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The lack of innovative standards for biosafety in synthetic biology is an unresolved policy gap that limits many potential applications in synthetic biology. We argue that a massive support for standardization in biosafety is required for synthetic biology to flourish.

Because of the potential applications in the optical fields, the ultra-precision cutting of titanium alloys is attracting the interest of many researchers. Aimed at the problem of tool wear and poor surface quality in the ultra-precision cutting of titanium alloys, the method of ultrasonic vibration was used to assist the ultra-precision turning of titanium alloy for improving the machinability and better surface integrity. A lot of experiments of ultrasonic-assisted ultra-precision turning (UAUT) have been done to investigate the cutting phenomenon in UAUT of Ti6Al4V alloy. In addition, the effect of cutting parameters (amplitude of vibration, spindle speed, depth of cut and feeding speed) on the surface roughness, surface morphology, chip morphology and cutting force has been analyzed deeply. The results showed that the amplitude of ultrasonic vibration played the most important role in UAUT of Ti6Al4V alloy.

Due to the characteristics of high strength, high chemical activity and low heat conduction, titanium alloy materials are generally difficult to machine. As a typical titanium alloy with higher strength and lower heat conductivity, the machinability of titanium alloy TC21 is very poor and its cutting process is companied with larger cutting force and rapid tool wear. Straight-tooth milling tool is often used to cut the groove and side surface in the titanium alloy parts. And the milling method can be used to investigate the cutting mechanism because the cutting force has only two components and the better chip morphology is obtained. To investigate the straight-tooth milling process of TC21 alloy, a series of milling force experiments have been done. In addition, a 3D finite element model (FEM) for the straight-tooth milling process of TC21 alloy is presented to simulate the milling process. In the model, the constitutive material model, the failure model, the friction model and the heat transfer model were adopted. Through the simulation, chip formation, stress distribution, cutting force and milling temperature were obtained. The cutting force reaches its maximum when the spindle speed reaches about 13000 rpm, and then decreases as the speed continues to increase. The results confirmed that the similar “Salomon” phenomenon existed in the cutting process of TC21 alloy.

Neuroinflammation has been identified as a causative factor of multiple neurological diseases. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-, leucine-rich repeat- and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a subcellular multiprotein complex that is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), can sense and be activated by a wide range of exogenous and endogenous stimuli such as microbes, aggregated and misfolded proteins, and adenosine triphosphate, which results in activation of caspase-1. Activated caspase-1 subsequently leads to the processing of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediates rapid cell death. IL-1β and IL-18 drive inflammatory responses through diverse downstream signaling pathways, leading to neuronal damage. Thus, the NLRP3 inflammasome is considered a key contributor to the development of neuroinflammation. In this review article, we briefly discuss the structure and activation the NLRP3 inflammasome and address the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome in several neurological disorders, such as brain infection, acute brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, we review a series of promising therapeutic approaches that target the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling including anti-IL-1 therapy, small molecule NLRP3 inhibitors and other compounds, however, these approaches are still experimental in neurological diseases. At present, it is plausible to generate cell-specific conditional NLRP3 knockout (KO) mice via the Cre system to investigate the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome, which may be instrumental in the development of novel pharmacologic investigations for neuroinflammation-associated diseases.

At present, the digital image watermarking algorithm has not embedded the synchronization signal in the image, resulting in the poor performance of the embedded image in terms of, for example, imperceptibility, anti-attack ability, and robustness. Therefore, a digital image watermarking algorithm based on scrambling and singular value decomposition is proposed. The digital watermark is preprocessed by dimensionality reduction and encryption; the digital image is processed in sections and embedded in the synchronization signal. The digital watermark image is embedded in the digital image watermark by using the low-frequency energy ratio technology of sound channel. The watermark image extraction step is designed to extract the watermark image. The transmittance of the degraded image is calculated, the transmittance is refined by relying on the soft matting algorithm and guiding filter, the image contrast in the image frequency domain is enhanced, and the results are mapped to the appropriate visual range to optimize the visual brightness of the image. Finally, according to the uniqueness of singular value matrix, the distributed characteristics of image matrix data are described, the visual effect is enhanced, and the research of digital image watermarking algorithm is completed. The experimental results show that the algorithm can extract the watermark information completely, the image contrast and singular value have been significantly improved, and the algorithm has better anti-attack performance.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between folic acid and iron nutrition during pregnancy and congenital heart disease (CHD) in the offspring. Methods: Conditional logistic regression models and nonlinear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the effects of folic acid and iron nutrition during pregnancy on CHD in offspring. Results: After adjusting for confounders, folic acid or iron supplementation during pregnancy reduced the risk for fetal CHD (OR = 0.60 (0.45, 0.82) or 0.36 (0.27, 0.48)). Similarly, dietary iron intake during pregnancy (≥29 mg/d) was associated with a reduced risk of fetal CHD (OR = 0.64 (0.46, 0.88)). Additionally, compared with women who only supplemented folic acid (OR = 0.59 (0.41, 0.84)) or iron (OR = 0.32 (0.16, 0.60)), women who supplemented both folic acid and iron had lower risk for newborns with CHD (OR = 0.22 (0.15, 0.34)). Similarly, compared with women who only supplemented folic acid (OR = 0.59 (0.41, 0.84)) or higher dietary iron intake (≥29 mg/d) (OR = 0.60 (0.33, 1.09)), women who supplemented both folic acid and higher dietary iron intake (≥29 mg/d) had lower risk for the newborn with CHD (OR = 0.41 (0.28, 0.62)). The combined effects were significant in the multiplication model (OR = 0.35 (0.26, 0.48) or 0.66 (0.50, 0.85)) but not in the additive model. Conclusions: Our study found that folic acid and iron nutrition during pregnancy were associated with a reduced risk of CHD in the offspring and confirmed a statistically significant multiplicative interaction between folic acid and iron nutrition on the reduced risk of CHD in offspring.

The increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration is a significant factor in triggering global warming. CO2 is essential for plant photosynthesis, but excessive CO2 can negatively impact photosynthesis and its associated physiological and biochemical processes. The tetraploid Robinia pseudoacacia L., a superior and improved variety, exhibits high tolerance to abiotic stress. In this study, we investigated the physiological and proteomic response mechanisms of the tetraploid R. pseudoacacia under high CO2 treatment. The results of our physiological and biochemical analyses revealed that a 5% high concentration of CO2 hindered the growth and development of the tetraploid R. pseudoacacia and caused severe damage to the leaves. Additionally, it significantly reduced photosynthetic parameters such as Pn, Gs, Tr, and Ci, as well as respiration. The levels of chlorophyll (Chl a and b) and the fluorescent parameters of chlorophyll (Fm, Fv/Fm, qP, and ETR) also significantly decreased. Conversely, the levels of ROS (H2O2 and O2·−) were significantly increased, while the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GR, and APX) were significantly decreased. Furthermore, high CO2 induced stomatal closure by promoting the accumulation of ROS and NO in guard cells. Through a proteomic analysis, we identified a total of 1652 DAPs after high CO2 treatment. GO functional annotation revealed that these DAPs were mainly associated with redox activity, catalytic activity, and ion binding. KEGG analysis showed an enrichment of DAPs in metabolic pathways, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, amino acid biosynthesis, and photosynthetic pathways. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the adaptation mechanisms of the tetraploid R. pseudoacacia to high CO2.

As an important component of current power and energy storage systems, lithium-ion batteries have essential scientific significance and application value in terms of accurately and reliably diagnosing their aging to determine system performance, identify potential faults in modules, and prolong their service life. For this purpose, this paper first briefly describes the working principle of lithium-ion batteries and illustrates the possible impacts of various aging mechanisms on the state of battery capacity. Secondly, starting from both implementable and laboratory perspectives, it sorts out and summarizes the diagnostic mechanisms and applicable scenarios of current typical battery aging state assessment and diagnosis methods. Then, targeting the specific aging mechanisms involved in batteries, it elaborates on the targeted diagnosis processes for each aging mechanism. Finally, combined with implementable and laboratory diagnosis methods, it systematically summarizes a highly standardized and universal routine diagnosis process for battery aging. In addition, in combination with the latest development of aging diagnosis and related technologies, this paper reflects on and discusses the possible future development directions of battery diagnosis technologies.

Architectural aesthetics is often studied with a focus on the visual properties of buildings, yet the role of individual aesthetic appreciation abilities in shaping aesthetic pleasure remains overlooked. This study challenges the traditional object-centric perspective by investigating how aesthetic appreciation ability influences architectural aesthetic pleasure through aesthetic judgment. Using Hui-style architecture, a distinctive architectural style originating from the Huizhou region in southern China, as the representative case, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 453 participants. Regression analysis was applied to examine the moderating effects of aesthetic judgment (variety, unity, novelty, and typicality) on the relationship between aesthetic appreciation ability and aesthetic pleasure. The results reveal that individuals with high aesthetic appreciation ability experience greater aesthetic pleasure when exposed to diverse and novel architectural elements. In contrast, those with low aesthetic appreciation ability respond primarily to novelty, showing limited sensitivity to other aesthetic judgments. These findings highlight the nuanced interplay between personal aesthetic capacities and architectural experience, offering valuable insights for artists, architects, and educators seeking to cater to diverse aesthetic preferences and enhance public engagement with architectural beauty.

Machining process is usually needed to fettle the assembly interfaces of large-scale component before the final assembly. There are several issues that make the process time and effort consuming, such as hard-to-machine material, difficulties in positioning and alignment, errors between as-built component, and as-designed model. Shop floor optimization is essential for machining this kind of large and complex workpiece but is limited by information loss from CAD/CAM to CNC (Computer Numerical Control) using traditional G&M codes. STEP-NC has been proven to perform excellently in data exchange between CAD/CAM and CNC but it does not support some special processes in machining the assembly interfaces. To solve these matters, this paper proposes a closed-loop machining system based on extended STEP-NC data models which cover aligning and laser tracker measuring process. The system consists of: (1) a STEP-NC compliant CAD/CAM system which exports STEP-NC programs, (2) a STEP-NC high-level process controller which translates STEP-NC programs and makes closed-loop optimization, and (3) CNCs and mechanical systems which perform machining and measuring tasks. In the end, a vertical tail of a large passenger plane is used as a study case to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed data models and systems. This paper contributes to machining the assembly interfaces of large-scale components, and the future development of STEP-NC in large-scale manufacturing.