In the face of rapid urbanization and the increasing number of vehicles, urban centers are struggling with traffic congestion. This study presents a dynamic travel strategy using the MATSim platform to schedule urban travel, incorporating a model for shared autonomous electric vehicles. The model is evaluated using a baseline scenario for Shanghai, exploring the effects of vehicle range, charging capabilities, and power supply strategies on the uptake of shared autonomous electric vehicles. Results indicate that enhancements in vehicle range and charging efficiency slightly decrease the use of autonomous vehicles by 2.5%, as the existing vehicle specifications already meet daily travel needs in Shanghai. Additionally, the transition from traditional charging stations to a battery-swapping system does not significantly alter overall travel behavior of shared autonomous electric vehicles. These findings provide insights into the deployment of intelligent traffic systems to alleviate urban traffic congestion.

Bruxism, the involuntary activity of masticatory muscles, is common among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although bruxism is bidirectionally associated with sleep issues, whether an infant's sleep duration contributes to the development of bruxism remains unknown. In this study, a dataset (n = 83,720) obtained from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a nationwide birth cohort study, was subjected to multiple imputations using logistic regression analysis with adjustments for several maternal and child-related variables. The aim of this study was to assess whether shorter sleep duration in the neonatal period additively affected the high prevalence of parent-reported bruxism (PRB) among children with ASD. The prevalences of ASD and PRB in the participants were 1.2% and 7.2%, respectively, and the odds ratio of the increased risk of PRB prevalence in individuals with ASD (95% confidence interval) was 1.59 (1.31-1.94) after covariate adjustments. Importantly, shorter sleep duration in the neonatal period (at one month of age) was significantly associated with an increased risk of PRB prevalence in individuals with ASD. The increased occurrence of bruxism, known to be highly prevalent among children with ASD, is associated with shorter sleep duration, particularly in the neonatal stage. Based on our results, a better understanding of the development of bruxism in individuals with ASD would provide valuable information for the prevention of oral diseases.

Summer heatwaves have caused a distinct mortality between urban greening and native plants. However, there are insufficient studies revealing the underlying mechanisms. We hypothesized that differentiation in hydraulic traits and their integration cause the varied heatwave-induced damages between the two plant types. To prove it, three desert native species and five urban greening species were selected as the experimental objects. Then, the number of damaged individuals caused by summer heatwaves were investigated based on the 100 individuals for each species. The hydraulic traits (including hydraulic transport, photosynthetic and leaf traits) of 3-5 mature individuals were measured for each species. The comparative analysis (independent sample t test and one-way ANOVA) and the collaborative analysis (Pearson correlation and network analysis) were used to reveal the differences in heatwave-induced damage, hydraulic traits and their integration between urban greening and native plants. Our results showed that the heatwave-induced damage to urban greening plants was larger than that to native species. Water potentials of leaf and branch in pre-dawn and midday, P50, leaf dry matter content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance of desert native species were significantly lower than those of urban greening plants (P < 0.05), while twig specific hydraulic conductivity, Huber value, wood density, intrinsic water use efficiency and the specific leaf area showed opposite patterns (P < 0.05). Trait integration of desert native species (0.63) was much higher than greening plants (0.24). Our results indicate that artificial urban greening plants are more susceptible to drought stress caused by heatwaves than native desert species. In the context of global climate change, in order to maintain the stability and function of urban ecosystems in extreme climate, the screening of greening plants should start from the perspective of hydraulics and trait integration, and more native species with strong drought adaptability should be planted.

Computational models of the cell can be used to study the impact of drugs and assess pathological risks. Typically, these models are computationally demanding or challenging to implement in dedicated hardware for real-time emulation. A new Frequency Modulation (FM) model is proposed to address these limitations. This model utilizes a single sine generator with constant amplitude, while phase and frequency are modulated to emulate an action potential (AP). The crucial element of this model is the identification of the modulating signal. Focusing on FPGA implementation, we have employed a piecewise linear polynomial with a fixed number of breakpoints to serve as the modulating signal. The adaptability of this signal permits the emulation of dynamic properties and the coupling of cells. Additionally, we have introduced a state controller that handles both of these requirements. The building blocks of the FM model have direct integer equivalents, making them suitable for implementation on digital platforms like Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). We have demonstrated wavefront propagation in 1-D and 2-D models of tissue. We have used various parameters to quantify the wavefront propagation in 2-D tissues and emulated specific cellular dysfunctions. The FM model can replicate any detailed cell model and emulate its corresponding tissue model. This model is at its preliminary stage. The FPGA implementation of this model is a work in progress. Overall, the results demonstrate that the FM model has the potential for real-time cell and tissue emulation on an FPGA.

The correlation between dietary thiamine intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains a subject of controversy within the academic community. While numerous studies have attempted to elucidate this relationship, conclusive evidence remains elusive. A survey of U.S. adults aged 45 years and older examined the supposed association between dietary thiamine intake and the risk of developing T2DM with the aim of clarifying the potential link. In this cross-sectional investigation, we evaluated dietary thiamine intake data sourced from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2020. Using weighted multivariate logistic regression analysis, we assessed the potential risk of T2DM associated with varying levels of thiamine intake. The observation of nonlinear relationships was accomplished by fitting smoothed curves. This study ultimately included 15,231 participants aged 45 years and older. Dietary thiamine intake (after log transformation) was inversely related to T2DM after accounting for potential confounders (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.95). An increase in dietary thiamine intake by one unit is associated with a 14% reduction in the risk of T2DM. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that the associations between dietary thiamine intake and T2DM risk, such as age, gender, race, smoking status, alcohol use, hypertension, body mass index (BMI), and cardiovascular disease (CVD), remained consistent across multiple stratified subgroups (p values >0.05). According to this study, dietary thiamine intake may be associated with the incidence of T2DM among US residents aged 45 years and older. Appropriate increases in dietary thiamine intake are expected to offer substantial preventive potential for T2DM and significant clinical implications.

Building a high-proportion renewable energy power system is a key measure to address the challenges of the energy revolution and climate change. However, current high-proportion renewable energy systems face issues of frequency instability and voltage fluctuations. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel topology for a stator free speed regulating wind turbine generation system. The stator free speed regulating machine connects a gearbox and a synchronous generator, forming a flexible drive chain that increases system inertia and enhances frequency stability in high-proportion renewable energy power systems. The synchronous generator at the end of the drive chain can be directly connected to the grid without the converter, thanks to the speed regulation provided by the stator free speed regulating machine, thus avoiding harmonic pollution caused by power electronic devices in traditional wind turbines, enhancing the reactive power support capability, and improving voltage stability in high-proportion renewable energy systems. Given that the proposed stator free speed regulating machine consists solely of a rotating inner and outer rotor without a stator, traditional motor control strategies are not applicable. Therefore, this paper focuses on developing control strategies for the stator free speed regulating machine, employing a dual closed-loop PI control strategy with an outer loop for speed and an inner loop for current, based on flux orientation of the outer rotor. Simulation experiments will validate the feasibility of the proposed stator free speed regulating wind turbine generation system topology and the effectiveness of the control strategy.

This study utilized the 2019 Women's Wellbeing Survey conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) in Sri Lanka to investigate the factors influencing suicidal ideation among married/cohabiting women. The study sample consists of secondary data from 1462 females, who were 15 years or older and currently married or living with a male partner, extracted from WWS 2019. Binary logistic regression was employed to analyze the association between suicidal ideation in married/cohabiting women and various independent variables. Among the respondents, 13.2% of married/cohabiting women reported having suicidal thoughts. Several factors were found to increase the likelihood of such ideation: a partner's extramarital affair, feelings of worthlessness and restlessness, partners consuming alcohol, experience of psychological violence and physical violence by the current partner, physical violence experienced since the age of 15, and childhood sexual violence. Conversely, lower odds of suicidal ideation were observed among women who married/cohabited between the ages of 20-29 compared to those in the 10-19 age category, and among unemployed women. This study emphasizes the urgency of addressing intimate partner violence, childhood sexual abuse, early marriages, and the mental well-being of vulnerable women, as these factors significantly impact their risk of life-threatening issues.

Due to continuous cultivation, high soil acidity, and low nutrient inputs, soil fertility depletion has been a major threat to northwest Ethiopia's crop productivity and food security. This study aimed to examine the effects of vermicompost and lime rates on soil properties and malt barley (Hordeum distichum L.) productivity under a furrow irrigation system on acidic soil in the Mecha district, northwest Ethiopia. The treatments were combinations of three levels of vermicompost (0, 2.66-, and 5.31-tons ha-1) and three levels of lime (0-, 2.16-, and 3.24-tons ha-1) arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the integrated application of 5.31 tons of vermicompost and 3.24 tons of lime ha-1 provided the highest soil pH (6.20), available phosphorus (8.55 mg kg-1), total nitrogen (0.25%), and organic carbon (3.40%). On the other hand, adding vermicompost and lime in combination or separately noticeably decreased the exchangeable acidity and aluminum toxicity. Besides, the integrated application of 5.31 tons vermicompost (VC) and 3.24 tons lime (L ha-1 provided the highest dry biomass (12.22 tons ha-1), grain yield (5.30 tons ha-1), and net benefit (197, 246 Ethiopian Birr (ETB). Overall, the integrated application of vermicompost and lime can substantially increase soil fertility and crop yields. However, this study needs further testing and validation at varied rates in other areas.

The impact of non-fixation of mesh in transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) inguinal hernia repair has not been fully assessed. The aim of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively compare the clinical outcomes of non-fixation and fixation of mesh in TAPP to determine whether non-fixation could affect the outcomes. PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL were searched for studies on TAPP repair of inguinal hernia and mesh fixation published up to June 2023. The literature search was completed on June 22, 2023. Randomized controlled trials that compared perioperative outcomes between mesh fixation and non-fixation without using self-gripping mesh were included. The primary outcome measures were recurrence and evaluation of postoperative pain, while secondary outcome measures included time to normal activity, infection rate and formation of seroma. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analysis were also conducted. Six randomized controlled trials were included, involving 679 patients who underwent TAPP with non-fixation and 964 patients with fixation of mesh. There was no significant difference in recurrence between the two groups (RR: 0.83; 95% CI, 0.29-2.39, P = 0.73). The non-fixation group had less pain than the fixation group at 6 months postoperatively (MD: -0.16; 95% CI, -0.23--0.10, P < 0.0001). Additionally, there was no significant difference in the time to return to normal activity or rates of infection or seroma formation between the two groups (MD: -4.95; 95% CI, -11.36-1.45, P = 0.13; RR: 1.18; 95% CI, 0.39-3.62, P = 0.77; RR: 0.94; 95% CI, 0.63-1.40, P = 0.75). Based on the current evidence, non-fixation without using self-gripping mesh may not affect the efficacy of TAPP. It does not increase recurrence rate and may result in less postoperative pain in inguinal hernia with small hernia defect (less than 3cm).

As industrial technologies advance, climate change and environmental pollution increasingly pose threats to human health. This study examines the coupling coordination characteristics between ecological environmental civilization (EEC) and resident public health (RPH) to promote both higher public health standards and enhanced societal sustainability. Utilizing panel data from 31 provinces in China spanning from 2010 to 2022, this paper constructs evaluation indices for EEC and RPH. Initially, the entropy method is employed to determine the development levels of each domain. Subsequently, a modified coupling coordination degree (CCD) model is applied to assess the CCD between EEC and RPH. This research further investigates the spatiotemporal evolution trends of the CCD using methods such as the Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation (KDE), and Markov chains. Finally, the panel Tobit model is utilized to analyze factors influencing the CCD. Findings reveal that during the study period, both EEC and RPH in China exhibited a stable upward trend, although the overall development level remained relatively low. The CCD showed consistent growth both nationally and across three major regions. Overall inequality in coupling coordination, as measured by Dagum Gini coefficient, has decreased, with the coefficient reducing from 0.0316 in 2010 to 0.0199 in 2022. KDE results indicate a rightward shift in the density curve of the CCD, suggesting a significant reduction in absolute disparities. Panel Tobit regression analysis shows that economic development, urbanization, and education levels significantly and positively influence the CCD on a national scale, with urbanization having the most substantial impact, followed by economic development and education levels.