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As one of the major public health security issues, pulmonary tuberculosis had a global death rate of 1.6 million in 2021 alone, ranking 13th in the world, posing a great threat to society and families. Analyzing the temporal and spatial distribution and evolution trend of tuberculosis, discussing the exposure factors and studying the environmental background that affects the incidence can provide the basis for accurate prevention and control and promote the healthy and stable development of society. Based on the county scale, this study determined the high-incidence areas through hot spot analysis and selected nine districts and counties covering meteorological stations and air monitoring stations. The explanatory power of each factor to the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis was analyzed by geographical detector, and the main influencing factors were explored. The results show that the following: (1) The number and incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in Gansu Province declined from 2020 to 2022. (2) The influence of meteorological conditions such as temperature, precipitation and air pressure on pulmonary tuberculosis in different regions shows significant regional differences. Although the meteorological influence in adjacent regions shows certain convergence, the change in wind speed has no significant influence on the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis. (3) PM₁₀, altitude, temperature, population density and GDP per capita have strong explanatory power to the incidence of tuberculosis, and the interaction between any two factors exceeds the effect of a single factor in explanatory power, showing the characteristics of two-factor enhancement and nonlinear enhancement. Full article

In microfluidic chips, glass free-form microchannels have obvious advantages in thermochemical stability and biocompatibility compared to polymer-based channels, but they face challenges in processing morphology and quality. Hence, picosecond laser etching with galvanometer scanning is proposed to machine spiral microfluidic channels on a glass substrate. The objective is to disperse and sort microparticles from a glass microchip that is difficult to cut. First, the micropillar array and the spiral microchannel were designed to disperse and sort the particles in microchips, respectively; then, a scanning path with a scanning interval of 5 μm was designed according to the spot diameter in picosecond laser etching; next, the effects of laser power, scanning speed and accumulation times were experimentally investigated regarding the morphology of spiral microchannels; finally, the microfluidic flowing test with 5 μm and 10 μm microparticles was performed to analyze the dispersing and sorting performance. It was shown that reducing the laser power and accumulation times alongside increasing the scanning speed effectively reduced the channel depth and surface roughness. The channel surface roughness reached about 500 nm or less when the laser power was 9 W, the scanning speed was 1000 mm/s, and the cumulative number was 4. The etched micropillar array, with a width of 89 μm and an interval of 97 μm, was able to disperse the different microparticles into the spiral microchannel. Moreover, the spiral-structured channel, with an aspect ratio of 0.51, significantly influenced the velocity gradient distribution, particle focusing, and stratification. At flow rates of 300–600 μL/min, the microparticles produced stable focusing bands. Through the etched microchip, mixed 5 μm and 10 μm microparticles were sorted by stable laminar flow at flow rates of 400–500 μL/min. These findings contribute to the design and processing of high-performance glass microfluidic chips for dispersion and sorting. Full article

The 20th Party Congress initiated efforts to strengthen maritime power and advance marine ecological civilization, which is essential for promoting sustainable development. To achieve this goal, this study combines field measurements, drone imagery, and high-resolution remote sensing data, using GIS technology to analyze changes in marine resources in Hangzhou Bay and assess marine area usage, intertidal zone area changes, and coastline erosion. The key findings show that the industrial sector accounts for the largest usage of marine area, with the industrial sea area growing by 110.3% from 2018 to 2020. The diversity index for marine area usage in Hangzhou Bay has remained stable, consistently at 0.6 and above over the past five years. The continental coastline of Hangzhou Bay has shown a decreasing trend in recent years from 2018 and 2021, with a total intertidal area of Hangzhou Bay decreased by 73.44 km², where the overall shoal pattern in Hangzhou Bay remained relatively stable from 2008 to 2016. Erosion has been the predominant force, with maximum erosion surpassing 3 m and causing significant spatial changes. Between 2012 and 2016, the total erosion volume reached 192,473.74 × 10⁶ m³, with an average annual erosion rate of 48,118.44 × 10⁶ m³. This process has led to a gradual reduction in the size of affected areas over the period from 2001 to 2021. This research provides valuable insights for authorities to make informed decisions regarding the management of marine spatial resources in Hangzhou Bay. Full article

Polyploidy is a powerful mechanism driving genetic, physiological, and phenotypic changes among cytotypes of the same species across both large and small geographic scales. These changes can significantly shape population structure and increase the evolutionary and adaptation potential of cytotypes. Alyssum moellendorfianum, an edaphic steno-endemic species with a narrow distribution in the Balkan Peninsula, serves as an intriguing case study. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of genetic diversity and population structure across the species’ range, employing an array of genetic techniques (nuclear microsatellites, amplified fragment length polymorphisms, and plastid DNA sequences), flow cytometry (FCM), morphometry, and pollen analysis. The study reveals two genetic lineages: spatially distributed diploid and tetraploid cytotypes. Clear divergence between diploids and tetraploids was shown by AFLP, while plastid DNA sequences confirmed private haplotypes in each of the studied populations. Higher genetic diversity and allelic richness following the north-south pattern were documented in tetraploids compared to diploids, as indicated by nuclear microsatellites. Morphometric analysis via principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) did not reveal any divergence between diploid and tetraploid cytotypes. Nonetheless, a distinction in pollen size was clearly observed. The results suggest an autopolyploid origin of tetraploids from diploid ancestors. Despite the population fragmentation in a very small geographic range, these populations harbour high genetic diversity, which would allow them to remain stable if natural processes remain undisturbed. Full article

Stablecoins are crypto assets designed to maintain stable value by bridging fiat currencies and volatile crypto assets. Our study extends previous research by analyzing the instability and co-movement of major stablecoins (USDT, USDC, DAI, and TUSD) during significant economic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapses of Iron Finance, Terra-Luna, FTX, and Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). We investigated the temporal volatility and dynamic connections between stablecoins using wavelet techniques. Our results showed that the announcement of USDT’s listing on Coinbase in April 2021 significantly impacted the stability of stablecoins, evidenced by a decline in the power spectrum. This phenomenon has not been explored in the literature. Furthermore, the collapse of SVB was highly relevant to the stablecoin market. We observed high coherence between pairs during the pandemic, the Coinbase listing, and the collapse of SVB. After the collapse of Terra-Luna, USDT, USDC, and DAI became more connected in the medium term, with USDC and DAI extending in the long term despite a negative co-movement between USDT and the others. This study highlights the impact of exchange listings on the volatility of stablecoins, with implications for investors, regulators, and the cryptocurrency community, especially regarding the stability and safe integration of these assets into the financial system. Full article

To address the optimal scheduling of islanded microgrids under extreme operating conditions, this paper proposes a demand response (DR) economic optimization scheduling strategy based on model predictive control (MPC). The strategy improves the utilization of photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage systems while ensuring stable power supply to critical loads through a dynamic load shedding approach based on load priority and power system constraints. By incorporating time-of-use electricity pricing and load importance assessment, an innovative demand response incentive policy is designed to optimize consumer behavior and reduce grid load pressure. Experimental results demonstrate that the DR-MPC-based method reduces operating costs and increases renewable energy utilization compared to traditional methods. This approach is broadly applicable to pre-emptive load shedding and energy storage optimization in islanded microgrids during emergencies and is expected to be extended to the optimal scheduling of microgrid clusters in the future. Full article

Inductive wireless power transfer (IWPT) with stable output power and high efficiency is a major challenge for charging electric vehicles (EVs). This paper, for the first time, develops a robust IWPT system using a circular pad (CP) and double-D pad (DDP) with a self-oscillating controlled inverter (SOCI), which offers high steady output power and transfer efficiency under magnetic coupling variations simply with feedback from the transmitter-side current. The compact 2CP and 2DDP magnetic couplers with single identical coils are robust to self- and mutual-inductance variations, so the IWPT system exhibits greater robustness at increased transfer distances (air gaps), as well as in the presence of lateral and rotational misalignments between the two magnetic pads, compared to couplers using nonidentical transmitting primary (TP) and receiving secondary (RS) pads and numerous decoupled coils on the RS pad. Based on a thorough analysis and experimental study, the proposed 1 kW IWPT system with 2CP and 2DDP couplers with up to a 20 cm air gap achieves constant output power with 93% and 92% constant transfer efficiency, respectively. The 2CP with a 15 cm air gap and the 2DDP with a 20 cm air gap, with up to 12 cm lateral misalignment, can tolerate coupling variations. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of wild ginseng extract (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) on exercise performance, cognitive function, and fatigue recovery. Methods: Twelve healthy male participants were randomly assigned to receive either wild ginseng extract (WG) or a placebo prior to exercise trials, utilizing a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design. The exercise protocol included 30 min cycling exercises followed by a 10-mile time trial, during which muscular power, strength, endurance, cognitive function, and fatigue were assessed. Additionally, biomarkers such as glucose, interleukin-6 (IL-6), myoglobin, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and cortisol were measured. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze the effects of acute WG intake on the dependent variables. Results: In the placebo condition, both peak and mean power levels significantly decreased over time (p = 0.039 and p = 0.028, respectively), whereas no such decline was observed in the WG condition (p > 0.05). Furthermore, average reaction time (ART) was significantly delayed over time in the placebo trial (p = 0.005), while ART remained stable in the WG trial (p = 0.051). A significant increase in TAC was observed across time in the WG trial (p = 0.036), but no change was found in the placebo trial (p = 0.326). Cortisol levels significantly decreased over time in the WG trial (p = 0.001), while no change was observed in the placebo trial (p = 0.141). No significant differences were found for other variables between the WG and placebo trials (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The acute supplementation with WG positively influenced exercise performance by maintaining muscular power, reducing reaction time delay, and enhancing antioxidant capacity and cortisol regulation. These findings suggest that WG may be a promising ergogenic aid for improving exercise performance and recovery. NCT06679725 (ClinicalTrials.gov). Full article

Transformer oil will inevitably be contaminated by impurity particles in the actual operation process; Carbon particles are the most abundant conductive particles in transformer oil. The adhesion behavior on the internal insulating surface will cause electric field distortion, which will pose a serious threat to the safe and stable operation of oil-immersed power equipment. To this end, this paper builds an experimental platform for simulating the adhesion behavior of carbon particles in transformer oil, studies the adhesion characteristics of carbon particles, and analyzes the influence of electric field, particle size, oil flow velocity, and other factors on the adhesion of carbon particles. The results show that: the DC electric field is the main factor driving the adhesion of carbon particles on the surface of epoxy resin (with the increase in electric field strength, the degree of adhesion of carbon particles firstly rises and then decreases); the smaller the size of the carbon particles, the easier it is to adhere, and the corresponding electric field strength is different for different sizes of carbon particles when the degree of adhesion is the largest; the velocity of the transformer oil will have a significant impact on the adhesion behavior of the carbon particles (with the increase in the flow velocity, the degree of adhesion of carbon particles firstly rises and then decreases). The research conclusion of this article is helpful in guiding the evaluation of insulation performance and the optimization of insulation structure design in the converter transformer valve-side bushing considering the phenomenon of particle adhesion. Full article

Skid-steered technology has been widely applied to wheeled vehicles due to its advanced pivot steering capabilities and adaptable power transmission systems. To better understand the steering characteristics of skid-steered wheeled vehicles and derive general conclusions, a torque differential-based (TD-based) two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) dynamic model was developed. This model is grounded in the vehicle’s steering mechanism and the single-wheel dynamics model, and a steering radius model based on TD input was established using the concept of the instantaneous center of rotation (ICR). Additionally, an expression for the stability factor was derived, and both the steady-state and transient steering characteristics were analyzed. Finally, the real vehicle tests demonstrated that the TD-based dynamic model responds quickly, maintains high precision, and remains stable across different steering input frequencies. Compared with the SD-based dynamic model, the TD-based dynamic model has a 2.553% higher calculation accuracy for the steering radius, a 6.251% higher comprehensive response accuracy for the steering input, and a response speed advantage of 1.035%. Full article

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are regarded as extremely efficient and have significant potential for upcoming photovoltaic technologies due to their excellent optoelectronic properties. However, a few obstacles, which include the instability and high costs of production of lead-based PSCs, hinder their commercialization. In this study, the performance of a solar cell with a configuration of FTO/CdS/BaZrS₃/HTL/Ir was optimized by varying the thickness of the perovskite layer, the hole transport layer, the temperature, the electron transport layer (ETL)’s defect density, the absorber defect density, the energy band, and the work function for back contact. Various hole transport layers (HTLs), including Cu₂O, CuSCN, P3HT, and PEDOT:PSS, were assessed to select the best materials that would achieve high performance and stability in PSC devices. At optimal levels, PEDOT:PSS reached a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.50%, while P3HT, CuSCN, and Cu₂O exhibited a PCE of 5.81, 10.73, and 9.80%, respectively. The high performance exhibited by PEDOT:PSS was attributed to better band alignment between the absorber and the PEDOT:PSS, and, thus, a low recombination of photogenerated charges. The other photovoltaic parameters for the best device were a short-circuit current density (J_sc) of 23.46 mA cm⁻², an open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 8.86 (V), and a fill factor (FF) of 8.90%. This study highlights the potential of chalcogenide-based PSCs as an efficient and stable alternative to traditional lead-based solar cells, with successful optimization paving the way for future research on eco-friendly materials and scalable production methods. Full article

In recent years, transformer failures caused by the aging of bushing sealing materials have become increasingly common in power systems, posing significant risks to the safe and stable operation of transformers. Microencapsulated self-healing technology offers a promising solution by repairing microcracks and extending the service life of rubber sealing materials. This study developed polyurea-formaldehyde microcapsules encapsulating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) self-healing agents based on a Pt/PDMS curing system. A two-component microencapsulated self-healing system was further established for fluoro-silicone rubber materials. The feasibility of self-healing in these composite materials was validated through tensile property tests. Additionally, the effects of varying microcapsule contents and two-component ratios on material performance were systematically investigated, leading to the optimization of the mechanical and self-healing properties of the microcapsule/fluoro-silicone rubber composites. The results demonstrated that using SYLGARD™ 184 as the healing agent, with a two-component microcapsule ratio of 6:4 (A:B) and a microcapsule content of 10 phr, yielded a remarkable self-healing performance, achieving a healing efficiency of approximately 63%. The results of this paper can provide reference for the development of long-life rubber sealing materials. Full article

The dispatching telephone functionality acts as a pivotal interconnection between the power grid dispatch business and telecommunications business, playing a vital role in ensuring the efficient conduct of grid dispatch activities. Nonetheless, the current power grid dispatch system and communication program-controlled exchange system are disjointed, leading to a cumbersome process for the dispatching telephone functionality that severely impacts grid dispatch efficiency. To better tackle the above challenges, in this paper, we introduce an innovative intelligent call technology designed to facilitate data interchange and information integration between the power grid dispatch system and the communication program-controlled exchange system. By leveraging the K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithm, the technology enables automated querying of operational information with heightened efficiency and precision, thereby optimizing the operations of the dispatching telephone functionality. Subsequently, a prototype software application is developed to conduct experimental testing of intelligent call technology. The findings demonstrate that the method proposed in this paper successfully reduces the time expenditure associated with the dispatching telephone functionality, enhancing the productivity of dispatchers in routine operations and emergency response, thus ensuring the secure and stable operation of the power grid. Full article

The efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs) is influenced by various factors, among which environmental temperature plays a significant role. Previous studies have shown that the thermal stability of these cells can be enhanced by incorporating a third component into their structure. Ternary organic solar cells, particularly, have shown promising results in improving thermal stability. A well-designed electron transport layer (ETL) can significantly bolster thermal stability by facilitating efficient charge transport and reducing charge recombination. In this study, we investigated the effect of temperature, ranging from 300 K to 400 K, on the efficiency of inverted ternary structures by using a one-dimension optoelectronic model on “Oghma-Nano 8.0.034” software. The structures examined include (S1) “FTO/SnO₂/PM6:D18:L8-BO/PEDOT: PSS/Ag”, (S2): “FTO/C₆₀/PM6:D18:L8-BO/PEDOT: PSS/Ag”, and (S3): “FTO/PC₆₀BM/PM6:D18:L8-BO/PEDOT: PSS/Ag”. Simulations using three different ETLs—SnO₂, C₆₀, and PC₆₀BM—at 340 K (66.85 °C) resulted in a main effect on open circuit voltage (V_oc) and fill factor (FF) values, in addition to an important J_sc value in terms of thermally stable devices. However, these structures retained 92% of their initial ~20% efficiency observed at 300 K, demonstrating significant thermal stability under high power conversion efficiency (PCE) conditions. Full article

Pumped storage power stations not only serve as a special power load but also store excess electricity from the power system, significantly reducing the curtailment of wind and solar power. This dual function ensures the stable operation of the power grid and enhances its economic benefits. The scheduling optimization problem of a combined wind–solar–pumped storage system is addressed in this study, and an optimization scheduling model is proposed with the objective of maximizing total system revenue. The model is designed to comprehensively account for the generation revenues from wind power, photovoltaic power, thermal power, and pumped storage, as well as the penalty costs associated with pollutant emissions. To address the limitations of traditional algorithms, which are prone to being trapped in local optima and exhibit slow convergence, an improved bat algorithm was developed. The algorithm is enhanced through the use of chaotic mapping to expand the initial solution space, the incorporation of adaptive step-size updates to improve convergence efficiency, and the integration of the Cauchy function to strengthen global search capabilities, thereby effectively avoiding local optima. Simulation results have demonstrated that the improved algorithm achieves significant improvements over traditional bat algorithms and particle swarm optimization (PSO) in terms of optimization efficiency, with total revenue increases of 21.9% and 24.6%, respectively. The optimized scheduling plan is shown to fully utilize the flexible regulation capabilities of pumped storage, mitigating the adverse effects of wind and photovoltaic output fluctuations on grid operations and achieving a balanced trade-off between economic and environmental objectives. Full article