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In modern computing architectures, graph theory is the soul of the play due to the rising core counts. It is indispensable to keep finding a better way to connect the cores. A novel chordal-ring interconnect topology system, Equality, is revisited in this paper to compare with a few previous works. This paper details the procedures for constructing the Equality interconnects, its special routing procedures, the strategies for selecting a configuration, and evaluating its performance using the open-source cycle-accurate BookSim package. Four scenarios representing small- to large-scale computing facilities are presented to assess the network performance. This work shows that in 16,384-endpoint systems, the Equality network turns out to be the most efficient system. The results also show the steady scalability of Equality networks extending to 48–320K, and a million endpoints. Equality networks are adjustable to fit with commodity hardware and resilient under ten common traffic models. It is suggested that Equality network topology can be used in constructing efficient multi-exaflops supercomputers and data centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified CARS technique with an intense nonresonant femtosecond laser is presented to drive the structural deformation of liquid nitromethane molecules and track their structural relaxation process. The CARS spectra reveal that the internal rotation of the molecule can couple with the CN symmetric stretching vibration and the molecules undergo ultrafast structural deformation of the CH 3 groups from ‘opened umbrella’ to ‘closed umbrella’ shape, and then experience a structural recovery process within 720 fs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myricetin-3-O-β-d-glucuronide, a bioactive flavonol glycoside, was synthesized effectively starting from myricetrin in a total yield of 49.2%. The structures of all synthetic compounds were confirmed by 1H, 13C NMR, and HR-MS techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myricetin-3-O-β-d-glucuronide, a bioactive flavonol glycoside, was synthesized effectively starting from myricetrin in a total yield of 49.2%. The structures of all synthetic compounds were confirmed by1H,13C NMR, and HR-MS techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of chloride ion erosion, corrosion of steel bars in coastal or deicing salt environments deteriorates reinforced concrete’s (RC) structural performance. At present, there were few studies involving both chloride ion erosion and shear walls with flange, which made it difficult to evaluate the performance of corroded shear wall structures in coastal environments. Consequently, seven high-rise RC shear walls with flange were tested by electrochemical chloride erosion (ECE) and low cyclic loading in this paper, and the influences of key parameters such as corrosion degree, axial compression ratio and reinforcement ratio of longitudinal reinforcement on the hysteretic characteristics of corroded shear walls with flange were investigated. This article assesses the seismic behavior of specimens by analyzing corrosion morphology and damage processes of concrete and rebars. In addition, scrutiny is placed on failure modes, bearing capability, deformability, and energy-dissipating capacity. Subsequently, according to the failure characteristics and test data, a numerical modeling analysis method based on fiber elements was proposed and validated to obtain the seismic response prediction of corroded shear walls with flange. Finally, based on the built numerical model, the effects of other parameters on the seismic property of corroded shear walls with flange were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ZnO films on ITO substrates and Au coated ITO substrates were fabricated by using electrodeposition technique. We carried out the experiments by adjusting the concentration of solution, potential, substrate, and temperature. The effect of temperature on the growth of the film has been examined. SEM images have shown that there are several kinds of grown competitions for the deposition of ZnO films, but three kinds of them are dominant. One is the discrete hexagonal column structure, the other is the pentagonal structure, and the third one is of well-oriented hexagonal columns with well-aligned structure. The explanation on the grown competition is discussed. ZnO hexagonal column structures with well-aligned and well-perpendicular to the surface were successfully obtained on Au/ITO substrate in aqueous solvent of electrolyte. Clearly the main columns in the film were obtained by increasing the temperature. Its photoluminescence (PL) study at low temperature exhibited the optical properties as wurtzite ZnO and indicated the existence of macrocrystalline ZnO. A better quality of ZnO columnar structures after annealing was demonstrated from PL analysis and discussion on the existence of 370nm, 384nm and 639nm in the emission bands before and after annealing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• CPA show a reduction action on SAN automaticity and block I f directly at high concentration of 10 μM. • A direct inhibitory effect of CPA on I f in SAN cells is concentration- and time-dependent. • CPA slow down the steady-state activation current and downregulate the protein expression of I f. • CPA may be a new potential agent to improve heart rate. Objective: The spontaneous action potential of isolated sinoatrial node (SAN) cells is regulated by a coupled-clock system of two clocks: the calcium clock and membrane clock. However, it remains unclear whether calcium clock inhibitors have a direct effect on the membrane clock. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct effect of cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), a selective calcium clock inhibitor, on the function of the membrane clock of SAN cells. Methods: at SAN cells were isolated by trypsinization and identified based on morphology and electrophysiology. I f and HCN currents were recorded via patch clamp technique. The expression of the HCN channel protein was determined by Western blotting analysis. Results: The diastolic depolarization rate of spontaneous action potentials and the current densities of I f were reduced by exposure to 10 μM CPA. The inhibitory effect of CPA was concentration-dependent with an IC 50 value of 16.3 μM and a Hill coefficient of 0.98. The effect of CPA on I f current was also time-dependent, and the I f current amplitude was partially restored after washout. Furthermore, the steady-state activation curve of the I f current was shifted to a negative potential, indicating that channel activation slowed down. Finally, the protein expression of HCN4 in HEK293 cells was markedly downregulated by CPA. Conclusions: These results indicate that the direct inhibition effect of CPA on the I f current in SAN cells is both concentration- and time-dependent. The underlying mechanisms may involve slowing down steady-state activation and the downregulation of pacemaker channel protein expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the role of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in electrochemiluminescence (ECL) processes of the Ru(bpy) 3 2+ (bpy= 2, 2′-bipyridine)/tripropylamine (TPA) system would be beneficial to develop novel ECL sensors for a variety of applications. In this work, we found that the AuNPs on the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode could catalyze the electrochemical oxidation of TPA, greatly enhancing the ECL signal of Ru(bpy) 3 2+ /TPA, present in the solution. If physical separation of AuNPs away from electrode surface after hybridization with target ssDNA, ECL signal decreased dramatically due to the loss of electrochemical activity of AuNPs, based on which a sensitive and specific DNA sensor in a “switch-off” mode was constructed with a detection limit of 0.2 pM. In addition, a suppressing effect of the AuNPs on the ECL of Ru(bpy) 3 2+ was experimentally confirmed by decreasing the electrocatalytic effect to overall ECL emission, including selection of oxalate as a coreactant instead of TPA, or introduction of gold electrode as substrate. Furthermore, when Ru(bpy) 3 2+ and AuNPs were both immobilized on the ITO electrode at close proximity, the ECL quenching induced by energy/electron transfer was predominant. ECL emission of the Ru(bpy) 3 2+ /TPA system resulted from a competition between electrocatalytic enhancement and quenching effect. However, the quenched ECL signal would return in case of the AuNPs moving far away from ECL emitters after a hybridization reaction as before, and a separation distance dependent surface enhancement was observed as well. Based on the role change for AuNPs from quenching to enhancing ECL intensity of Ru(bpy) 3 2+ /TPA system, a novel ECL DNA sensing strategy in a “turn-on” mode was developed, enabling quantitative analysis of target ssDNA over the range of 0.05 pM to 0.5 nM with a detection limit of 12 fM. Overall, we demonstrated the existence of three effects of AuNPs on the ECL of Ru(bpy) 3 2+ /TPA system, and which played the leading role was dependent on the placement of AuNPs, Ru(bpy) 3 2+ , and their separation distance. The ECL sensors based on the role change for AuNPs showed both high sensitivity and excellent selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Constant-current and drying-wetting cycle accelerated corrosion method was adopted to simulate the natural corrosion environment, and the corroded T-shaped reinforced concrete wall specimens were obtained. • The corrosion form of corroded shear wall was analysed, and the influence of corrosion degree and axial compression ratio on the failure mode and seismic performance of T-shaped reinforced concrete shear wall was studied. • A numerical model of the corroded T-shaped RC shear wall was established, and the accuracy of the numerical model was validated based on test data. • Based on the established numerical model, the effects of the concrete strength, boundary column longitudinal reinforcement ratio and vertical distribution reinforcement rate on the seismic behaviour of corroded T-shaped RC shear walls were studied. Six T-shaped reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall specimens were subjected to constant-current and drying-wetting cycle accelerated corrosion tests and pseudostatic loading tests in this paper. The corrosion appearance, failure mode, and mechanical properties of each specimen were compared, and the impact of the corrosion degree and axial compression ratio on the seismic performance of the T-shaped RC shear wall was analysed. The experimental outcomes illustrate that the seismic behaviour of the specimens under positive and negative loading was conspicuously different because of the asymmetric section of the specimens. Under positive loading, the bearing capacity of the specimens was higher, and the deformation capacity was poor, while the negative loading was the opposite. As the corrosion degree increased, the bearing capacity, deformability, stiffness degradation degree, cumulative energy dissipation capacity, and proportion of shear deformation in the total deformation of the specimens all showed a downwards trend. With increasing axial compression ratio, the bearing capacity of the specimen increased, the cumulative energy dissipation capacity, ultimate displacement and the proportion of shear deformation in the total deformation decreased, and the degradation rate of stiffness accelerated. Subsequently, considering the correction of corroded materials, a numerical model of the corroded T-shaped RC shear wall based on the ShellMITC4 multilayer shell element was established, and the exactitude of the numerical model was validated based on test data. Finally, based on the established numerical model, the effects of the concrete strength, boundary column longitudinal reinforcement ratio and vertical distribution reinforcement rate on the seismic behaviour of corroded T-shaped RC shear walls were studied. These research outcomes can offer supporting theories for numerical modelling analysis and seismic capacity assessment of existing RC shear wall structures in coastal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulation was employed to investigate how stable chondroitin sulfate- graft-polycaprolactone (CS-PCL, CP) copolymers self-assemble into micelles in an aqueous environment. Three types of CP containing low (2.4%), medium (6.3%), and high (18.7%) PCL contents (denoted L-CP, M-CP, and H-CP, respectively) in which PCL molecules consisting of 63 monomers were grafted onto each CS molecule consisting of 120 monomers were considered. L-CP and M-CP were found to display spheroidal micellar structures, while H-CP presented a rod-like structure, in agreement with previous experimental observations. In addition, the entanglement of the PCL segment increased as its molecular weight was increased. The number density distribution profiles of PCL, CS, and water molecules indicated that there were a few water molecules between the PCL core of the micelle and the water solution surrounding the micelle (in the micelle layer immediately above the core), and the number density of water in the CP micelle increased as the PCL content decreased. Using the radius of gyration, the three-dimensional conformations of the micelles were explored. When the number of CP chains was 3, H-CP adopted a long nanorod form, whereas L-CP and M-CP were roughly nanospherical. When the number of CP chains was increased beyond 3, however, the structure of L-CP changed from a nanosphere to a nanodisk. Finally, the slope of the mean square displacement profile was greatest when the molecular weight of the PCL segment was lowest, indicating that the mobilities of the CS and PCL segments are highest in L-CP. The self-diffusion coefficients of the CS and PCL segments decreased as the number of PCL segments grafted increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is the most common and well-known craniofacial disorder caused by mutations in the genes involved in pre-rRNA transcription, which include the TCOF1 gene. This study explored the role of TCOF1 mutations in Chinese patients with TCS. Mutational analysis of the TCOF1 gene was performed in three patients using polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. Among these three patients, two additional TCOF1 variations, a novel 18 bp deletion and a novel 1 bp insertion mutation, were found in patient 1, together with a novel nonsense mutation (p.Ser476X) and a previously reported 4 bp deletion (c.1872_1875delTGAG) in other patients. Pedigree analysis allowed for prediction of the character of the mutation, which was either pathological or not. The 18 bp deletion of six amino acids, Ser-Asp-Ser-Glu-Glu-Glu (798*803), which was located in the CKII phosphorylation site of treacle, seemed relatively benign for TCS. By contrast, another novel mutation of c.1072_1073insC (p.Gln358ProfsX23) was a frameshift mutation and expected to result in a premature stop codon. This study provides insights into the functional domain of treacle and illustrates the importance of clinical and family TCS screening for the interpretation of novel sequence alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gene Expression Programming (GEP) is an automatic programming approach widely used in many areas, such as time series analysis, classification, multi-objective optimization and massive data analysis. A new GEP algorithm is proposed by combining the advantages of the depth-first and breadth -- first technologies in the GEP decoding process. The new algorithm can increase the diversity of individuals and properly preserve better sub_ETs. The experimental results show that, compared with the standard GEP algorithm, the new algorithm can improve the mean fitness without increasing too much evolutionary time, thus achieving a higher success rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Mechanism of PIET reaction process for the Rh101+/DEA system is investigated. [•] The significant geometrical changes of the charge–transfer complex are explained. [•] Forward Electron transfer from DEA to Rh101+∗ occurs with lifetime of 425–560fs. [•] Backward electron transfer occurs with a time constant of 46.16–51.40ps. [•] Intramolecular vibrational relaxation occurs with lifetime of 2.77–5.39ps. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of ZnO/Cu/ZnO multilayer films has been fabricated from zinc and copper metallic targets by simultaneous RF and DC magnetron sputtering. Numerical simulation of the optical properties of the multilayer films has been carried out in order to guide the experimental work. The influences of the ZnO and Cu layer thicknesses, and of O2/Ar ratio on the photoelectric and structural properties of the films were investigated. The optical and electrical properties of the multilayers were studied by optical spectrometry and four point probe measurements, respectively. The structural properties were investigated using X-ray diffraction. The performance of the multilayers as transparent conducting coatings was compared using a figure of merit. In experiments, the thickness of the ZnO layers was varied between 4 and 70nm and those of Cu were between 8 and 37nm. The O2/Ar ratios range from 1:5 to 2:1. Low sheet resistance and high transmittance were obtained when the film was prepared using an O2/Ar ratio of 1:4 and a thickness of ZnO (60nm)/Cu (15nm)/ZnO (60nm). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The findings reveal that the oscillatory decay originated from v 13 / v 12 for THF could be fitted by biexponential function with lifetime of τ 1 / 2 = 0.43 - 0.48 ps and τ 2 / 2 = 0.12 - 0.22 ps. • And the beating frequencies of 118 cm−1 and 110 cm−1 achieved from by fitting with the equation (1) are good consistent with those obtained in the FFT spectra. Ultrafast vibrational dynamics in pure liquid tetrahydrofuran were studied with femtosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering. The dephasing time T 2 is 0.43–0.49 ps in time-resolved spectra, and the beat frequencies 116 (126) cm−1, 185 cm−1, and 300 cm−1 in fast Fourier transform spectra are attributed to vibrational coherence of v 13 / v 12 , v 12 / v 9 , and v 13 / v 9 modes, respectively. The oscillatory decay originated from v 13 / v 12 could be fitted by biexponential function with lifetime of τ 1 / 2 = 0.43 - 0.48 ps and τ 2 / 2 = 0.12 - 0.22 ps. Calculated beat frequencies of 118 cm−1 and 110 cm−1 are consistent with fast Fourier transform spectra. This study is to understand chemical reaction mechanism in the condensed-phase system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]