Search Results (166)

The precise prediction of soil settlement under applied loads is of paramount importance in the field of geotechnical engineering. Conventional analytical approaches often lack the capacity to accurately represent the rate-dependent deformations exhibited by soft soils. Creep affects the integrity of geotechnical structures and can lead to loss of serviceability or even system failure. Over time, they deform, the soil structure can be weakened, and consequently, the risk of collapse increases. Despite extensive research, regarding the creep characteristics of soft soils, the prediction of creep deformation remains a substantial challenge. This study explores soil consolidation settlement by employing three different material models: the Soft Soil Creep (SSC) model implemented in PLAXIS 2D, alongside two user-defined elasto-viscoplastic models, specifically Creep-SCLAY1S and the non-associated creep model for Structured Anisotropic Clay (n-SAC). Through the simulation of laboratory experiments and the Lilla Mellösa test embankment situated in Sweden, the investigation evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of these models. The results demonstrate that the predictions produced by the SSC, n-SAC, and Creep-SCLAY1S models are in close correspondence with the field observations, in contrast to the more simplistic elastoplastic model. The n-SAC and Creep-SCLAY1S models adeptly represent the stress–strain response in CRS test simulations; however, they tend to over-predict horizontal deformations in field assessments. Further investigation is advisable to enhance the ease of use and relevance of these sophisticated models. Full article

Rhododendron purdomii Rehder & E. H. Wilson (Ericaceae) is a threatened ornamental and medicinal shrub or small tree species primarily distributed in the Qinling-Daba Mountains of Central China. To facilitate its conservation and utilization, the complete chloroplast genome of Rh. purdomii was sequenced, assembled, and characterized. The cp genome exhibited a typical quadripartite structure with a total length of 208,062 bp, comprising a large single copy (LSC) region of 110,618 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 2606 bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 47,419 bp each. The overall GC content was 35.81%. The genome contained 146 genes, including 96 protein-coding genes, 42 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. Structure analysis identified 67,354 codons, 96 long repetitive sequences, and 171 simple sequence repeats. Comparative genomic analysis across Rhododendron species revealed hypervariable coding regions (accD, rps9) and non-coding regions (trnK-UUU-ycf3, trnI-CAU-rpoB, trnT-GGU-accD, rpoA-psbL, rpl20-trnC-GCA, trnI-CAU-rrn16, and trnI-CAU-rps16), which may serve as potential molecular markers for genetic identification. Phylogenetic reconstruction confirmed the monophyly of Rhododendron species and highlighted a close relationship between Rh. purdomii and Rh. henanense subsp. lingbaoense. These results provide essential genomic resources for advancing taxonomic, evolutionary, conservation, and breeding studies of Rh. purdomii and other species within the genus Rhododendron. Full article

Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (PF-ILD) is a significant complication of connective tissue diseases (CTDs), particularly in systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM). Despite clinical similarities with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), CTD-associated ILDs exhibit distinct pathogenetic and immunologic features. Objective: This review aims to summarize key predictive biomarkers and current treatment strategies associated with the progressive fibrosing phenotype in SSc-ILD, RA-ILD, and IIM-ILD. Methods: We conducted a focused literature search of PubMed and Scopus databases covering publications from January 2010 to February 2024. Included studies evaluated serum, cellular, or genetic biomarkers with predictive value for disease progression or treatment response. Only peer-reviewed English-language articles were included. Exclusion criteria encompassed single case reports and editorials. Results: Several biomarkers, including KL-6, SP-D, CXCL4, and anti-MDA5, demonstrate potential in predicting fibrotic progression in CTD-ILDs. However, variability in sensitivity and specificity across CTD subtypes limits broad clinical applicability. Therapeutic agents such as nintedanib and pirfenidone show efficacy in slowing lung function decline. Biologics including rituximab and tocilizumab offer additional options, particularly in immunologically active diseases. Conclusion: Although promising biomarkers and therapies are emerging, no single marker or intervention currently predicts or modifies PF-ILD outcomes across all CTD subsets. Prospective studies and integrative biomarker panels are needed to improve patient stratification and guide therapy. Full article

Introduction: Cardiac involvement in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) can present variably from being asymptomatic to manifesting with heart failure, conduction abnormalities, pulmonary hypertension, and pericardial effusion. Symptomatic cardiac involvement portends a poor prognosis and worse overall survival. Sacubitril/valsartan (SV), an angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor, has been shown to significantly reduce hospitalization rates and morbidity in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This study aimed to investigate the effects of SV treatment in patients with SSc and heart failure. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with SSc was conducted using an electronic data capture tool. Patients with SSc treated with SV between January 2015 and August 2023 were identified. Comprehensive clinical phenotyping and longitudinal data analysis were performed to characterize the sub-type of patients and evaluate clinical outcomes, including hospitalizations and mortality, laboratory markers, and echocardiographic findings. Results: Twenty-four patients with SSc were treated with SV for a mean duration of 20.6 months. HFrEF was the primary indication for SV use in 91% of patients, primarily due to non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (87.5%). There was a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure from 128 mmHg to 114 mmHg (p < 0.001) and NT-proBNP levels from 15,130 pg/mL to 5082 pg/mL (p = 0.046). In the 19 patients with baseline and follow-up echocardiograms, there was a significant improvement in LVEF from 40.3% to 47.7% (p = 0.014). Hypotension was a common side effect leading to discontinuation of SV (n = 4, 16.7%). Serum creatinine had trends of improvement (1.9 mg/dL to 1.3 mg/d), though it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.057). Conclusions: This study showed that SV effectively improved cardiac symptoms and function in patients with SSc presenting with HFrEF. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore the role of SV in the treatment of other manifestations of SSc. Full article

Background: Artemisia is a large and complex genus comprising about 500 species. Currently, only a limited number of plastomes (the chloroplast genome) of Artemisia are available. Their structures have not been comparatively analyzed, and a phylogenetic backbone based on plastome-scale data is still lacking. This situation has greatly hindered our understanding of the plastome variation patterns and infra-generic relationships of the genus. Methods: We newly sequenced 34 Artemisia plastomes representing 30 species and three varieties. Combining this with previously published plastomes, we comparatively analyzed their structure and constructed phylogenetic relationships using the protein-coding sequences (CDS) of plastomes. Results: Our analyses indicated that the Artemisia plastomes are conserved in terms of their structure, GC content, gene number, and order. The sequence divergence is higher in the LSC and SSC regions than in the IR regions. Three protein-coding genes and four non-coding regions, i.e., accD, petG, ycf1, rpoC1-rpoC2, rpoC2-rps2, trnG(UCC)-trnfM(CAU), and ndhG-ndhI, were highly diverse and could be chosen as candidates of DNA barcodes. Phylogenetic trees were divided into several clades, and all four main subgenera were not monophyletic. Additionally, the phylogenetic position of A. stracheyi is still controversial. Conclusions: Plastomes can provide important information for phylogenetic constructions. This study provides insights into the infra-generic relationships within Artemisia and also lays a foundation for future evolutionary studies of this genus. Full article

Traditional biochemical analysis methods are not only resource-intensive and time-consuming, but are increasingly inadequate for meeting the demands of modern production and quality testing. In recent years, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology has been widely applied as a non-destructive detection method for fruit and vegetable quality assessment. This study, based on HSI technology, systematically investigates the distribution patterns of jujube quality parameters under various drying temperature conditions. It focuses on analyzing six key quality indicators: L*, a*, b*, soluble solid content (SSC), hardness, and moisture content. HSI was used to acquire reflectance (R), absorbance (A), and Kubelka–Munk (K-M) spectral data of jujubes at various drying temperatures, followed by several spectral preprocessing methods, including standard normal variate (SNV), baseline correction (baseline), and Savitzky–Golay first derivative (SG1st). Subsequently, a nonlinear support vector regression (SVR) model was used to perform regression modeling for the six quality parameters. The results demonstrate that the SG1st preprocessing method significantly enhanced the predictive capability of the model. For the predictions of L*, a*, b*, SSC, hardness, and moisture content, the best inversion models achieved coefficients of determination $R_p^2$ of 0.9972, 0.9970, 0.9857, and 0.9972, respectively. To further enhance modeling accuracy, deep learning models such as bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM), bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU), and convolutional neural network–bidirectional gated recurrent unit (CNN-BiGRU) were introduced and compared comprehensively under the optimal spectral preprocessing conditions. The results demonstrate that deep learning models significantly improved modeling accuracy, with the CNN-BiGRU model performing particularly well. Compared to the SVR model, the $R_p^2$ values for L*, a*, b*, SSC, hardness, and moisture increased by 0.005, 0.007, 0.008, 0.011, 0.007, and 0.006, respectively; the $RPD$ values increased by 0.036, 0.04, 0.26, 0.462, 0.428, and 0.216. This study provides important insights into the further application of HSI technology in the quality monitoring and optimization of the jujube drying process. Full article

This study evaluates the progress of Korea’s National Strategic Smart City Program (NSSCP), a flagship R&D initiative, in advancing sustainable and intelligent urban development on a global scale. Utilizing the United Nations’ United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) framework, which integrates both sustainability and smartness in city development, this research examines the program’s alignment with global standards. The findings reveal that the NSSCP contributes to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in areas such as health, energy, innovation, and sustainable communities. It also effectively addresses key dimensions of smart cities, including smart living, environmental stewardship, mobility, and economic vitality. Despite these achievements, this study identifies critical challenges, such as the absence of robust evaluation tools and an overemphasis on quantitative targets. This research is important in advancing the discourse on smart city development, offering insights into the efficacy of smart services and systems through the lens of the NSSCP’s cloud-based open data hub model. Full article

Systemic sclerosis, a connective tissue disease of unknown etiology and unpredictable outcomes, is characterized by the fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, vasculopathy, and immune system dysregulation. The disease is classified into two main subtypes, which differ in clinical presentation, complications, and prognosis. While several biomarkers have been proposed to distinguish between these subtypes, none have achieved high sensitivity and specificity. The search for dependable markers that can differentiate between the two primary subtypes of systemic sclerosis continues. To address this gap, our study evaluated the utility of novel cardiac biomarkers, including growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), galectin-3, mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP), glutathione S-transferase π, mid-regional adrenomedullin, and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), in a cohort of 79 patients with both lcSSc and dSSc subtypes. The results demonstrated a significant elevation of GDF15 (medians: 2.07 vs. 1.10 ng/L; p < 0.001) and MR-proANP (92.55 vs. 65.60 pmol/L; p < 0.05) levels in SSc patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, GDF15 (1.65 vs. 2.34 ng/mL; p < 0.05), MR-proANP (80.87 vs. 109.27 pmol/L; p < 0.05), and suPAR (1.83 vs. 2.44 ng/mL; p < 0.05) levels were notably higher in patients with dSSc compared to those with lcSSc. In the ROC analysis, only GDF-15, MR-proANP, and suPAR proved to have a statistically significant area under the curve (AUC). Patients with the GDF-15 ≥ 2182 ng/mL, MR-prANP ≥ 85.808 pmol/L, and suPAR ≥ 2.315 ng/mL have more than six-, eight-, and seven-times-higher odds for dcSSc, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of GDF15, suPAR, and MR-proANP as biomarkers for differentiating between the two main subtypes of systemic sclerosis. Full article

Background: Reliable biomarkers are urgently needed to aid in the differential diagnosis, prognosis, disease progression monitoring, and prediction of therapeutic response in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). This study aimed to evaluate a panel of potentially pathogenic circulating cytokines and chemokines in a cohort of SSc patients. Methods: Serum samples were obtained from 35 SSc patients and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Twenty-three cytokines/chemokines were quantified using a Luminex^® multiplex immunoassay (BioRad-BioPlex 200 System-Lumine x-Map technology R&D Systems, USA) following the manufacturer’s instructions and customized procedures. Data were acquired using Bioplex manager v 6.1. Data analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism v.8 (GraphPad Software, Inc.), with significance defined as p ≤ 0.05. V.8 Results: Levels of TNFRII and MMP-8 were significantly higher in SSc patients compared to healthy controls, while IL-1RII levels were significantly elevated in healthy individuals (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Patients with elevated ESR at baseline (>30 mm/h) showed higher IL-15 levels (p = 0.019). A strong positive correlation was found between MCP-1 and the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) (p = 0.009, r = 0.740), and a moderate correlation between TNFRII and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (p = 0.046, r = 0.339). PLS regression identified MMP-8, MCP-1, TNFRII, IL-15, and IL-1RII as key predictors of SSc, with MMP-8 having the strongest influence. The logistic regression model showed high performance (AUC = 0.93, accuracy = 87.5%). Conclusions: TNFRII, MMP-8, and IL-1RII may play a pathogenic role in SSc. TNFRII, in particular, may serve as a biomarker for pulmonary involvement, aligning with its known role in pro-fibrotic pathways. These findings support their utility in diagnosis and disease profiling. Full article

Innovative magnetic techniques are pivotal for advancing mineral exploration. This study presents a self-structural constraint (SSC) method that jointly inverts aeromagnetic and gradient data to resolve high-resolution magnetic susceptibility models for concealed ores. The SSC framework integrates gradient structures from multi-component data as mutual constraints, enhancing signal differentiation and noise suppression. Unstructured tetrahedral grids and Poisson-derived analytical expressions address complex terrains, enabling robust inversions. Synthetic tests show SSC improves resolution by 40%–60% over conventional methods and resists 10% Gaussian noise. Applied to gold exploration in western Henan, China, SSC delineated concealed ore bodies (300–2000 m depth) along NE- and NW-trending faults, correlating with andesite-hosted magnetic anomalies. Combined with volcanic facies analysis, magma migration through these faults provided metallogenic materials and structural traps. The SSC-derived 3D model identified new drill targets, bridging geophysical imaging with geological processes. This advancement enhances the detection of deep, structurally controlled mineralization, offering a transformative tool for resource discovery. Full article

As the most diverse genus of Salicaceae, Salix is primarily distributed in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, encompassing 350–500 species worldwide. The genus’s evolutionary history is complex due to significant genetic differentiation. Chloroplast genes, being highly conserved, serve as effective tools for studying uniparental inheritance and evolution. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the chloroplast genomes of five representative Salix species. Phylogenetic relationships were constructed using chloroplast genome data, and structural differences among lineages were compared. These Salix chloroplast genomes exhibited a typical quadripartite structure, with lengths ranging from 154,444 to 155,725 bp. We successfully annotated 131 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Clade I showed higher variability in the SSC region, identifying five highly variable regions: petA-psbJ, rps16-rps3, ndhD, ccsA-ndhD, and ndhG-ndhI. Two rapidly evolving genes, ndhI and ycf4, were also identified. The total length of insertions and deletions (InDels) in Clade I was 1046 bp. Clade II exhibited greater variability in the LSC region, with four highly variable regions being identified: trnK-trnQ, ndhC-trnV, trnV, and psdE-petL. Four rapidly evolving genes—infA, rpoC1, rps18, and ycf1—were identified. The total length of InDels in Clade II was 1282 bp. Therefore, this study elucidated the chloroplast genome evolution across different Salix lineages, thereby providing deeper insights into intrageneric phylogenetic relationships. Full article

The tribe Loteae (Papilioniodeae-Leguminosae), according to plastid data, belongs to the Robinioid clade, which also includes the tribes Robinieae and Sesbanieae. The tribe Loteae contains 16 genera and about two hundred seventy-five species, of which the plastid genomes of five species have been studied to date. The main objectives of our study were to obtain new information on the plastid genome structure of the Loteae representatives in order to assess plastid genome variability and reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Loteae. We performed sequencing, assembly, structural and phylogenetic analyses of the Loteae plastid genomes. All assembled Loteae plastomes showed a quadripartite structure with an overall length ranging from 150,069 to 152,206 bp and showed relative stability of inverted repeat borders. The Loteae plastomes demonstrated full collinearity; the most variable sites of the studied plastomes were found in petN-trnC and rps16-accD spacers from the LSC region and in the ycf1 gene within the SSC. All inferred relationships attained maximal support with the Hippocrepis lineage separated first, followed by Coronilla and Anthyllis; Lotus is a sister group to the clade Acmispon + Ornithopus. In this study, completely resolved relationships representing a backbone of plastid phylogeny were produced. The obtained results demonstrated that plastid genomes in the tribe Loteae are structurally conservative in contrast to the closely related tribes Robinieae and Sesbanieae. Full article

Background: Section Camellia is the most diverse group in the genus Camellia L., and this group of plants has a long history of cultivation in China as popular ornamental flowers and oil plants. Sect. Camellia plants present diverse morphological variations and complexity among species, resulting in uncertainty in the classification of species, which has resulted in a degree of inconvenience and confusion in the use of plant resources and research. Methods: Here, We sequenced and assembled the chloroplast genomes of 6 sect. Camellia and performed comparative chloroplast genome analysis and phylogenetic studies combined with 15 existing sect. Camellia plants. Results: The chloroplast genome of 21 species in sect. Camellia species were quadripartite with length of 156,587–157,068 bp base pairs (bp), and a highly conserved and moderately differentiated chloroplast genome arrangement. The 21 sect. Camellia chloroplast genomes were similar to those of angiosperms, with high consistency in gene number, gene content and gene structure. After the annotation process, we identified a total of 132 genes, specifically 87 sequences coding for proteins (CDS), 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The ycf1 gene in 21 species of the sect. Camellia was present only in the small single-copy/inverted repeat of a (SSC/IRa) region. Sequence variation was greater in the large single-copy (LSC) region than in the IR region, and the majority of the protein-coding genes presented high codon preferences. The chloroplast genomes of 21 plant species exhibit relatively conserved SC (single copy region)/IR (inverted repeat region) boundaries. We detected a total of 2975 single sequence repeats (SSRs) as well as 833 dispersed nuclear elements (INEs). Among these SSRs, A/T repeats and AT/AT repeats dominated, while among INEs, forward repeats and palindromic repeats predominated. Codon usage frequencies were largely similar, with 30 high-frequency codons detected. Comparative analysis revealed five hotspot regions (rps16, psaJ, rpl33, rps8, and rpl16) and two gene intervals (atpH-atpI and petD-rpoA) in the cp genome, which can be used as potential molecular markers. In addition, the phylogenetic tree constructed from the chloroplast genome revealed that these 21 species and Camellia oleifera aggregated into a single branch, which was further subdivided into two evolutionarily independent sub-branches. Conclusions: It was confirmed that sect. Camellia and C. oleifera Abel are closely related in Camellia genus. These findings will enhance our knowledge of the sect. Camellia of plants, deepen our understanding of their genetic characteristics and phylogenetic pathways, and provide strong support for the scientific development and rational utilization of the plant resources of the sect. Camellia. Full article

Background/Objectives: The underlying mechanisms of taekwondo-specific jumping ability among different competition levels are still unknown. This study aimed to compare vertical and horizontal stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) performance between athletes of different competitive levels and examine the relationships of force and power production abilities between those two directions in Taiwanese collegiate-level male taekwondo athletes. Methods: Seventeen male collegiate taekwondo athletes were divided into two groups: medalists (MG, n = 8) and non-medalists (NMG, n = 9); both groups performed countermovement jumps (CMJ) on a force platform and single-leg lateral hops (SLLHs) via an optoelectronic measurement system. Eccentric and concentric phase measures from CMJ and distant and temporal variables of SLLH were collected for further analysis. Results: The MG achieved statistically superior jump height (JH), concentric peak velocity, eccentric peak force, force at 0 velocity, and eccentric displacement than NMG (d = 1.05–1.36). Although non-significant differences showed in SLLH variables, MG had better results than NMG (d = 0.40–0.84). Moderate relationships were identified between SLLH step 1 and JH, reactive strength index modified, peak concentric power, and peak concentric velocity of CMJ (r = 0.50–0.57, p < 0.05). Furthermore, step 2 ground contact time and lateral reactive strength index from SLLH were associated with CMJ peak eccentric force, peak concentric force, and force at 0 velocity (r = 0.53–0.59, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Taekwondo MG achieved superior CMJ and SLLH performance. In addition, jumping abilities in vertical and lateral directions shared specific underlying mechanisms in collegiate male taekwondo athletes. Full article

The Hypericaceae family, comprising nine genera and over seven hundred species, includes Hypericum plants traditionally used for medicinal purposes. In this study, we performed high-throughput sequencing on three Hypericum species: Hypericum acmosepalum, Hypericum addingtonii, and Hypericum beanii, and conducted comparative genomic analyses with related species. The chloroplast genome sizes were 152,654 bp, 122,570 bp, and 137,652 bp, respectively, with an average GC content of 37.9%. All genomes showed a quadripartite structure, with significant variations in IR regions (3231–26,846 bp). The total number of genes ranged from 91 to 129. SSRs were predominantly located in the LSC region, with mononucleotide repeats being dominant. Comparative analysis identified several hotspot regions, including accD, rpoC2, rpoB, and rpl22 in the LSC region and matK, rpl32, rpl33, and rps4 in the SSC region. Nucleotide polymorphism analysis revealed eight highly variable regions and eleven gene loci, providing potential molecular markers for species identification. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Triadenum and Cratoxylum are closely related to Hypericum, with H. acmosepalum and H. beanii being closest relatives and Hypericum hookerianum as their sister species. These findings provide molecular tools for species identification and insights for conservation strategies of medicinal Hypericum species. Full article