Standard bacterial suspensions play a crucial role in microbiological diagnosis.Traditional prepar-ation methods,which rely heavily on manual operations,face challenges such as poor reproducibility,low ef-ficiency,and...Standard bacterial suspensions play a crucial role in microbiological diagnosis.Traditional prepar-ation methods,which rely heavily on manual operations,face challenges such as poor reproducibility,low ef-ficiency,and biosafety concerns.In this study,we propose a high-precision automated colony extraction and separation system that combines large-field imaging and artificial intelligence(AI)to facilitate intelligent screening and localization of colonies.Firstly,a large-field imaging system was developed to capture high-resolution images of 90 mm Petri dishes,achieving a physical resolution of 13.2μm and an imaging speed of 13 frames per second.Subsequently,AI technology was employed for the automatic recognition and localiza-tion of colonies,enabling the selection of target colonies with diameters ranging from 1.9 to 2.3 mm.Next,a three-axis motion control platform was designed,accompanied by a path planning algorithm for the efficient extraction of colonies.An electronic pipette was employed for accurate colony collection.Additionally,a bacterial suspension concentration measurement module was developed,incorporating a 650 nm laser diode as the light source,achieving a measurement accuracy of 0.01 McFarland concentration(MCF).Finally,the system’s performance was validated through the preparation of an Esckerichia coli(E.coli)suspension.After 17 hours of cultivation,E.coli was extracted four times,achieving the target concentration set by the system.This work is expected to enable rapid and accurate microbial sample preparation,significantly reducing de-tection cycles and alleviating the workload of healthcare personnel.展开更多
Objective This study aims to investigate the joint associations of sarcopenia and social isolation with mortality risk.Methods Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS)and the UK Biobank...Objective This study aims to investigate the joint associations of sarcopenia and social isolation with mortality risk.Methods Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS)and the UK Biobank,sarcopenia was diagnosed according to European and Asian Working Groups for Sarcopenia criteria.Social isolation was assessed using standardized questionnaires,including questions on solitude,frequency of social activities,contact with others,and marital status(for the CLHLS only).Results During the follow-up period,8,249 deaths occurred in the CLHLS and 26,670 deaths in the UK Biobank groups.While no significant interaction was observed between sarcopenia and social isolation in predicting all-cause mortality in the CLHLS cohort,the association between social isolation and mortality was stronger among individuals with sarcopenia in the UK Biobank(P-interaction=0.03,relative risk due to interaction:0.23,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.06–0.41).Further joint analyses showed that participants with sarcopenia and high levels of social isolation had the highest mortality risk(hazard ration[HR]:1.99;95%CI:[1.74–2.28]in the CLHLS and 1.69[1.55–1.85]in the UK Biobank)compared to those without either condition.Conclusion The combination of social isolation and sarcopenia synergistically increases the risk of mortality in middle-aged and older adults across diverse populations.展开更多
Hybrid-sterility-mediated reproductive isolation is pivotal for speciation,yet the underlying molecular mechanisms and environmental responses remain unclear.Here,we report a temperature-sensitive pollen killer-protec...Hybrid-sterility-mediated reproductive isolation is pivotal for speciation,yet the underlying molecular mechanisms and environmental responses remain unclear.Here,we report a temperature-sensitive pollen killer-protector system at a three-gene Sa locus for indica-japonica rice hybrid sterility.Genetic analyses identified SaFL^(+),a strong pollen protector from Sa-i(indica allele),and SaFL^(-),a weak japonica allele from Sa-j,which is exclusively functional under high temperatures.Protein interaction,ubiquitination,and degradation assays showed that SaF^(+)and SaM^(+)from Sa-i form a pollen-killer complex to bind and ubiquitinate the reactive oxygen species scavenger COX11 for degradation in mitochondria,causing male sterility of the Sa-j pollen.Protein affinity and competitive binding assays indicated that in the Sa-i pollen,SaFL^(+)binds SaM^(+)to disrupt the killer complex and restore fertility.However,the weak protector SaFL^(-)can bind SaM^(+)under high temperatures,sparing the Sa-j pollen from sterility.Synteny comparisons and haplotype analyses showed that the Sa locus originated in ancient wild rice and underwent divergence within the Oryza genus during expansion from tropical to temperate environments,which might have driven latitudinal adaptation and reproductive isolation in rice populations.Thus,Sa represents a temperature-sensitive reproductive-isolation system associated with domestication and environmental adaptation in rice.展开更多
Isolation technology can reduce the type of structural damage that earthquakes cause.A new type of composite sliding-rolling friction composite seismic isolation bearing(SRF)with composite sliding friction and rolling...Isolation technology can reduce the type of structural damage that earthquakes cause.A new type of composite sliding-rolling friction composite seismic isolation bearing(SRF)with composite sliding friction and rolling friction is proposed.SRF is capable of realizing a parallel arrangement of sliding friction and rolling friction,and the coefficient of dynamic friction shows variability.The proposed static tests on composite bearings were conducted to investigate the effects of the number of shims,loading speed and vertical pressure on the dynamic friction factor.Test results show that the coefficient of dynamic friction first generally decreases and then increases with an increase in sliding speed,prior to again decreasing with an increase in vertical pressure.The dynamic friction factor increases and then decreases with an increase in the number of shims for a four-roll ball.It decreases and then increases with an increase in the number of shims for a five-roll ball.Based on finite element analysis,modeling and analyzing the effects of the coefficient of friction,the number of balls and the number of shims on the hysteresis performance of the support and derive its skeleton curve.The SRF hysteretic performance,dynamic friction factor and the number of rolling balls and shims show significant correlation.展开更多
Natural hybridization is known to play a vital role in speciation;however,the mechanisms underlying the early stages of natural hybridization remain unclear.Where two plant species come into contact,two driving forces...Natural hybridization is known to play a vital role in speciation;however,the mechanisms underlying the early stages of natural hybridization remain unclear.Where two plant species come into contact,two driving forces may balance the dynamic consequences of hybridization:fusion by hybridization-mediated gene flow,and separation by reproductive isolation(RI)(Ma et al.,2010a,b;Chang et al.,2022).展开更多
This study employed tri-component continuous monitoring data from 10 measurement points on both sides of a base isolation layer in the basement of a large-span high-rise building in Beijing,as well as from a free-fiel...This study employed tri-component continuous monitoring data from 10 measurement points on both sides of a base isolation layer in the basement of a large-span high-rise building in Beijing,as well as from a free-field station and roof frame,during a Mw 5.5 magnitude earthquake in Pingyuan,Shandong,in 2023.The H/V spectral ratio method was used to evaluate the structural dynamic response characteristics of the building and analyze the regulatory effect of the base-isolation layer on seismic waves.The results indicate that during the earthquake,the peak frequency of the free-field and the measurement points below the base-isolation layer was stable at 0.17 Hz,whereas the main frequency of the measurement points above the base-isolation layer increased to 0.75–1.18 Hz,which is 4–6 times greater than that of the points below.The amplitude was suppressed by more than 70%,confirming that the base isolation layer effectively isolated the low-frequency energy from the ground and increased the response frequency of the building.When the building was excited by an earthquake,a three-tier frequency gradient was formed throughout the building:“base-isolation layer(0.17 Hz)-main body(1.18 Hz)-roof frame(3.83 Hz)”,which can effectively avoid resonance of the entire building.In addition,the composite base-isolation device changed the dynamic characteristics of the structure.The resonance period was extended from 0.74 s(theoretical value without base isolation)to 5.9 s(calculated value),and the resonance frequency was reduced from 1.35 to 0.17 Hz.This finding indicates that the base-isolation layer can enhance seismic performance by increasing flexibility and damping.展开更多
Devices on aircraft are subjected to complex environmental excitations that pose risks to their operational safety.Passive vibration isolation techniques are extensively employed due to their advantage of not requirin...Devices on aircraft are subjected to complex environmental excitations that pose risks to their operational safety.Passive vibration isolation techniques are extensively employed due to their advantage of not requiring additional energy sources.This paper introduces a novel metallic vibration isolator based on zigzag structures.The proposed isolator features a compact design and can be manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques,allowing for the integration of structural and functional elements.Firstly,the vibration response of the single-degree-of-freedom(SDOF)system is analyzed.To achieve effective vibration reduction,it is crucial for the isolator's stiffness to be sufficiently low.Secondly,to obtain a structure with high compliance,the traversal algorithm and the finite element method(FEM)are applied.The results confirm that the zigzag structure is a reliable high-compliance configuration.Thirdly,the parametric geometric model of the zigzag structure is developed and its stiffness is calculated.Quasi-static compression experiments validate the accuracy of the calculations.Finally,a specific engineering example is considered,where a zigzag vibration isolator is designed and fabricated.Vibration experiments demonstrate that the zigzag isolator effectively reduces both the stiffness and the fundamental frequency of the vibration system,achieving a vibration isolation efficiency exceeding 60%.展开更多
This work discusses the strain and acceleration suppression of a flexible beam subjected to different supports analytically.As classical protection,the beam is mounted on a vertical linear spring together with a linea...This work discusses the strain and acceleration suppression of a flexible beam subjected to different supports analytically.As classical protection,the beam is mounted on a vertical linear spring together with a linear damper in parallel.This is called linear isolation.To enhance isolation performance,nonlinearity is employed in the boundary.In addition,quasi-zero isolation is established based on the non-linearly enhanced one by adjusting the installation length of the horizontal spring.To discuss their performance fully and fairly,the amplitude,the acceleration,the potential energy of the beam,the input work of the excitation,the dissipation work of the beam,and the dynamics stress along the beam are investigated based on the same parameters.The comparison shows that all these isolations can protect the beam with high efficiency,even when the basement excitation is tiny.Although the linear isolation and the nonlinearly enhanced one will arouse two resonance peaks on both sides of the primary resonance of the beam without isolation,the maximum amplitudes of them are reduced a lot.But for the low frequency excitation,the quasi-zero isolation has the best performance as it drives the primary resonance to the high frequency region.The simulation shows that the beam needs a relatively soft isolation to avoid the damage caused by the shock vibration,including the quasi-zero one.In general,the quasi-zero isolation shows the best performance.The nonlinearly enhanced one is the suboptimal choice.The present work shows the capacities of three isolations for a flexible beam by the steady-state response and the shock vibration.It provides design suggestions for the isolation of flexible beams.展开更多
Isolated power converters have emerged as an active research topic in power integrated circuit(IC)design.Reflecting this growing interest,ISSCC 2025 has featured a dedicated session on"Isolated Power and Gate Dri...Isolated power converters have emerged as an active research topic in power integrated circuit(IC)design.Reflecting this growing interest,ISSCC 2025 has featured a dedicated session on"Isolated Power and Gate Drivers".These converters enable safe and reliable power delivery across voltage domains and are widely used in renewable energy,electric vehicles,and telecommunications.Galvanic isolation prevents surge currents and ground loop issues in harsh high-voltage environments.As demand grows for compact,efficient,and high–power-density solutions,fully integrated architectures featuring on-chip transformers are increasingly favored over traditional module-based designs,offering>5 kV isolation with a smaller footprint and lower system cost[1].展开更多
The biological species concept defines species as groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups(Mayr,1942).Reproductive isolation,whether p...The biological species concept defines species as groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups(Mayr,1942).Reproductive isolation,whether prezygotic or postzygotic,plays a central role in maintaining species boundaries.However,hybridization between closely related taxa can challenge these boundaries and provide insight into speciation,gene flow,and evolutionary processes(Coyne and Orr,2004).展开更多
Finding an optimal isolator arrangement for asymmetric structures using traditional conceptual design methods that can significantly minimize torsional response while ensuring efficient horizontal seismic isolation is...Finding an optimal isolator arrangement for asymmetric structures using traditional conceptual design methods that can significantly minimize torsional response while ensuring efficient horizontal seismic isolation is cumbersome and inefficient.Thus,this work develops a multi-objective optimization method to enhance the torsional resistance of asymmetric base-isolated structures.The primary objective is to simultaneously minimize the interstory rotation of the superstructure,the rotation of the isolation layer,and the interstory displacement of the superstructure without exceeding the isolator displacement limits.A fast non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm(NSGA-Ⅱ)is employed to satisfy this optimization objective.Subsequently,the isolator arrangement,encompassing both positions and categories,is optimized according to this multi-objective optimization method.Additionally,an optimization design platform is developed to streamline the design operation.This platform integrates the input of optimization parameters,the output of optimization results,the finite element analysis,and the multi-objective optimization method proposed herein.Finally,the application of this multi-objective optimization method and its associated platform are demonstrated on two asymmetric base-isolated structures of varying heights and plan configurations.The results indicate that the optimal isolator arrangement derived from the optimization method can further improve the control over the lateral and torsional responses of asymmetric base-isolated structures compared to conventional conceptual design methods.Notably,the interstory rotation of the optimal base-isolated structure is significantly reduced,constituting only approximately 33.7%of that observed in the original base-isolated structure.The proposed platform facilitates the automatic generation of the optimal design scheme for the isolators of asymmetric base-isolated structures,offering valuable insights and guidance for the burgeoning field of intelligent civil engineering design.展开更多
The multi-terminal direct current(DC)grid has extinctive superiorities over the traditional alternating current system in integrating large-scale renewable energy.Both the DC circuit breaker(DCCB)and the current flow ...The multi-terminal direct current(DC)grid has extinctive superiorities over the traditional alternating current system in integrating large-scale renewable energy.Both the DC circuit breaker(DCCB)and the current flow controller(CFC)are demanded to ensure the multiterminal DC grid to operates reliably and flexibly.However,since the CFC and the DCCB are all based on fully controlled semiconductor switches(e.g.,insulated gate bipolar transistor,integrated gate commutated thyristor,etc.),their separation configuration in the multiterminal DC grid will lead to unaffordable implementation costs and conduction power losses.To solve these problems,integrated equipment with both current flow control and fault isolation abilities is proposed,which shares the expensive and duplicated components of CFCs and DCCBs among adjacent lines.In addition,the complicated coordination control of CFCs and DCCBs can be avoided by adopting the integrated equipment in themultiterminal DC grid.In order to examine the current flow control and fault isolation abilities of the integrated equipment,the simulation model of a specific meshed four-terminal DC grid is constructed in the PSCAD/EMTDC software.Finally,the comparison between the integrated equipment and the separate solution is presented a specific result or conclusion needs to be added to the abstract.展开更多
Objective Observational studies have shown inconsistent associations of loneliness or social isolation(SI)with ischemic heart disease(IHD),with unknown mediators.Methods Using data from genome-wide association studies...Objective Observational studies have shown inconsistent associations of loneliness or social isolation(SI)with ischemic heart disease(IHD),with unknown mediators.Methods Using data from genome-wide association studies of predominantly European ancestry,we performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization(MR)study to estimate causal effects of loneliness(N=487,647)and SI traits on IHD(N=184,305).SI traits included whether individuals lived alone,participated in various types of social activities,and how often they had contact with friends or family(N=459,830 to 461,369).A network MR study was conducted to evaluate the mediating roles of 20 candidate mediators,including metabolic,behavioral and psychological factors.Results Loneliness increased IHD risk(OR=2.129;95%confidence interval[CI]:1.380 to 3.285),mediated by body fat percentage,waist-hip ratio,total cholesterol,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.For SI traits,only fewer social activities increased IHD risk(OR=1.815;95%CI:1.189 to 2.772),mediated by hypertension,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,triglycerides,fasting insulin,and smoking cessation.No reverse causality of IHD with loneliness and SI was found.Conclusion These findings suggested more attention should be paid to individuals who feel lonely and have fewer social activities to prevent IHD,with several mediators as prioritized targets for intervention.展开更多
To improve the resilience of railway stations,a typical station was selected as the research object,and an isolation design was introduced.Twenty-four groups of near-fault pulse-like ground motions were selected.The s...To improve the resilience of railway stations,a typical station was selected as the research object,and an isolation design was introduced.Twenty-four groups of near-fault pulse-like ground motions were selected.The seismic resilience of the no-isolation railway stations(NIRS)and the isolation railway stations(IRS)were compared to provide a numerical result of the improvement in resilience.The results show that in the station isolation design,the station's functional requirements and structural characteristics should be considered and the appropriate placement of isolation bearings is under the waiting room.Under the action of a rare earthquake,the repair cost,repair time,rate of harm and death of the IRS were decreased by 8.04 million,18.30 days,6.93×10^(-3)and 1.21×10^(-3),respectively,when compared to the NIRS.The IRS received a seismic resilience grade of three-stars and the NIRS only one-star,indicating that rational isolation design improves the seismic resilience of stations.Thus,for the design of stations close to earthquake faults,it is suggested to utilize appropriate isolation techniques to improve their seismic resilience.展开更多
Strong surface impact will produce strong vibration,which will pose a threat to the safety of nearby buried pipelines and other important lifeline projects.Based on the verified numerical method,a comprehensive numeri...Strong surface impact will produce strong vibration,which will pose a threat to the safety of nearby buried pipelines and other important lifeline projects.Based on the verified numerical method,a comprehensive numerical parameter analysis is conducted on the key influencing factors of the vibration isolation hole(VIH),which include hole diameter,hole net spacing,hole depth,hole number,hole arrangement,and soil parameters.The results indicate that a smaller ratio of net spacing to hole diameter,the deeper the hole,the multi-row hole,the hole adoption of staggered arrangements,and better site soil conditions can enhance the efficiency of the VIH barrier.The average maximum vibration reduction efficiency within the vibration isolation area can reach 42.2%.The vibration safety of adjacent oil pipelines during a dynamic compaction projection was evaluated according to existing standards,and the measurement of the VIH was recommended to reduce excessive vibration.The single-row vibration isolation scheme and three-row staggered arrangement with the same hole parameters are suggested according to different cases.The research findings can serve as a reference for the vibration safety analysis,assessment,and control of adjacent underground facilities under the influence of strong surface impact loads.展开更多
BACKGROUND Frailty has become a significant public health issue.The recent increase in the number of frail older adults has led to increased attention being paid to psycho-logical care services in communities.The soci...BACKGROUND Frailty has become a significant public health issue.The recent increase in the number of frail older adults has led to increased attention being paid to psycho-logical care services in communities.The social isolation of pre-frail older adults can impact their psychological distress.AIM To explore the mediating effect of health literacy between social isolation and psychological distress among communitydwelling older adults with pre-frailty.METHODS This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 254 pre-frail older individuals aged 60 years and over.Social isolation,health literacy,and psycholo-gical distress were comprehensively measured using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6,12-item Short-Form Health Literacy Questionnaire,and the Kessler Psy-chological Distress Scale-10.Data were evaluated using the SPSS 27.0 package program and the PROCESS macro tool.Descriptive statistical analyses,correlation analyses,and bootstrap mediation tests were used to assess associations between the variables.RESULTS The results showed that social isolation had an effect on health literacy among pre-frail older adults(β=0.240,P<0.001),social isolation impact on psycho-logical distress pre-frail older adults(β=-0.415,P<0.001);health literacy was identified effect on psychological distress among pre-frail older persons(β=-0.307,P<0.001).Health literacy partially mediated the relationship between social isolation and psychological distress among community-dwelling older adults with pre-frailty,with a mediation effect of-0.074,accounting for 17.83%of the total effect.展开更多
A staircase provides the main escape way from a building in an emergency.Unfortunately,it may suffer severe damages or even collapse during an earthquake.For improving the seismic performance of staircases,this paper ...A staircase provides the main escape way from a building in an emergency.Unfortunately,it may suffer severe damages or even collapse during an earthquake.For improving the seismic performance of staircases,this paper proposes an innovative staircase isolator with the features of lightweight,costeffective and ease of construction and replacement,which is formed by suitable engineering plastic shims between rubber layers.A connection construction scheme is also proposed for the isolated staircase.Systematic performance tests have been carried out to characterize the isolator in terms of mechanic behavior and ultimate states.The test results show that mechanical properties of the proposed staircase isolator are excellent and suitable for staircase in building structure.In order to investigate the influence of staircase on building structural responses,time history analyses of a typical building structure without staircase(WS),with fixed staircase(FS)and with isolated staircase(IS)are conducted and compared within the environment of SAP2000.Results show that staircase isolation can effectively eliminate the diagonal bracing effect of staircase slab and make structural components uniformly stressed.When the novel isolator is employed for staircase in a building structure,there is no vulnerable position in staircase and the performance of staircase in building structure can be greatly enhanced.展开更多
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a bacterial pathogen for humans and animals. These bacteria can resist against many antibiotics and this resistance constitute an alarming worldwide human health threat due to the ...Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a bacterial pathogen for humans and animals. These bacteria can resist against many antibiotics and this resistance constitute an alarming worldwide human health threat due to the morbidity and mortality. Phage therapy is one of the alternative treatments. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize lytic phages of S. aureus from different wastewater sources in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Eight strains of S. aureus were isolated from different clinical samples and were used to isolate phages. The isolation and host range of phages were done by the spot test. Phages were purified by the double-layer method. Similar phages after the determination of the host range were characterized using restriction enzymes. A total of 27 phages were obtained after isolation and purification. Nine of the 27 isolates reported a broad host range (≥67%). The results of enzymatic digestion allowed to consider that all phage isolates that presented the same host range and the same genetic fingerprint are the same phage strain;whereas phages that presented the same host range and different genetic fingerprints are different phage strains. Thus, a total of 15 distinct phages isolates specific to S. aureus were characterized. This study highlighted the abundance and lytic capacity of phages isolated from wastewater from Bobo-Dioulasso’s environment against clinical strains of S. aureus. The lytic capacity of these Staphyphages could be an effective alternative tool to combat bacteria multi-resistance.展开更多
Hypertension, often called the “silent killer”, is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes in the elderly. Its effective management is crucial to prevent damage to the heart, brain, and kidneys. Isolated s...Hypertension, often called the “silent killer”, is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes in the elderly. Its effective management is crucial to prevent damage to the heart, brain, and kidneys. Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is particularly critical in the elderly population. Cardiovascular risk factors, including pulse pressure and wave velocity, are closely associated with systolic blood pressure and influenced by arterial stiffness and wave reflections. Managing ISH is complex due to the potential negative effects of certain medications and individual variability in treatment response. This paper will address these issues, evaluating antihypertensive drugs, combination therapy, personalized treatment plans, and updated guidelines for managing ISH.展开更多
文摘Standard bacterial suspensions play a crucial role in microbiological diagnosis.Traditional prepar-ation methods,which rely heavily on manual operations,face challenges such as poor reproducibility,low ef-ficiency,and biosafety concerns.In this study,we propose a high-precision automated colony extraction and separation system that combines large-field imaging and artificial intelligence(AI)to facilitate intelligent screening and localization of colonies.Firstly,a large-field imaging system was developed to capture high-resolution images of 90 mm Petri dishes,achieving a physical resolution of 13.2μm and an imaging speed of 13 frames per second.Subsequently,AI technology was employed for the automatic recognition and localiza-tion of colonies,enabling the selection of target colonies with diameters ranging from 1.9 to 2.3 mm.Next,a three-axis motion control platform was designed,accompanied by a path planning algorithm for the efficient extraction of colonies.An electronic pipette was employed for accurate colony collection.Additionally,a bacterial suspension concentration measurement module was developed,incorporating a 650 nm laser diode as the light source,achieving a measurement accuracy of 0.01 McFarland concentration(MCF).Finally,the system’s performance was validated through the preparation of an Esckerichia coli(E.coli)suspension.After 17 hours of cultivation,E.coli was extracted four times,achieving the target concentration set by the system.This work is expected to enable rapid and accurate microbial sample preparation,significantly reducing de-tection cycles and alleviating the workload of healthcare personnel.
基金supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2023YFC3606300,No.2022YFC3600300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82325043)the National Key Research and Development Program of Hubei Province(2022BCA036)。
文摘Objective This study aims to investigate the joint associations of sarcopenia and social isolation with mortality risk.Methods Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey(CLHLS)and the UK Biobank,sarcopenia was diagnosed according to European and Asian Working Groups for Sarcopenia criteria.Social isolation was assessed using standardized questionnaires,including questions on solitude,frequency of social activities,contact with others,and marital status(for the CLHLS only).Results During the follow-up period,8,249 deaths occurred in the CLHLS and 26,670 deaths in the UK Biobank groups.While no significant interaction was observed between sarcopenia and social isolation in predicting all-cause mortality in the CLHLS cohort,the association between social isolation and mortality was stronger among individuals with sarcopenia in the UK Biobank(P-interaction=0.03,relative risk due to interaction:0.23,95%confidence interval[CI]:0.06–0.41).Further joint analyses showed that participants with sarcopenia and high levels of social isolation had the highest mortality risk(hazard ration[HR]:1.99;95%CI:[1.74–2.28]in the CLHLS and 1.69[1.55–1.85]in the UK Biobank)compared to those without either condition.Conclusion The combination of social isolation and sarcopenia synergistically increases the risk of mortality in middle-aged and older adults across diverse populations.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32030080 to L.C.and 31991222 to Y.-G.L.)the Open Competition Program of the Top Ten Critical Priorities of Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation for the 14th Five-Year Plan of Guangdong Province(2022SDZG05 to L.C.)+1 种基金the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2022A1515110431 to G.L.and 2019B030302006 to Y.-G.L.)the Invigorate the Seed Industry of Guangdong Province(2024-NPY-00-044 to L.C.).
文摘Hybrid-sterility-mediated reproductive isolation is pivotal for speciation,yet the underlying molecular mechanisms and environmental responses remain unclear.Here,we report a temperature-sensitive pollen killer-protector system at a three-gene Sa locus for indica-japonica rice hybrid sterility.Genetic analyses identified SaFL^(+),a strong pollen protector from Sa-i(indica allele),and SaFL^(-),a weak japonica allele from Sa-j,which is exclusively functional under high temperatures.Protein interaction,ubiquitination,and degradation assays showed that SaF^(+)and SaM^(+)from Sa-i form a pollen-killer complex to bind and ubiquitinate the reactive oxygen species scavenger COX11 for degradation in mitochondria,causing male sterility of the Sa-j pollen.Protein affinity and competitive binding assays indicated that in the Sa-i pollen,SaFL^(+)binds SaM^(+)to disrupt the killer complex and restore fertility.However,the weak protector SaFL^(-)can bind SaM^(+)under high temperatures,sparing the Sa-j pollen from sterility.Synteny comparisons and haplotype analyses showed that the Sa locus originated in ancient wild rice and underwent divergence within the Oryza genus during expansion from tropical to temperate environments,which might have driven latitudinal adaptation and reproductive isolation in rice populations.Thus,Sa represents a temperature-sensitive reproductive-isolation system associated with domestication and environmental adaptation in rice.
文摘Isolation technology can reduce the type of structural damage that earthquakes cause.A new type of composite sliding-rolling friction composite seismic isolation bearing(SRF)with composite sliding friction and rolling friction is proposed.SRF is capable of realizing a parallel arrangement of sliding friction and rolling friction,and the coefficient of dynamic friction shows variability.The proposed static tests on composite bearings were conducted to investigate the effects of the number of shims,loading speed and vertical pressure on the dynamic friction factor.Test results show that the coefficient of dynamic friction first generally decreases and then increases with an increase in sliding speed,prior to again decreasing with an increase in vertical pressure.The dynamic friction factor increases and then decreases with an increase in the number of shims for a four-roll ball.It decreases and then increases with an increase in the number of shims for a five-roll ball.Based on finite element analysis,modeling and analyzing the effects of the coefficient of friction,the number of balls and the number of shims on the hysteresis performance of the support and derive its skeleton curve.The SRF hysteretic performance,dynamic friction factor and the number of rolling balls and shims show significant correlation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U23A20160,32360336)Guizhou Provincial Key Technology R&D Program(Qian KeHe ZhiCheng[2023]YiBan035).
文摘Natural hybridization is known to play a vital role in speciation;however,the mechanisms underlying the early stages of natural hybridization remain unclear.Where two plant species come into contact,two driving forces may balance the dynamic consequences of hybridization:fusion by hybridization-mediated gene flow,and separation by reproductive isolation(RI)(Ma et al.,2010a,b;Chang et al.,2022).
基金supported by the Deep Earth Probe and Mineral Resources Exploration-National Science and Technology Major Project(Grant No.2025ZD005100)by Beijing Geolight Technology Co.,Ltd.under the project“The Impact of Strong Ground Motion on Buildings”(YF-202520).
文摘This study employed tri-component continuous monitoring data from 10 measurement points on both sides of a base isolation layer in the basement of a large-span high-rise building in Beijing,as well as from a free-field station and roof frame,during a Mw 5.5 magnitude earthquake in Pingyuan,Shandong,in 2023.The H/V spectral ratio method was used to evaluate the structural dynamic response characteristics of the building and analyze the regulatory effect of the base-isolation layer on seismic waves.The results indicate that during the earthquake,the peak frequency of the free-field and the measurement points below the base-isolation layer was stable at 0.17 Hz,whereas the main frequency of the measurement points above the base-isolation layer increased to 0.75–1.18 Hz,which is 4–6 times greater than that of the points below.The amplitude was suppressed by more than 70%,confirming that the base isolation layer effectively isolated the low-frequency energy from the ground and increased the response frequency of the building.When the building was excited by an earthquake,a three-tier frequency gradient was formed throughout the building:“base-isolation layer(0.17 Hz)-main body(1.18 Hz)-roof frame(3.83 Hz)”,which can effectively avoid resonance of the entire building.In addition,the composite base-isolation device changed the dynamic characteristics of the structure.The resonance period was extended from 0.74 s(theoretical value without base isolation)to 5.9 s(calculated value),and the resonance frequency was reduced from 1.35 to 0.17 Hz.This finding indicates that the base-isolation layer can enhance seismic performance by increasing flexibility and damping.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Nos.2023YFB4603900,2023YFB4603901)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52275255)。
文摘Devices on aircraft are subjected to complex environmental excitations that pose risks to their operational safety.Passive vibration isolation techniques are extensively employed due to their advantage of not requiring additional energy sources.This paper introduces a novel metallic vibration isolator based on zigzag structures.The proposed isolator features a compact design and can be manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques,allowing for the integration of structural and functional elements.Firstly,the vibration response of the single-degree-of-freedom(SDOF)system is analyzed.To achieve effective vibration reduction,it is crucial for the isolator's stiffness to be sufficiently low.Secondly,to obtain a structure with high compliance,the traversal algorithm and the finite element method(FEM)are applied.The results confirm that the zigzag structure is a reliable high-compliance configuration.Thirdly,the parametric geometric model of the zigzag structure is developed and its stiffness is calculated.Quasi-static compression experiments validate the accuracy of the calculations.Finally,a specific engineering example is considered,where a zigzag vibration isolator is designed and fabricated.Vibration experiments demonstrate that the zigzag isolator effectively reduces both the stiffness and the fundamental frequency of the vibration system,achieving a vibration isolation efficiency exceeding 60%.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12002195 and 12372015)the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(Grant No.12025204)the Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission(Grant No.2019-01-07-00-09-E00018).
文摘This work discusses the strain and acceleration suppression of a flexible beam subjected to different supports analytically.As classical protection,the beam is mounted on a vertical linear spring together with a linear damper in parallel.This is called linear isolation.To enhance isolation performance,nonlinearity is employed in the boundary.In addition,quasi-zero isolation is established based on the non-linearly enhanced one by adjusting the installation length of the horizontal spring.To discuss their performance fully and fairly,the amplitude,the acceleration,the potential energy of the beam,the input work of the excitation,the dissipation work of the beam,and the dynamics stress along the beam are investigated based on the same parameters.The comparison shows that all these isolations can protect the beam with high efficiency,even when the basement excitation is tiny.Although the linear isolation and the nonlinearly enhanced one will arouse two resonance peaks on both sides of the primary resonance of the beam without isolation,the maximum amplitudes of them are reduced a lot.But for the low frequency excitation,the quasi-zero isolation has the best performance as it drives the primary resonance to the high frequency region.The simulation shows that the beam needs a relatively soft isolation to avoid the damage caused by the shock vibration,including the quasi-zero one.In general,the quasi-zero isolation shows the best performance.The nonlinearly enhanced one is the suboptimal choice.The present work shows the capacities of three isolations for a flexible beam by the steady-state response and the shock vibration.It provides design suggestions for the isolation of flexible beams.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant U23A20353.
文摘Isolated power converters have emerged as an active research topic in power integrated circuit(IC)design.Reflecting this growing interest,ISSCC 2025 has featured a dedicated session on"Isolated Power and Gate Drivers".These converters enable safe and reliable power delivery across voltage domains and are widely used in renewable energy,electric vehicles,and telecommunications.Galvanic isolation prevents surge currents and ground loop issues in harsh high-voltage environments.As demand grows for compact,efficient,and high–power-density solutions,fully integrated architectures featuring on-chip transformers are increasingly favored over traditional module-based designs,offering>5 kV isolation with a smaller footprint and lower system cost[1].
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32161143024,31970405)Iran National Science Foundation,Iran-China(INSF-NSFC)joint project(No.4002006).
文摘The biological species concept defines species as groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups(Mayr,1942).Reproductive isolation,whether prezygotic or postzygotic,plays a central role in maintaining species boundaries.However,hybridization between closely related taxa can challenge these boundaries and provide insight into speciation,gene flow,and evolutionary processes(Coyne and Orr,2004).
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.52278490。
文摘Finding an optimal isolator arrangement for asymmetric structures using traditional conceptual design methods that can significantly minimize torsional response while ensuring efficient horizontal seismic isolation is cumbersome and inefficient.Thus,this work develops a multi-objective optimization method to enhance the torsional resistance of asymmetric base-isolated structures.The primary objective is to simultaneously minimize the interstory rotation of the superstructure,the rotation of the isolation layer,and the interstory displacement of the superstructure without exceeding the isolator displacement limits.A fast non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm(NSGA-Ⅱ)is employed to satisfy this optimization objective.Subsequently,the isolator arrangement,encompassing both positions and categories,is optimized according to this multi-objective optimization method.Additionally,an optimization design platform is developed to streamline the design operation.This platform integrates the input of optimization parameters,the output of optimization results,the finite element analysis,and the multi-objective optimization method proposed herein.Finally,the application of this multi-objective optimization method and its associated platform are demonstrated on two asymmetric base-isolated structures of varying heights and plan configurations.The results indicate that the optimal isolator arrangement derived from the optimization method can further improve the control over the lateral and torsional responses of asymmetric base-isolated structures compared to conventional conceptual design methods.Notably,the interstory rotation of the optimal base-isolated structure is significantly reduced,constituting only approximately 33.7%of that observed in the original base-isolated structure.The proposed platform facilitates the automatic generation of the optimal design scheme for the isolators of asymmetric base-isolated structures,offering valuable insights and guidance for the burgeoning field of intelligent civil engineering design.
基金supported in part by Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province under Grant BK20230255Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province under Grant ZR2023QE281.
文摘The multi-terminal direct current(DC)grid has extinctive superiorities over the traditional alternating current system in integrating large-scale renewable energy.Both the DC circuit breaker(DCCB)and the current flow controller(CFC)are demanded to ensure the multiterminal DC grid to operates reliably and flexibly.However,since the CFC and the DCCB are all based on fully controlled semiconductor switches(e.g.,insulated gate bipolar transistor,integrated gate commutated thyristor,etc.),their separation configuration in the multiterminal DC grid will lead to unaffordable implementation costs and conduction power losses.To solve these problems,integrated equipment with both current flow control and fault isolation abilities is proposed,which shares the expensive and duplicated components of CFCs and DCCBs among adjacent lines.In addition,the complicated coordination control of CFCs and DCCBs can be avoided by adopting the integrated equipment in themultiterminal DC grid.In order to examine the current flow control and fault isolation abilities of the integrated equipment,the simulation model of a specific meshed four-terminal DC grid is constructed in the PSCAD/EMTDC software.Finally,the comparison between the integrated equipment and the separate solution is presented a specific result or conclusion needs to be added to the abstract.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82322059)the Chinese Academy of Medical·Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(2021-I2M-1-010)+1 种基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFC2500500)the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding(2023-GSPRC-19).
文摘Objective Observational studies have shown inconsistent associations of loneliness or social isolation(SI)with ischemic heart disease(IHD),with unknown mediators.Methods Using data from genome-wide association studies of predominantly European ancestry,we performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization(MR)study to estimate causal effects of loneliness(N=487,647)and SI traits on IHD(N=184,305).SI traits included whether individuals lived alone,participated in various types of social activities,and how often they had contact with friends or family(N=459,830 to 461,369).A network MR study was conducted to evaluate the mediating roles of 20 candidate mediators,including metabolic,behavioral and psychological factors.Results Loneliness increased IHD risk(OR=2.129;95%confidence interval[CI]:1.380 to 3.285),mediated by body fat percentage,waist-hip ratio,total cholesterol,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.For SI traits,only fewer social activities increased IHD risk(OR=1.815;95%CI:1.189 to 2.772),mediated by hypertension,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,triglycerides,fasting insulin,and smoking cessation.No reverse causality of IHD with loneliness and SI was found.Conclusion These findings suggested more attention should be paid to individuals who feel lonely and have fewer social activities to prevent IHD,with several mediators as prioritized targets for intervention.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.52278534Sichuan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.2022NSFSC0423。
文摘To improve the resilience of railway stations,a typical station was selected as the research object,and an isolation design was introduced.Twenty-four groups of near-fault pulse-like ground motions were selected.The seismic resilience of the no-isolation railway stations(NIRS)and the isolation railway stations(IRS)were compared to provide a numerical result of the improvement in resilience.The results show that in the station isolation design,the station's functional requirements and structural characteristics should be considered and the appropriate placement of isolation bearings is under the waiting room.Under the action of a rare earthquake,the repair cost,repair time,rate of harm and death of the IRS were decreased by 8.04 million,18.30 days,6.93×10^(-3)and 1.21×10^(-3),respectively,when compared to the NIRS.The IRS received a seismic resilience grade of three-stars and the NIRS only one-star,indicating that rational isolation design improves the seismic resilience of stations.Thus,for the design of stations close to earthquake faults,it is suggested to utilize appropriate isolation techniques to improve their seismic resilience.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.52078386 and 52308496SINOMACH Youth Science and Technology Fund under Grant No.QNJJ-PY-2022-02+2 种基金Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program under Grant No.BYESS2023432Fund of State Key Laboratory of Precision Blasting and Hubei Key Laboratory of Blasting Engineering,Jianghan University under Grant No.PBSKL2023A9Fund of China Railway Construction Group Co.,Ltd.under Grant No.LX19-04b。
文摘Strong surface impact will produce strong vibration,which will pose a threat to the safety of nearby buried pipelines and other important lifeline projects.Based on the verified numerical method,a comprehensive numerical parameter analysis is conducted on the key influencing factors of the vibration isolation hole(VIH),which include hole diameter,hole net spacing,hole depth,hole number,hole arrangement,and soil parameters.The results indicate that a smaller ratio of net spacing to hole diameter,the deeper the hole,the multi-row hole,the hole adoption of staggered arrangements,and better site soil conditions can enhance the efficiency of the VIH barrier.The average maximum vibration reduction efficiency within the vibration isolation area can reach 42.2%.The vibration safety of adjacent oil pipelines during a dynamic compaction projection was evaluated according to existing standards,and the measurement of the VIH was recommended to reduce excessive vibration.The single-row vibration isolation scheme and three-row staggered arrangement with the same hole parameters are suggested according to different cases.The research findings can serve as a reference for the vibration safety analysis,assessment,and control of adjacent underground facilities under the influence of strong surface impact loads.
基金Supported by the Scientific Research Fund of Zhejiang Provincial Education Department,No.Y202351104and Huzhou Science and Technology Plan Project,No.2023GZ67。
文摘BACKGROUND Frailty has become a significant public health issue.The recent increase in the number of frail older adults has led to increased attention being paid to psycho-logical care services in communities.The social isolation of pre-frail older adults can impact their psychological distress.AIM To explore the mediating effect of health literacy between social isolation and psychological distress among communitydwelling older adults with pre-frailty.METHODS This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 254 pre-frail older individuals aged 60 years and over.Social isolation,health literacy,and psycholo-gical distress were comprehensively measured using the Lubben Social Network Scale-6,12-item Short-Form Health Literacy Questionnaire,and the Kessler Psy-chological Distress Scale-10.Data were evaluated using the SPSS 27.0 package program and the PROCESS macro tool.Descriptive statistical analyses,correlation analyses,and bootstrap mediation tests were used to assess associations between the variables.RESULTS The results showed that social isolation had an effect on health literacy among pre-frail older adults(β=0.240,P<0.001),social isolation impact on psycho-logical distress pre-frail older adults(β=-0.415,P<0.001);health literacy was identified effect on psychological distress among pre-frail older persons(β=-0.307,P<0.001).Health literacy partially mediated the relationship between social isolation and psychological distress among community-dwelling older adults with pre-frailty,with a mediation effect of-0.074,accounting for 17.83%of the total effect.
基金This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2017YFC0703600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51278138,51978185)+1 种基金Yangcheng Scholar’s Program of Guangzhou Municipal Department of Education(Grant No.1201541630)Innovation Research Program for the Postgraduates of Guangzhou University(Grant No.2017GDJC-D16).
文摘A staircase provides the main escape way from a building in an emergency.Unfortunately,it may suffer severe damages or even collapse during an earthquake.For improving the seismic performance of staircases,this paper proposes an innovative staircase isolator with the features of lightweight,costeffective and ease of construction and replacement,which is formed by suitable engineering plastic shims between rubber layers.A connection construction scheme is also proposed for the isolated staircase.Systematic performance tests have been carried out to characterize the isolator in terms of mechanic behavior and ultimate states.The test results show that mechanical properties of the proposed staircase isolator are excellent and suitable for staircase in building structure.In order to investigate the influence of staircase on building structural responses,time history analyses of a typical building structure without staircase(WS),with fixed staircase(FS)and with isolated staircase(IS)are conducted and compared within the environment of SAP2000.Results show that staircase isolation can effectively eliminate the diagonal bracing effect of staircase slab and make structural components uniformly stressed.When the novel isolator is employed for staircase in a building structure,there is no vulnerable position in staircase and the performance of staircase in building structure can be greatly enhanced.
文摘Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a bacterial pathogen for humans and animals. These bacteria can resist against many antibiotics and this resistance constitute an alarming worldwide human health threat due to the morbidity and mortality. Phage therapy is one of the alternative treatments. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize lytic phages of S. aureus from different wastewater sources in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Eight strains of S. aureus were isolated from different clinical samples and were used to isolate phages. The isolation and host range of phages were done by the spot test. Phages were purified by the double-layer method. Similar phages after the determination of the host range were characterized using restriction enzymes. A total of 27 phages were obtained after isolation and purification. Nine of the 27 isolates reported a broad host range (≥67%). The results of enzymatic digestion allowed to consider that all phage isolates that presented the same host range and the same genetic fingerprint are the same phage strain;whereas phages that presented the same host range and different genetic fingerprints are different phage strains. Thus, a total of 15 distinct phages isolates specific to S. aureus were characterized. This study highlighted the abundance and lytic capacity of phages isolated from wastewater from Bobo-Dioulasso’s environment against clinical strains of S. aureus. The lytic capacity of these Staphyphages could be an effective alternative tool to combat bacteria multi-resistance.
文摘Hypertension, often called the “silent killer”, is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes in the elderly. Its effective management is crucial to prevent damage to the heart, brain, and kidneys. Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is particularly critical in the elderly population. Cardiovascular risk factors, including pulse pressure and wave velocity, are closely associated with systolic blood pressure and influenced by arterial stiffness and wave reflections. Managing ISH is complex due to the potential negative effects of certain medications and individual variability in treatment response. This paper will address these issues, evaluating antihypertensive drugs, combination therapy, personalized treatment plans, and updated guidelines for managing ISH.
