Search

Summary Many biotic or abiotic factors such as CPPU (N‐(2‐chloro‐pyridin‐4‐yl)‐N′‐phenylurea), a growth regulator of numerous crops, can induce bitterness in cucurbits. In melon, cucurbitacin B is the major compound leading to bitterness. However, the molecular mechanism underlying CuB biosynthesis in response to different conditions remains unclear. Here, we identified a set of genes involved in CPPU‐induced CuB biosynthesis in melon fruit and proposed CmBr gene as the major regulator. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, we confirmed CmBr's role in regulating CuB biosynthesis under CPPU treatment. We further discovered a CPPU‐induced MYB‐related transcription factor, CmRSM1, which specifically binds to the Myb motif within the CmBr promoter and activates its expression. Moreover, we developed an introgression line by introducing the mutated Cmbr gene into an elite variety and eliminated CPPU‐induced bitterness, demonstrating its potential application in breeding. This study offers a valuable tool for breeding high‐quality non‐bitter melon varieties and provides new insights into the regulation of secondary metabolites under environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a serious mental disorder and the most prevalent cause of disability and suicide worldwide. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) can lead to a significant acceleration of depression development. Quercetin (Que) is a flavonoid compound with a wide range of pharmacological effects. Recent studies have shown that quercetin can improve CUMS‐induced depression‐like behavior, but the mechanism of its improvement is still unclear. α2δ‐1 is a regulatory subunit of voltage‐gated calcium channel, which can interact with N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) to form a complex. Objective: In this study, we found that Que could inhibit the increase of α2δ‐1 and NMDAR expression in rat hypothalamus induced by CUMS. In pain, chronic hypertension and other studies have shown that α2δ‐1 interacts with the NMDAR to form a complex, which subsequently affects the expression level of NMDAR. Consequently, the present study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effect of Que in vivo and in vitro and to explore its mechanism of action in terms of the interaction between α2δ‐1 and NMDAR. Methods: Rats were randomly exposed to two stressors every day for 4 weeks to establish a CUMS rat model, then sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), and open field test (OFT) were performed to detect the behavior of CUMS rats, so as to evaluate whether the CUMS rat model was successfully established and the improvement effect of Que on CUMS‐induced depression‐like behavior in rats. Experimental techniques such as serum enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, Western blot, and co‐immunoprecipitation, as well as in vitro experiments, were used to investigate the mechanisms by which Que exerts its antidepressant effects. Results: Behavioral and ELISA test results showed that Que could produce a reduction in the excitability of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis in CUMS rats and lead to significant improvements in their depressive behavior. Western blot, immunofluorescence, and co‐immunoprecipitation experiments showed that Que produced a decrease in NMDAR1 and α2δ‐1 expression levels and interfered with α2δ‐1 and NMDAR1 binding. In addition, the neural regulation mechanism of Que on antidepressant effect in PC12 cells knocked out α2δ‐1 gene was further verified. Cellular experiments demonstrated that Que led to a reversal of up‐regulation of NMDAR1 and α2δ‐1 expression levels in corticosterone‐injured PC12 cells, while Que had no effects on NMDAR1 expression in PC12 cells with the α2δ‐1 gene knockout. Conclusions: Que has a good antidepressant effect and can significantly improve the depression‐like behavior caused by CUMS. It exerts antidepressant effects by inhibiting the expression level of α2δ‐1, interfering with the interaction between α2δ‐1 and NMDAR, and then reducing the excitability of the HPA axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fatigue life and cutting performance of conical pick is essential for the roadheader machine in the excavation engineering. In rock breaking process, the rock structural conditions has a certain influence on the rock breaking and rock damage with roadheader breaking rock. Established the simulation model of conical pick cutting jointed rock to investigate the influence of the rock joint, rock bedding and confining pressure on the cutting performance and fatigue life of conical pick and rock damage. And the MATLAB is applied to solve the difficulty of rock damage statistical analysis. The research results indicated that the cutting force decreases with the rock joint length increasing, the cutting force increases first and decreases with the rock bedding angle increasing, however, the cutting force decreases first and then increases with the confining pressure increasing. The rock damage has a great relationship with the rock joint, rock bedding and confining pressure. The rock damage increases first and decreases then with the rock joint increasing and the rock bedding angle increasing. However, the influence of confining pressure on rock damage is contrary. Meanwhile, the rock fracture volume is positively correlated with damage value. The research results indicated that the rock structural parameters have an obvious influence on conical pick cutting performance and rock damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, sesbania gum (SG) was successfully modified by using H2O2 as the oxidant, CuSO4 as the catalyst, and octenyl succinic anhydride as the esterification agent. The effects of oxidation and esterification on the structure and properties of SG were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), among other techniques. By FTIR analysis it was found that the oxidation did not introduce new groups, while the ester carbonyl group was successfully introduced into the molecular chain of SG. The oxidation of SG by H2O2 involves the cleavage of long chains, which is also the main cause of its reduction in viscosity. Oxidation reduced the crystallinity of SG, and its crystal structure was found to be severely damaged after esterification. Both oxidation and esterification altered the thermal properties of SG, whereby the thermal stability and freeze-thaw stability of the modified SG were improved and the expansion capacity was effectively reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ni/Ce x Zr 1− x O 2 catalysts for ethanol steam reforming are prepared and tested. • Oxygen vacancy over Ce x Zr 1−x O 2 depends on lattice structures and Ni–CZ interaction. • The surface oxygen vacancy generates the active oxygen species for SR and WGS. • The abundant bulk oxygen vacancy enhances the H 2 production rate at 750 °C. • The lack of oxygen vacancies limits the oxygen vacancy–involving reaction routes. Ni/Ce x Zr 1−x O 2 catalysts were synthesized with two types of Ce x Zr 1−x O 2 solid solutions to understand the role of oxygen vacancy in ethanol steam reforming (ESR). The cubic Ce 0.93 Zr 0.07 O 2 (CZ) contained more oxygen vacancies on the surface and in the lattice structure than the tetragonal Ce 0.07 Zr 0.93 O 2 (ZC). Even though the Ni-Ce x Zr 1−x O 2 interaction basically increased the surface oxygen vacancy (OV S) on the interfacial region, it also induced different bulk oxygen vacancy (OV b) behavior: no OV b over Ni/ZC and no change over Ni/CZ. In the ESR, active oxygen species (O x) generated on the OV S simultaneously involved SR, and water gas shift reaction (WGS) to produce H 2. Zero OV b over Ni/ZC influenced the O x involving–reaction routes, resulting in the limitation of WGS and the high TOF values at 750 °C. Furthermore, since the OV b played a significant role as the O x carrier, Ni/CZ showed the highest H 2 production rate in the ESR at 750 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing COVID-19 has led to an increase in negative emotions and health awareness among consumers. This paper discusses the emotion bias of Chinese consumers during the three periods: the pre-COVID-19 period, the COVID-19 lockdown period, and the COVID-19 normalization period. This study takes health products as the research object and crawls relevant reviews on the JD platform to classify products. The data were classified into emotion, the intensity of emotion was calculated, and the logistic regression model and variance analysis were used to analyze the difference in emotion expression. The study reveals that consumers are willing to express fear and sadness during the COVID-19 lockdown era and are willing to express like emotions before the pandemic compared to the three periods. There are also differences in the emotional intensity of different product reviews. The intensity of emotional expression is more vigorous for consumers who purchase nutritional products, while for those who purchase healthcare equipment, the intensity of emotional expression is lower. This study offers the emotion bias of consumers in response to COVID-19 to provide a theoretical basis and reference solution for implementing marketing strategies for health product companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The application of maize silage has certain limitations, and the development of new forage resources is of great significance for improving resource utilization and environmental protection. Mulberry leaves are rich in nutritional value and are widely used in animal husbandry. However, excessive antinutritional factors, such as crude fiber, tannins, and phytic acid, in mulberry leaves affect the absorption and the utilization of nutrients by animals. Microbial fermentation technology can significantly reduce the contents of crude fiber, and the antinutritional factors in mulberry leaves minimize nutrient loss and improve the palatability of mulberry leaves. Therefore, this experiment found that the replacement of maize silage and soyabean meal with mulberry silage in the diet of Hu lambs has the potential to enhance muscle nutritional value and to improve mutton flavor without negatively affecting growth performance, serum biochemical indices, slaughter performance, or meat quality. Maize silage has a high demand for fertilizer and water. As an unconventional feed resource, mulberry silage has the potential to replace most maize silage and to alleviate the shortage of roughage in the mutton sheep industry in China. The purpose of this experiment was to study the effect of the replacement of maize silage and soyabean meal with mulberry silage in the diet of Hu lambs on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, slaughter performance, and meat quality. Ninety-six healthy Hu lambs were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates per group and four lambs per replicate. The amounts of 0, 20, 40, and 60% of maize silage were replaced by mulberry silage in each group (denoted as CON, L, M, and H, respectively). The results showed that replacing maize silage with mulberry silage had no significant effect on the growth performance or the slaughter performance of Hu lambs (p > 0.05). Feeding Hu lambs with mulberry silage significantly reduced serum glucose (GLU) and the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) content (p < 0.05), and it increased the content of ether extract (EE) in the longissimus dorsi muscle (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the percentage of EAA in the M and H groups was significantly lower than that in the CON and L groups (p < 0.05). In addition, in the fatty acid profile, the percentage of C16:1 in the M group was significantly increased, while the percentage of C18:0 and C20:0 were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Based on these findings, it was recommended that 20–40% of maize silage be replaced by mulberry silage in the diet of Hu lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capture and, subsequently, in situ characterization of microparticles generally require complex fabrication processes and sophisticated techniques in microfluidic devices. In this paper, we present a simple and inexpensive technique for capturing and applying chemical agents to individual charged microparticles with the same glass microelectrode in a circular microfluidic channel. The microfluidic device features a thin poly-dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) layer (100 µm, thickness) above the circular channel (diameter, 50 µm) so that the tip of the glass microelectrode can enter into the channel by penetrating through the thin PDMS layer. When an electric field is applied across the tip of the microelectrodes, the tip can capture charged microparticles or living cells that are flowing through the channel. Meanwhile, the same glass microelectrode can be used to apply chemical agents to the captured particles or living cells by filling the solution of the chemical agent into its tip. This simple design method offered simple fabrication without the need for any specialized equipment for the manipulation of charged particles or living cells in controlled microenvironments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the Internet retail industry continues to rise, more and more consumers choose to shop online, especially Chinese consumers. Using consumer behavior data left on the Internet to predict repurchase behavior is of great significance for companies to achieve precision marketing. This paper proposes an improved deep forest model, and the interactive behavior characteristics of users and goods are added into the original feature model to predict the repurchase behavior of e-commerce consumers. Based on the Alibaba mobile e-commerce platform data set, first construct a feature engineering that includes user characteristics, product characteristics, and interactive behavior characteristics. And then use our proposed model to make predictions. Experiments show that the model's overall performance with increased interactive behavior features is better and has higher accuracy. Compared with the existing prediction models, the improved deep forest model has certain advantages, which not only improves the prediction accuracy but also reduces the cost of training time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the small-section profile hat-shaped roll bending part is used as the research object. Aiming at the issue of lacking scientific theory guidance for the bending angle distribution in roll forming, which leads to defects in the forming process and reduces the forming accuracy and quality of the product, a forming angle distribution function with five-boundary condition is proposed. Furthermore, an optimal forming angle distribution method is optimized and obtained on the basis of the distribution interval of forming angle under five-boundary condition determined by the previous research. Then, the generation mechanism of the warpage defect of the hat-shaped roll bending part is simulated and analyzed based on the optimized distribution method for the first time. Through the change of the maximum deviation of z-coordinates, z′, and fluctuation of the edge wave, ∆z, the influence of the forming angle, sheet thickness, and material yield strength on the warpage defect in the roll forming process is studied and verified by experiments. The results show that the stress, strain, fluctuation of the edge wave, and maximum deviation of z-coordinates based on the optimized distribution method are smaller than those of other distribution methods, showing its superiority in forming process. In addition, the peak longitudinal strain increases as the forming angle increases and the warpage decreases as the sheet thickness and yield strength increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the metal–support interactions over Ni/CeO 2 –ZrO 2 (Ni/CZ) catalysts for ethanol steam reforming. Different Ni contents (5, 10, and 15 wt%) were loaded onto the CZ support using two catalyst preparation methods, namely one-pot, and successive impregnation methods. Using the one-pot method, the Ni species over the Ni/CZ catalysts strongly interacted with the CZ support, resulting in smaller Ni nanoparticles with abundant oxygen vacancies. In contrast, the successive impregnation method mainly generated an isolated Ni phase at a high Ni content, resulting in large Ni clusters with limited oxygen vacancies. The poor Ni dispersion over the Ni/CZ catalysts prepared by the successive impregnation method induced low ethanol conversions and hydrogen production rates. In addition, the large Ni clusters over the Ni/CZ catalysts prepared by the successive impregnation method achieved a fast-coking behavior, thereby increasing the coke amount. Further, coke gasification was demonstrated to dominate the Ni surface with the Ni/CZ catalysts prepared by the one-pot method because of the high Ni dispersion and abundant oxygen vacancies. [Display omitted] • Ni/CeO 2 -ZrO 2 catalysts for ethanol steam reforming are prepared at different methods. • The one-pot method induces the strong Ni-CZ interaction over Ni/CZ catalysts. • Ni/CZ prepared by the one-pot method contains abundant oxygen species and Ni sites. • Ni/CZ prepared by the one-pot method enhances the H 2 production rate at 550 ℃. • Mild coking on the one-pot Ni/CZ catalysts is due to efficient coke gasification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the improvement of device linearity in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) using polarization Coulomb field (PCF) scattering and investigates the relationship between device linearity and PCF scattering under 10 and 20 V drain bias. The mobility of the gate-to-source region in AlGaN/GaN HFETs is calculated using the Monte Carlo method. We find that PCF scattering decreases with an increase in gate bias (from −3 to −0.5 V) under high field conditions, leading to lower gate-to-source resistance. Under 20 V drain bias, linearity is worse than under 10 V drain bias. The transconductance drop is significant in AlGaN/GaN HFETs, which damages linearity. By adopting an appropriate drain bias, PCF scattering can alleviate transconductance drop and improve the linearity of AlGaN/GaN HFETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Macroporous Ni–Ce x ZrO (1-x) –Al 2 O 3 catalysts were prepared by washing and hydrothermal methods. • A synergistic effect of macroporosity and crystallinity on MSI was intensively investigated. • The synergistic effect resulted in highly dispersed Ni and abundant oxygen vacancies. • Macroporous structure efficiently inhibited coke formation in dry reforming of methane. • The synergistic effect extended to easy gasification of coke precursor on Ni surface. Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is an outstanding process for transforming methane and carbon dioxide into synthesis gases (H 2 and CO). In this study, a special geometrical modification on Ni/Ce x Zr 1-x O 2 –Al 2 O 3 catalyst was applied by introducing a macroporous structure into the support to accelerate the metal support interaction that optimized the distribution of the active sites over the catalyst. Furthermore, we investigated a synergistic effect of the macroporosity and Ce x Zr 1-x O 2 (CZ) crystallinity over the Ni/Ce x Zr 1-x O 2 –Al 2 O 3 catalyst on its catalytic performance in DRM. Macroporous Ni/Ce x Zr 1-x O 2 –Al 2 O 3 catalysts were prepared via washing (Ni-M a CZA-W) and hydrothermal (Ni-M a CZA-H) methods. Non-macroporous Ni-CZA-H with crystalline CZ was prepared for comparison. The crystalline CZ over macroporous Ni-M a CZA-H had a strong interaction with Ni due to easy accessibility of Ni species to CZ in the macroporous support, resulting in highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles and abundant oxygen vacancies. The unique properties of Ni-M a CZA-H increased catalytic activity and stability in DRM, suppressing coke formation via efficient coke gasification. The Ni species and amorphous CZ over Ni-M a CZA-W resulted in a bimodal Ni size distribution and fast catalyst deactivation. However, even though the crystalline CZ over Ni-CZA-H generated a unimodal distribution of Ni nanoparticles, the non-macroporous Ni-CZA-H resulted in gradual deactivation in the catalytic activity and the production of a different type of coke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by a simple hydrothermal method vertically aligned ZnO nanorod arrays were grown on the carbon fiber paper (CFP) and then through a facile chemical bath deposition method CuO nanosheets were loaded on ZnO nanorod arrays, following by thermal spraying method, carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CCNTs) were successfully integrated with CuO/ZnO@CFP to form a binder-free CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor. The sensor shows enhanced sensing activity for baicalein and luteolin determination due to the improved structural integration and synergism of different electrode material components. Remarkably, the CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor showed good linear relationships over wide concentration ranges of 0.03–0.70 µM and 0.70–20 µM for baicalein and 0.03–0.45 µM and 0.45–8.5 µM for luteolin detection, with the detection limits of 1.7 nM for baicalein and 0.5 nM for luteolin, respectively. More importantly, the CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP sensor was utilized in the simultaneous determination of baicalein and luteolin, delivering linear ranges of 0.4–14 µM (baicalein) and 0.2–6 µM (luteolin) with the limit of detection of 0.05 µM and 0.03 µM, respectively. In addition, the developed CuO/ZnO-CCNT@CFP electrode was further investigated to detect baicalein and luteolin in traditional herbal medicine samples, showing satisfied results in comparison with analytic results from high performance liquid chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have previously reported that L-arginine, a nitric oxide synthase substrate, inhibits the basolateral 10-pS Cl- channel through the cGMP/PKG signaling pathway in the thick ascending limb (TAL). As a NO releasing agent, the effect of S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP) on the channel activity was examined in thick ascending limb of C57BL/6 mice in the present study. SNAP inhibited the basolateral 10-pS Cl- channel in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 6.6 μM. The inhibitory effect of SNAP was abolished not only by NO scavenger (carboxy-PTIO) but also by blockers of soluble guanylate cyclase (ODQ or LY-83583), indicating that the cGMP-dependent signaling pathway is involved. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of SNAP on the channel was strongly attenuated by a protein kinase G (PKG)-specific inhibitor, KT-5823, but not by the PDE2 inhibitor, BAY-60-7550. We concluded that SNAP inhibited the basolateral 10-pS Cl- channels in the TAL through a cGMP/PKG signaling pathway. As the 10-pS Cl- channel is important for regulation of NaCl absorption along the nephron, these data suggest that SNAP might be served as a regulator to prevent high-salt absorption related diseases, such as hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike many studies on the preparation of Z-scheme heterojunctions by doping precious metals, in this paper we first prepared a core-shell material obtained by C doping in ZnO and then composite with MnO2 to form a heterojunction; that is, a low-cost and highly catalytic ternary composite catalyst was prepared by a simple hydrothermal reaction. Meanwhile, a large amount of experimental data have enabled the heterostructure type as well as the mechanism of photocatalytic performance to be fully demonstrated. It is proven that C as an intermediate medium achieves electron transport while making up the deficiency of ZnO, and constitutes an all-solid state Z-scheme heterojunction, which enables the rapid transfer of photogenerated electron pairs and visible light irradiation to the stream to improve the photocatalytic performance of the composite photocatalyst. In terms of examination of degradation performance, this catalyst showed a high photodegradation rate of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) of 92.6% within 60 min, and the surface ZnO-C/MnO2 catalysts also showed good degradation effect on practical petrochemical wastewater in CODcr degradation experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elemental engineering has been employed to adjust molecular framework and electronic configuration of γ-graphyne for rapid lithium storage. Here, we construct a quasi-pyridinic nitrogen/sulfur co-doped γ-graphyne (N/S-GY) via a mechanochemical strategy and reveal its lithium storage behavior by quantitative kinetics analysis and theoretical calculations. The internal pyridinic-N atoms create rhombic channels for Li+ passing through, while sulfur dopants anchored with alkynyl groups induce electron cloud rearrangement to facilitate intralayer Li+ diffuse between C 12 -triangular channels and interlayer transfer through open rhombic channels. As a result, the as-prepared N/S-GY exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1003 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1 after 150 cycles, with Li+ diffusion coefficient up to 2.6 × 10−12 cm2 s−1, both of which are larger than that of N-doped γ-graphyne. This work highlights synergistic effect of sulfur and nitrogen co-doping in alkynyl carbon and inspires bottom-up heteroatom modification in framework design. [Display omitted] • Sulfur and nitrogen co-doped γ-graphyne has been prepared through a mechanochemical route. • The N/S-GY anode displays high lithium-ion capacity with 1003 mAh g−1 at 50 mA g−1 after 150 cycles. • The N/S-GY anode exhibits lithium diffusion efficiency with 2.6 × 10−12 cm2 s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) postharvest decay is common in China, which can cause serious economic losses to kiwifruit industry. In order to further clarify the pathogen of kiwifruit rot disease in Guizhou Province, the rotten fruits of kiwifruit (cultivar "Jinyan") were collected, and the pathogenic fungi were identified by isolation and purification, pathogenicity test, morphological characteristics, and analysis of rDNA-ITS sequences. The results showed that the pathogenic fungi of kiwifruit rot disease were Diaporthe phaseolorum and Fusarium tricinctum. Meanwhile, the results showed that all the tested agents had a certain inhibitory effect on Diaporthe phaseolorum and Fusarium tricinctum. Among them, 33.5% quinolone SC had the best inhibitory effect on Diaporthe phaseolorum with an EC50 value of 9.67 mg/L, and 25% fludioxonil SC had the best inhibitory effect on Fusarium tridentatus with the EC50 value of 13.13 mg/L. The results will provide a reference for the control of kiwifruit rot disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A shortage of high-quality roughage jeopardises the Chinese mutton sheep industry. The development of new roughage resources is important to safeguard the health and welfare of the sheep, to save costs, increase efficiency and improve resource utilization. Mulberry leaves have high nutritional value and have been used in herbivore production for a long time in China. However, fresh mulberry leaves are not easy to preserve, and dried mulberry leaves readily lose nutrients in the conservation process. Ensiling mulberry leaves can reduce the anti-nutritional constituents, mainly phytic acid and tannin, while reducing any nutrient loss. In this study, mulberry silage replaced part of a maize silage-based diet for fattening Hu lambs. The effects of mulberry silage on the growth of the lambs, their gastrointestinal tissue morphology, rumen fermentation parameters and bacterial diversity were investigated. The results showed that using mulberry silage in place of 20–40% of the maize silage in the diet of Hu lambs promoted their growth, while maintaining satisfactory digestion. Maize silage has a significant environmental impact on livestock due to its high requirement for fertilizer and water. Mulberry has the potential to replace much of the large amount of maize silage grown in China, but its feeding value in the conserved form needs to be evaluated. We fed Hu lambs diets with 20–60% of the maize silage replaced by mulberry silage, adjusting the soybean meal content when increasing the mulberry silage inclusion rate in an attempt to balance the crude protein content of the diets. Mulberry silage had higher crude protein and lower acidic and neutral detergent fiber contents compared to maize silage. Replacing maize silage and soyabean meal with mulberry silage had no effect on the feed intake and growth rate of Hu lambs. However, the rumen pH increased, the acetate to propionate in rumen fluid increased, and the rumen ammonia concentration decreased as mulberry replaced maize silage and soyabean meal. This was associated with an increase in norank_f__F082 bacteria in the rumen. Rumen papillae were shorter when mulberry silage replaced maize silage, which may reflect the reduced neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of the original silage. In conclusion, mulberry silage can successfully replace maize silage and soyabeans in the diet of Hu lambs without loss of production potential, which could have significant environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a split-gate AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field-effect transistor with an auxiliary gate was fabricated. Through experiment and analysis, it was discovered that by applying a constant potential (usually 0 V or negative potential) to the auxiliary gate, a negative bias can be formed between the auxiliary gate and the channel. This consumes the two-dimensional electron gas in the channel, leading to significant improvements in the saturation characteristics of split-gate devices. By applying different potentials to the main gate and the auxiliary gate, a variety of device working modes can be obtained, and the threshold voltage can be altered across a large range. These advantages make split-gate devices with auxiliary gates more suitable for increasingly complex integrated circuit applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The movement of grain boundaries in pure metals and alloys with a low concentration of dislocations has been historically proved to follow curvature flow behaviour. This mechanism is typically known as grain growth (GG). However, recent 3D in-situ experimental results tend to question this global picture concerning the influence of the curvature on the kinetics of interface migration. This article explains, thanks to 2D anisotropic full-field simulations, how the torque effects can complicate these discussions. It is then illustrated that neglecting torque effects in full-field formulations can have a significant effect on the overall rate of GG, the shape of grains and grain boundaries as well as their local kinetics. The apparent reduced mobility can be much more complex than expected without necessarily questioning the influence of the curvature on the local kinetic equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]