Adaptive Leader-Follower Consensus Control of Multiple Flexible Manipulators With Actuator Failures and Parameter Uncertainties

In this paper,the leader-follower consensus problem for a multiple flexible manipulator network with actuator failures,parameter uncertainties,and unknown time-varying boundary disturbances is addressed.The purpose of this study is to develop distributed controllers utilizing local interactive protocols that not only suppress the vibration of each flexible manipulator but also achieve consensus on joint angle position between actual followers and the virtual leader.Following the accomplishment of the reconstruction of the fault terms and parameter uncertainties,the adaptive neural network method and parameter estimation technique are employed to compensate for unknown items and bounded disturbances.Furthermore,the Lyapunov stability theory is used to demonstrate that followers’angle consensus errors and vibration deflections in closed-loop systems are uniformly ultimately bounded.Finally,the numerical simulation results confirm the efficacy of the proposed controllers.

AGK2 pre-treatment protects against thioacetamide-induced acute liver failure via regulating the MFN2-PERK axis and ferroptosis signaling pathway

Background:Acute liver failure(ALF)is an unpredictable and life-threatening critical illness.The pathological characteristic of ALF is massive necrosis of hepatocytes and lots of inflammatory cells infiltration which may lead to multiple organ failure.Methods:Animals were divided into 3 groups,normal,thioacetamide(TAA,ALF model)and TAA+AGK2.Cultured L02 cells were divided into 5 groups,normal,TAA,TAA+mitofusin 2(MFN2)-siRNA,TAA+AGK2,and TAA+AGK2+MFN2-siRNA groups.The liver histology was evaluated with hematoxylin and eosin staining,inositol-requiring enzyme 1(IRE1),activating transcription factor 6β(ATF6β),protein kinase R(PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK)and phosphorylated-PERK(p-PERK).C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP),reactive oxygen species(ROS),MFN2 and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)were measured with Western blotting,and cell viability and liver chemistry were also measured.Mitochondriaassociated endoplasmic reticulum membranes(MAMs)were measured by immunofluorescence.Results:The liver tissue in the ALF group had massive inflammatory cell infiltration and hepatocytes necrosis,which were reduced by AGK2 pre-treatment.In comparison to the normal group,apoptosis rate and levels of IRE1,ATF6β,p-PERK,CHOP,ROS and Fe2+in the TAA-induced ALF model group were significantly increased,which were decreased by AGK2 pre-treatment.The levels of MFN2 and GPX4 were decreased in TAA-induced mice compared with the normal group,which were enhanced by AGK2 pretreatment.Compared with the TAA-induced L02 cell,apoptosis rate and levels of IRE1,ATF6β,p-PERK,CHOP,ROS and Fe2+were further increased and levels of MFN2 and GPX4 were decreased in the MFN2-siRNA group.AGK2 pre-treatment decreased the apoptosis rate and levels of IRE1,ATF6β,p-PERK,CHOP,ROS and Fe2+and enhanced the protein expression of MFN2 and GPX4 in MFN2-siRNA treated L02 cell.Immunofluorescence observation showed that level of MAMs was promoted in the AGK2 pre-treatment group when compared with the TAA-induced group in both mice and L02 cells.Conclusions:The data suggested that AGK2 pre-treatment had hepatoprotective role in TAA-induced ALF via upregulating the expression of MFN2 and then inhibiting PERK and ferroptosis pathway in ALF.

A Comparative Study on the Post-Buckling Behavior of Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes(RTPs)Under External Pressure Considering Progressive Failure

The collapse pressure is a key parameter when RTPs are applied in harsh deep-water environments.To investigate the collapse of RTPs,numerical simulations and hydrostatic pressure tests are conducted.For the numerical simulations,the eigenvalue analysis and Riks analysis are combined,in which the Hashin failure criterion and fracture energy stiffness degradation model are used to simulate the progressive failure of composites,and the“infinite”boundary conditions are applied to eliminate the boundary effects.As for the hydrostatic pressure tests,RTP specimens were placed in a hydrostatic chamber after filled with water.It has been observed that the cross-section of the middle part collapses when it reaches the maximum pressure.The collapse pressure obtained from the numerical simulations agrees well with that in the experiment.Meanwhile,the applicability of NASA SP-8007 formula on the collapse pressure prediction was also discussed.It has a relatively greater difference because of the ignorance of the progressive failure of composites.For the parametric study,it is found that RTPs have much higher first-ply-failure pressure when the winding angles are between 50°and 70°.Besides,the effect of debonding and initial ovality,and the contribution of the liner and coating are also discussed.

Stability of connected and automated vehicles platoon considering communications failures

As a form of a future traffic system,a connected and automated vehicle(CAV)platoon is a typical nonlinear physical system.CAVs can communicate with each other and exchange information.However,communication failures can change the platoon system status.To characterize this change,a dynamic topology-based car-following model and its generalized form are proposed in this work.Then,a stability analysis method is explored.Finally,taking the dynamic cooperative intelligent driver model(DC-IDM)for example,a series of numerical simulations is conducted to analyze the platoon stability in different communication topology scenarios.The results show that the communication failures reduce the stability,but information from vehicles that are farther ahead and the use of a larger desired time headway can improve stability.Moreover,the critical ratio of communication failures required to ensure stability for different driving parameters is studied in this work.

Robustness of community networks against cascading failures with heterogeneous redistribution strategies

Network robustness is one of the core contents of complex network security research.This paper focuses on the robustness of community networks with respect to cascading failures,considering the nodes influence and community heterogeneity.A novel node influence ranking method,community-based Clustering-LeaderRank(CCL)algorithm,is first proposed to identify influential nodes in community networks.Simulation results show that the CCL method can effectively identify the influence of nodes.Based on node influence,a new cascading failure model with heterogeneous redistribution strategy is proposed to describe and analyze node fault propagation in community networks.Analytical and numerical simulation results on cascading failure show that the community attribute has an important influence on the cascading failure process.The network robustness against cascading failures increases when the load is more distributed to neighbors of the same community instead of different communities.When the initial load distribution and the load redistribution strategy based on the node influence are the same,the network shows better robustness against node failure.

Predictive value of NLR, Fib4, and APRI in the occurrence of liver failure after hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),fibrosis index based on four factors(Fib4),aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI)can be used for prognostic evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma.However,no study has established an individualized prediction model for the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma based on these factors.AIM To screen the factors that affect the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and establish a nomogram model that predicts postoperative liver failure after hepatic resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.METHODS In total,220 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated in our hospital from January 2022 to January 2023 were selected.They were divided into 154 participants in the modeling cohort,and 66 in the validation cohort.Comparative analysis of the changes in NLR,Fib4,and APRI levels in 154 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma before liver resection and at 3 mo,6 mo,and 12 mo postoperatively was conducted.Binary logistic regression to analyze the influencing factors on the occurrence of liver failure in hepatocellular carcinoma patients,roadmap prediction modeling,and validation,patient work characteristic curves(ROCs)to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model,calibration curves to assess the consistency,and decision curve analysis(DCA)to evaluate the model’s validity were also conducted.RESULTS Binary logistic regression showed that Child-Pugh grading,Surgical site,NLR,Fib4,and APRI were all risk factors for liver failure after hepatic resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.The modeling cohort built a column-line graph model,and the area under the ROC curve was 0.986[95%confidence in terval(CI):0.963-1.000].The patients in the validation cohort utilized the column-line graph to predict the probability of survival in the validation cohort and plotted the ROC curve with an area under the curve of the model of 0.692(95%CI:0.548-0.837).The deviation of the actual outcome curves from the calibration curves of the column-line plots generated by the modeling and validation cohorts was small,and the DCA confirmed the validity.CONCLUSION NLR,Fib4,and APRI independently influence posthepatectomy liver failure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.The column-line graph prediction model exhibited strong prognostic capability,with substantial concordance between predicted and actual events.

Comparison of Estimated Cycle Split Failures from High-Resolution Controller Event and Connected Vehicle Trajectory Data

Current traffic signal split failure (SF) estimations derived from high-resolution controller event data rely on detector occupancy ratios and preset thresholds. The reliability of these techniques depends on the selected thresholds, detector lengths, and vehicle arrival patterns. Connected vehicle (CV) trajectory data can more definitively show when a vehicle split fails by evaluating the number of stops it experiences as it approaches an intersection, but it has limited market penetration. This paper compares cycle-by-cycle SF estimations from both high-resolution controller event data and CV trajectory data, and evaluates the effect of data aggregation on SF agreement between the two techniques. Results indicate that, in general, split failure events identified from CV data are likely to also be captured from high-resolution data, but split failure events identified from high-resolution data are less likely to be captured from CV data. This is due to the CV market penetration rate (MPR) of ~5% being too low to capture representative data for every controller cycle. However, data aggregation can increase the ratio in which CV data captures split failure events. For example, day-of-week data aggregation increased the percentage of split failures identified with high-resolution data that were also captured with CV data from 35% to 56%. It is recommended that aggregated CV data be used to estimate SF as it provides conservative and actionable results without the limitations of intersection and detector configuration. As the CV MPR increases, the accuracy of CV-based SF estimation will also improve.

Identification of High-Risk Scenarios for Cascading Failures in New Energy Power Grids Based on Deep Embedding Clustering Algorithms

At present,the proportion of new energy in the power grid is increasing,and the random fluctuations in power output increase the risk of cascading failures in the power grid.In this paper,we propose a method for identifying high-risk scenarios of interlocking faults in new energy power grids based on a deep embedding clustering(DEC)algorithm and apply it in a risk assessment of cascading failures in different operating scenarios for new energy power grids.First,considering the real-time operation status and system structure of new energy power grids,the scenario cascading failure risk indicator is established.Based on this indicator,the risk of cascading failure is calculated for the scenario set,the scenarios are clustered based on the DEC algorithm,and the scenarios with the highest indicators are selected as the significant risk scenario set.The results of simulations with an example power grid show that our method can effectively identify scenarios with a high risk of cascading failures from a large number of scenarios.

Left bundle branch pacing vs biventricular pacing in heart failure patients with left bundle branch block:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Left bundle branch pacing(LBBP)is a novel pacing modality of cardiac resynchronization therapy(CRT)that achieves more physiologic native ventricular activation than biventricular pacing(BiVP).AIM To explore the validity of electromechanical resynchronization,clinical and echocardiographic response of LBBP-CRT.METHODS Systematic review and Meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the standard guidelines as mentioned in detail in the methodology section.RESULTS In our analysis,the success rate of LBBP-CRT was determined to be 91.1%.LBBP CRT significantly shortened QRS duration,with significant improvement in echocardiographic parameters,including left ventricular ejection fraction,left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and left ventricular end-systolic diameter in comparison with BiVP-CRT.CONCLUSION A significant reduction in New York Heart Association class and B-type natriuretic peptide levels was also observed in the LBBP-CRT group vs BiVP-CRT group.Lastly,the LBBP-CRT cohort had a reduced pacing threshold at follow-up as compared to BiVP-CRT.

Silent information regulator sirtuin 1 ameliorates acute liver failure via the p53/glutathione peroxidase 4/gasdermin D axis

BACKGROUND Acute liver failure(ALF)has a high mortality with widespread hepatocyte death involving ferroptosis and pyroptosis.The silent information regulator sirtuin 1(SIRT1)-mediated deacetylation affects multiple biological processes,including cellular senescence,apoptosis,sugar and lipid metabolism,oxidative stress,and inflammation.AIM To investigate the association between ferroptosis and pyroptosis and the upstream regulatory mechanisms.METHODS This study included 30 patients with ALF and 30 healthy individuals who underwent serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)testing.C57BL/6 mice were also intraperitoneally pretreated with SIRT1,p53,or glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)inducers and inhibitors and injected with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)/D-galactosamine(D-GalN)to induce ALF.Gasdermin D(GSDMD)^(-/-)mice were used as an experimental group.Histological changes in liver tissue were monitored by hematoxylin and eosin staining.ALT,AST,glutathione,reactive oxygen species,and iron levels were measured using commercial kits.Ferroptosis-and pyroptosis-related protein and mRNA expression was detected by western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.SIRT1,p53,and GSDMD were assessed by immunofluorescence analysis.RESULTS Serum AST and ALT levels were elevated in patients with ALF.SIRT1,solute carrier family 7a member 11(SLC7A11),and GPX4 protein expression was decreased and acetylated p5,p53,GSDMD,and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4(ACSL4)protein levels were elevated in human ALF liver tissue.In the p53 and ferroptosis inhibitor-treated and GSDMD^(-/-)groups,serum interleukin(IL)-1β,tumour necrosis factor alpha,IL-6,IL-2 and C-C motif ligand 2 levels were decreased and hepatic impairment was mitigated.In mice with GSDMD knockout,p53 was reduced,GPX4 was increased,and ferroptotic events(depletion of SLC7A11,elevation of ACSL4,and iron accumulation)were detected.In vitro,knockdown of p53 and overexpression of GPX4 reduced AST and ALT levels,the cytostatic rate,and GSDMD expression,restoring SLC7A11 depletion.Moreover,SIRT1 agonist and overexpression of SIRT1 alleviated acute liver injury and decreased iron deposition compared with results in the model group,accompanied by reduced p53,GSDMD,and ACSL4,and increased SLC7A11 and GPX4.Inactivation of SIRT1 exacerbated ferroptotic and pyroptotic cell death and aggravated liver injury in LPS/D-GalNinduced in vitro and in vivo models.CONCLUSION SIRT1 activation attenuates LPS/D-GalN-induced ferroptosis and pyroptosis by inhibiting the p53/GPX4/GSDMD signaling pathway in ALF.

Exploration of Cross-Cultural Pragmatic Failures in English Interpretation and Their Solutions

From the perspective of international market development and international cultural exchange,English is the main applied language,especially in most western countries.With the deepening of global economic integration and international trade,cultural collisions are becoming increasingly frequent,and interpretation in different languages is inevitably required.However,interpretation does not only mean transfer language,it also involves culture.In the practice of interpretation,some errors arise from the lack of cross-cultural awareness,which becomes pragmatic errors.Therefore,this article will mainly discuss cross-cultural pragmatic failures in English interpretation with some examples and specific solutions.Firstly,it will introduce what pragmatic failures are and typical types of failures,clarify the relationship between English interpretation and pragmatic failures,and then elaborate on representative cross-cultural pragmatic failures in English interpretation.Finally,it will summarize the reasons and solutions that lead to cross-cultural pragmatic failures in English interpretation,putting forward corresponding suggestions for reducing cross-cultural pragmatic failures.

A Chinese Multi-Specialty Delphi Consensus to Optimize RAASi Usage and Hyperkalaemia Management in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Heart Failure

Objective Variations are present in common clinical practices regarding best practice in managing hyperkalaemia(HK),there is therefore a need to establish a multi-specialty approach to optimal renin angiotension-aldosterone system inhibitors(RAASi)usage and HK management in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD)&heart failure(HF).This study aimed to establish a multi-speciality approach to the optimal use of RAASi and the management of HK in patients with CKD and HF.Methods A steering expert group of cardiology and nephrology experts across China were convened to discuss challenges to HK management through a nominal group technique.The group then created a list of 41 statements for a consensus questionnaire,which was distributed for a further survey in extended panel group of cardiologists and nephrologists across China.Consensus was assessed using a modified Delphi technique,with agreement defined as"strong"(≥75%and<90%)and"very strong"(≥90%).The steering group,data collection,and analysis were aided by an independent facilitator.Results A total of 150 responses from 21 provinces across China were recruited in the survey.Respondents were comprised of an even split(n=75,50%)between cardiologists and nephrologists.All 41 statements achieved the 75%consensus agreement threshold,of which 27 statements attained very strong consensus(≥90%agreement)and 14 attained strong consensus(agreement between 75%and 90%).Conclusion Based on the agreement levels from respondents,the steering group agreed a set of recommendations intended to improve patient outcomes in the use of RAASi therapy and HK management in China.

Three-dimensional limit variation analysis on the ultimate pullout capacity of the anchor cables based on the Hoek-Brown failure criterion

Only simplified two-dimensional model and a single failure mode are adopted to calculate the ultimate pullout capacity(UPC)of anchor cables in most previous research.This study focuses on a more comprehensive combination failure mode that consists of bond failure of an anchorage body and failure of an anchored rock mass.The three-dimensional ultimate pullout capacity of the anchor cables is calculated based on the Hoek-Brown failure criterion and variation analysis method.The numerical solution for the curvilinear function in fracture plane is obtained based on the finite difference theory,which more accurately reflects the failure state of the anchor cable,as opposed to that being assumed in advance.The results reveal that relying solely on a single failure mode for UPC calculations has limitations,as changes in parameter values not only directly impact the UPC value but also can alter the failure model and thus the calculation method.

Iron and Heart Failure: Current Concepts and Emerging Pharmacological Paradigms

Background: Emerging evidence has recognized that anemia and iron deficiency are recurrent comorbidities in chronic heart failure (HF) and several trials have established that iron administration improves myocardial asset and clinical scenario in HF. Purpose: Recent acquisitions suggest that iron deficiency represents a concrete bias in the pathogenetic mechanism of chronic HF, so we have investigated the putative role of the hepcidin/ferroportin axis in the cardiovascular setting to advocate novel pharmacological and clinical approaches. Methods: Here, after an excursus on iron metabolism, we first reviewed the ongoing studies on novel iron targeted compounds. Then, we summarize large clinical interventional studies conducted on patient suffering from iron deficiency and HF which have tested the effects of drugging iron regard QoL, hospitalizations and cardiovascular death. Results: Novel compounds such as hepcidin agonist (PTG 300), synthetic human hepcidin (LJPC-401) and anti FPN (Vamifeport) are ongoing in iron overloaded patients, while the hepcidin blocker (PRS-080) is under investigation in anemic patients. Noteworthy, novel insights could arise from the results of a Phase IV interventional study regarding the modification of hepcidin pathway in a large cohort of HF patients (n = 1992) by sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. To date, several studies highlight the beneficial effect of iron administration in cardiovascular setting and latest evidences consider hepcidin level as a novel biomarker of cardiac injury and atherosclerosis. Conclusions: We advocate that data from ongoing studies will suggest novel iron targeted therapies for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy transferable in selected heart failed patients.

Epidemiological, Clinical, Therapeutic, and Evolutionary Aspects of Heart Failure in the Medical Department at Gao Regional Hospital

Introduction: Heart failure is a major public health pandemic, particularly in Africa, where its prevalence continues to increase. In northern Mali, few data exist, hence the interest of this study with the objective of studying the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic and evolutionary aspects of Heart failure at the regional hospital of Gao. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study that took place from July 2022 to June 2023 in the medical department at Gao Hospital. Results: The hospital prevalence of heart failure was 44.1%. The mean age was 47.30 ± 20 years (range: 16-88). Hypertension was the most common with 46.1%, followed by a sedentary lifestyle, and diabetes with 18.2% and 8.3% respectively;NYHA stage III-IV dyspnea was found in 83.9%. Reduced EF heart failure was present in 110 patients (76.9%), seventeen cases with moderately reduced EF (11.9%) and sixteen patients had preserved EF (11.2%). Global heart failure was the dominant (91.6%). The main etiologies of heart failure were dominated by hypertensive heart disease in 46 patients (32.2%), followed by postpartum cardiomyopathy with 43 cases (30.1%), primary dilated cardiomyopathy in 18 patients (12.6%), ischemic heart disease in 16 patients with 11.2%. Seven cases of valvular heart disease, or 4.9%. The evolution was favorable under treatment in 104 patients or 72.7%. In-hospital mortality was 14.7%. Conclusion: Heart failure is a common condition in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in our country.

Stability analysis of intermittently jointed rock slopes based on the stepped failure mode

In practical engineering,due to the noncontinuity characteristics of joints in rock slopes,in addition to plane failure,stepped sliding failure may occur for intermittently jointed rock slopes.Especially for intermittently bedding jointed rock slopes,the correlation and difference in strength parameters between joints and rock bridges,along with the various failure modes and intermittency of rock bridges,contribute to the complexity of stepped failure modes and the unpredictability of failure regions.Based on the upper-bound limit analysis method and multi-sliders step-path failure mode,considering the shear and tensile failure of rock bridges and the weakened relationship between the strength parameters of rock bridges and jointed surfaces,by introducing the modified M-C failure criterion and the formula for calculating the energy consumption of tensile failure of rock bridges,two failure mechanisms are constructed to obtain the safety factor(F_(s))of intermittently jointed rock slopes.The sequential quadratic programming method is used to obtain the optimal upper-bound solution for F_(s).The influence of multiple key parameters(slope height H,horizontal distance L,Slope angleβ,shear strength parameters of the rock bridgeφr and cr,Dimensionless parameter u,weakening coefficients of the internal friction angle and cohesion between the rock bridges and joint surfaces Kφand Kc)on the stability analysis of intermittently jointed rock slopes under the shear failure mode of rock bridges as well as under the tensile failure mode is also explored.The reliability of the failure mechanisms is verified by comparative analysis with theoretical results,numerical results,and landslide cases,and the variation rules of F_(s)with each key parameter are obtained.The results show that F_(s) varies linearly withφr and cr of the rock bridge and with K_(φ)and K_(c),whereas F_(s)changes nonlinearly with H and L.In particular,with the increase in Kφand Kc,Fs increases by approximately 52.78%and 171.02%on average,respectively.For rock bridge tensile failure,F_(s) shows a nonlinearly positive correlation withφr,cr,Kφand Kc.In particular,with the increase in Kφand Kc,Fs increases by approximately 13%and 61.69%on average,respectively.Fs decreases rapidly with increasing slope gradientβand decreasing dimensionless parameterμ.When Kφand Kc are both less than 1.0,the stepped sliding surface occurs more easily than the plane failure surface,especially in the case of tensile failure of the rock bridge.In addition,rock slopes with higher strength parameters,taller heights,and greater weakening coefficients are prone to rock bridge tension failure with lower Fs,and more attention should be given to the occurrence of such accidents in actual engineering.

Anomaly-Resistant Decentralized State Estimation Under Minimum Error Entropy With Fiducial Points for Wide-Area Power Systems

This paper investigates the anomaly-resistant decentralized state estimation(SE) problem for a class of wide-area power systems which are divided into several non-overlapping areas connected through transmission lines. Two classes of measurements(i.e., local measurements and edge measurements) are obtained, respectively, from the individual area and the transmission lines. A decentralized state estimator, whose performance is resistant against measurement with anomalies, is designed based on the minimum error entropy with fiducial points(MEEF) criterion. Specifically, 1) An augmented model, which incorporates the local prediction and local measurement, is developed by resorting to the unscented transformation approach and the statistical linearization approach;2) Using the augmented model, an MEEF-based cost function is designed that reflects the local prediction errors of the state and the measurement;and 3) The local estimate is first obtained by minimizing the MEEF-based cost function through a fixed-point iteration and then updated by using the edge measuring information. Finally, simulation experiments with three scenarios are carried out on the IEEE 14-bus system to illustrate the validity of the proposed anomaly-resistant decentralized SE scheme.

Metabolomic-based analysis reveals bile acid-mediated ovarian failure induced by low temperature in zebrafish

As ectotherms, fish are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations, which can profoundly impact their reproductive cycles. In this study, we investigated the fertility and histological characteristics of zebrafish(Danio rerio) ovaries exposed to a temperature gradient ranging from the thermopreferendum temperature of the species,27℃, to lower temperatures of 22℃, 20℃, and 13℃ over a period of two weeks. Comparative metabolomic(six biological replicates for each temperature) and transcriptomic(four biological replicates for each temperature) analyses were conducted under the four temperature conditions. Results indicated that lower temperatures inhibited oocyte development and differential metabolites were involved in steroid hormone production,antioxidant function, and lipid and protein catabolism.Disrupted reproductive hormones, increased proteolysis,and lipid degradation significantly impeded oocyte development and egg maturation. Notably, a significant increase in bile acid content was noted in the ovaries of the cold-treated fish, indicating that bile acids play a critical role in ovarian failure. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms governing the reproductive response of fish to cold stress.

Heart Failure-Like Reaction Is Likely Involved in the Feeding Behaviour of Blood-Sucking Leeches

Medicinal leeches have been utilized in therapy for thousands of years. However, the adaptation physiology between leeches and hosts is not fully understand. To disclose the molecular mechanisms of adaptation between leech and host, the body transcriptomes of hunger and fed blood-sucking Poecilobdella javanica, Haemadipsa cavatuses, and Hirudo nipponia leeches were obtained by RNA sequencing, after comparison, a stratified unigenes group was obtained, which closely correlated to body distension. In the group, Rfamide receptor decreased significantly (P < 0.05) while serotonin receptor increased significantly (P < 0.05). Moreover, four KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways, including cardiac muscle contraction, complement and coagulation cascades, renin-angiotensin system, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were significantly enriched. The unigenes annotation, neuroregulators correlation analysis and induced function of the KEGG pathways, were consistently supported the same result as: vasoconstriction and systole reaction enhance in hunger leeches and vice versa vasodilation and diastole increase in fed leeches, meanwhile, Interspecific comparison and correlative analyses of physiological function showed that the strongest reaction of induced heart failure from four KEGG occur in strongest reaction of systole in hungry P. javanica and in strongest reaction of diastole in fed H. nipponia. Overall, heart failure is likely a physiological function involved in feeding behaviour.

Seismic-induced surficial failure of cohesive slopes using three-dimensional limit analysis:A case study of the Wangjiayan landslide in Beichuan, China

A seismic-induced landslide is a common geological catastrophe that occurs in nature.The Wangjiayan landslide,which was triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake,is a typical case in point.The Wanjiayan landslide caused many casualties and resulted in enormous property loss.This study constructs a simple surficial failure model based on the upper bound approach of three-dimensional(3D)limit analysis to evaluate the slope stability of the Wangjiayan case,while a traditional two-dimensional(2D)analysis is also conducted as a reference for comparison with the results of the 3D analysis.A quasi-static calculation is used to study the effect of the earthquake in terms of horizontal ground acceleration,while a parametric study is conducted to evaluate the critical cohesion of slopes.Rather than employing a 3D analysis,using the 2D analysis yields an underestimation regarding the safety factor.In the Wangjiayan landslide,the difference in the factors of safety between the 3D and 2D analyses can reach 20%.The sliding surface morphology as determined by the 3D method is similar to actual morphology,and the parameters of both are also compared to analyze the reliability of the proposed 3D method.