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Background: Congenital absence of the pericardium (CAP) is a rare cardiac abnormality. As pericardial defects are usually asymptomatic, most cases are diagnosed during surgery or on autopsy. The patient in this case was found to have CAP during thoracoscope. Case: We present the unusual case of a 69-year-old patient with CAP who experienced sudden ventricular arrhythmia and developed ventricular fibrillation during left upper lobectomy. Surgical operations, the lateral decubitus position, and other external stimuli may be important risk factors for ventricular fibrillation. The patient regained sinus rhythm soon after intrathoracic cardiac compression and pharmacological treatment, including lidocaine spray (2%, 10 ml) administered to the heart surface. The surgery was then completed without any additional instances of ventricular arrhythmia. Conclusions: Patients with CAP are more susceptible to cardiac-related adverse events during thoracotomy or thoracoscopy. Treatment of ventricular arrhythmias that occur during lung resection in patients with CAP should be emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) construct microanatomical niches that support lymph node (LN) homeostasis and coordination of immune responses. Transcription factors regulating the functionality of FRCs remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of the transcription factor SpiB that is expressed in LN FRCs. Conditional ablation of SpiB in FRCs impaired the FRC network in the T‐cell zone of LNs, leading to reduced numbers of FRCs and altered homeostatic functions including reduced CCL21 and interleukin‐7 expression. The size and cellularity of LNs remained intact in the absence of SpiB but the space between the reticular network increased, indicating that although FRCs were reduced in number they stretched to maintain network integrity. Following virus infection, antiviral CD8+ T‐cell responses were impaired, suggesting a role for SpiB expression in FRCs in orchestrating immune responses. Together, our findings reveal a new role for SpiB as an important regulator of FRC functions and immunity in LNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dasatinib and imatinib are the recommended tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for treating pediatric Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL), and the one which has been approved indication in China is imatinib. Recently, clinical demand for Ph + ALL treatment is becoming unmet gradually with the increasing resistance of imatinib. There are some studies reporting the better efficacy and comparative safety of dasatinib compared with imatinib, but no economic comparison has been published. This study aims to supplement economic evidence by comparing the cost-effectiveness between imatinib and dasatinib in treating pediatric patients with Ph+ ALL in China, and to help clinical rational drug use via multi-dimensional value assessment. Methods: A decision tree model combined with a 10-year Markov model were established based on the disease progression. The parameters were collected from published literatures and our hospital's electronic medical records. From the health system perspective, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between the two treatment groups was calculated through cost-effectiveness analysis and then compared with the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold. The set WTP threshold in this study was 1 times per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of China, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Direct medical costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated and discounted at 5%. The sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the uncertainty and robustness of the results. Results: The total costs were CNY 1,020,995.35 and CNY 1,035,788.50 in imatinib group and dasatinib group during the 10-year simulation, and the total QALYs were 2.59 and 4.84. Compared with the imatinib treatment group, the ICER was around CNY 6,575.78/ QALY, which was less than the set threshold CNY 70,892/ QALY. The sensitive analyses indicated the robustness of the results. Conclusions: The cost-effectiveness analysis shows the potential cost-effective advantages of adding dasatinib comparing with adding imatinib for pediatric Ph + ALL patients in China under the set WTP threshold, which indicates that those patients could achieve more QALYs by paying acceptable fee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The level set method was used to numerically simulate the droplet formation process in T‐junction microchannels with different junction angle. The effects of flow rate ratio, capillary number, and contact angle on droplet formation under different junction angles were discussed. The numerical simulation results show that the dimensionless length and generation frequency of microdroplets increase with the flow rate ratio. It was observed that the droplet transforms from the squeezing regime to the dripping regime when the capillary number Ca is ≥ 0.02. For Ca ≤ 0.04, the smallest droplet was generated in the microchannel with 120° junction angle. Finally, the results also indicate that the effect of the contact angle is discrepant at different junction angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Experimentally examined the impact of varying the junction angle on droplet size. • Four flow regimes were identified: Parallel flow, Jetting, Dripping and Squeezing. • A scaling law containing the junction angle is proposed to predict droplet lengths. • Estimated the volumes of droplets, slugs, and unit cells based on 2-D snapshots. Liquid-liquid two-phase flow in T-inlet microchannels with different junction angles (θ = 30°, 60°, 90°, 120° and 150°) was investigated experimentally. Four flow regimes of the dispersed phase were identified, i.e., parallel flow, jetting, dripping and squeezing, and the distribution of flow regimes for the dispersed phase corresponding to variations in the junction angle was plotted. The consequences of varying junction angle and flow conditions in the squeezing regime on the generated droplet size were analyzed. The results indicate that low capillary number and large flow rate ratio are conducive to the formation of large-size droplets. For constant flow conditions, junction angle θ = 90° is detrimental to the formation of squeezing microdroplets. The increase in microchannel junction angle causes the droplet size to decrease until θ > 90°, where the droplet size increases with the junction angle. On the basis of experimental results, the scaling law correlation equations containing the junction angle for predicting the droplet length and droplet volume are proposed, respectively. The predicted values match well with the experimental data. The results of this work contribute to the enhancement of the monodispersity of microdroplets and the precise control over a wide range of the generated droplet size by adjusting the junction angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain is a hallmark symptom associated with intestinal inflammation. Two related articles published in Cell by Zhang et al. and by Yang et al. now report how sensory neurons in the gut, the most heavily innervated organ in the human body, flag bacterial pathogens to shape the composition of the gut microbiome and to trigger immunoregulatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to China's Seventh National Census, 18.70% of a total of 1.41 billion people were 60 or older and 13.50% were 65 or older, so China's population is increasingly aging. In conjunction with China's socioeconomic and scientific and technological development and its promotion of medical insurance-related policies, rational medication management for the elderly is a concern in order to control the risk of polypharmacy. This paper summarizes and discusses the following five key issues inherent in rational medication management: i) an increase in serious polypharmacy and the potential risks of medication; ii) a lack of medication consultation service and medication withdraw without healthcare providers' supervision; iii) poor medication compliance among the elderly; iv) insufficient quantity and incompetence of pharmaceutical staffing; and v) limited awareness of pharmaceutical services and lack of trust in the ability of pharmacists. Based on a discussion of factors influencing these issues, suggestions have been put forward in the hopes that China emphasizes rational medication management in order to reduce the risk of polypharmacy and the disease burden of the elderly in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the advantages including high efficiency and environmental friendliness, the two-dimensional thermoelectric materials have received huge attention. However, the energy conversion efficiency is not high enough for application. In this work, we have theoretically investigated the thermoelectric performance for both zigzag (ZGeNRs) and armchair (AGeNRs) germanene nanoribbons with edge defects by nonequilibrium Green's function method. For perfect germanene nanoribbons (GeNRs), it is shown that with its width increasing, the maximum of ZT values (ZT max) decreases monotonously while the phononic thermal conductance increases linearly. For both ZGeNRs and AGeNRs, with increasing defect numbers in longitudinal direction, ZT max increases monotonously while the phononic thermal conductance decreases. In particular, by introducing periodic defects, the ZT max of both ZGeNRs and AGeNRs has been raised to above 2, which is due to higher Seebeck coefficient and lower thermal conductance. Our findings provide an effective way to enhance thermoelectric performance, which is beneficial for the design of ultra-thin thermoelectric devices. • For perfect GeNRs, the ZT max decreases monotonously with its width increasing. • For defected GeNRs, the ZT max increases monotonously with increasing defect numbers. • The ZT max of both ZGeNRs and AGeNRs has been raised to above 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) can be installed in a middle-voltage (MV) power grid, to concurrently protect a cluster of sensitive loads from voltage sags. To further improve its efficiency and reduce the difficulty in its implementation, a novel control strategy for operating such a DVR as a virtual impedance in series with sensitive loads is proposed in this paper. In addition to its usual function of compensating for voltage sags, such a DVR can also operate as a virtual inductance, to function as a fault current limiter (FCL) during a downstream fault, or a virtual capacitance, to function as a series compensator (SC) to compensate the voltage loss along the feeder line during heavy load. Based on a dual-loop control design, strategies for operating a DVR as a series virtual inductance and a virtual capacitance are proposed, and methods for tuning the parameter values and a stability analysis of the whole system are presented. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified by simulations using the PSCAD software, and experimental results obtained using a prototype DVR are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online detuning state detection and the subsequent detuned element identification of a passive filter bank is of great concern in regard to achieving condition-based maintenance of an HVDC transmission system. In this paper, a novel method that can rapidly detect the online detuning state of filter banks with arbitrary structures of an HVDC system and accurately identify the detuning element is proposed. The method is based on the calculated amplitude change rates (ACRs) of several deliberately selected harmonic components of the measured real-time current in each branch of the filter. The principle and the implementation of the proposed method are presented, and the relationship between the ACR of the harmonic current and the detuning degree of an individual element is deduced theoretically. Based on the above works, the criteria for identifying the detuning state of the filter bank, the detuned element in the series and parallel part of the filter, and the detuning degree of the element are given. Diverse simulation results, such as applications on a single- and a double-tuned DC filter bank, sensitivity analysis and performance comparison, are provided to show the correctness and the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the design of a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) that can simultaneously protect several sensitive loads from voltage sags in a region of an MV distribution network. A novel reference voltage calculation method based on zero-sequence voltage optimisation is proposed for this DVR to optimise cost-effectiveness in compensation of voltage sags with different characteristics in an ungrounded neutral system. Based on a detailed analysis of the characteristics of voltage sags caused by different types of faults and the effect of the wiring mode of the transformer on these characteristics, the optimisation target of the reference voltage calculation is presented with several constraints. The reference voltages under all types of voltage sags are calculated by optimising the zero-sequence component, which can reduce the degree of swell in the phase-to-ground voltage after compensation to the maximum extent and can improve the symmetry degree of the output voltages of the DVR, thereby effectively increasing the compensation ability. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified by simulation and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In-service civil structures are often subjected to repeated external loads (shock events), which may lead to an accumulation of structural damage and further an increase in the probability of structural failure. The shock actions are by nature stochastic with randomness arising from their intensities and occurrence times. A varying trend in future intensity and/or occurrence rate of many types of shock action has been projected in the literature, such as cyclone actions due to the potential impact of climate change. This article proposes a method to assess the structural reliability in the presence of uncertainty and non-stationarity in external shock events, with a limit state that the cumulative damage exceeds the permissible level. The mean value and variance of the cumulative damage are estimated with proposed closed-form solutions, and the gamma distribution is suggested to describe the probabilistic characteristics of the cumulative damage, whose accuracy is verified through a comparison with Monte Carlo simulation. Furthermore, the cumulative density function of structural service life is derived explicitly. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the impact of non-stationarity in shock actions on structural reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of microdroplets in T-inlet microchannel device was numerically simulated based on the conservation level set method. The strength of the swirling flow is evaluated by defining the average rotational angular velocity of the fluid inside the microdroplet under the condition of no shear. The differences in the evolution of swirling flow caused by the alteration of viscosity ratio at low capillary number (Ca ≤0.01) were analyzed, and the influence of two-phase interfacial tension on the vortex evolution is also discussed. Numerical simulation results show that the evolution process of swirling flow in the squeezing droplets can be divided into five phases. The increase of capillary number will lead to an improvement of internal swirling intensity during the development of microdroplet. However, raising the viscosity ratio will inhibit the swirling strength. The variation of the interfacial tension between the two-phase fluids has a significant effect on the swirling intensity, the swirling intensity inside the droplet increases with increasing interfacial tension. [Display omitted] • A quantitative description of the vortex evolution within the droplet is presented. • Average angular velocity of rotation is applied to evaluate the vortex intensity. • The vortex evolution of squeezing droplets can be classified into 5 phases. • Capillary number and viscosity ratio have an opposite effect on vortex intensity. • Increasing interfacial tension will enhance the vortex intensity significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe hurricanes in coastal areas have caused enormous human and economic losses. Furthermore, the intensity and frequency of future hurricanes may increase due to the potential impact of climate change. Due to common underlying climatological causes, interrelations may exist between successive hurricane events. This paper proposes a novel approach for modeling the temporal correlation in hurricane frequency and develops an analytical method that reflects this correlation to estimate the statistical properties of cumulative hurricane damage. The method provides a closed-form solution to the mean and variance of hurricane damage, and can be used to assess the impacts of temporal correlation and nonstationarity in hurricane events quantitatively. The applicability of the method is demonstrated through a case study of Miami-Dade County, Florida, in which it is found that the nonstationarity in hurricane events increases the mean value of hurricane damage over a future period of 100 years, while the temporal correlation increases its variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first nitrogen-containing iron-pnictide superconductor ThFeAsN, which is synthesized by a solid-state reaction in an evacuated container. The compound crystallizes in a ZrCuSiAs-type structure with the space group P4/nmm and lattice parameters a = 4.0367(1) Å and c = 8.5262(2) Å at 300 K. The electrical resistivity and dc magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate superconductivity at 30 K for the nominally undoped ThFeAsN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful past performance of an existing bridge is evidence of its resistance, which reduces the uncertainty associated with the resistance and so increases the bridge reliability. However, the resistance deterioration and increases in traffic load may negate this effect. In this paper, statistical techniques are used to combine the prior estimate of time-dependent resistance with new information from the service load history, thereby obtaining an updated estimate of bridge resistance, as well as an updated reliability for subsequent years. The application of the method is illustrated using an existing bridge. The influences of the intensity and nonstationarity of service load history and the shape and variance of deterioration function on updated estimates of bridge resistance and reliability are examined using parametric examples. It is found that the updated resistance of an existing bridge with ever-increasing traffic load is close to that of the same bridge with a stationary traffic load process if the load intensities at the latest stage of the two-load process are identical; however, the updated reliability of the bridge is greatly reduced considering the increase of traffic load with time. The statistics of the deterioration function has a significant effect on both the updated resistance and reliability of the bridge, while the shape of the deterioration function has a significant effect on the updated reliability only. The estimate of initial bridge resistance can also be updated by the proposed method, but the updating effect is insignificant compared with the updating of current resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3D flower sphere Bi 2 S 3 /Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction was successfully synthesized by handy solvothermal methods. With the addition of nanorod Bi 2 S 3 , the morphology of flower sphere Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 gradually did not appear spherical with a heterojunction interface formed, which accelerated electrons transfer and inhibited the occurrence of photocorrosion. It proved that the Bi 2 S 3 /Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction was constructed by XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS. Meanwhile, the light absorption range, intensity, specific surface area and photocurrent of the synthesized materials were prominently improved. The ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TC) were most efficiently degraded by the 0.10BSB. The contribution values of superoxide free radicals (·O 2 −) and holes (h+) in the trapping agent experiments were calculated. A rational Z-scheme photocatalytic mechanism for Bi 2 S 3 /Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction was proposed in the degradation process. The 3D flower sphere Bi 2 S 3 /Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction was first successfully synthesized by handy solvothermal methods to inhibite the occurrence of photocorrosion, which efficiently degraded the ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TC). [Display omitted] • The novel 3D flower sphere Bi 2 S 3 /Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 was synthesized by solvothermal method. • Photocorrosion of Bi 2 S 3 was effectively alleviated in Bi 2 S 3 /Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterostructure. • Photoinduced electron-hole pairs of Bi 2 S 3 /Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 were availably separated in light. • Bi 2 S 3 /Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterostructure showed high-efficiency degradability for CIP and TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety retaining wall is a critical infrastructure in ensuring the safety of both rock removal vehicles and personnel. However, factors such as precipitation infiltration, tire impact from rock removal vehicles, and rolling rocks can cause local damage to the safety retaining wall of the dump, rendering it ineffective in preventing rock removal vehicles from rolling down and posing a huge safety hazard. To address these issues, this study proposed a safety retaining wall health assessment method based on modeling and analysis of UAV point-cloud data of the safety retaining wall of a dump, which enables hazard warning for the safety retaining wall. The point-cloud data used in this study were obtained from the Qidashan Iron Mine Dump in Anshan City, Liaoning Province, China. Firstly, the point-cloud data of the dump platform and slope were extracted separately using elevation gradient filtering. Then, the point-cloud data of the unloading rock boundary was obtained via the ordered crisscrossed scanning algorithm. Subsequently, the point-cloud data of the safety retaining wall were extracted using the range constraint algorithm, and surface reconstruction was conducted to construct the Mesh model. The safety retaining wall mesh model was isometrically profiled to extract cross-sectional feature information and to compare the standard parameters of the safety retaining wall. Finally, the health assessment of the safety retaining wall was carried out. This innovative method allows for unmanned and rapid inspection of all areas of the safety retaining wall, ensuring the safety of rock removal vehicles and personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new oxyselenide La2Co2Se2O3, containing Co2O square-planar layers, has been successfully synthesized using solid-state reactions under vacuum. The compound crystallizes in space group /4/mmm with lattice parameters a = 4.0697(8) Å and c = 18.419(4) Å. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate an antiferromagnetic transition at ∼220 K. The magnetic entropy associated with the transition is close to R In 2, suggesting an unusual low-spin state for the Co2+ ions. The as-prepared sample shows insulating behavior with room-temperature resistivity of ∼107 Ω cm, which decreases by 4 orders of magnitude under a pressure of 7 GPa. Band structure calculations using the LSDA+U approach reproduce the insulating ground state with low spin for Co and suggest strong orbital polarization for the valence electrons near the Fermi level. It is also revealed that the spin and orbital degrees of freedom in the antiferromagnetic checkerboard spin-lattice are mutually coupled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3D flower sphere Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 /Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 was successfully prepared by solvothermal method and subsequent calcination. During the calcination process, Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 nanosheets polymerized gradually into Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 nanosheets with the construction of heterojunctions and the morphology changed obviously with the original dense flower sphere structure assembled by nanosheets gradually changing to loose structure accompanied by a slight volume reduction. The Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 /Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 heterojunction framed was successfully proved by XRD, HRTEM and XPS. In addition, the light absorption edge and photocurrent responses of synthesized heterojunction materials were significantly stronger than that of pure Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 and Bi 24 O 31 Br 10. BOB-300 showed the highest photocatalytic performance compared with single Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 and Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 for the degradations of CIP and TC. Moreover, the contributions of ·O 2 − and h+ were further studied, especially ·O 2 − played a primary role in the photocatalytic process. The photocatalytic mechanism and calcination reaction process for the Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 /Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 heterojunction were proposed. [Display omitted] • The novel 3D flower sphere Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 /Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 was prepared by solvothermal method. • Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 can be obtained by calcining the intermolecular debromination of Bi 4 O 5 Br 2. • Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 /Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 notably improved transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. • Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 /Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 exhibited superiorly activity and stability for CIP degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: La2O2S:Yb,Pr nanometer phosphor have been prepared by a novel ethanol-assistant solution combustion (EASC) method in ethanol–water solution medium via a relatively mild and slow combustion process, using ethanol as preigniting fuel and inexpensive thioacetamide as sulfur-containing organic fuel. Investigation results show: ethanol preigniting serves the role of ignition combustion decomposition reaction between rare earth nitrate and organic fuel and promotes the formation of uniform and less agglomerative rare earth oxysulfide nanocrystals. Single phase Ln2O2S:Yb,Pr nanocrystals are obtained with appropriate ethanol/water ratio and further annealing at 1000°C for 2h in reduced atmosphere. The La2O2S:Yb,Pr nanocrystals exhibit an intense green emission assigned to the Pr3+ ions 3P0 → 3H4 transition and a broad near infrared (NIR) emission under 980nm pump. The defects residing in La2O2S:Yb,Pr nanocrystals is the probable origins for the NIR emission. The annealing process makes the green emission improve and the NIR emission weaken. After annealing treatment at 1000°C, the upconversion luminescence intensity is close to that of the bulk sample prepared by a solid-state reaction method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Characteristic and synthesis mechanism of Gd2O2S:Tb X-ray phosphors prepared by cold isostatic press (CIP) pretreatment have been investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectra, luminescence spectra under X-ray excitation (XL), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electric microscope (SEM). It is shown that the pre-pressed technology reduces the sintering temperature with about 100°C. It also decreases the particle size, influences the particle size distribution and morphology, and enhances the luminescence efficiencies of PL and XL of Gd2O2S:Tb phosphors greatly. CIP technique also promotes the formation of Gd2O2S by breaking the starting Gd2O3 particles down to smaller particles as well as retarding the sulphur volatilization at low temperature. The nucleation site density in CIP process is higher than that of the normal technology; the cumulative contribution of the possible increase of the nucleation site numbers and the closer packing of the green body, results in finer and more uniform Gd2O2S:Tb particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The upconversion optical characteristic and brightness of Y2O2S:Yb,Ho phosphors are investigated. It is shown that Y2O2S:Yb,Ho exhibits NIR, red, green, blue and even ultraviolet-blue emission bands under 980 nm pumping. Moreover, Y2O2S:Yb,Ho shows excellent upconversion luminescence and its upconversion brightness is 2.2 times to that of the commercial Y2O2S:Yb,Er phosphors. The upconversion mechanism is discussed: the green and NIR emissions are due to two consecutive energy transfer from Yb3+ to Ho3+, and the blue and red emissions can be explained as a loop-like mechanism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Gd2O2S:Tb X-ray nano-phosphors were prepared using the complex precipitation method combined with low temperature sulfurized method. The mixed solution of the ammonium water and ammonium hydrogen carbonate was employed as the complex precipitant. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray excited luminescence (XL) spectra. The results show that the as-prepared samples can be sulfurized completely at 900°C with flowing N2 containing sulfur vapor, and show the pure Gd2O2S phases with the hexagonal structure. The obtained X-ray phosphor particles are quasi-spherical, disperse well. And the observed particle size of the sample calcined at 900°C is 30–50nm, while the one calcined at 1100°C is about 50–70nm. Therefore, both of them have successfully realized the nano-sized, which are beneficial to enhance the resolution of imaging system efficiently. When excited by the 254nm UV light and X-ray, the Gd2O2S:Tb X-phosphors exhibit the same characteristic emission of Tb3+, which arise from the transitions of 5D3 and 5D4 excited levels to 7F J (J =0–6) ground states. And the luminescence property of the nanocrystals and the process of energy transfer are studied in details. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: ZnS:Ag and (Zn,Cd)S:Ag nanoparticles with particle sizes of about 50 and 150nm have been prepared by hydrothermal method. The effects of hydrothermal process on the physical and luminescence characteristics are investigated. The photoluminescence intensities of hydrothermal treatment ZnS:Ag samples are 10 times higher than that of non-treated samples after annealing at 800°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, the probability integral method, Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR), and the Okada dislocation model were collaboratively used to analyze deformation in the Alhada Pb-Zn mine. The predicted deformation values of the subsidence centers in three subsidence areas were 107 mm, 120 mm, and 83 mm, respectively, as predicted using the probability integral method. The coherent scatterer InSAR technique was used to analyze the time-series deformation of the mining area, and the same subsidence center locations and similar deformation values were observed. The Okada dislocation model was used to invert the optimal parameters of the underground-mining ore body causing the surface subsidence, indicating that the surface subsidence is mainly caused by the mining of ore bodies in the 888 and 848 middle sections. We further simulated ground deformation using the multi-source Okada model. The results showed that the predicted and modeled deformations are highly correlated with the observed deformation. Through the analysis and comparison of the InSAR results, it was concluded that the three subsidence areas do not threaten the stability of the main buildings in the mining area. Using theoretical, observational, and modeling methods, the development and evolution of the subsidence area in mines can be established, which could provide basic data for subsidence control work and guarantee mine production safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Step-feature lines are one of the important geometrical elements for drawing the status quo maps of open-pit mines, and the efficient and accurate automatic extraction and updating of step-feature lines is of great significance for open-pit-mine stripping planning and analysis. In this study, an automatic extraction method of step-feature lines in an open-pit mine based on unmanned-aerial-vehicle (UAV) point-cloud data is proposed. The method is mainly used to solve the key problems, such as low accuracy, local-feature-line loss, and the discontinuity of the step-feature-line extraction method. The method first performs the regular raster resampling of the open-pit-mine cloud based on the MLS algorithm, then extracts the step-feature point set by detecting the elevation-gradient change in the resampled point cloud, further traces the step-feature control nodes by the seed-growth tracking algorithm, and finally generates smooth step-feature lines by fitting the space curve to the step-feature control nodes. The results show that the method effectively improves the accuracy of step-feature-line extraction and solves the problems of local-feature-line loss and discontinuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the conductance anisotropy of bilayer black phosphorene under chemical potential or external electric fields based on the non-equilibrium Green's function method. The results have shown that the chemical potential has a huge impact on the direction and magnitude of the conductance anisotropy of bilayer black phosphorene, which beyond those of monolayer. In addition, it is found that the interlayer coupling enhances the conductance anisotropy on the valence band maximum. Particularly, the conductance anisotropy can be greatly modulated by external electric field, and the direction of the maximum and minimum conductance can be even reversed by external electric field. The controllability between the interlayer coupling and the conductance anisotropy with external field is of interest to the field of nano-electronics and have some technical promise. • We have studied the conductance anisotropy of bilayer black phosphorene under chemical potential or external electric fields. • The results have shown that the chemical potential has a huge impact on the direction and magnitude of the conductance anisotropy. • It is found that the interlayer coupling enhances the conductance anisotropy on the valence band maximum. • The direction of the maximum and minimum conductance can be even reversed by external electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Z-scheme CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterostructure was prepared by mixed solvent thermal method. • Addition of CdS enhanced the range and intensity of CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 to visible light. • CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 boosted the separation efficiency of photoinduced electron hole pairs. • CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 exhibited optimal activity and stability for CIP degradation. ga1 The novel Z-scheme CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterostructure was successfully synthesized by a simple mixed-solvent thermal method. It proved that the Z-scheme CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction was constructed by XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS. The synthesis of CdS nanospheres on ultra-thin Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 nanosheets to form a heterojunction interface was beneficial to the dispersion and transfer of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs, which was demonstrated by PL, i-t and EIS. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra attested CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction enhanced utilization of visible light. The Z-scheme 0.5-CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction exhibited the highest photocatalytic performance for degradation process of CIP and TC than that of pure CdS and Bi 4 O 5 Br 2. In addition, recycling tests declared that the Z-scheme 0.5-CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction compared with single CdS had higher stability and durability, attributing to effectively alleviating photocorrosion of CdS. It could be seen from the trapping agent experiment that superoxide free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals were the main active substances. The possible photocatalytic mechanism of the Z-scheme 0.5-CdS/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 heterojunction under visible light irradiation was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, the World Health Organization highlighted polypharmacy as one of the key focus areas of the Global Patient Safety Challenge on Medication Safety. According to the experience of developed countries, the provision of primary pharmaceutical care plays a very important role in the intervention of polypharmacy in the elderly. It is necessary to assess the associations between elderly polypharmacy status and primary care in developing countries. The findings of this paper provide the prevalence of polypharmacy in patients with comorbid hypertension, and the factors associated with it. A total of 19,332 elderly patients with hypertension were completed, among which the mean (SD) number of diseases was 4.83 (1.99), the mean (SD) daily maximum number of drugs was 5.13 (2.89), and the rate of polypharmacy was 50.5%. Age, living areas, total number of visits, preference for medical institutions and the number of diseases were associated with polypharmacy. Among them, advanced age, greater number of visits and diseases are the risk factors of polypharmacy for elderly patients with comorbid hypertension. The rate of polypharmacy in patients who intend to seek treatment in community healthcare centers is low. A total of 9,603 pharmaceutical workers worked in Shanghai public hospitals in 2020, among them 52.0% worked in the central city area, and more than 70% worked in secondary and tertiary hospitals. There was a large mismatch between patients' medical preference and the number of pharmaceutical personnel. As a consequence, it is necessary to strengthen the development of community pharmaceutical care in primary medical institutions for elderly polypharmacy management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The up-conversion luminescence properties of trivalent-rare-earth ion-doped orthotantalates are studied under 980 nm laser diode excitation. The results indicate that YTaO4:Tm3+/Yb3+ emits blue and strong infrared emissions respectively corresponding to 1G4→3H6 and 3H4→3H6 transitions of Tm3+ ions, while YTaO4:Er3+/Yb3+ produces strong green and weak red emissions, resulting from 2H11/2/4S3/2→4I15/2 and 4F9/2→4I15/2 transitions of Er3+ ions, respectively. In contrast to three excellent up-conversion phosphors, viz. NaYF4:Er3+/Yb3+, Y2O2S:Er3+/Yb3+ and Y2O3:Er3+, YTaO4:Er3+/Yb3+ shows not only strong green emission, but also larger intensity ratio of green to red emission. In addition, it is found that LaTaO4: Er3+/Yb3+ shows the minimum quenching concentration of Yb3+ and weakest up-conversion emission intensity, and the main peak presents blue shift (8 nm/556 nm) as compared with YTaO4:Er3+/Yb3+ and GdTaO4:Er3+/Yb3+. The distinct luminescent characteristics of LaTaO4: Er3+/Yb3+ can be attributed to the larger difference of radius between doped ion and La3+ ion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stabilization of cobalt oxyhydrate superconductor was realized by post-treatment of the as-prepared superconductor in concentrated NaOH solution; this finding is expected to promote future experimental research on the intriguing material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel 3D flower-sphere BiOBr/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 with proper-oxygen vacancies (OV) was successfully synthesized by using 3D BiOBr as a self-sacrificed template, NaOH as a structure-driving reagent and midwifery agent of OV. The synthesis mechanism was systematically studied. It revealed that Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 lamina generated via in-situ phase transfer tightly interspersed in the interior and surface of 3D BiOBr hierarchical structures; calcination temperature, stirring time and –OH concentration can optimize the composition and structure of materials. Also, the calcination conditions (temperatures and air or N 2 atmosphere) can regulate the OV's concentration. Ultimately, 3D hierarchical architectures, the optimal heterojunction composition and OV with proper concentrations three positive factors synergistically promoted the photoelectric activity of BiOBr/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 –OV, making it exhibit ultrahigh photocatalytic activity for antibiotic photodegradation (tetracycline, TC; ciprofloxacin, CIP). We believe the synthesis methods and design idea mentioned in this paper have high instructive significance to prepare high-performance materials. Unlabelled Image • A novel 3D flower-sphere BiOBr/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 with proper-OV was successfully synthesized. • A new, facile and controllable synthesize method for 3D rich-Bi materials with OV were proposed. • NaOH acted as a structure-driving reagent and midwifery agent of OV. • BiOBr/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 -OV exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity for TC and CIP. • OV with proper concentrations highly improved e− migration ability, boosting more O 2 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present a numerical investigation into the phenomenon of rising droplets in immiscible fluids, focusing on the Marangoni effect induced by both solute and a combination of solute and soluble surfactants. We meticulously examine the interfacial behaviors of pure solute droplets and mixed droplets, with a particular interest on the intricate interplay among interfacial concentration, interfacial tension, Marangoni stress, and Marangoni convection. Our investigation provides insight into the influence of key physicochemical parameters, such as viscosity, diffusion coefficient, partition coefficient, and interfacial tension gradient, on the Marangoni instability. Furthermore, we conduct a comprehensive parametric exploration of the impact of dimensionless numbers such as the Langmuir number (La), the Damkohler number (Da), the Peclet number (Pe), and the elasticity number β on the stabilizing efficacy of surfactants. The research findings underscore the effectiveness of our numerical method in capturing the distinctive two-step acceleration characteristics of pure solute droplets and the stabilizing effect of surfactants on mixed droplets. Notably, our study reveals that the Marangoni instability may manifest even when the viscosity and diffusivity ratios of the two-phase fluids are closely matched. Partition coefficients below unity exhibit only a marginal influence on the re-acceleration time of the droplets. Systems characterized by extremely low interfacial tension gradients tend to exhibit no Marangoni instability. Moreover, an increase in La enhances the stability of mixed droplets, while a significant threshold is identified for Da to affect the stability of mixed droplets. The ascent speed of mixed droplets displays pronounced variation across varying Pe magnitudes. Finally, in scenarios involving a wide-ranging variation in β, mixed droplets transition between the states of pure solute droplets and rigid spheres, revealing a distinct-state transition point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spaceborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) techniques are important for landslide detection and monitoring; however, several limitations and uncertainties, such as the unique north–south flying direction and side-look radar observing geometry, currently limit the ability of InSAR to credibly detect landslides, especially those related to high and steep slopes. Here, we conducted experimental and statistical analysis on the feasibility of time-series InSAR monitoring for steep slopes using ascending and descending SAR images. First, the theoretical (TGNSS), practical (PGNSS), and terrain (Hterrain) (T-P-H) indices for sensitivity evaluations of the slope displacement monitoring results from time-series InSAR were proposed for slope monitoring. Subsequently, two experimental and statistical studies were conducted for the cases with and without Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) monitoring data. Our experimental results of two high and steep open-pit mines showed that the defined theoretical and practical sensitivity indices can quantitatively evaluate the feasibility of ascending and descending InSAR observations in steep-slope deformation monitoring with GNSS data, and the terrain sensitivity index can qualitatively evaluate the feasibility of landslide monitoring results from ascending and descending Sentinel-1 satellite data without GNSS data. We further demonstrate the generalizability of these proposed indices using four landslide cases with both public GNSS and InSAR monitoring data and 119 landslide cases with only InSAR monitoring data. The statistical results indicated that greater indices correlated with higher reliability of the monitoring results, suggesting that these novel indices have wide suitability and applicability. This study can help to improve the practice of slope deformation monitoring using spaceborne InSAR, especially for high and steep slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first 10-kV regional compensation dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) has been installed in a 110-kV substation in Shenzhen power grid, to protect plenty of sensitive loads in a wide area simultaneously from the disturbances caused by voltage sags. The location selection and performance indicators of the DVR are determined based on the voltage sag statistic results in recent years of Shenzhen power grid. The implementation schemes of main circuit elements, such as the energy storage unit, inverter and LC filter are presented. To further improve the DVR's cost-effectiveness, a novel virtual impedance control strategy is proposed to provide the DVR with a function of a Fault Current Limiter (FCL) or a Series Compensator (SC) besides the function of voltage sag compensation. Simulation and field experimental results are provided to show the correctness and effectiveness of the main circuit design and control system development of the 10-kV DVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The currently used hysteresis method is of low control accuracy, and the PWM-based strategy fails to provide a high enough response speed; thus, there is always a trade-off between the performances of control accuracy and response speed for a four-leg shunt active power filter (APF) to cope with the large variation in the load harmonic profile. First, an improved SVPWM strategy is proposed in this paper; with the aim to increase the response speed of a four-leg APF by simplifying the implementation of current 3D-SVPWM methods, the principle and realisation of this strategy are explained in detail. Based on these works, a compound PWM algorithm that effectively integrates the improved SVPWM and a PI-based current hysteresis method is proposed to simultaneously guarantee a higher response speed and a higher control accuracy for a four-leg APF. The realisation and parameter tuning of the compound PWM are elaborated. The correctness and effectiveness of the improved SVPWM and the compound PWM strategy are verified by simulations using Matlab/Simulink software. Finally, experimental results on a four-leg APF implemented in a closed-loop real-time simulation platform are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A hyperbolic thermal conductivity model was proposed. • Artificial neural networks was applied to estimate the three parameters of the new model. • The hyperbolic model performs best among the 6 models. Thermal conductivity is a key parameter characterizing heat and water transfer in soils. It is difficult to measure thermal conductivity under freezing conditions. For this reason, some models have been proposed to estimate the thermal conductivity of freezing soils, but most of them failed to mimic the variation of thermal conductivity with temperature. In this study, a hyperbolic model with three parameters (λ (0°C) , α and β) was proposed to model the relationship between thermal conductivity and subzero temperature. The parameters λ (0°C) , α and β of the hyperbolic model were estimated via artificial neural networks. The performance of the new model and 5 widely used models was evaluated with measured thermal conductivities. The results show that the new model accurately estimates the thermal conductivity of soils during a freezing process. In addition, the proposed model performs the best among the 6 models, as indicated by RMSE (0.105 Wm−1K−1). The new model accurately mimics the variation of thermal conductivity with subzero temperature and can be incorporated into numerical algorithms for coupled heat and mass transfer in cold regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present numerical simulations examining the impact of soluble surfactant on the interface dynamics of a rising droplet. To achieve this, the droplet interface is tracked using an arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian approach, and the bulk and interfacial surfactant concentration evolution equations fully coupled with the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations are solved. We systematically evaluate the boundary of interfacial dynamics evolution by varying certain dimensionless parameters. Specifically, we study the effects of changes in parameters such as the Langmuir number, the Biot number, the Damkohler number, the bulk Peclet number, and the elastic number on interfacial tangential velocity, interfacial concentration and its gradient, interfacial viscous shear stress, and droplet rising velocity. Our findings confirm the validity of the stagnant-cap model for describing the interfacial fluidity of a surfactant-laden rising droplet. Increasing the Langmuir number and decreasing the Damkohler number can inhibit interface fluidity, but there is a threshold for the Damkohler number. Additionally, the overall increase in interface tension may mask the hindering effect of the locally increased concentration gradient on the interfacial fluidity. The Biot number has no impact on the steady state of the interface, but a slow adsorption rate may result in a bimodal retardation before the interface reaches a steady state. A clear threshold exists for the Peclet number to hinder the interface velocity, and a too high Peclet number leads to strong nonlinearity in the interface physical quantities. Variations in the elastic number significantly affect the evolution of the interface, causing the interface velocity to pass through several states, ranging from almost no retardation, uniform retardation, stagnant-cap retardation to complete retardation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma with poor prognosis in children. The 5-year survival rate for early RMS has improved, whereas it remains unsatisfactory for advanced patients. Urine can rapidly reflect changes in the body and identify low-abundance proteins. Early screening of tumor markers through urine in RMS allows for earlier treatment, which is associated with better outcomes. Methods: RMS patients under 18 years old, including those newly diagnosed and after surgery, were enrolled. Urine samples were collected at the time points of admission and after four cycles of chemotherapy during follow-up. Then, a two-stage workflow was established. (1) In the discovery stage, differential proteins (DPs) were initially identified in 43 RMS patients and 12 healthy controls (HCs) using a data-independent acquisition method. (2) In the verification stage, DPs were further verified as biomarkers in 54 RMS patients and 25 HCs using parallel reaction monitoring analysis. Furthermore, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to construct the protein panels for the diagnosis of RMS. Gene Ontology (GO) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software were used to perform bioinformatics analysis. Results: A total of 251 proteins were significantly altered in the discovery stage, most of which were enriched in the head, neck and urogenital tract, consistent with the most common sites of RMS. The most overrepresented biological processes from GO analysis included immunity, inflammation, tumor invasion and neuronal damage. Pathways engaging the identified proteins revealed 33 common pathways, including WNT/β-catenin signaling and PI3K/AKT signaling. Finally, 39 proteins were confirmed as urinary biomarkers for RMS, and a diagnostic panel composed of 5 candidate proteins (EPS8L2, SPARC, HLA-DRB1, ACAN, and CILP) was constructed for the early screening of RMS (AUC: 0.79, 95%CI = 0.66 ~ 0.92). Conclusions: These findings provide novel biomarkers in urine that are easy to translate into clinical diagnosis of RMS and illustrate the value of global and targeted urine proteomics to identify and qualify candidate biomarkers for noninvasive molecular diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dense networks of conventional hydrogel hinder the efficient cell penetration and thus tissue regeneration. In this study, a macroporous cryogel with excellent mechanical properties was designed and fabricated through cryogelation and crosslinking of methacrylated gelatin (Gel-MA) and gelatin grafted with 2-ureido-4[1H]-6-methyl-pyrimidinone (Gel-UPY). The successful modification of the two functional units on the side chain of gelatin was confirmed by 1H-NMR and infrared spectroscopy. The macroporous structure of cryogel was verified by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. The compressive modulus of cryogel (110 kPa) was 2 magnitudes higher than that of the conventional hydrogel of the same chemical compositions (8 kPa). Both the hydrogel and cryogel exhibited excellent stress-recovery ability. The cryogel could well maintain the viability of chondrocytes and facilitated their migration into the scaffold interior. After being implanted into osteochondral defects in rabbits for 12 w, the Gel-MA/Gel-UPY cryogel better facilitated the regeneration of upper cartilage and subchondral bone compared to the conventional hydrogel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative metal grade inversion based on hyperspectral data is an effective approach to achieve the real-time in situ determination of ore body grades and has the advantages of low cost compared with traditional chemical analysis methods. However, the redundant nature of hyperspectral data and the parameter-limiting nature of machine learning algorithms reduce the modeling accuracy and precision, resulting in severe limitations on the application of hyperspectral techniques for the grade inversion of Deerni copper ore bodies. In this paper, we first obtained visible-NIR hyperspectral data for 190 ore samples using a spectrometer and determined the copper content of the sample set using chemical analysis; then, we processed the raw hyperspectral data using three dimensionality reduction algorithms and optimized a BP neural network based on an evolutionary algorithm. Finally, a Deerni copper grade inversion model was established using the hyperspectral data before and after dimensionality reduction, and the inversion accuracy and precision was compared and analyzed with that obtained by the BP neural network, the random forest and the variable hidden layer nodes models. The combination of the LLE dimensionality reduction algorithm and the optimized BP neural network algorithm achieves the highest modeling precision, with an R2 of 0.950. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hollow mesoporous TiO2@BiOBr/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 type-II/Z-scheme tandem heterojunction was synthesized for the first time based on the confinement effect caused by the outward shrinking of the interface, which realizes the efficient degradation of ciprofloxacin under visible light. [Display omitted] The new type of hollow mesoporous TiO 2 @BiOBr/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 type-II/Z-scheme tandem heterojunction is synthesized using MIL-125(Ti) as the precursor based on the confinement effect caused by the outward shrinkage induced by the interface. Among them, the BiOBr shell is an indispensable component of forming a cavity during the pyrolysis of MIL-125(Ti). Not only that, BiOBr is partially converted into Bi-rich Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 at high temperature, and the remaining BiOBr acts as a bridge to connect TiO 2 and Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 to construct a type-II/Z-scheme tandem heterojunction. This new type of hollow mesoporous tandem heterojunction shows excellent degradation efficiency (95%) for 10 mg/L ciprofloxacin (CIP) within 40 min, with a rate constant (K) of 0.05930 min−1. The Fukui index is used to determine the attack site of CIP, and the possible degradation pathway is proposed through LC-MS analysis. The results of the culture of Vibrio qinghaiensis-Q67 showed that ciprofloxacin and its intermediate products have biological toxicity, and the toxicity is reduced with the progress of photodegradation. This method of synthesizing novel hollow mesoporous TiO 2 @BiOBr/Bi 4 O 5 Br 2 type-II/Z-scheme tandem heterojunctions based on the confinement effect will provide a new idea for other use of MOF to synthesize hollow and high-efficiency heterojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Fenton-like catalyst with a hollow meso -crystalline Fe 3 O 4 catalyst doped with Mn was prepared for the first time through a one-pot method, which can achieve rapid degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) under the conditions of pH=4.5 to pH=9.5 and greatly expands the application conditions of Fenton. The formation process of the catalyst was reasonably analyzed based on Ostwald curing theory and bubble theory. And the dual reaction center theory reasonably explains the Fenton reaction mechanism of the catalyst. [Display omitted] • A novel catalyst hollow meso -crystalline Mn-doped Fe 3 O 4 was prepared by one-pot method. • The catalyst has excellent magnetic properties and stability. • Ciprofloxacin was efficiently degraded over a wide pH range of 4.5–9.5. • The formation of Fe-Mn dual-reaction-centers validly promotes electron transfer. • •OH and 1O 2 were the dominant reactive oxygen species for ciprofloxacin degradation. Herein, an unprecedented heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst with a hollow meso -crystalline Fe 3 O 4 catalyst doped with Mn was prepared for the first time through a one-pot method, which can effectively activate H 2 O 2 in a wide pH range and has good stability. The results show the catalyst can achieve rapid degradation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) under the conditions of pH = 4.5 to pH = 9.5, which greatly expands the application conditions of Fenton. Sufficient experimental exploration clearly demonstrated that the uniform doping of Mn in Fe 3 O 4 crystal lattice, and the formation process of Mn-doped Fe 3 O 4 hollow meso -crystalline microspheres was reasonably analyzed based on Ostwald curing theory and bubble theory. The dual reaction center theory reasonably explains the reaction mechanism of the catalyst. The H 2 O 2 adsorbed on the electron-rich Fe center is reduced to •OH, while the H 2 O 2 adsorbed on the electron-deficient Mn center is oxidized to •O 2 –/HO 2 •, •OH and •O 2 –/HO 2 • are further converted to 1O 2 , which participates in involved in the degradation process of CIP. This research provides new ideas for the rational design of catalysts that can apply the heterogeneous Fenton reaction to actual water purification in a wide pH range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial flow and mass transfer of multicomponent droplets remain an unsolved basic problem, although multicomponent droplets are widely used in droplet microfluidics, fine chemicals. In this paper, Level-set method is used to capture the phase interface, and the evolution of Marangoni convection under different Reynolds numbers is investigated by CFD simulation. The influence of Marangoni effect on the macroscopic characteristics such as droplet velocity and concentration decay rate under different motion states are reported, and the divergence of velocity at the interface is statistically analyzed at microscopic level. The results reveal that the droplet Reynolds number has a great influence on the development of Marangoni convection in life and space; The local divergence can clearly reflect the influence of flow structure and flow velocity on interphase material transport; The Marangoni vortices are multi-scale, and the interphase mass transfer containing the Marangoni effect is non-Gaussian and oscillating, which similar to turbulence. Compared to previous research, this work complements a lot of micro information of the interface Marangoni flow, and deeply discusses the competition between Marangoni and internal circulation flow in droplets under different Reynolds numbers. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frost heave significantly affects the stability of embankment in seasonally frozen ground regions. Most previous studies focused on the investigation of the passive method for controlling or mitigating frost heave, but its effectiveness diminishes with time. Therefore, proactive method is proposed to address frost heave. In this study, a novel embankment with molecular vibration infrared nano-thermoprobe (MVINT) was designed. The performance of an embankment with MVINT and an embankment without MVINT were compared. During the freezing-thawing process, we monitored temperature, volumetric unfrozen water content and deformation fields. The results show that the MVINT significantly improves the temperature of the embankment. For the embankment with MVINT, its whole temperature is above 0 °C, while the temperature of the lower part of the embankment without MVINT is above 0 °C in the cold seasons. Meanwhile, the variations of volumetric unfrozen water contents for the embankment without MVINT are more significant compared to the embankment with MVINT at the same position. Furthermore, the vertical deformation at the road surface is significantly reduced for the embankment with MVINT. It is because the MVINT releases warm energy in the cold periods, which effectively reduces frozen depth and mitigates frost heave. Therefore, the MVINT could be used to control and mitigate the frost heave of embankment in seasonally frozen ground regions. • A novel embankment with MVINT in seasonally frozen regions was proposed. • The performance of an embankment with MVINT and an embankment without MVINT was compared. • The MVINT releases warm energy and effectively mitigates frost heave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In seasonally frozen ground regions, freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles induce frost heave and affect the long-term stability of high-speed railway embankments. This study used a molecular vibration infrared nano-thermoprobe (MVINT) to address frost heave by actively heating embankments. Both embankments, one with MVINT and the other without, underwent five F-T cycles in a refrigeration room. The temperatures, unfrozen water contents, and vertical deformations of the two embankments were monitored and compared for analyzing the frost heave mitigation effect of MVINT. After undergoing five F-T cycles, the proportion of negative temperature area in the embankment without MVINT reached 66.45%. In contrast, the embankment with MVINT exhibited significantly higher temperatures than its counterpart without MVINT. Its negative temperature area accounts for 4.61% and can only be observed at the slope toe. The results indicate that the heat provided by MVINT can significantly increase the overall temperature of the embankment. The unfrozen water content of the embankment without MVINT exhibits periodic fluctuations, whereas that of the embankment with MVINT gradually decreased and stabilized at 18.1%. Furthermore, the vertical deformations at the top surface of the embankment without MVINT are greater than those with MVINT. The maximum vertical deformation difference at the centerline of the two embankments is 1.07 mm, and the maximum vertical deformation difference at the shoulder is 0.67 mm. These demonstrate that the heat generated by MVINT effectively warms the embankment and reduces frozen depth. Therefore, MVINT is proved to be a reliable solution for mitigating frost heave in seasonally frozen ground regions. • A novel embankment with MVINT was proposed to address frost heave of the embankment. • The temperature, unfrozen water content and vertical deformation were monitored. • The MVINT changed hydrothermal conditions in the embankment. • The MVINT effectively mitigated frost heave of the embankment in the seasonally frozen regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in iron-based pnictides (chalcogenides) not only triggers tremendous enthusiasm in searching for new superconducting materials, but also opens a new avenue to the study of the Kondo physics. CeFeAsO is a parent compound of the 1111-type iron-based superconductors. It shows 3d-antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering below ∼ 139 K and 4f-AFM ordering below ∼ 4 K. On the other hand, the phosphide CeFePO is a ferromagnetically correlated heavy-fermion (HF) metal with Kondo scale TK ∼ 10 K. These properties set up a new platform for research of the interplay among magnetism, Kondo effect, and superconductivity (SC). In this review, we present the recent progress in the study of chemical pressure effect in CeFeAsO1−yFy (y = 0 and 0.05). This P/As-doping in CeFeAsO serves as an effective controlling parameter which leads to two magnetic critical points, xc1 ≃ 0.4 and xc2 ≃ 0.92, associated with suppression of 3d and 4f magnetism, respectively. We also observe a turning point of AFM-FM ordering of Ce3+ moment at xc3 ≃ 0.37. The SC is absent in the phase diagram, which is attributed to the destruction to Cooper pair by Ce-FM fluctuations in the vicinity of xc1. We continue to investigate CeFeAs1−xPxO0.95F0.05. With the separation of xc1 and xc3, this chemical pressure results in a broad SC region 0≤ x ≤ 0.53, while the original HF behavior is driven away by 5% F− doping. Different roles of P and F dopings are addressed, and the interplay between SC and Ce-4f magnetism is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaCu3Ti4O12ceramic samples sintered at different temperatures were studied by measurements of microstructural and dielectric properties. Electron microscopy for thermally-etched samples confirmed a microstructure with subgrains (SG) buried in a crystalline grain. The detailed dielectric properties were shown to be conformable with the double-barrier-layer capacitance model. The complex electric modulus analysis revealed unambiguously each contribution of the SG interiors, SG boundaries and grain boundaries to the dielectric constant. Our result clarified how the dielectric properties change with increasing sintering temperature. It was concluded that grain boundaries rather than SG boundaries played the key role in the low-frequency giant dielectric constant in CCTO ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]