Activation of cerebral Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate(Rac) 1 promotes post-ischemic stroke functional recovery in aged mice

Brain functional impairment after stroke is common;however,the molecular mechanisms of post-stroke recovery remain unclear.It is well-recognized that age is the most important independent predictor of poor outcomes after stroke as older patients show poorer functional outcomes following stroke.Mounting evidence suggests that axonal regeneration and angiogenesis,the major forms of brain plasticity responsible for post-stroke recovery,diminished with advanced age.Previous studies suggest that Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate(Rac)1 enhances stroke recovery as activation of Rac1 improved behavior recovery in a young mice stroke model.Here,we investigated the role of Rac1 signaling in long-term functional recovery and brain plasticity in an aged(male,18 to 22 months old C57BL/6J)brain after ischemic stroke.We found that as mice aged,Rac1 expression declined in the brain.Delayed overexpression of Rac1,using lentivirus encoding Rac1 injected day 1 after ischemic stroke,promoted cognitive(assessed using novel object recognition test)and sensorimotor(assessed using adhesive removal tests)recovery on days 14–28.This was accompanied by the increase of neurite and proliferative endothelial cells in the periinfarct zone assessed by immunostaining.In a reverse approach,pharmacological inhibition of Rac1 by intraperitoneal injection of Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 for 14 successive days after ischemic stroke worsened the outcome with the reduction of neurite and proliferative endothelial cells.Furthermore,Rac1 inhibition reduced the activation of p21-activated kinase 1,the protein level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor,and increased the protein level of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the ischemic brain on day 28 after stroke.Our work provided insight into the mechanisms behind the diminished plasticity after cerebral ischemia in aged brains and identified Rac1 as a potential therapeutic target for improving functional recovery in the older adults after stroke.

Is recovery enhancement after gastric cancer surgery really a safe approach for elderly patients?

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the safety of enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)in elderly patients with gastric cancer(GC).AIM To evaluate the safety of ERAS in elderly patients with GC.METHODS The PubMed,EMBASE,and Cochrane Library databases were used to search for eligible studies from inception to April 1,2023.The mean difference(MD),odds ratio(OR)and 95%confidence interval(95%CI)were pooled for analysis.The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale scores.We used Stata(V.16.0)software for data analysis.RESULTS This study consists of six studies involving 878 elderly patients.By analyzing the clinical outcomes,we found that the ERAS group had shorter postoperative hospital stays(MD=-0.51,I2=0.00%,95%CI=-0.72 to-0.30,P=0.00);earlier times to first flatus(defecation;MD=-0.30,I²=0.00%,95%CI=-0.55 to-0.06,P=0.02);less intestinal obstruction(OR=3.24,I2=0.00%,95%CI=1.07 to 9.78,P=0.04);less nausea and vomiting(OR=4.07,I2=0.00%,95%CI=1.29 to 12.84,P=0.02);and less gastric retention(OR=5.69,I2=2.46%,95%CI=2.00 to 16.20,P=0.00).Our results showed that the conventional group had a greater mortality rate than the ERAS group(OR=0.24,I2=0.00%,95%CI=0.07 to 0.84,P=0.03).However,there was no statistically significant difference in major complications between the ERAS group and the conventional group(OR=0.67,I2=0.00%,95%CI=0.38 to 1.18,P=0.16).CONCLUSION Compared to those with conventional recovery,elderly GC patients who received the ERAS protocol after surgery had a lower risk of mortality.

Transplantation of fibrin-thrombin encapsulated human induced neural stem cells promotes functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats through modulation of the microenvironment

Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.

Multidisciplinary approach toward enhanced recovery after surgery for total knee arthroplasty improves outcomes

Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder of the knee,which leads to joint pain,stiffness,and inactivity and significantly affects the quality of life.With an increased prevalence of obesity and greater life expectancies,total knee arthroplasty(TKA)is now one of the major arthroplasty surgeries performed for knee osteoarthritis.When enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)was introduced in TKA,clinical outcomes were enhanced and the economic burden on the healthcare system was reduced.ERAS is an evidence-based scientific protocol aimed at ameliorating the surgical stress response.ERAS aims to enhance the recovery phase,which encompasses multidisciplinary strategies at every step of perioperative care,including the rehabilitation phase.Implementation of ERAS in TKA aids in reducing the length of hospital stay,improving pain management,reducing perioperative complications,and enhancing patient satisfaction.Multidisciplinary collaboration,integrating the expertise of anesthesiologists,orthopedic surgeons,nursing personnel,and other healthcare professionals,is the cornerstone of ERAS in patients undergoing TKA.

Synergistic anionic/zwitterionic mixed surfactant system with high emulsification efficiency for enhanced oil recovery in low permeability reservoirs

Emulsification is one of the important mechanisms of surfactant flooding. To improve oil recovery for low permeability reservoirs, a highly efficient emulsification oil flooding system consisting of anionic surfactant sodium alkyl glucosyl hydroxypropyl sulfonate(APGSHS) and zwitterionic surfactant octadecyl betaine(BS-18) is proposed. The performance of APGSHS/BS-18 mixed surfactant system was evaluated in terms of interfacial tension, emulsification capability, emulsion size and distribution, wettability alteration, temperature-resistance and salt-resistance. The emulsification speed was used to evaluate the emulsification ability of surfactant systems, and the results show that mixed surfactant systems can completely emulsify the crude oil into emulsions droplets even under low energy conditions. Meanwhile,the system exhibits good temperature and salt resistance. Finally, the best oil recovery of 25.45% is achieved for low permeability core by the mixed surfactant system with a total concentration of 0.3 wt%while the molar ratio of APGSHS:BS-18 is 4:6. The current study indicates that the anionic/zwitterionic mixed surfactant system can improve the oil flooding efficiency and is potential candidate for application in low permeability reservoirs.

Problem identification and revitalization strategies for the recovery and reconstruction of traditional villages in the Ms 6.8 Luding Earthquake

Post-disaster reconstruction is a topic of global concern,and traditional villages have special heritage attributes and need to face more requirements and obstacles in post-disaster reconstruction.This paper summarizes four concepts based on the research on post-disaster reconstruction both domestically and internationally,as well as the recovery and reconstruction of cultural heritage.Through a field survey of traditional villages in the Ms 6.8 Luding earthquake-stricken area,it is found that there are problems such as insufficient awareness of heritage value,misalignment of scientific reconstruction technology,and insufficient protection of reconstruction elements during the reconstruction process.Traditional villages face the risk of declining or even loss of heritage value.In order to effectively protect traditional villages and inherit the carrier of regional culture,four targeted reconstruction response strategies are proposed,i.e.,to"establish special planning for traditional village preservation","emphasize recovery of the authenticity of village heritage","ensure elements for village heritage recovery"and"promote the activation and utilization of village heritage",based on the problems discovered during the survey and the four concepts summarized in the research on post-disaster reconstruction of traditional villages.The research results hope to provide useful reference for ancient cultural areas affected by earthquakes on how to protect cultural heritage during the post-disaster reconstruction process.

Surgical intervention combined with weight-bearing walking training promotes recovery in patients with chronic spinal cord injury:a randomized controlled study

For patients with chronic spinal cord injury,the co nventional treatment is rehabilitation and treatment of spinal cord injury complications such as urinary tract infection,pressure sores,osteoporosis,and deep vein thrombosis.Surgery is rarely perfo rmed on spinal co rd injury in the chronic phase,and few treatments have been proven effective in chronic spinal cord injury patients.Development of effective therapies fo r chronic spinal co rd injury patients is needed.We conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial in patients with chronic complete thoracic spinal co rd injury to compare intensive rehabilitation(weight-bearing walking training)alone with surgical intervention plus intensive rehabilitation.This clinical trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov(NCT02663310).The goal of surgical intervention was spinal cord detethering,restoration of cerebrospinal fluid flow,and elimination of residual spinal cord compression.We found that surgical intervention plus weight-bearing walking training was associated with a higher incidence of American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale improvement,reduced spasticity,and more rapid bowel and bladder functional recovery than weight-bearing walking training alone.Overall,the surgical procedures and intensive rehabilitation were safe.American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale improvement was more common in T7-T11 injuries than in T2-T6 injuries.Surgery combined with rehabilitation appears to have a role in treatment of chronic spinal cord injury patients.

Enhanced recovery after surgery in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery

BACKGROUND This study was designed to investigate the clinical outcomes of enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)in the perioperative period in elderly patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer(NSCLC).AIM To investigate the potential enhancement of video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS)in postoperative recovery in elderly patients with NSCLC.METHODS We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 85 elderly NSCLC patients who underwent ERAS(the ERAS group)and 327 elderly NSCLC patients who received routine care(the control group)after VATS at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Peking University Shenzhen Hospital between May 2015 and April 2017.After propensity score matching of baseline data,we analysed the postoperative stay,total hospital expenses,postoperative 48-h pain score,and postoperative complication rate for the 2 groups of patients who underwent lobectomy or sublobar resection.RESULTS After propensity score matching,ERAS significantly reduced the postoperative hospital stay(6.96±4.16 vs 8.48±4.18 d,P=0.001)and total hospital expenses(48875.27±18437.5 vs 55497.64±21168.63 CNY,P=0.014)and improved the satisfaction score(79.8±7.55 vs 77.35±7.72,P=0.029)relative to those for routine care.No significant between-group difference was observed in postoperative 48-h pain score(4.68±1.69 vs 5.28±2.1,P=0.090)or postoperative complication rate(21.2%vs 27.1%,P=0.371).Subgroup analysis showed that ERAS significantly reduced the postoperative hospital stay and total hospital expenses and increased the satisfaction score of patients who underwent lobectomy but not of patients who underwent sublobar resection.CONCLUSION ERAS effectively reduced the postoperative hospital stay and total hospital expenses and improved the satisfaction score in the perioperative period for elderly NSCLC patients who underwent lobectomy but not for patients who underwent sublobar resection.

Risk Factors Asscociated with Hypokalemia during Postanesthesia Recovery and Its Impact on Outcomes in Gynecological Patients:A Propensity Score Matching Study

Objective:This study aimed to explore the risk factors and outcomes of hypokalemia during the recovery period from anesthesia in the gynecological population.Methods:This retrospective cohort study included 208 patients who underwent gynecological surgery at our institution between January 2021 and March 2022.Data were collected for each patient,including demographics,disease status,surgical data,and clinical information.Preoperative bowel preparation,postoperative gastrointestinal function,and electrolyte levels were compared between the two groups using propensity score matching(PSM).Results:The incidence of hypokalemia(serum potassium level<3.5 mmol/L)during the recovery period from anesthesia was approximately 43.75%.After PSM,oral laxative use(96.4%vs.82.4%,P=0.005),the number of general enemas(P=0.014),and the rate of≥2 general enemas(92.9%vs.77.8%,P=0.004)were identified as risk factors for hypokalemia,which was accompanied by decreased PaCO_(2) and hypocalcemia.There were no significant differences in postoperative gastrointestinal outcomes,such as the time to first flatus or feces,the I-FEED score(a scoring system was created to evaluate impaired postoperative gastrointestinal function),or postoperative recovery outcomes,between the hypokalemia group and the normal serum potassium group.Conclusion:Hypokalemia during postanesthesia recovery period occurred in 43.75%of gynecological patients,which resulted from preoperative mechanical bowel preparation;however,it did not directly affect clinical outcomes,including postoperative gastrointestinal function,postoperative complications,and length of hospital stay.

Research progress and potential of new enhanced oil recovery methods in oilfield development

This paper reviews the basic research means for oilfield development and also the researches and tests of enhanced oil recovery(EOR)methods for mature oilfields and continental shale oil development,analyzes the problems of EOR methods,and proposes the relevant research prospects.The basic research means for oilfield development include in-situ acquisition of formation rock/fluid samples and non-destructive testing.The EOR methods for conventional and shale oil development are classified as improved water flooding(e.g.nano-water flooding),chemical flooding(e.g.low-concentration middle-phase micro-emulsion flooding),gas flooding(e.g.micro/nano bubble flooding),thermal recovery(e.g.air injection thermal-aided miscible flooding),and multi-cluster uniform fracturing/water-free fracturing,which are discussed in this paper for their mechanisms,approaches,and key technique researches and field tests.These methods have been studied with remarkable progress,and some achieved ideal results in field tests.Nonetheless,some problems still exist,such as inadequate research on mechanisms,imperfect matching technologies,and incomplete industrial chains.It is proposed to further strengthen the basic researches and expand the field tests,thereby driving the formation,promotion and application of new technologies.

Shale oil recovery by CO_(2)injection in Jiyang Depression,Bohai Bay Basin,East China

Laboratory experiments,numerical simulations and fracturing technology were combined to address the problems in shale oil recovery by CO_(2)injection.The laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the displacement mechanisms of shale oil extraction by CO_(2)injection,and the influences of CO_(2)pre-pad on shale mechanical properties.Numerical simulations were performed about influences of CO_(2)pre-pad fracturing and puff-n-huff for energy replenishment on the recovery efficiency.The findings obtained were applied to the field tests of CO_(2)pre-pad fracturing and single well puff-n-huff.The results show that the efficiency of CO_(2)puff-n-huff is affected by micro-and nano-scale effect,kerogen,adsorbed oil and so on,and a longer soaking time in a reasonable range leads to a higher exploitation degree of shale oil.In the"injection+soaking"stage,the exploitation degree of heavy hydrocarbons is enhanced by CO_(2)through its effects of solubility-diffusion and mass-transfer.In the"huff"stage,crude oil in large pores is displaced by CO_(2)to surrounding larger pores or bedding fractures and finally flows to the production well.The injection of CO_(2)pre-pad is conducive to keeping the rock brittle and reducing the fracture breakdown pressure,and the CO_(2)is liable to filter along the bedding surface,thereby creating a more complex fracture.Increasing the volume of CO_(2)pre-pad can improve the energizing effect,and enhance the replenishment of formation energy.Moreover,the oil recovery is more enhanced by CO_(2)huff-n-puff with the lower shale matrix permeability,the lower formation pressure,and the larger heavy hydrocarbon content.The field tests demonstrate a good performance with the pressure maintained well after CO_(2)pre-pad fracturing,the formation energy replenished effectively after CO_(2)huff-n-puff in a single well,and the well productivity improved.

Waste acid recovery utilizing monovalent cation permselective membranes through selective electrodialysis

Selective electrodialysis(SED)has surfaced as a highly promising membrane separation technique in the realm of acid recovery owing to its ability to effectively separate monovalent ions through the utilization of a potential difference.However,the current SED process is limited by conventional commercial monovalent cation permselective membranes(MCPMs).This study systematically investigates the use of an independently developed MCPM in the SED process for acid recovery.Various factors such as current density,volume ratio,initial ion concentration,and waste acid systems are considered.The independently developed MCPM offers several advantages over the commercial monovalent selective cation-exchange membrane(CIMS),including higher recovered acid concentration,better ion flux ratio,improved acid recovery efficiency,increased recovered acid purity,and higher current efficiency.The SED process with the MCPM achieves a recovered acid of 95.9%and a concentration of 2.3 mol·L^(–1) in the HCl/FeCl_(2) system,when a current density of 20 mA·cm^(-2) and a volume ratio of 1:2 are applied.Similarly,in the H_(2)SO_(4)/FeSO_(4) system,a purity of over 99%and a concentration of 2.1 mol·L^(–1) can be achieved in the recovered acid.This study thoroughly examines the impact of operation conditions on acid recovery performance in the SED process.The independently developed MCPM demonstrates outstanding acid recovery performance,highlighting its potential for future commercial utilization.

Reset-Free Reinforcement Learning via Multi-State Recovery and Failure Prevention for Autonomous Robots

Reinforcement learning holds promise in enabling robotic tasks as it can learn optimal policies via trial and error.However,the practical deployment of reinforcement learning usually requires human intervention to provide episodic resets when a failure occurs.Since manual resets are generally unavailable in autonomous robots,we propose a reset-free reinforcement learning algorithm based on multi-state recovery and failure prevention to avoid failure-induced resets.The multi-state recovery provides robots with the capability of recovering from failures by self-correcting its behavior in the problematic state and,more importantly,deciding which previous state is the best to return to for efficient re-learning.The failure prevention reduces potential failures by predicting and excluding possible unsafe actions in specific states.Both simulations and real-world experiments are used to validate our algorithm with the results showing a significant reduction in the number of resets and failures during the learning.

Does enhanced recovery after surgery programs improve clinical outcomes in liver cancer surgery?

Enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)programs have been widely applied in liver surgery since the publication of the first ERAS guidelines in 2016 and the new recommendations in 2022.Liver surgery is usually performed in oncological patients(liver metastasis,hepatocellular carcinoma,cholangiocarcinoma,etc.),but the real impact of liver surgery ERAS programs in oncological outcomes is not clearly defined.Theoretical advantages of ERAS programs are:ERAS decreases postoperative complication rates and has been demonstrated a clear relationship between complications and oncological outcomes;a better and faster posto-perative recovery should let oncologic teams begin chemotherapeutic regimens on time;prehabilitation and nutrition actions before surgery should also improve the performance status of the patients receiving chemotherapy.So,ERAS could be another way to improve our oncological results.We will discuss the literature about liver surgery ERAS focusing on its oncological implications and future investigations projects.

A review on current development of thermophotovoltaic technology in heat recovery

The burning of fossil fuels in industry results in significant carbon emissions,and the heat generated is often not fully utilized.For high-temperature industries,thermophotovoltaics(TPVs)is an effective method for waste heat recovery.This review covers two aspects of high-efficiency TPV systems and industrial waste heat applications.At the system level,representative results of TPV complete the systems,while selective emitters and photovoltaic cells in the last decade are compiled.The key points of components to improve the energy conversion efficiency are further analyzed,and the related micro/nano-fabrication methods are introduced.At the application level,the feasibility of TPV applications in high-temperature industries is shown from the world waste heat utilization situation.The potential of TPV in waste heat recovery and carbon neutrality is illustrated with the steel industry as an example.

Spontaneous Recovery in Directed Dynamical Networks

Complex networked systems,which range from biological systems in the natural world to infrastructure systems in the human-made world,can exhibit spontaneous recovery after a failure;for example,a brain may spontaneously return to normal after a seizure,and traffic flow can become smooth again after a jam.Previous studies on the spontaneous recovery of dynamical networks have been limited to undirected networks.However,most real-world networks are directed.To fill this gap,we build a model in which nodes may alternately fail and recover,and we develop a theoretical tool to analyze the recovery properties of directed dynamical networks.We find that the tool can accurately predict the final fraction of active nodes,and the prediction accuracy decreases as the fraction of bidirectional links in the network increases,which emphasizes the importance of directionality in network dynamics.Due to different initial states,directed dynamical networks may show alternative stable states under the same control parameter,exhibiting hysteresis behavior.In addition,for networks with finite sizes,the fraction of active nodes may jump back and forth between high and low states,mimicking repetitive failure-recovery processes.These findings could help clarify the system recovery mechanism and enable better design of networked systems with high resilience.

The Clinical Value of Accelerated Recovery Care in Pulmonary Rehabilitation of Perioperative Lung Cancer Patients

Aim: To study the clinical value of accelerated recovery care in pulmonary rehabilitation of perioperative lung cancer patients. Methods: 98 lung cancer patients undergoing surgery were admitted to our hospital from March 2020 to November 2021 and randomly divided into an observation group and an ACBT (Active Cycle of Breathing Technique) training group. Accelerated recovery care and routine care were respectively used in the perioperative period to compare the nursing effects of the two groups. Results: All perioperative indicators in the observation group were shorter than those in the ACBT training group. The pain scores at different time periods after surgery were lower in the observation group than in the ACBT training group (P 0.05). The improvement in the above indicators was higher in the observation group than in the ACBT training group after nursing care (P Conclusion: Accelerated recovery care during the perioperative period for lung cancer surgery patients showed significant effectiveness.

Optimizing postsurgical recovery for elderly patients with gastric cancer

Based on a recent study by Li et al,this editorial examines the significance of enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)protocols for elderly patients with gastric cancer.Cancer-related mortality,which is overwhelmingly caused by gastric cancer,calls for effective treatment strategies.Despite advances in the field of oncology,conventional postoperative care often results in prolonged hospital stays and increased complications.The aim of ERAS is to expedite recovery,reduce surgical stress,and improve patient satisfaction.The study of Li et al showed that,compared to traditional care,ERAS significantly reduces mortality risk,shortens hospital stays,and decreases postoperative complications.These findings support the widespread implementation of ERAS protocols in surgical practice to enhance patient outcomes and healthcare value.

TGAIN:Geospatial Data Recovery Algorithm Based on GAIN-LSTM

Accurate geospatial data are essential for geographic information systems(GIS),environmental monitoring,and urban planning.The deep integration of the open Internet and geographic information technology has led to increasing challenges in the integrity and security of spatial data.In this paper,we consider abnormal spatial data as missing data and focus on abnormal spatial data recovery.Existing geospatial data recovery methods require complete datasets for training,resulting in time-consuming data recovery and lack of generalization.To address these issues,we propose a GAIN-LSTM-based geospatial data recovery method(TGAIN),which consists of two main works:(1)it uses a long-short-term recurrent neural network(LSTM)as a generator to analyze geospatial temporal data and capture its temporal correlation;(2)it constructs a complete TGAIN network using a cue-masked fusion matrix mechanism to obtain data that matches the original distribution of the input data.The experimental results on two publicly accessible datasets demonstrate that our proposed TGAIN approach surpasses four contemporary and traditional models in terms of mean absolute error(MAE),root mean square error(RMSE),mean square error(MSE),mean absolute percentage error(MAPE),coefficient of determination(R2)and average computational time across various data missing rates.Concurrently,TGAIN exhibits superior accuracy and robustness in data recovery compared to existing models,especially when dealing with a high rate of missing data.Our model is of great significance in improving the integrity of geospatial data and provides data support for practical applications such as urban traffic optimization prediction and personal mobility analysis.

Conditional Generative Adversarial Network Enabled Localized Stress Recovery of Periodic Composites

Structural damage in heterogeneousmaterials typically originates frommicrostructures where stress concentration occurs.Therefore,evaluating the magnitude and location of localized stress distributions within microstructures under external loading is crucial.Repeating unit cells(RUCs)are commonly used to represent microstructural details and homogenize the effective response of composites.This work develops a machine learning-based micromechanics tool to accurately predict the stress distributions of extracted RUCs.The locally exact homogenization theory efficiently generates the microstructural stresses of RUCs with a wide range of parameters,including volume fraction,fiber/matrix property ratio,fiber shapes,and loading direction.Subsequently,the conditional generative adversarial network(cGAN)is employed and constructed as a surrogate model to establish the statistical correlation between these parameters and the corresponding localized stresses.The stresses predicted by cGAN are validated against the remaining true data not used for training,showing good agreement.This work demonstrates that the cGAN-based micromechanics tool effectively captures the local responses of composite RUCs.It can be used for predicting potential crack initiations starting from microstructures and evaluating the effective behavior of periodic composites.