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Amphiphilic copolymers (AP) represent a class of novel antibiofouling materials whose chemistry and composition can be tuned to optimize their performance. However, the enormous chemistry‐composition design space associated with AP makes their performance optimization laborious; it is not experimentally feasible to assess and validate all possible AP compositions even with the use of rapid screening methodologies. To address this constraint, a robust model development paradigm is reported, yielding a versatile machine learning approach that accurately predicts biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa on a library of AP. The model excels in extracting underlying patterns in a "pooled" dataset from various experimental sources, thereby expanding the design space accessible to the model to a much larger selection of AP chemistries and compositions. The model is used to screen virtual libraries of AP for identification of best‐performing candidates for experimental validation. Initiated chemical vapor deposition is used for the precision synthesis of the model‐selected AP chemistries and compositions for validation at solid–liquid interface (often used in conventional antifouling studies) as well as the air–liquid–solid triple interface. Despite the vastly different growth conditions, the model successfully identifies the best‐performing AP for biofilm inhibition at the triple interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous studies, the impact of global warming on the tropical cyclone (TC) track and intensity by reasons of data inhomogeneity in remote sensing and large natural variability over a relatively short period of observation is still controversial. Three carbon-emission sensitivity experiments are conducted to investigate how TC track and intensity respond to changes in the oceanic and atmospheric environment under global warming. The results show a high sensitivity of the simulated TC track and intensity to global warming. On one hand, with increase in carbon emissions, the western Pacific subtropical high expands notably, increasing the poleward steering flow and eventually leading to a poleward shift of TC. On the other hand, the underlying sea-surface temperature and surface-entropy flux increase and, thus, favor the convections near the eyewall. Moreover, the TC structure becomes more upright, which is closely related to the larger pressure gradient near the eyewall. As a result, TC intensity increases with carbon emissions. However, this increase is notably smaller than the maximum potential intensity theory as the TC intensity can reach a threshold if carbon emission still increases in the future. The involved mechanisms on the changes of TC track and intensity are also revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oblique-incidence reflectivity difference (OIRD) is a compelling technique for real-time, label-free and non-destructive detection of antibody microarray chips, but its sensitivity needs essential improvement for clinical diagnosis. In this study, we report an innovative high-performance OIRD microarray by using poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate] (POEGMA-co-GMA) brush grafted fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) as the chip substrate. The polymer brush enhances the interfacial binding reaction efficiency of targets from the complicated sample matrix due to its high antibody loading and excellent anti-fouling merits; the FTO-polymer brush layered structure, on the other hand, excites the interference enhancement effect of OIRD to achieve enhanced intrinsic optical sensitivity. Synergistically, the sensitivity of this chip is significantly improved compared to rival chips, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 25 ng mL−1 for the model target C-reactive protein (CRP) in 10% human serum. This work explores the tremendous influence of the chip interfacial structure on the OIRD sensitivity and proposes a rational interfacial engineering strategy to boost the performance of the label-free OIRD based microarray and other bio-devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical cyclones (TCs) seriously threaten the safety of human life and property especially when approaching a coast or making landfall. Robust, long-lead predictions are valuable for managing policy responses. However, despite decades of efforts, seasonal prediction of TCs remains a challenge. Here, we introduce a deep-learning prediction model to make skillful seasonal prediction of TC track density in the Western North Pacific (WNP) during the typhoon season, with a lead time of up to four months. To overcome the limited availability of observational data, we use TC tracks from CMIP5 and CMIP6 climate models as the training data, followed by a transfer-learning method to train a fully convolutional neural network named SeaUnet. Through the deep-learning process (i.e., heat map analysis), SeaUnet identifies physically based precursors. We show that SeaUnet has a good performance for typhoon distribution, outperforming state-of-the-art dynamic systems. The success of SeaUnet indicates its potential for operational use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Ti-5Al-2.5Sn-xMo (TASxM, x = 0,5,10,15 wt%) alloys were designed and prepared. Phase compositon and microstructure analysis results indicate that the addition of Mo reduces the phase transition point of TASxM alloys, stabilizes more β phase to room temperature, and refines the α grains. The strength of the TASxM alloys exhibits a positive correlation with the increasing Mo content within 10 wt%, and the highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS) can be obtained in TAS10M (1260 MPa), which can be primarily attributed to the synergistic effects of phase transition, solid solution strengthening, and fine grain strengthening. Interestingly, the UTS of TAS15M unexpectedly decreases to 724 MPa, which is strongly influenced by the altered slip system numbers resulting from the β/α phase ratio. Even more intriguing is the observation of stress-induced martensitic transformation in the deformed TAS15M alloy, often resulting in a substantial influence on elongation. The corrosion resistance of the TASxM alloy has also been investigated through electrochemical experiments. The findings reveal that the corrosion resistance of the TASxM alloy is enhanced with the elevation of Mo content, peaking at TAS15M. This improved resistance is attributed to the augmented β phase content and the formation of protective MoO 2 and MoO 3 oxide films on the surface of alloy. • Described the evolution process of the microstructure of Ti alloys with different Mo contents. • The mechanical mechanism of TASxM alloys with different Mo contents has been analyzed. • The TAS10M sample has the best combination of UTS (∼1260 MPa) and ε f (∼8.4 %). • The TAS15M sample exhibits a dual yield phenomenon due to stress-induced martensitic transformation. • The corrosion resistance mechanism of TASxM alloys has been analyzed in combination with XPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We comprehensively explored the concept, function, and design role of the composite materials including metal-support and heterojunction systems. • This review presents an in-depth analysis of how the electrocatalysts and related materials facilitate CO 2 RR through electron transfer, interfacial sites as well as synergistic effects, especially in terms of the mechanism of action. • We explore the potential opportunities and challenges of interfacial effects in the context of CO 2 RR. The electrochemical CO 2 reduced reaction (CO 2 RR) has gained considerable interest as a potential solution for achieving carbon neutralization. However, the unsuitable intermediates adsorption, aggregation of active sites, and intricate electron transfer processes hindered the conversion efficiency, which has spurred researchers to explore the smart strategy for the construction of the superior electrocatalysts. In recent years, metal-support interaction and Mott-Schottky heterojunction catalysts have been utilized to facilitate CO 2 RR by optimizing the intermediates adsorption, stabilizing the active sites and guiding electron transfer path way. While the comprehensive review including the design fundamentals of interface and mechanism research of interface effect for the enhancement of CO 2 RR is rarely reported. Herein, we comprehensively explored the concept, function, and design role of the composite materials including metal-support and heterojunction systems. Furthermore, this review presents an in-depth analysis of how the electrocatalysts and related materials facilitate CO 2 RR through electron transfer, interfacial sites as well as synergistic effects, especially in terms of the mechanism of action. Finally, the prospects and hurdles are illuminated for the metal-support interaction and Mott-Schottky heterojunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hierarchically porous benzene-bridged organosilica nanoparticles (HPBONs) are successfully synthesized by an outside-in hydrothermal self-transformation method. Insets are the models of benzene, ethane, and thioether-bridged organosilica nanoparticles to illustrate the diverse structural transformation process via the hydrothermal treatment, respectively. [Display omitted] Herein, a feasible outside-in hydrothermal self-transformation strategy is presented to fabricate hierarchically porous benzene-bridged organosilica nanoparticles (HPBONs), and detailed mechanistic investigations were performed to study the formation of hierarchically porous nanostructures. The obtained HPBONs consisted of a mesoporous core (2.3 nm) and a large mesoporous flocculent shell (12.6 nm), which corresponded to an overall diameter of ∼ 200 nm and good water dispersibility, respectively. Owing to the unique hierarchically porous structure and high surface area (877 m2/g), HPBONs showed a high coloading capacity for the hydrophilic drug doxorubicin (DOX) and the hydrophobic photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) (355 µg/mg, 38 µg/mg, respectively) and acid-responsive DOX drug release (42.62%), leading to precise chemo-photodynamic therapy in vitro , as the cytotoxicity assay revealed 70% killing of breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. This research provides a new method to construct hierarchically porous organosilica-based nanodelivery systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-thin asphalt layers are mostly constructed at high producing temperatures of 165–180 ℃, which results in high energy consumption and extra aging of asphalt binders. Those influences could be eliminated by employing the cold-mix process. However, the reduced cracking resistance of cold asphalt mixtures should be addressed. The objective of this study is to design a preferable cold mix asphalt mixture which can be used for ultra-thin asphalt layer. A cold mix ultra-thin asphalt layer (GT-10 C) with comparable anti-cracking performance was developed through the use of high-performance binder, basalt fibers, and specially designed aggregate gradation. Several cracking resistance tests were employed including the low-temperature bending test, impact toughness test, and semi-circular bending test. In addition, a specified test method was developed for determining cracking resistance and durability of the ultra-thin asphalt layers by using compounded slabs. The testing results were compared with the performance of a conventional hot mix ultra-thin asphalt layer (Hot-UA) and a common micro-surfacing layer with cold mix (Cold-UA). It was found that GT-10 C had larger ultimate tensile strain, impact and fracture toughness than Hot-UA and Cold-UA, and a better fracture life in the thin layer cracking resistance test as well. This research provides a potential technology for producing cold mix ultra-thin asphalt layers. [Display omitted] • Curing conditions of cold mixes were assessed through water loss tests. • Cracking resistance of GT-10 C was improved by modified emulsion and basalt fibers. • A cracking test was proposed for ultra-thin asphalt layers using compounded slabs. • The GT-10 C can meet requirements of the cracking resistance of hot mixes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The carbon skeleton structure of MLS mainly consists of aliphatic (47.90%) and aromatic (40.10%) carbons. • Evaporation of hexane soluble fraction (HS) and cleavage of C al C al and C ar C al bonds are dominant during MLS pyrolysis. • Fine quantitative linear relationships between gasification reactivity and physico-chemical structures of MLS char are established. Efficient utilization of mild liquefaction solid product (MLS) of Hami coal is critical to improve energy efficiency of the whole process, which accounts for >30 wt% of raw coal. In this work, the structure features of MLS were characterized by the solid-stage 13C NMR (SS-NMR) and its pyrolysis behavior was measured by a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) coupled with a mass spectrometer (MS). Additionally, the chars of MLS were prepared in a quartz tube fixed-bed reactor at different temperatures. Then the physico-chemical structure and CO 2 gasification reactivity of the MLS chars were measured by multiple methods, including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and TGA. According to the SS-NMR analysis, the aromaticity of MLS is relatively high even though it contains ca. 47.90% aliphatic carbon. The evaporation of hexane soluble fraction (HS) and cleavage of C al C al and C ar C al bonds are dominant in the process of MLS pyrolysis according to the TGA-MS analysis. With the increase of final pyrolysis temperature, the yield of char and H/C atomic ratio gradually decrease from 69.4% to 54.9% and from 0.664 to 0.110, respectively. In addition, the side chains and functional groups of char gradually reduce, the char becomes dense and dim, and the degree of ordering of char increases. Well quantitative linear relationships (R2 > 0.95) between gasification reactivity, carbon crystalline stacking layer number (n) and H/C atomic ratio are established, which could be used to finely evaluate the CO 2 gasification reactivity of MLS and pyrolysis chars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, microstructures and corrosion behaviors of novel ZrTiAl–χV (χ = 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 wt%) alloys have been investigated. Phase composition and microstructures of the specimens are characterized using X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that phase composition of the alloys change by α′ → α″ → α″ + β → β as V is added gradually. Meanwhile, the mean size of the α′ phase, α″ martensite and β phase decreases as V content increases. In order to test the corrosion performance of the specimens, potentiodynamic polarization tests in NaCl and HCl solutions and immersion tests in HCl solution are performed. Analysis of potentiodynamic potential curves indicates that corrosion potential increases and corrosion current density decreases with adding V content in the examined alloys. From the results of weight loss tests, it can be observed that the weight loss of the examined alloys decreases along with the increase of V content. In addition, when the content of V is added from 3 to 7 wt%, the metastable corrosion pits are replaced with the stable corrosion pits. The phase composition as well as the grain size can be identified as the main factor affecting the corrosion performance of the alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Based on first-principles calculations, we propose a new two-dimensional (2D) carbon allotrope (net-τ), which consists of quadrilateral, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal and decagonal rings. Our results demonstrate that the net-τ is a dynamically stable phase with intrinsic metallicity. Remarkably, it is found that the maximum theoretical capacity of the net-τ reaches 558 mAh g−1 on one side, which is 1.6 times that of commercial graphite and recently predicted ψ -graphene (372 mAh g−1). Meanwhile, the net-τ has a relatively low diffusion energy barrier (0.296 eV) and open-circuit potential (0.039 V), which shows its good potential as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Equally important, the net-τ may be synthesized by a bottom-up scheme through multiple intermediate reactions with benzocyclobutene and fulvalene. These interesting findings not only increase the family of two-dimensional metallic carbon allotropes, but also provide a novel strategy to realize high-performance anode materials by designing a 2D structure with high-order carbon rings. Graphical abstract Figure (a) Li+ ion adsorption at different sites. Red, green, and blue atoms represent top, bridge, and hollow sites, respectively. (b) Four migration pathways. (c) Minimum energy pathways and migration barrier of Li atom. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind fields provide direct power for exchanging energy and matter in the atmosphere. All-fiber coherent Doppler lidar is a powerful tool for detecting boundary-layer wind fields. According to the characteristics of the lidar echo signal, an adaptive noise-reduction peak retrieval (ANRPR) algorithm is proposed in this study. Firstly, the power spectrum data are divided into several continuous range gates according to the time series. Then, the adaptive iterative reweighted penalized least-squares (airPLS) method is used to reduce the background noise. Secondly, the continuity between spectra is enhanced by 2D Gaussian low-pass filtering. Finally, an adaptive peak-retrieval algorithm is employed to extract the Doppler shift, facilitating the synthesis of a spatial atmospheric 3D wind field through the vector synthesis method. When comparing data from different heights of the meteorological gradient tower, both the horizontal wind-speed correlation and the horizontal wind-direction correlation exceed 0.90. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has better robustness and a longer detection distance than the traditional algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pitting corrosion behaviour of Zr-40Ti-5Al–4 V alloys with different phase composition was investigated. Pitting of the single-phase β-Zr alloy is crystallographic and the corrosion pits exhibit different orientation, which is mainly attributed to the favored dissolution kinetics of the {001} plane in body-centered cubic β grains. In contrast, isotropic and circular shaped pitting, due to the evenly distributed α and β phases, was observed in Zr alloy containing α + β double-phase. In addition, weight loss and electrochemical experiments reveal that the double-phase alloy is more sensitive to pitting than the single-phase alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of temperature and humidity on the absorption spectrum and concentration of nitrous oxide ( N 2 O ) using a compact, portable open optical-path gas detection sensor system. We obtained the absorption coefficient and widened the linear function of the N 2 O absorption spectrum related to temperature by theoretical analysis and the high-resolution transmission molecular absorption database (HITRAN). Afterward, we conducted real-time monitoring of N 2 O in both campus and laboratory environments using lasers for a duration of 32 h and 6 h, respectively, and the results were compared and analyzed with the theoretical derivation. The results show that the concentration of N 2 O increased with increasing environmental temperature but decreased with increasing humidity. Furthermore, the variations in temperature and humidity significantly affected the peak values of the second-harmonic (2f) and first-harmonic (1f) signals. Finally, the temperature N 2 O concentration and humidity N 2 O curves were calibrated separately, and temperature changes were positively correlated with the N 2 O concentration, while humidity changes were negatively correlated with the N 2 O concentration. The experimental results indicate that the concentration of N 2 O and its absorption spectra are influenced by humidity and temperature, which has a significant reference value in the absorption and measurement of N 2 O in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oblique-incidence reflectivity difference (OIRD) is a newly established method to monitor various surface processes and shows great prospect for real-time and label-free immunoassay, yet its sensitivity needs essential improvement to meet the requirement of practical applications. In this work, a label-free OIRD immunoassay biochip was developed with improved sensitivity by using standard glass slide coated with polystyrene (PS) microsphere monolayer as the substrate. The immunoassay sensitivity of this biochip was found to be greatly improved compared with the conventional biochip built on glass slide. Further on-chip ELISA and optical calculation suggests that the improvement is not only associated with high capture efficiency of this biochip towards its target, but is also benefited from the porous PS monolayer enhanced intrinsic OIRD sensitivity via optical interference enhancement and effective dielectric constant effect. This work may provide valuable insight into the development of high performance label-free OIRD bio-detection devices. • A label-free OIRD immunoassay biochip was developed with improved sensitivity. • PS microsphere monolayer coated glass slide was employed as the substrate. • Porous sensing layer arouses optical enhancement to improve intrinsic OIRD sensitivity. • Enhanced sensitivity also originates from high capture efficiency of this biochip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the influence of number of cycles on microstructure, texture and mechanical behavior of Zr702 plates has been systematically studied using the accumulative roll bonding (ARB) method. Electron back-scatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy have been used to study the development of microstructure and texture. Results show that the { 0001 } bimodal texture is obvious in all the samples. At the same time, the < 11 2 ‾ 0 > fiber is weakened and the < 10 1 ‾ 0 > fiber is strengthened gradually with the increase of ARB cycle number from 1 to 3. In addition, some unbroken coarse grains with c-axis close to normal direction can be observed in ARB samples. The reason for this phenomenon is that the prismatic < a > slips are not easily activated due to unfavorable orientation. The tensile test results along the rolling direction show that the strength increases and the elongation decreases with the increase of ARB cycle number. Compared with the as-received plate sample, the yield strength of ARB sample subjected to 3 cycles is increased by about 99%, while still maintain 7.4% of the elongation to fracture. In order to clarify the mechanical mechanisms during deformation, the back stress hardening caused by the heterostructure mixed with coarse and fine grains and substructure have been discussed in detail. In addition, the calculation results of Schmid factor (SF) show that prismatic < a > slip is the dominant slip mechanism in the deformation process of all samples. However, the average SF value of the basal < a > slip systems decreases with the increasing number of ARB cycles, which maybe another significant factor leading to the change of yield strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim to develop new Zr-based alloys with excellent mechanical properties, a novel Zr-0.8B (wt%) alloy was manufactured through the following steps: casting, forging, hot-rolling and annealing treatment. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the hot-rolled and annealed Zr-0.8B alloys were investigated. The microstructure of all specimens was comprised by α and ZrB 2 phases. The coarse α laths and ZrB 2 whiskers were significantly refined by hot rolling. Also, a high volume of dislocations and many subgrains were formed during the hot-rolling process. A high degree of recrystallization of α phase was obtained during the annealing treatment, due to the substantially stored energy in the Zr matrix and the presence of a significant amount of subgrains. The tensile strength of the annealed Zr-0.8B alloys was decreased with the increase of annealing temperature, until 800 °C, and then increased as the heat treatment temperature was further increased to 900 °C. Many factors, such as the volume fraction of ZrB 2 whiskers, grain size, dislocation density, the amount of subgrains and solution strengthening, have a significant effect on the strength. However, the elongation-to-failure showed a reverse tendency compared to the tensile strength. The reasons caused fracture of the annealed Zr-0.8B alloys are primarily attributed to dislocation pile-ups and the presence of microvoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot deformation behavior, hot workability and dynamic recrystallization evolution of Zr–1.0 (wt%) Be alloy in single α phase were investigated by conducting hot compression tests. The strain rates ranging from 10 –3 s –1 to 10° s –1 and testing temperatures varying from 650 °C to 850 °C were used. Flow stress was found to increase with increasing strain rate and decrease with the increment of the deformation temperature. A constitutive equation of flow behavior was established to describe the dependence of flow stress on strain rate and deformation temperature. The activation energy for deformation of Zr–1.0Be alloy was determined to be Q =301 kJ/mol. The processing map of Zr–1.0Be alloy was constructed at strain rates ranging from 10 –3 s –1 to 10° s –1 and deformation temperatures varying from 650 °C to 850 °C at the true strain of 0.7. A processing map was used to identify the best domains of thermal processing, including a domain at a temperature of 650 °C and strain rate of 10 –3 s –1 , as well as another domain at deformation temperatures ranging from 800 °C to 850 °C and strain rates varying from 10 –3 s –1 to 10 –1 s –1 . Microscopic analysis of Zr–1.0Be alloy showed that the flow instability and kink were very obvious at low temperatures and high strain rates. At high temperatures and low strain rates, the dynamic recrystallization became the main softening mechanism during hot working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of reduction on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties in a near α-Zr alloy (Zr0.5Be, wt%) has been studied in detail during cold rolling. The results indicate that the strength of (002)α texture increases gradually with the increase of reduction, which can be attributed to the activation of base slip of α phase under high stress concentration. In the process of cold rolling reduction from 0% to 70%, deformation mode of the α-laths changes from rigid rotation along the RD direction to plastic strain gradually. Microscopic analysis results show that the dislocation slip dominates the plastic behavior of the alloy and the evolution path of the microstructure can be described as: (I) the stage of increasing dislocation density, (II) the stage of dislocation wall and dislocation cell formation, (III) the stage of subgrain formation, and (IV) the stage of nanocrystalline formation. Also, as the reduction increases from 0% to 70%, the tensile strength increases while the fracture elongation decreases. The sample subjected to 70% reduction can display the highest ultimate tensile strength (~ 930 MPa) and retain a fracture elongation of 8.6%. The combined effects of fine grain strengthening, dislocation strengthening and strain hardening play a leading role in the increase of strength and decrease of fracture elongation. • High stress concentration leads to the enhancement of (002) α texture. • Deformation mode of the α-laths changes from rigid rotation to plastic deformation. • The formation process of nanoscale grains is analyzed in detail. • CR-70% sample has the highest σ b (~ 930 MPa) and good ε f (~ 8.6%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hydrogen supply and mass transfer inhibition simultaneously exist in co-pyrolysis. • Two bonding processes of MLS and LRC in co-pyrolysis are proposed. • The addition of LRCs could reduce the aromaticity of co-pyrolysis tar. Co-pyrolysis of Hami coal mild liquefaction solid product (MLS) and two low rank coals (LRCs), Hami coal (HM) and Hefeng coal (HF) with different blending ratios were conducted on a fixed-bed reactor. The products distributions, gas emission characteristics and product properties during co-pyrolysis were synthetically analyzed by multiple methods, which are conducive to understanding the co-pyrolysis interactions. Results show that two effects simultaneously exist in the co-pyrolysis process. As LRCs ratio is high, the effect of hydrogen supply from LRCs to the volatile free radicals is dominant, resulting in more volatiles being stabilized and lower gas yield. While on the other, as LRCs ratio is low, the mass transfer inhibition caused by the softening and melting of MLS is dominant. This makes it difficult for the volatiles produced during co-pyrolysis to escape from the sample system and intensifying the secondary reactions, which leads to the increase of char yield and decrease of volatile yield. The bonding process of MLS and LRCs during co-pyrolysis is significantly affected by the sample blending ratio. Compared with the chemical and pore structures, AAEMs play a more significant catalytic role on the gasification reactivity of the co-pyrolysis char. Furthermore, the addition of LRCs could reduce the aromaticity of co-pyrolysis tar, increase the substitution degrees of aromatic rings and content of olefin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oblique-incidence reflectivity difference (OIRD) is a novel optical technique for protein microarray detection with the characteristics of being real-time, label-free, high-throughput and compatible with arbitrary chip substrates. It is necessary yet challenging to improve the sensitivity of the OIRD microarray and gain a clear understanding of the enhancement mechanism for practical applications. In this study, we report a microarray chip specifically designed for OIRD to improve its sensitivity by using an electrochemically etched nanostructured fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) slide as the substrate. Compared with chips printed on a conventional glass slide and pristine FTO, the OIRD sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio of this microarray are significantly improved, reaching a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 50 ng mL−1 for the streptavidin target in 10% human serum, which is one order of magnitude lower than that of the glass-based chip. On-chip ELISA and theoretical calculation reveal that the enhanced sensitivity is not only because of its higher capture efficiency towards the target, but also benefits from the optical enhancement enabled by its unique nanostructured sensing interface. This work provides a new universal strategy for designing high performance OIRD-based chips via rational interfacial engineering, thus paving the way to a label-free OIRD immunoassay and real-time analysis of biomolecular interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The service performance of polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) tools undergoes significant changes due to the deep space environment to the structure and wear behaviors of PcBN. In this paper, the effect of cryogenic treatment (CT) was studied to investigate the physical and tribological behaviors of PcBN. The hardness and wear resistance of PcBN are improved but wear forms are not affected, which are abrasive wear. The shedding of cBN played the role of micro-cutting edges, carving furrows on surfaces. As the CT duration increases, the wear rate of PcBN decreases from 2.56 × 10−8 mm3/N mm to 1.61 × 10−8 mm3/N mm for sliding against Si 3 N 4. When PcBN slid Al 2 O 3 , the lowest wear rate is 1 × 10−8 mm3/N mm which the decline reached 34 %. Due to discrepancies in physical and mechanical properties, Si 3 N 4 and YG8 balls exhibit abrasive and adhesive wear, and Al 2 O 3 shows fatigue wear. Until the fatigue failure appeared, Al 2 O 3 exhibited the lowest wear rate of 2.30 × 10−9 mm3/N mm. Among three materials, the wear rate of Si 3 N 4 was the highest. By calculating the wear rate ratio of the materials, it was concluded that the optimal removal efficiency was achieved for Si 3 N 4 and YG8 when CT duration is 24 and 48 h, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oblique incidence reflectance difference (OIRD) is an emerging technique enabling real-time and label-free detection of bio-affinity binding events on microarrays. The interfacial architecture of the microarray chip is critical to the performance of OIRD detection. In this work, a sensitive label-free OIRD microarray chip was developed by using gold nanoparticle-decorated fluorine-doped tin oxide (AuNPs-FTO) slides as a chip substrate. This AuNPs-FTO chip demonstrates a higher signal-to-noise ratio and improved sensitivity compared to that built on FTO glass, showing a detection limit of as low as 10 ng mL−1 for the model target, HRP-conjugated streptavidin. On-chip ELISA experiments and optical calculations suggest that the enhanced performance is not only due to the higher probe density enabling a high capture efficiency toward the target, but most importantly, the AuNP layer arouses optical interference to improve the intrinsic sensitivity of OIRD. This work provides an effective strategy for constructing OIRD-based microarray chips with enhanced sensitivity, and may help extend their practical applications in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Polymer dispersant help to accurately determine the forms of Na and Ca in MLS. • WS-Na and AS-Ca are predominant occurrence modes in both MLS and HM. • The release of Na and Ca in MLS during pyrolysis is lower than that in HM. • The transformation of Na and Ca is also greatly affected by other minerals. To better understand the occurrence and chemical transformation of sodium and calcium species in mild liquefaction solid product (MLS) of Hami coal (HM) during pyrolysis, sequential chemical extraction combined with SEM-EDS and XRD analysis of low temperature ash were used in this work. Results show that the addition of polymer dispersant in sequential chemical extraction help to accurately determine the content of different occurrence modes of sodium and calcium species because of the hydrophobicity and high cohesiveness of samples. Compared with HM char, the smooth and compacted structure of MLS char makes it easier for calcium, sodium and sulfur to enrich on the surface of char during MLS pyrolysis. The release of sodium is much higher than that of calcium, and the release of both sodium and calcium in MLS during pyrolysis is lower than that in HM. Besides pyrolysis temperature, the transformation of calcium and sodium species is also greatly influenced by other minerals. Due to the enrichment of minerals and the addition of Fe-S catalyst in the liquefaction process, the chemical transformation behaviors of minerals during MLS pyrolysis are more complex than that of HM coal. For organic bound calcium (AS-Ca), besides partial volatilization into gas phase, it may convert into hydrochloric acid soluble calcium (HS-Ca). The content of HS-Ca decreases over 600 °C due to the decomposition of CaCO 3 , while the formation of CaS leads to a significantly increase of HS-Ca during MLS pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O-GlcNAcylation is a reversible post-translational modification involved in the regulation of cytosolic, nuclear, and mitochondrial proteins. Only two enzymes, OGT (O-GlcNAc transferase) and OGA (O-GlcNAcase), control the attachment and removal of O-GlcNAc on proteins, respectively. Whereas a variant OGT (mOGT) has been proposed as the main isoform that O-GlcNAcylates proteins in mitochondria, identification of a mitochondrial OGA has not been performed yet. Two splice variants of OGA (short and long isoforms) have been described previously. In this work, using cell fractionation experiments, we show that short-OGA is preferentially recovered in mitochondria-enriched fractions from HEK-293T cells and RAW 264.7 cells, as well as mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Moreover, fluorescent microscopy imaging confirmed that GFP-tagged short-OGA is addressed to mitochondria. In addition, using a Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET)-based mitochondrial O-GlcNAcylation biosensor, we show that co-transfection of short-OGA markedly reduced O-GlcNAcylation of the biosensor, whereas long-OGA had no significant effect. Finally, using genetically encoded or chemical fluorescent mitochondrial probes, we show that short-OGA overexpression increases mitochondrial ROS levels, whereas long-OGA has no significant effect. Together, our work reveals that the short-OGA isoform is targeted to the mitochondria where it regulates ROS homoeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Positive and negative interactions co-exist during co-pyrolysis process. • Positive interaction is mainly caused by the hydrogen supply of MLS. • Negative interaction is ascribed to the heat and mass transfer caused by MLS properties. • Activation energies of co-pyrolysis significantly decrease with MLS dosage increasing. Co-pyrolysis behaviors of MLS with Hami sub-bituminous coal (HM) were examined by a thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with a mass spectrometer and the kinetic characteristics were interpreted with simplified distributed activation energy model, aiming at understanding the co-pyrolysis characteristics and interactions between MLS and coal, and providing some useful guidance for the efficient utilize of MLS. Two special crucible reactors with or without a vertical baffle were made to investigate the interactions between MLS and HM during co-pyrolysis. Results show that the amount of C–H bonds in MLS is more abundant, but the oxygen-containing functional groups are less compared with HM. The pyrolysis reactivity of MLS is higher than that of HM, and that of blends increases with the MLS dosage increasing. The co-pyrolysis behaviors including weight loss, weight loss rate and the gas emission characteristics of MLS and HM in the two crucibles were compared, and it is found that the different results are related to pyrolysis temperature and MLS dosage. The role of promoting release of volatiles is mainly caused by the hydrogen supply from MLS and the opposite effect is mainly ascribed to the heat and mass transfer caused by low softening point and strong cohesiveness of MLS. In addition, the activation energies of co-pyrolysis of the blends significantly decrease with the increase of MLS dosage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong metal–support interactions (SMSI) between metal and its support have been regarded as a valid approach to enhance the catalytic performance; however, the extent to which exploration of electronic state regulation affects catalytic performance of alcohol oxidation reactions (AOR) has been rarely reported. In this paper, PdAg nanoparticles loaded on a N-doped carbon substrate with controlled nitrogen content (PdAg@NxC, x representing the nitrogen contents) was synthesized through a seeded synthesis strategy for alkaline AOR. Results show that the electronic state of PdAg nanoparticles was significantly modified after nitrogen doping in the carbon support. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that with increasing nitrogen content, the degree of electronic state regulation becomes increasingly significant. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the increased degree of SMSI promotes OH* adsorption on the PdAg surface and weakens the binding between catalyst and CO*. As a result, the PdAg@N15.3C with the highest N content exhibits excellent AOR performance, achieving a MA/SA of 10.8 A mgPd−1/13.2 mA cm−2 and 3.8 A mgPd−1/4.7 mA cm−2 on the EOR and MOR, respectively. Moreover, due to the changes in the adsorption energy of key intermediates on PdAg nanoparticles, the onset oxidation potential of PdAg@N15.3C shows a negative shift of 180 mV compared to PdAg@C as revealed by CO stripping analysis, signifying an increase in the CO tolerance. Our study demonstrates the influence of the SMSI effect between the active center and the support on the catalytic performance for AOR and presents a pathway to achieve high AOR performance through SMSI engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PcBN) is a widely used tool material for cutting hard materials under high-speed and heavy-duty cutting conditions. As the need for in-orbit manufacturing and service in vacuum environment of outer space grows, understanding the tribological behavior of PcBN tools during vacuum operation becomes increasingly important. This study investigates the effect of different working conditions on the tribological behavior of PcBN discs and high‑carbon chromium alloy steel (440c) balls in vacuum. The tribological behavior of tribopair is analyzed. The experimental results reveal that the average of coefficient of the friction (CoF) is generally lower at 100 r/min than at 300 r/min and decrease with increasing load at two different speeds. The CoF of the 300 r/min group exhibits greater ups and downs at different load cases. The wear rate increases and then decreases with increasing load at different speeds. These fluctuations in CoF and wear rate are attributed to the transformation of the wear form and the effect of frictional heat build-up. Based on the SEM and EDX results, the wear mechanism is predominated by abrasive wear, gradually transitioning to adhesive wear with increasing loads. These findings provide insights into the tribological behavior of PcBN composite materials in vacuum. The results aim to inform the development of more efficient and dependable PcBN tools for in-orbit manufacturing and service applications. • The tribological behaviors of PcBN/440c was investigated in vacuum. • The wear mechanism exhibits a combination of abrasive and adhesive wear. • The contact stress growth drives the wear mechanism transformation process. • The increase of rotational speed accelerates the transformation process. • Working conditions affect CoFs and wear rates in different ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and mechanical properties of (Zr-Ti) 1- χ Ni χ (χ =0, 1, 3, and 5 wt.%) alloys were studied. With the addition of nickel (Ni), the phase composition of alloys changes from α phase to α phase + hexagonal close packed (hcp) C14 Laves-phase. The thickness of lamellar α phase decreases with increasing Ni content. Optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy results indicated that C14 Laves-phase is formed on the boundary. The Zr-Ti-3wt.%Ni alloys exhibits better ultimate compressive strength and compressive plasticity (1715 MPa and 9.70%) than that of Zr-Ti alloys (1598 MPa and 12.40%). The decrease of the average thickness of the lamellar α-phases (from 0.183 μm to 0.065 μm) leads to the improvement of the strength of the alloy. Additionally, the solid solution strengthening and the second phase strengthening are also important reasons for the improvement of the strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructure and corrosion behavior of the Ti-6Al-4V- x Zr ( x = 0, 10, 20, 30, 50 wt.%) alloys were investigated. Zr additions in the Ti-6Al–4V alloy promote the formation of martensitic phase. The width of α lamellae decreases and the β phase content increases with the increase of Zr content. The corrosion behavior of the alloys with various Zr content are significantly different. The passivation ability of Ti-6Al-4V- x Zr alloys increases with increasing Zr content. For the Ti-6Al-4V-30Zr and Ti-6Al-4V-50Zr alloys, a sudden increase in the current density occurred, which is caused by pitting corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion and passivation behaviors of annealed Ti–20Zr–6.5Al–4V alloys were investigated in NaCl and HCl solutions. All the alloys exhibited spontaneous passivity and low corrosion current densities in 3.5% NaCl solution. An active–passive transition behavior was observed in 5% HCl solution. The corrosion resistance decreased with the increase in annealing temperature. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the samples after the immersion tests revealed that the α/β interphase boundaries act as the preferential dissolution locations. The volume fraction of β phase as well as the grain size was identified as the main factor affecting the corrosion performance of the alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni(Nickel)-based superalloys are used as indispensable materials for turbine blades in aero-engines because of their excellent creep, fatigue and corrosion resistance. Co(Cobalt), as one of the new key elements in Ni-based superalloys, has attracted extensive attention in Ni-based superalloys field. However, the effect mechanism of Co on Ni-based superalloys is still controversial. To solve this problem, tensile properties and microstructure of Ni-based superalloys doped with or without Co (5 %) have been investigated through molecular dynamics simulation, and the joint impact of temperature and Co on the superalloy mechanical properties has also been analyzed. The findings indicate that 5 % Co doping reduces the yield stress, yield strain, and elastic modulus of the structure, while increasing the flow stress at 300 K–600 K; however, the advantage decreases at 900 K and disappears completely at 1200 K. This can be explained that Co doping leads to more slippage of stacking faults in the elastic stage and hinders the loop formation of dislocations at 300 K–600 K, while more Stair-rod dislocations occur in the plastic stage. These effects disappear at 900 K–1200 K. • The effects of Co and temperature on mechanical properties of nickel-based superalloys were studied by molecular dynamics. • The combined effect of Co and low temperature results in more stationary Stair-rod dislocations, resulting in increased flow stress. • Co leads to more HCP and stacking faults in γ' phase, hinders the formation of dislocation loops and decreases tensile strength at 300 K-600 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Matrix, strain rate and temperature affect the mechanical property of the alloy. • High strain rate and temperature led to the fracture in the model, and the crack path is located in the matrix- γ Phase. • Lomer-Cottrell lock and stacking fault tetrahedron affect the strength of alloy. Nickel (Ni)-based single-crystal superalloys are of great importance in the aircraft industry due to their excellent mechanical properties, and cracks as unavoidable defects may affect the mechanical performances of materials dramatically. In this paper, large scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are carried out to understand the deformation mechanisms of Ni-based single crystal with a central crack under tension. Here, the effects of matrixes (γ, γ′ and γ/γ′), strain rates (1 × 109 s−1 ∼ 3 × 109 s−1) and temperatures (300 K∼900 K) on the role of crack propagation are considered. It is observed that dislocations and slip systems in the γ′ model are concentrated near the crack, resulting in the rapid expansion of dislocation, which leads to the fastest crack growth speed and early fracture. While the crack propagation rate of γ and γ/γ′ models are relatively slow, due to the combined action of the Lomer-Cottrell lock and stacking fault tetrahedron structure and Stair-rod dislocation, which hinders crack propagation. In addition, deformation at increased strain rates and/or reduced temperatures, lead to superior yield stress and Young′s modulus for models with a central crack at γ/γ′ interface. On the other hand, high temperature and high strain rate will promote crack propagation in the γ phase, and the higher the strain rate and/or temperature, the faster the crack propagation speed will be. These results will enrich our understanding on the crack propagation and evolution mechanisms in Ni-based single crystal superalloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Liver ishemia-reperfusion injury is a major complication of hemorrhagic shock, liver resection and transplantation. • Isoflurane preconditioning have an immunoregulation effect on liver ishemia-reperfusion injury. • Isoflurane reduce the non-canonical pyroptosis of liver macrophages to alleviate liver ishemia-reperfusion injury. • The NF-κB signaling pathway and intracellular Ca2+ concentration were related with the immunity effect of isoflurane. Liver ischaemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major complication in the perioperative period and often leads to liver failure and even systemic inflammation. Sufficient evidence has demonstrated that isoflurane has anti-inflammatory effects. We aimed to determine whether isoflurane pretreatment protects against liver IRI and to investigate the mechanisms involved in this protection. Male C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with or without isoflurane and subjected to 90 min of 70% liver ischaemia, followed by reperfusion for 6 h. Liver tissues and serum were analysed to assess liver IRI. To probe the mechanisms, liver macrophages isolated from C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with or without emulsified isoflurane for 30 min before incubation with 1 µg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h. Inflammatory cytokine production, intracellular Ca2+ levels, caspase-11 expression, NF-κB transcription, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation were assessed by ELISA, an intracellular Ca2+ concentration assay, immunohistochemistry, or Western blotting. Isoflurane preconditioning significantly relieved liver IRI in mice and LPS-induced inflammation in liver macrophages. Additionally, isoflurane pretreatment inhibited caspase-11 expression and noncanonical pyroptosis-related production of cytokines (IL-1β and IL-18). Interestingly, isoflurane preconditioning reduced intracellular Ca2+ levels, NF-κB translocation, and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in LPS-induced macrophages. Our results indicated that isoflurane preconditioning ameliorated liver IRI by suppressing noncanonical pyroptosis in liver macrophages. These findings suggest that isoflurane could be a pharmacological agent for liver IRI prevention and thus deserves more attention and further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) urgently needs a marker for early diagnosis and targeted treatment. C2orf40 has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in many cancers. However, the precise role and regulatory mechanism by C2orf40 contribute to HCC remain elusive and merit exploration. Methods: Reverse‐transcription PCR, quantitative real‐time PCR, and methylation‐specific PCR were used to detect expression and methylation of C2orf40 in HCC cell lines or tissues. The effects of C2orf40 in liver cancer cells were examined via colony formation, CCK8, transwell, and flow cytometric assays. The effect of C2orf40 on tumorigenesis in vivo was determined by xenografts and immunohistochemical analysis. Western blot, indirect immunofluorescence, Co‐IP, and cycloheximide (CHX) were used to further investigate the potential mechanism of C2orf40. Results: The down‐regulation of C2orf40 in hepatocellular cancer tissue samples is often related to the degree of methylation of its promoter CpG. The recovery of C2orf40 expression in HCC cell lines can induce G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis and also inhibit cell migration and invasion by reversing the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, C2orf40 can increase the expression of p21 through interaction with UBR5. Conclusions: Low expression levels of C2orf40 are related to the hypermethylation of its promoter. C2orf40 can inhibit HCC through UBR5‐dependent or p53‐independent mechanisms. C2orf40 may be a diagnostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A controllable, general, and simple alkaline etching strategy was used to synthesize deformable hollow mesoporous organosilica nanocapsules (DMONs), in which multiple organic moieties were homogeneously incorporated into the framework. Deformable materials have garnered widespread attention in biomedical applications. Herein, a controllable, general, and simple alkaline etching strategy was used to synthesize deformable hollow mesoporous organosilica nanocapsules (DMONs), in which multiple organic moieties were homogeneously incorporated into the framework. DMONs with double-, triple-, and even quadruple-hybridized frameworks were prepared by the selective introduction of organosilica precursors in accordance with the chemical homology principle through a surfactant-directed sol–gel procedure and a subsequent etching process in alkaline solution. The triple-hybridized DMONs possessed uniform and controllable diameters (100–330 nm), and large hollow cavities (50–270 nm). Liquid cell electron microscopy images demonstrated that the DMONs were deformable in solution. Elemental mapping images suggested that the organic components were homogeneous distribution within the entire DMONs framework. Statistical analysis of cell proliferation assays showed that breast cancer MCF-7 viability exceeded 85% when the cells are incubated with the triple-hybridized DMONs (800 μg mL−1) for 24 h. Histological assessments of main organs indicated no tissue injury or necrosis after intravenous injection of the DMONs 7 days (5 mg kg−1 body weight). Quantitative analysis indicated that the cellular uptake of the DMONs was 6-fold higher than that of their hard counterparts when the number of nanoparticles added was 1.25 × 104, and similar results were found for 4 T1 cells. Furthermore, doxorubicin (DOX) loaded triple-hybridized DMONs with a loading efficiency of 16.9 wt%, produced a strong killing effect on tumor cells. Overall, DMONs with various incorporated organic functional groups could serve as novel nanoplatforms for drug delivery in biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bonding of thermal-sprayed coatings largely depends on the substrate surface morphology. This study examines the effect of the substrate surface texture shapes on the adhesion strength of coatings. For that, it used plasma-sprayed Ni-based MoS2 coatings deposited on grit-blasted and laser-textured surfaces, and investigated the coating bonding strength (ASTM 633 pull-off test), and cross-sectional and fracture morphologies, as well as phase compositions and element distribution. The results showed that the surface texture shape has a significant effect on the improvement of coating adhesion. The coatings deposited on sinusoidal-textured surfaces had the highest adhesion strength (50.0 MPa), followed by coatings deposited on groove-textured surfaces, while dimple and dimple–groove textures resulted in the lowest coating adhesion strength. The coating fracture analysis revealed that cohesive failure occurred mainly at the texture positions, while adhesive failure occurred almost always in plain areas. Therefore, it could be concluded that, in the conditions of this study, the existence of plain areas and dimple textures did not improve coating adhesion. Factors such as coating bond mode, contact area ratio, and coating deposition quality should be comprehensively considered in texture design to improve coating adhesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deep understanding of coal pyrolysis behaviors is essential for the clean and efficient coal utilization. Detailed structural characterization and kinetic analysis could provide valuable information about coal pyrolysis. This work deals with structural analysis and pyrolysis kinetics of four low-medium rank coals with the distributed activation energy model (DAEM). The carbon structures, pyrolysis characteristic and kinetic parameters were correlated to gain some updated insights into coal pyrolysis. The results show that aliphatic carbons gradually convert into aromatic ones, and the aromatic clusters grow in both size and weight with the rise of coal rank. The side-chains of aromatic clusters are shortened and eliminated thus aromaticity is increased. Characteristic temperatures of pyrolysis are closely related to coal properties and carbon types. Both initial and peak temperatures increase with FC ar and C daf while decrease with VM ar and H / C. Meanwhile, the initial temperature is related to the aliphatic carbon (f al ) and aliphatic carbon bonded oxygen (f al o) due to their low bonding energies, while the peak temperature is linked to the aromatic carbon (f a) and aromatic bridgehead carbon (f a B) because of their higher bonding energy. DAEM model is reliable for analyzing pyrolysis kinetics of bituminous coals. The range of activation energy gradually narrows down with the increase of coal rank, corresponding to the concentrating distribution of different carbon types. Moreover, DAEM could accurately predict the pyrolysis behavior of bituminous coals at very high heating rates, but the effectiveness of DAEM in modeling and predicting pyrolysis of lignite is less satisfying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the thermal and mechanical behaviors were investigated by simulating laser remelting of atmospheric plasma‐sprayed yttria‐stabilized zirconia coatings, and the molten depth and regions of stress concentration were compared between simulation and experiment. The heat treatment process of the remelted coating was also simulated. The crack formation mechanism in the YSZ coating remelted by laser and the heat‐treatment effect on residual stress were investigated. Results showed that the simulated results were consistent with the experimental measurements, and the residual thermal stress was the main cause of cracks formation. The coating remelted by a laser power of 1500 W and a scanning rate of 9 mm/s possessed less residual concentrated stress and segmented cracks. Heat treatment released concentrated stress, which was still accurate for the ceramic coating. If the coatings were slowly heated to demonstrate heat treatment after laser remelting, the cracks in the remelted layer decreased correspondingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly coupled metal/dopant-incorporated carbon dyads provide a possibility to modulate the electron density of metallic materials by forming a rectifying interface, thus showing an enhanced activity in electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (ECRR). However, understanding the promotion effects of dopants for ECRR is limited to the prediction by theoretical interpretation and case-by-case studies. Herein, we report the direct experimental evidence that the work function, regulated by single structural factor-dopant contents, is significantly correlated to the ECRR reaction activity and kinetics. We prepared a series of PdAu/N x C electrocatalysts composed of ultrafine (∼5.7 nm) PdAu bimetallic nanoparticles and tailorable N-doped carbon supports. The wide range of the amount of N dopants allowed the modification of the band gap of the carbon easily. Using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) measurements, we demonstrate that the reactivity and kinetics trends of the PdAu/N x C in the ECRR can be intrinsically correlated with the work function of the catalysts. PdAu/N 7.50 C electrocatalyst with the highest N contents displays a 100% CO 2 -to-CO conversion and high conversion efficiency over a wide potential window, superior over other reported PdAu catalysts. This work provides a novel way to boost ECRR performance by deliberately lowering the work function of the metal/carbon electrocatalysts through the enhancement by dopants. [Display omitted] • A series of PdAu/N-rich carbon dyads were developed. • Electron transfer from NC to metal forms electron-rich regions on the PdAu nanoparticles. • PdAu nanoparticles with rich electronic structure promote the adsorption of *CO 2 and accelerate the catalytic reaction. • PdAu/N 7.50 C demonstrates an excellent CO selectivity over a wide potential range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft nanoparticles have attracted increasing attention in biomedical fields because of their unique biological behaviors such as long circulation and high cellular uptake. However, previously reported soft nanoparticles are generally spherical or torispherical in shape, and non-spherical soft nanoparticles are rarely reported because of the shape is thermodynamically unstable for typical soft materials (e.g., liposomes and micelles). Herein, soft mesoporous organosilica nanorods with gold plasmonic core protected with poly-ethylene imine (GNR@SMON/PEI) have been successfully synthesized, for the first time, by a dispersive-protection etching method, in which rod-like solid mesoporous organosilicas with gold nanorod are firstly shielded with PEI (GNR@MON/PEI) and then etched with aqueous NaOH solution. The prepared GNR@SMON/PEI inherits the rod morphology of the mother particle, showing wrinkled morphology and excellent dispersity thanks to the dispersive-protection effect of PEI. In addition, the GNR@SMON/PEI possesses a uniform size (174 × 105 nm), well-defined mesopores (3.9 nm), high surface area (355 m2/g) and large pore volume (0.35 m3/g). Notably, the soft GNR@SMON/PEI exhibits significantly lower Young's modulus (120.2 MPa) in contrast with the hard counterpart (361.4 MPa). Furthermore, after being decorated with hyaluronic acid (HA), the soft GNR@SMON/PEI-HA exhibits excellent in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility. The soft GNR@SMON/PEI-HA has achieved 3-fold cellular uptake efficiency in contrast with the hard one, indicating great potential for biomedical applications. Taken together, this work reports the controllable synthesis of a soft mesoporous nanorod with high cellular uptake efficiency, providing a vital strategy for the synthesis of non-spherical soft nanoparticles and a new nanoplatform for various biomedical applications in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The spatial distribution of sulfur in coke was analyzed by XANES for the first time. • The desulfurization rate of coke increases with the migration of volatiles at 500 °C. • The thiophenic sulfur content at top of coke is higher than that in bottom above 500 °C. • The conversion of organic sulfur to inorganic sulfur and secondary reaction directly affect the distribution of sulfur forms in coke. The complicated mass transfer during coke making process leads to the uneven spatial distribution of sulfur forms in coke, which is of great importance for the sulfur transformation and desulfurization efficiency. In this work, Yanjiahe (YJH) coal with high sulfur content was selected to investigate the spatial distribution and conversion of different sulfur forms during the high temperature coking process by sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. In consideration of volatile matters evolution pathway, the content and transformation of different sulfur forms at different positions of the coke during pyrolysis were determined. The results show that the desulfurization rate of coke obtained at 500 °C gradually increases with the migration direction of volatiles. The sulfur-containing gases generated at the bottom of coke is difficult to escape due to the resistance of coke at the top, so the secondary reaction with coke in the bottom causes the increase of total sulfur content. In addition, the thiophenic sulfur content at the top is lower than that of bottom or center. This indicates that the volatiles generated by the decomposition of thiophenic sulfur at the top more easily escape from coke than that of bottom or center. When the pyrolysis temperature continues to rise, the desulfurization rate decreases with the migration direction of volatiles. The sulfoxide at the top can be converted into sulfonate and sulfate, so the sulfoxide content at the top is less than that in the bottom while the sulfonate and sulfate content is the highest at the top than that in the bottom. High temperature is promotive to the decomposition of organic sulfur or inorganic sulfur, and to promote the combination of the –OH groups or -H groups and sulfur radicals, which results in release of SO 2 or H 2 S. The various sulfur forms perform different migration pathway with temperatures from the bottom to the top of the coke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Low-cost kaolin with modification can significantly upgrade coal pyrolysis volatiles. • Calcination and HCl treatment affect kaolin structure and upgrading performance. • AMK800 shows the best performance on the production of light tar and aromatics. • Tar quality is determined by BAS amount and pore structure of AMKs together. Low-cost kaolin was modified by calcination at different temperatures, followed by HCl leaching, and used as catalyst for in-situ upgrading of Hami coal pyrolysis volatiles in a fixed-bed reactor. The catalyst characteristics, pyrolysis product distributions and tar properties were investigated by multiple methods to understand the relationship between catalyst properties and tar quality. The results indicated that calcination of kaolin promoted the formation of amorphous metakaolin, then the HCl leaching removed most metakaolin framework Al, leading to the production of abundant micro-/mesopores and acid sites. As the rising calcination temperature, the specific surface area and pore volume of acid-modified kaolin (AMK) showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing, and the Brønsted acid sites (BAS) displayed an increasing trend. Compared to non-catalytic pyrolysis, the high specific surface area and certain acid sites of AMKs enhanced the light tar fraction from 37.81 wt% to 43.00–48.45 wt%, and the relative content of aromatics in tar increased from 9.76% to 16.65–22.11%, with monocyclic aromatics, naphthalenes and polycyclic aromatics increasing to 3.5–4.2, 1.2–1.8 and 2.1–3.3 times higher, respectively. AMKs also reduced the content of element O in tar by 17.92–31.54% by promoting the deoxygenation reaction. The tar upgrading performance was determined by the BAS amount and the pore structure of AMKs together. Among all AMKs, AMK800 (calcined at 800 °C and treated by HCl) exhibited the optimum performance for heavy tar conversion, aromatics generation and oxygen removal due to its highest specific surface area and the maximum BAS except AMK900. The acid-modified kaolin has the potential to be an inexpensive and efficient catalyst for future practical applications of upgrading coal pyrolysis tar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a thermal nitridation treatment was carried out on the new high-strength and toughness Zr-Ti-Al-V alloy. The composition, thickness, corrosion resistance, hardness and wear resistance of thermal nitridation film were systematically studied. From the extracted results, it was demonstrated that the thermal nitridation film was mainly composed of nitrides and oxides of Zr and Ti, while the presence of the Al 2 Zr compound phase was also found. The hot nitrided samples were better resistant to corrosion than the matrix in 3.5% NaCl solution. The hardness and wear resistance of the hot nitrided samples were also improved. [Display omitted] • Thermal nitriding film was prepared on the surface of high-strength Zr alloy. • The film was mainly composed of ZrN, TiN, ZrO 2 and TiO 2 phases. • The Zr 7 O 8 N 4 and Al 2 Zr compound were also observed in the XRD pattern. • The samples show a great difference in properties in NaCl and HCl solutions. • The hardness and wear resistance of the Zr alloy were greatly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-pyrolysis of waste plastic and low-rank coal provides a promising method for high-efficiency utilization of them. Previous studies about co-pyrolysis of plastic and low-rank coal mainly concentrated on evenly physical mixture (PM) of feedstock. It has been found that the uneven distribution of materials in the reactor could be caused by the apparent differences in density and property between plastic and coal. In order to investigate the effects of interaction strength between coal and plastic on the thermal behavior and properties of products, a set of co-pyrolysis experiments with different charging methods of one Chinese low-rank coal and high density polyethylene (HDPE) were carried out. To be specific, the charging methods of PM and layered placement (LP), which include charging coal on top of plastic (CT), plastic in the middle of coal like a hamburger (HB) and plastic on top of coal (PT). Results show that, with the same plastic addition ratio, the weight loss of LP co-pyrolysis has almost no reduction compared with that of PM and only one peak is observed from DTG curves instead of two peaks as shown in the theoretical calculated (Cal) curve. It means that there is still an obvious interaction between coal and plastic during co-pyrolysis. Compared to the charge of PM, the tar yield of LP co-pyrolysis decreases slightly while enhances the char yield. The properties of char samples of LP show no noticeable differences as compared that of PM. In term of tar products, co-pyrolysis with HDPE increases the H/C atomic ratio of tar from 1.286 to 1.480 compared to coal pyrolysis alone. However, charging methods make little difference in H/C atom ratio of tar in co-pyrolysis reactions, which is around 1.50. On the other hand, the content of heavy components in tar obtained from LP co-pyrolysis reduces obviously, which is 18.06%, 22.83% and 26.76% for CT, HB and PT, respectively, compared to 36.60% for that of PM. Simultaneously, LP co-pyrolysis can effectively reduce the molecular weight of tar. Additionally, compared to the PM case, the content of H 2 and light hydrocarbons (C n H m with n < 5) of LP co-pyrolysis decrease from 10.70% to 7.59% and from 24.56% to 21.67%, respectively. This results from the more effective utilization of H element in the feedstock, especially with the charge of CT. Thus, charging the coal on the top of plastic is a promising method of improving the quality of tar. [Display omitted] • Examined co-pyrolysis of coal and plastic with different charge methods in fixed-bed reactor. • Significant interactions were observed during LP co-pyrolysis. • The LP co-pyrolysis reduces the aromaticity degree of char compared to that of PM. • Charging the coal on the top of plastic is a promising method of improving the quality of tar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Correlations between swelling behavior and noncovalent interactions were established. • Strength of π–π stacking ability of liquefaction solvents was quantified for first time. • 1,2–dihydronaphthalene had largest degree of π electrons delocalization. • Strength of noncovalent interactions should be taken into account in design of liquefaction solvents. Noncovalent interactions have achieved extensive attentions in thermal conversion of low rank coal, but have been little studied in direct coal liquefaction (DCL). In order to investigate strength of noncovalent interactions (hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking) between lignite and DCL solvents, experimental methods and DFT (density function theory) calculations were utilized. Aromatic components in industrial recycled solvents have been selected, including tetralin, 1,2–dihydronaphthalene (DHN), indane, 1–methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, indene and benzene. On one hand, total strength of noncovalent interactions between those aromatic components and lignite were integrally evaluated by swelling ratio determination. On the other hand, Spatial distribution and strength of noncovalent interactions were investigated by RDG (reduced density gradient) analysis, CVB (core–valence bifurcation) index and LOLIPOP (localized orbital locator integrated pi over plane) index, respectively. Overall, addition of DHN, indane and benzene resulted in significant swelling of lignite. Swelling of lignite in benzene and others (DHN and indane) was enhanced by stronger OH–π hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking, respectively. By conjoint study of swelling ratio and DFT calculations, both hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking play crucial roles in swelling of lignite. Adjustment of noncovalent interactions should be taken into account during design of DCL solvents, based on correlations between noncovalent interactions and structural characteristics of aromatic components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hydrogen bonds between –COOH and aromatic solvents are confirmed and evaluated. • Benzene weakens C–O in –COOH by formation of stronger hydrogen bonds. • Addition of benzene promotes breakage of C–O in mild liquefaction of lignite. • Addition of benzene suppresses generation of CO 2 in liquefaction reactions. In order to investigate interactions between carboxyl groups and aromatic hydrocarbons during direct coal liquefaction (DCL), tetralin (THN) and benzene (BZ) were selected to represent hydrogenated and non-hydrogenated aromatic compounds in DCL solvents, respectively. 3-phenylpropionic acid (PA) was used as model compound of fragments with carboxyl groups in lignite. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) coupled with density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to evaluate noncovalent interactions between carboxyl groups and aromatic compounds (THN and BZ). Results of DFT calculations were verified by ATR-FTIR. Moreover, influence of hydrogen bonds on reaction behaviors of carboxyl groups was investigated by DCL experiments of demineralized Yunnan lignite (DeYN) in THN, with or without addition of BZ. Results show that stronger hydrogen bonds exist between carboxyl groups and BZ, and consequently C–O bonds in carboxyl groups are significantly weakened, compared to THN. Presence of BZ results in decomposition of more carboxyl groups and production of less CO 2 , but has little effects on aromatic structure. Conclusions drawn from DCL experiments can be explained by ATR-FTIR and DFT calculations. Hydrogen bonds play crucial roles in reaction behaviors of carboxyl groups in coal-oil slurry during DCL. C–O bonds in carboxyl groups of lignite can be obviously weakened by formation of stronger hydrogen bonds. Consequently, decomposition of carboxyl groups is enhanced but generation of CO 2 is suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and their M2-type extremely promote tumor angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nogo-B is expressed in most tissues and participates in macrophage polarization. However, whether Nogo-B is involved in the polarization and the effects of TAMs has been unclear. The expression of Nogo-B in TAMs of HCC patients is significantly increased, which correlated with the poor prognosis of the patients with HCC. Coincidentally, HCC conditioned medium (HCM) facilitated Nogo-B expression and the M2 phenotype of macrophages. Nogo-B knockdown Nogo-B significantly suppressed the M2-type polarization of macrophages and inhibited HCC cells proliferation both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, interference of Nogo-B facilitates macrophage-mediated apoptosis of tumor cells. Nogo-B meaningfully enhanced IL4-stimulated the alternative activation of macrophages as well as expression of the transcriptional regulators Yes-associated protein (Yap)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (Taz). An inhibitor of Yap, Verteporfin, could block Nogo-B-Yap/Taz-mediated macrophages M2 polarization. Nogo-B expression in macrophages facilitates tumor-associated macrophages M2 polarization and protumoral effects of TAMs in HCC. Targeting Nogo-B/Yap/Taz in macrophages could provide a new therapeutic strategy in HCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel RC frame structure encased with shaped steel (NRCFS) is proposed. • The NRCFS is applied for village structures to resist the debris flow impact. • The working mechanism of the NRCFS is investigated through an impact test. • The failure mode of the NRCFS is further discussed. • The corresponding numerical simulation is performed to validate its feasibility. This paper proposes a novel reinforced concrete (RC) frame structure encased with shaped steel to resist the debris flow impact. The corresponding comparative experimental studies of two test models under the impact of debris flow are designed and performed, one of which is a traditional RC frame structure (TRCFS) and the other is a novel RC frame structure encased with shaped steel (NRCFS). After a series of impact loading tests, the impact resistance to debris flow of the novel RC frame structure is investigated and the comparison is made. Throughout the impact test, obvious bending failure appears on the impacted column of the traditional RC frame structure and the damage develops fast, showing its weak impact resistance. However, much less damage is found on the novel structure's column. Additionally, the novel RC frame structure (NRCFS) performs better in force transmission mechanism than traditional one does, leading to the larger stiffness and stronger capabilities in resisting impact loads. Furthermore, the experimental and numerical results are in good agreement, which validates the rationality and accuracy of the debris flow impact test and the feasibility of the novel structural system against the debris flow impact. As a result, it can be proved in this impact loading test that novel RC frame structure encased with shaped steel has excellent impact resistance to debris flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hydrogen bonds significantly influence structure of solid products in direct coal liquefaction. • Benzene is a stronger OH-π hydrogen bonds acceptor compared to tetralin. • Benzene promotes lengthening of O–H bonds in when hydrogen bonds are formed. • Benzene promotes decomposition of –OH and generation of aryl ether bonds in direct coal liquefaction. Hydrogen bonds play a crucial role in thermal conversion of low rank coal, especially direct coal liquefaction (DCL) because of their wealthy abundance and great influence on generation of light products. Relative distribution of hydrogen bonds was evaluated with in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformation (DRIFT), while visualization analysis of hydrogen bonds (OH-π in particular) between coal and solvents were performed using density functional theory (DFT) and reduced density gradient (RDG) analysis. In terms of their effects, DCL experiments of demineralized Yunnan lignite (DeYN) with/without addition of benzene at 200, 250 and 300 °C were carried out, and oxygen-containing functional groups were investigated by solid-state 13C NMR and in-situ DRIFT. Relative content of OH-π hydrogen bonds increased with temperature rising. Benzene is the stronger hydrogen bonds acceptor compared to tetralin (THN). Conclusions drawn from DCL experiments are consistent with DFT calculations. To be specific, benzene with mass concentration of 2% promotes cleavage of O–H bonds, carboxyl groups and the generation of aryl ether bonds, and the differences caused by benzene are intensified when DCL temperature rises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]