With the advantages of short duration and extreme brightness, laser proton accelerators (LPAs) show great potential in many fields for industrial, medical, and research applications. However, the quality of current laser-driven proton beams, such as the broad energy spread and large divergence angle, is still a challenge. We use numerical simulations to study the propagation of such proton bunches in the plasma. Results show the bunch will excite the wakefield and modulate itself. Although a small number of particles at the head of the bunch cannot be manipulated by the wakefield, the total energy spread is reduced. Moreover, while reducing the longitudinal energy spread, the wakefield will also pinch the beam in the transverse direction. The space charge effect of the bunch is completely offset by the wakefield, and the transverse momentum of the bunch decreases as the bunch transports in the plasma. For laser-driven ion beams, our study provides a novel idea about the optimization of these beams.

Labs as guide dogs or sniffer dogs in usage have been introduced into China for more than 20 years. These two types of working dogs own blunt or acute olfactory senses, which have been obtained by artificial selection in relatively closed populations. In order to attain stable olfactory attributes and meet use-oriented demands, Chinese breeders keep doing the same artificial selection. Though olfactory behavior is canine genetic behavior, genotypes of OR genes formed by breeding schemes are largely unknown. Here, we characterized 26 SNPs, 2 deletions, and 2 insertions of 7 OR genes between sniffer dogs and guide dogs in order to find out the candidate alleles associated with working specific traits. The results showed that there were candidate functional SNP alleles in one locus that had statistically severely significant differences between the two subpopulations. Furthermore, the levels of polymorphism were not high in all loci and linkage disequilibrium only happened within one OR gene. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) tests showed that there was a higher ratio not in HWE and lower FST within the two working dog populations. We conclude that artificial selection in working capacities has acted on SNP alleles of OR genes in a dog breed and driven the evolution in compliance with people’s intentions though the changes are limited in decades of strategic breeding.

Background. Prunus salicina L. is an important fruit tree species of great economic value which is mainly distributed in the northern hemisphere. Methods. 25 samples of Prunus salicina L. were collected from 8 provinces in China, Japan, USA, and New Zealand. The genetic variations of these samples were characterized by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) technique, respectively, and in combination. Results. Totally, 257 RAPD bands ranging 200∼2300 bp was found, and 81.59% of these bands were polymorphic. ISSR analysis identified 179 bands ranging 300∼2500 bp, and 87.74% of the bands were polymorphic. ISSR results showed that the similarity coefficient index between samples P10 (Maihuangli in Anhui, Chin) and P13 (Longyuanqiuli in Heilongjiang, China) was lowest, while that between samples P10 (Maihuangli in Anhui, Chin) and P15 (Baili in Japan) was highest. Combined analysis of RAPD and ISSR demonstrated that the similarity coefficient index between samples P4 (Qiepili in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China) and P13 (Longyuanqiuli in Heilongjiang, China) was lowest, while that between samples P19 (Laroda in USA) and P20 (Red heart in USA) was highest. Conclusion. RAPD combined with ISSR analysis can be used for genetic characterization of Prunus L. species.

Background. Endometrial cancer (EC) is a common tumor of the genital tract that affects the female reproductive system but with only limited treatment options. We aimed to discover new prognostic biomarkers for EC. Methods. We used mRNA-seq data to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between EC and control tissues. Detailed clinicopathological information was collected, and changes in the mRNA and protein levels of hub DEGs were analyzed in EC. Copy number variation (CNV) was also evaluated for its association with the pathogenesis of EC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to enrich significant pathways driven by the hub genes. Cox regression analysis was used to select variables to create a nomogram. The nomogram was calibrated by applying the concordance index (C-index), and net benefits of the nomogram at different threshold probabilities were quantified using decision curve analysis (DCA). Results. Differential expression analysis identified 24 DEGs as potential risk factors for EC. Survival analysis revealed that TPX2 expression was related to worsening overall survival in patients with advanced EC. A high CNV was associated with the overexpression of TPX2; this suggested that modifications in the cell-cycle pathway might be crucial in the advancement of EC. Moreover, an individualized nomogram was developed for TPX2 incorporating clinical factors; this was also evaluated for its ability to predict EC. Calibration and DCA analyses confirmed the robustness and clinical usefulness of the nomogram. Conclusion. We offer novel insights into the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of EC. The overexpression of TPX2 was related to a poorer prognosis and could serve as a biomarker for predicting prognostic outcomes in EC patients.

Schistosomiasis, a parasite infectious disease caused by Schistosoma japonicum, often leads to egg granuloma and fibrosis due to the inflammatory reaction triggered by egg antigens released in the host liver. This study focuses on the role of the egg antigens CP1412 protein of S. japonicum (SjCP1412) with RNase activity in promoting liver fibrosis. In this study, the recombinant egg ribonuclease SjCP1412, which had RNase activity, was successfully prepared. By analysing the serum of the population, it has been proven that the anti-SjCP1412 IgG in the serum of patients with advanced schistosomiasis was moderately correlated with liver fibrosis, and SjCP1412 may be an important antigen associated with liver fibrosis in schistosomiasis. In vitro, the rSjCP1412 protein induced the human liver cancer cell line Hep G2 and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells apoptosis and necrosis and the release of proinflammatory damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). In mice infected with schistosomes, rSjCP1412 immunization or antibody neutralization of SjCP1412 activity significantly reduced cell apoptosis and necroptosis in liver tissue, thereby reducing inflammation and liver fibrosis. In summary, the SjCP1412 protein plays a crucial role in promoting liver fibrosis during schistosomiasis through mediating the liver cells apoptosis and necroptosis to release DAMPs inducing an inflammatory reaction. Blocking SjCP1412 activity could inhibit its proapoptotic and necrotic effects and alleviate hepatic fibrosis. These findings suggest that SjCP1412 may be served as a promising drug target for managing liver fibrosis in schistosomiasis japonica.

This study focuses on analysing the heights of 10,953 Korean men aged 20 to 40 years who were measured during the Joseon dynasty, the Japanese colonialisation period, and the contemporary period, the latter including both North and South Korea. This study thus provides rare long-term statistical evidence on how biological living standards have developed over several centuries, encompassing Confucianism, colonialism, capitalism, and communism. Using error bar analysis of heights for each historical sample period, this study confirms that heights rose as economic performance improved. For instance, economically poorer North Koreans were expectedly shorter, by about 6 cm, than their peers living in the developed South. Similarly, premodern inhabitants of present-day South Korea, who produced a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita below the world average, were about 4 cm shorter than contemporary South Koreans, who have a mean income above the world average. Along similar lines, North Koreans, who have a GDP per capita akin to that of the premodern Joseon dynasty, have not improved much in height. On the contrary, mean heights of North Koreans were even slightly below (by about 2.4 cm) heights of Joseon dynasty Koreans. All in all, the heights follow a U-shaped pattern across time, wherein heights were lowest during the colonial era. Heights bounced back to Joseon dynasty levels during the interwar period, a time period where South Korea benefitted from international aid, only to rise again and surpass even premodern levels under South Korea’s flourishing market economy.

Supersonic gas jets generated via a conical nozzle are widely applied in the laser wakefield acceleration of electrons. The stability of the gas jet is critical to the electron injection and the reproducibility of the wakefield acceleration. Here we discussed the role of the stilling chamber in a modified converging–diverging nozzle to dissipate the turbulence and to stabilize the gas jets. By the fluid dynamics simulations and the Mach–Zehnder interferometer measurements, the instability originating from the nonlinear turbulence is studied and the mechanism to suppress the instability is proposed. Both the numerical and experimental results prove that the carefully designed nozzle with a stilling chamber is able to reduce the perturbation by more than 10% compared with a simple-conical nozzle.

As the southernmost part of the central segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, the northern Alxa area is characterized by abundant Permian magmatism and records key information on the geological evolution of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean. This study reports new zircon U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic and whole-rock geochemical data of the early Permian (285–286 Ma) Huisentala gabbro and Huodonghaer diorites from the Zhusileng–Hangwula Belt in the northern Alxa area. The gabbro is characterized by high Al, Ca, Mg# and light rare-earth elements, and low K, P and high field strength elements (e.g., Ti, Nb and Ta). Furthermore, the gabbro shows heterogeneous zircon ϵHf(t) value (−2.5 to +2.6). The Huodonghaer diorites show high MgO (3.46–6.32 wt%), Mg# (49–58), Sr (408–617 ppm) and Ba (223–419 ppm), and low FeOT/MgO (1.27–1.83) and TiO2 (0.48–0.90 wt%), with geochemical features similar to the high-Mg andesite/diorite. They show radiogenic zircon ϵHf(t) values of +1.2 to +4.9 and high Th/Nb ratios. These features suggest that the Huisentala gabbro and the Huodonghaer diorites were derived from the partial melting of mantle peridotite that was metasomatized by subduction-related fluids and by subducted sediment-derived melts, respectively.

Although ethanol treatment is widely used to activate oocytes, the underlying mechanisms are largely unclear. Roles of intracellular calcium stores and extracellular calcium in ethanol-induced activation (EIA) of oocytes remain to be verified, and whether calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is involved in EIA is unknown. This study showed that calcium-free ageing (CFA) in vitro significantly decreased intracellular stored calcium (sCa) and CaSR expression, and impaired EIA, spindle/chromosome morphology and developmental potential of mouse oocytes. Although EIA in oocytes with full sCa after ageing with calcium does not require calcium influx, calcium influx is essential for EIA of oocytes with reduced sCa after CFA. Furthermore, the extremely low EIA rate in oocytes with CFA-downregulated CaSR expression and the fact that inhibiting CaSR significantly decreased the EIA of oocytes with a full complement of CaSR suggest that CaSR played a significant role in the EIA of ageing oocytes. In conclusion, CFA impaired EIA and the developmental potential of mouse oocytes by decreasing sCa and downregulating CaSR expression. Because mouse oocytes routinely treated for activation (18 h post hCG) are equipped with a full sCa complement and CaSR, the present results suggest that, while calcium influx is not essential, CaSR is required for the EIA of oocytes.

According to the public data collected from the Health Commission of Gansu Province, China, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic during the summer epidemic cycle in 2022, the epidemiological analysis showed that the pandemic spread stability and the symptom rate (the number of confirmed cases divided by the sum of the number of asymptomatic cases and the number of confirmed cases) of COVID-19 were different among 3 main epidemic regions, Lanzhou, Linxia, and Gannan; both the symptom rate and the daily instantaneous symptom rate (daily number of confirmed cases divided by the sum of daily number of asymptomatic cases and daily number of confirmed cases) in Lanzhou were substantially higher than those in Linxia and Gannan. The difference in the food sources due to the high difference of the population ethnic composition in the 3 regions was probably the main driver for the difference of the symptom rates among the 3 regions. This work provides potential values for prevention and control of COVID-19 in different regions.

Through two in-depth case studies, we compare the approaches of a state-owned enterprise (SOE), Beijing Automotive Industries Holding Co., and a privately owned enterprise (POE), Geely, to acquire and absorb advanced technological knowledge to enhance their innovation capabilities. Each company acquired advanced knowledge from troubled famous Swedish automakers and upgraded their products technologically. Analyzing data mainly collected from secondary sources identifies major differences in approaches and actions at each acquisition step rooted in the type of ownership. We juxtapose these differences with insights from the literature on knowledge acquisition and research on firm ownership. Our findings show that the POE seeks the strategic goal of synergistic technology integration for better innovation and economic performance. In contrast, the SOE pursues national objectives with less regard for market success. This SOE focuses on an independent approach to knowledge absorption and development during their acquisition, whereas the POE emphasizes collaboration in innovation capacity development. This study provides insights into Chinese firms’ positioning on innovation development on the global stage, comparative capitalism, and the particular case of state capitalism in China.

We report VLBI monitoring observations of the 22 GHz H2O masers toward the Mira variable BX Cam. Data from 37 epochs spanning ∼3 stellar pulsation periods were obtained between May 2018 and June 2021 with a time interval of 3–4 weeks. In particular, the VERA dual-beam system was used to measure the kinematics and parallaxes of the H2O maser features. The obtained parallax, 1.79±0.08 mas, is consistent with Gaia EDR3 and previous VLBI measurements. The position of the central star was estimated relied on Gaia EDR3 data and the center position of the 43 GHz SiO maser ring imaged with KVN. Analysis of the 3D maser kinematics revealed an expanding circumstellar envelope with a velocity of 13±4 km s−1 and significant spatial and velocity asymmetries. The H2O maser animation achieved by our dense monitoring program manifests the propagation of shock waves in the circumstellar envelope of BX Cam.