Metagenomic analysis revealing the metabolic role of microbial communities in the free amino acid biosynthesis of Monascus rice vinegar during fermentation

Free amino acid(FAA)is the important component of vinegar that infl uences quality perception and consumer acceptance.FAA is one of the major metabolites produced by microorganisms;however,the microbial metabolic network on FAA biosynthesis remains unclear.Through metagenomic analysis,this work aimed to elucidate the roles of microbes in FAA biosynthesis during Monascus rice vinegar fermentation.Taxonomic profiles from functional analyses showed 14 dominant genera with high contributions to the metabolism pathways.The metabolic network for FAA biosynthesis was then constructed,and the microbial distribution in different metabolic pathways was illuminated.The results revealed that 5 functional genera were closely involved in FAA biosynthesis.This study illuminated the metabolic roles of microorganisms in FAA biosynthesis and provided crucial insights into the functional attributes of microbiota in vinegar fermentation.

Free vibration and buckling analysis of polymeric composite beams reinforced by functionally graded bamboo fbers

Natural fibers have been extensively researched as reinforcement materials in polymers on account of their environmental and economic advantages in comparison with synthetic fibers in the recent years.Bamboo fibers are renowned for their good mechanical properties,abundance,and short cycle growth.As beams are one of the fundamental structural components and are susceptible to mechanical loads in engineering applications,this paper performs a study on the free vibration and buckling responses of bamboo fiber reinforced composite(BFRC)beams on the elastic foundation.Three different functionally graded(FG)layouts and a uniform one are the considered distributions for unidirectional long bamboo fibers across the thickness.The elastic properties of the composite are determined with the law of mixture.Employing Hamilton’s principle,the governing equations of motion are obtained.The generalized differential quadrature method(GDQM)is then applied to the equations to obtain the results.The achieved outcomes exhibit that the natural frequency and buckling load values vary as the fiber volume fractions and distributions,elastic foundation stiffness values,and boundary conditions(BCs)and slenderness ratio of the beam change.Furthermore,a comparative study is conducted between the derived analysis outcomes for BFRC and homogenous polymer beams to examine the effectiveness of bamboo fibers as reinforcement materials,demonstrating the significant enhancements in both vibration and buckling responses,with the exception of natural frequencies for cantilever beams on the Pasternak foundation with the FG-◇fiber distribution.Eventually,the obtained analysis results of BFRC beams are also compared with those for carbon nanotube reinforced composite(CNTRC)beams found in the literature,indicating that the buckling loads and natural frequencies of BFRC beams are lower than those of CNTRC beams.

Coupling Coordination Analysis of Cropland Intensification and Agroecosystem Services:Evidence from Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province,China

One of the greatest challenges in the agroecosystem is to improve cropland intensification while preserving agroecosystem services.While many studies have investigated the effect of cropland intensification on agroecosystem service,the interactive coupling and coordination among these factors remain largely unexplored.In view of this,this study performed a case study of the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province,China and constructed comprehensive evaluation models to quantify the cropland intensification and agroecosystem service in this area.Balance analysis and the coupling coordination degree model were used to evaluate the interactive relationship between cropland intensification and agroecosystem service,and statistical analysis and spatial autocorrelation were used to analyze the spatial characteristics and potential mechanism of the coupling coordination.Results show that both the cropland intensification and agroecosystem service in the study area were relatively low yet gradually increased from 2000 to 2020.Agroecosystem service lag was identified as the dominant unbalanced development type.Improving the supply capacity of agroecosystem services plays a key role in the balanced development of cropland in the Loess Plateau.The coupling coordination degree between cropland intensification and agroecosystem service ranges from basic coordination to serious incoordination.Therefore,cropland intensification practices in the area should be optimized to enhance this coordination degree.An upward trend was also observed in the coupling coordination degree from2000 to 2020.The withdrawal of marginal cropland in the Grain for Green program is one of the most important reasons for this trend,especially for the northern region.Around 83.6%of the high-high clusters are concentrated in the southern region of the Loess Plateau,whereas 70.5%of the low-low clusters are distributed in the northern region.These clustering characteristics are mainly attributed to the environmental suitability of these areas for agriculture and their degree of economic development.

Method of fabricating artificial rock specimens based on extrusion free forming(EFF)3D printing

Three-dimensional(3D)printing technology has been widely used to create artificial rock samples in rock mechanics.While 3D printing can create complex fractures,the material still lacks sufficient similarity to natural rock.Extrusion free forming(EFF)is a 3D printing technique that uses clay as the printing material and cures the specimens through high-temperature sintering.In this study,we attempted to use the EFF technology to fabricate artificial rock specimens.The results show the physico-mechanical properties of the specimens are significantly affected by the sintering temperature,while the nozzle diameter and layer thickness also have a certain impact.The specimens are primarily composed of SiO_(2),with mineral compositions similar to that of natural rocks.The density,uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),elastic modulus,and tensile strength of the printed specimens fall in the range of 1.65–2.54 g/cm3,16.46–50.49 MPa,2.17–13.35 GPa,and 0.82–17.18 MPa,respectively.It is capable of simulating different types of rocks,especially mudstone,sandstone,limestone,and gneiss.However,the simulation of hard rocks with UCS exceeding 50 MPa still requires validation.

Free Vibration Analysis of Rectangular Plate with Cutouts under Elastic Boundary Conditions in Independent Coordinate Coupling Method

Based on Kirchhoff plate theory and the Rayleigh-Ritz method,the model for free vibration of rectangular plate with rectangular cutouts under arbitrary elastic boundary conditions is established by using the improved Fourier series in combination with the independent coordinate coupling method(ICCM).The effect of the cutout is taken into account by subtracting the energies of the cutouts from the total energies of the whole plate.The vibration displacement function of the hole domain is based on the coordinate system of the hole domain in this method.From the continuity condition of the vibration displacement function at the cutout,the transition matrix between the two coordinate systems is constructed,and the mass and stiffness matrices are completely obtained.As a result,the calculation is simplified and the computational efficiency of the solution is improved.In this paper,numerical examples and modal experiments are presented to validate the effectiveness of the modeling methods,and parameters related to influencing factors of the rectangular plate are analyzed to study the vibration characteristics.

A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis of China’s Free Trade Zones:Status and Evolutionary Trends

The China free trade zone,crucial for advancing a new open economy,has gained significant attention lately.We analyzed 885 papers from Peking University Core and CSSCI journals(2012-2023)using CiteSpace for visualization.Our research results indicate that the literature on China’s free trade zone peaked with 171 articles in 2015,and gradually returned to an average of 45 articles per year.The main research focuses in this field include“institutional innovation”,“negative list”,“financial innovation”,“financial openness”,“opening up to the outside world”,and“economic growth”.In addition,cutting-edge analysis indicates that“dual circulation”and“blockchain”are future research trends.The main authors of the literature include Yang Bin,Zhu Xiaolin,Yuan Bo,Li Meng,Zhao Liang,and others.Their affiliated institutions,research institutes,and universities have not yet formed a clear core circle of authors;The top three research institutions with the highest number of publications are the International Trade and Economic Cooperation Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce,Kaiyuan Law School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University,and the Comprehensive Research Institute of the Free Trade Zone of Sun Yatsen University.This article delves into the current hot topics and progress in the research of China’s free trade zones,providing important references and inspirations for future scholars in this field.

Design and Analysis of a Magnetic Bearings with Three Degrees of Freedom

The current research of supporting and transmission system in flywheel energy storage system(FESS) focuses on the low consumption design. However, friction loss is a non-negligible factor in the high-speed but lightweight FESS energy and momentum storage with mechanical-type supporting system. In order to realize the support system without mechanical loss and to maximize the e ciency of the flywheel battery, a permanent magnet biased magnetic bearings(PMBMB) is applied to the FESS with the advantages of low loss, high critical speed, flexible controllability and compact structure. In this frame, the relevant research of three degrees of freedom(3-DOF) PMBMB for a new type FESS is carried out around the working principle, structural composition, coupling characteristics analysis, mathematical model, and structural design. In order to verify the performance of the 3-DOF PMBMB, the radial force mathematical model and the coupling determination equations of radial two DOF are calculated according to an equivalent magnetic circuit, and radial–axial coupling is analyzed through finite element analysis. Moreover, a control system is presented to solve the control problems in practical applications. The rotor returns to the balanced position in 0.05 s and maintains stable suspension. The displacement fluctuation is approximately 40 μm in the y direction and 30 μm in the x direction. Test results indicate that the dynamic rotor of the proposed flywheel energy storage system with PMBMB has excellent characteristics, such as good start-of-suspension performance and stable suspension characteristics. The proposed research provides the instruction to design and control a low loss support system for FESS.

Dynamic analysis of new type elastic screen surface with multi degree of freedom and experimental validation

A feasible method was proposed to improve the vibration intensity of screen surface via application of a new type elastic screen surface with multi degree of freedom(NTESSMDF). In the NTESSMDF, the primary robs were coupled to the main screen structure with ends embedded into the elastomers, and the secondary robs were attached to adjacent two primary robs with elastic bands. The dynamic model of vibrating screen with NTESSMDF was established based on Lagrange's equation and the equivalent stiffnesses of the elastomer and elastic band were calculated. According to numerical simulation using the 4th order Runge-Kutta method, the vibration intensity of screen surface can be enhanced substantially with an averaged acceleration amplitude increasing ratio of 72.36%. The primary robs and secondary robs vibrate inversely in steady state, which would result in the friability of materials and avoid stoppage. The experimental results validate the dynamic characteristics with acceleration amplitude rising by62.93% on average, which demonstrates the feasibility of NTESSMDF.

Primary resonance of multiple degree-of-freedom dynamic systems with strong non-linearity using the homotopy analysis method

A homotopy analysis method（HAM）is presented for the primary resonance of multiple degree-of-freedom systems with strong non-linearity excited by harmonic forces.The validity of the HAM is independent of the existence of small parameters in the considered equation.The HAM provides a simple way to adjust and control the convergence region of the series solution by means of an auxiliary parameter.Two examples are presented to show that the HAM solutions agree well with the results of the modified Linstedt-Poincar＇e method and the incremental harmonic balance method.

Component Analysis and Free Radicals Scavenging Activity of Physalis alkekengi L. Polysaccharide

A crude polysaccharide was extracted from Physalis alkekengi L. fruit. HPLC was used for the component analysis of the polysaccharide. The results indicate that Physalis alkekengi L. polysaccharide（PAP） was composed of rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, galactose, and glucose. Free radicals scavenging activity of PAP was studied through 3 free radicals scavenging tests. PAP exhibited high scavenging effects on OH and DPPH radicals, and both the scavenging rates were about 80%. The scavenging rate of O2^- radical was about 22%.

Free vibration analysis of functionally graded laminated sandwich cylindrical shells integrated with piezoelectric layer

An analytical method for the three-dimensional vibration analysis of a functionally graded cylindrical shell integrated by two thin functionally graded piezoelectric （FGP） layers is presented. The first-order shear deformation theory is used to model the electromechanical system. Nonlinear equations of motion are derived by considering the von Karman nonlinear strain-displacement relations using Hamilton＇s principle. The piezoelectric layers on the inner and outer surfaces of the core can be considered as a sensor and an actuator for controlling characteristic vibration of the system. The equations of motion are derived as partial differential equations and then discretized by the Navier method. Numerical simulation is performed to investigate the effect of different para- meters of material and geometry on characteristic vibration of the cylinder. The results of this study show that the natural frequency of the system decreases by increasing the non-homogeneous index of FGP layers and decreases by increasing the non-homogeneous index of the functionally graded core. Furthermore, it is concluded that by increasing the ratio of core thickness to cylinder length, the natural frequencies of the cylinder increase considerably.

Mixed finite element and differential quadrature method for free and forced vibration and buckling analysis of rectangular plates

This paper presents a combined application of the finite element method （FEM） and the differential quadrature method （DQM） to vibration and buckling problems of rectangular plates. The proposed scheme combines the geometry flexibility of the FEM and the high accuracy and efficiency of the DQM. The accuracy of the present method is demonstrated by comparing the obtained results with those available in the literature. It is shown that highly accurate results can be obtained by using a small number of finite elements and DQM sample points. The proposed method is suitable for the problems considered due to its simplicity and potential for further development.

Historical relationships of the Mesoamerican highlands,with emphasis on tropical montane cloud forests:a temporal cladistic biogeographical analysis

The historical relationships of nine areas of endemism of the tropical montane cloud forests(TMCFs)were analysed based on a temporal cladistic biogeographical approach.Three cladistic biogeographical analyses were conducted based on 29cladograms of terrestrial taxa by partitioning them into three time-slices,namely,Miocene,Pliocene,and Pleistocene.The results showed different area relationships over time.For the Miocene and Pliocene time slices,the Isthmus of Tehuantepec acted as a geographic barrier that fragmented the TMCFs into two portions:west of the Isthmus and east of the Isthmus.In the case of the Pleistocene,the TMCFs were broken into two portions,one related to the Neotropical region and the other to the Nearctic region.Furthermore,the analyses allowed us to detect the influences of different geological and paleoclimatological events on the distribution of the TMCFs over time.Therefore,the TMCFs current distribution might have been driven by geological events during the Miocene-Pliocene,whereas climatic fluctuations have the highest impact during the Pleistocene.

Free Vibration Analysis of Symmetrically Laminated Composite Plates on Elastic Foundation and Coupled with Stationary Fluid

Free vibration analysis of symmetrically laminated composite plates resting on Pasternak elastic support and coupled with an ideal, incompressible and inviscid fluid is the objective of the present work. The fluid domain is considered to be infinite in the length direction but bounded in the depth and width directions. In order to derive the eigenvalue equation, Rayleigh-Ritz method is applied for the fluid-plate-foundation system. The efficiency of the method is proved by comparison studies with those reported in the open literature. At the end, parametric studies are carried out to examine the impact of different parameters on the natural frequencies.

Application of Grey Correlation Degree Analysis in Broad Bean Strain Screening

[Objectives] The aim was to clarify the target and approach to purifying and selecting Baoshan Touxinlv broad bean. [Methods] In 2012,5 homozygous strains were selected successfully as the material,and completely randomized block arrangement was adopted with 3 repeated trials to analyze the effects of plant height,effective length of podding branches,branch number per plant,pod number per plant,grain number per pod and 100-grain weight on the yield of each plant in the system. [Results] The results showed that the effects of the various factors on the yield of Baoshan broad beans were in the order of grain number per pod 〉 effective length of podding branches 〉 100-grain weight 〉 pod number per plant 〉 branch number per plant 〉 plant height. [Conclusions]In breeding new strains of Baoshan broad beans,under the premise of ensuring the seed nature and quality of the original variety,priority should be given to the gain number per pod and the increment of effective length of podding branches,followed by the pod number per plant,branch number per plant,plant height,which is the best way to breed new strains of Baoshan Touxinlv broad beans.

Bending and free vibrational analysis of bi-directional functionally graded beams with circular cross-section

The bending and free vibrational behaviors of functionally graded(FG)cylindrical beams with radially and axially varying material inhomogeneities are investigated.Based on a high-order cylindrical beam model,where the shear deformation and rotary inertia are both considered,the two coupled governing differential motion equations for the deflection and rotation are established.The analytical bending solutions for various boundary conditions are derived.In the vibrational analysis of FG cylindrical beams,the two governing equations are firstly changed to a single equation by means of an auxiliary function,and then the vibration mode is expanded into shifted Chebyshev polynomials.Numerical examples are given to investigate the effects of the material gradient indices on the deflections,the stress distributions,and the eigenfrequencies of the cylindrical beams,respectively.By comparing the obtained numerical results with those obtained by the three-dimensional(3D)elasticity theory and the Timoshenko beam theory,the effectiveness of the present approach is verified.

Homotopy Analysis of MHD Free Convective Micropolar Fluid Flow along a Vertical Surface Embedded in Non-Darcian Thermally-Stratified Medium

The dynamics of steady, two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) free convective flow of micropolar fluid along a vertical porous surface embedded in a thermally stratified medium is investigated. The ratio of pressure drop caused by liquid-solid interactions to that of pressure drop caused by viscous resistance are equal;hence, the non-Darcy effect is properly accounted for in the momentum equation. The temperature at the wall and at the free stream which best accounts for thermal stratification are adopted. Similarity transformations are used to convert the nonlinear partial differential equation to a system of coupled non-linear ordinary differential equation and also to parameterize the governing equations. The approximate analytical solution of the corresponding BVP are obtained using Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM). The effects of stratification parameter, thermal radiation and other pertinent parameters on velocity, angular velocity and temperature profiles are shown graphically. It is observed that increase in the stratification parameter leads to decrease in both velocity and temperature distribution and also makes the microrotation distribution to increase near the plate and decrease away from the plate. The influence of both thermal stratification and exponential space dependent internal heat source on velocity, micro-rotation and temperature profiles are presented. The comparison of the solutions obtained using analytical techniques (HAM) and MATLAB package (bvp4c) is shown and a good agreement is observed.

A quadrilateral membrane hybrid stress element with drilling degrees of freedom

A new kind of quadrilateral assumed stress hy- brid membrane element with drilling degrees of freedom and a traction-free inclined side has been developed based on an extended Hellinger-Reissner principle which is established by expanding the essential terms of the assumed stress field as polynomials in the natural coordinates of the element. The homogeneous equilibrium equations are imposed in a variational sense through the internal displacements which are also expanded in the natural coordinates, while the tractionfree conditions along the inclined side are satisfied exactly. The use of such special element in the finite element solution is shown to be highly accurate when only a very coarse element mesh is used for plates with V-shaped rounded notches or inclined sides.

Degree distribution and robustness of cooperative communication network with scale-free model

With the requirements of users enhanced for wireless communication, the cooperative communication will become a development trend in future. In this paper, a model based on complex networks with both preferential attachment is researched to solve an actual network CCN （Cooperative Communication Network）. Firstly, the evolution of CCN is given by four steps with different probabilities. At the same time, the rate equations of nodes degree are presented to analyze the evolution of CCN. Secondly, the degree distribution is analyzed by calculating the rate equation and numerical simulation. Finally, the robustness of CCN is studied by numerical simulation with random attack and intentional attack to analyze the effects of degree distribution and average path length. The results of this paper are more significant for building CCN to programme the resource of communication.

Wellbore Cleaning Degree and Hydraulic Extension in Shale Oil Horizontal Wells

The efficient development and exploitation of shale oil depends on long-distance horizontal wells. As the degreeof cleaning of the wellbore plays a key role in these processes, in this study, this problem is investigated experimentallyby focusing on the dimensionless cuttings bed height. A method is proposed to calculate the horizontalwellhydraulic extension taking into account the influence of the wellbore cleaning degree on the wellborepressure distribution and assess the effect of a variety of factors such as the bottom hole pressure, the circulatingpressure drop, the drilling pump performance and the formation properties. The analysis shows that the hydraulicextension of horizontal wells decreases with an increase in the cuttings bed height, and the higher the displacementof drilling fluid, the faster the hydraulic extension declines. The annular pressure drop of the horizontalsection increases with the increase of the cuttings bed height, resulting in a higher bottom-hole pressure. Severalarguments are provided to guide the safe drilling of shale oil horizontal wells and overcome the limits of currenttechnological approaches.