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A coaxially integrated macro-micro composite actuator (MMCA) with large stroke and high accuracy is proposed by combining a voice coil motor (VCM) with the giant magnetostrictive actuator (GMA). The magnetic circuit model of the macro-motion part is established based on the driving principle of VCM, and the multi-field coupling model of the micro-motion part is established based on the Jiles-Atherton model. The finite element method was used to analyze the relationship between displacement, output force, velocity, acceleration, and time of the macro-motion part under different currents, the magnetic flux density, output force, and displacement curves of the micro-motion part, and the mutual influence between the macro and micro motion parts were analyzed. The prototype of the MMCA was developed, and an experimental test platform was built. The results show that the MMCA macro-motion displacement curve can fit the simulation curve well during open-loop positioning, and when the current size of the input macro-motion coil is 4 A, the experimental curve of the MMCA is the most consistent with the simulation curve. When closed-loop control, the motion curve of the drive can well follow the set displacement curve, in which the maximum stroke of the prototype developed is 50 mm, the positioning error of the macro-motion part is less than 20 μm, the maximum stroke of the micro-motion part is 40 μm, and the overall positioning accuracy of the MMCA is 0.14 μm. The research results provide a new idea and theoretical basis for further optimization and development of precision positioning platform with high precision and large stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The short-term prognosis of stroke patients is mainly influenced by the severity of the primary disease at admission and the trend of disease development during the acute phase (1–7 days after admission). Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) parameter trajectories during the acute phase of stroke patients and their short-term prognosis, and to investigate the predictive value of the prediction model constructed using BIA parameter trajectories and clinical indicators at admission for short-term prognosis in stroke patients. Methods: A total of 162 stroke patients were prospectively enrolled, and their clinical indicators at admission and BIA parameters during the first 1–7 days of admission were collected. A Group-Based Trajectory Model (GBTM) was employed to identify different subgroups of longitudinal trajectories of BIA parameters during the first 1–7 days of admission in stroke patients. The random forest algorithm was applied to screen BIA parameter trajectories and clinical indicators with predictive value, construct prediction models, and perform model comparisons. The outcome measure was the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at discharge. Results: PA in BIA parameters can be divided into four separate trajectory groups. The incidence of poor prognosis (mRS: 4–6) at discharge was significantly higher in the "Low PA Rapid Decline Group" (85.0%) than in the "High PA Stable Group " (33.3%) and in the "Medium PA Slow Decline Group "(29.5%) (all P < 0.05). In-hospital mortality was the highest in the "Low PA Rapid Decline Group" (60%) compared with the remaining trajectory groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the prediction model with only clinical indicators (Model 1), the prediction model with PA trajectories (Model 2) demonstrated higher predictive accuracy and efficacy. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of Model 2 was 0.909 [95% CI 0.863, 0.956], integrated discrimination improvement index (IDI), 0.035 (P < 0.001), and net reclassification improvement (NRI), 0.175 (P = 0.031). Conclusion: PA trajectories during the first 1–7 days of admission are associated with the short-term prognosis of stroke patients. PA trajectories have additional value in predicting the short-term prognosis of stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecologically fragile agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China is characterized by relatively poor arable land quality. Yunzhou District in Datong City, which is situated within this transitional zone, boasts over 600 years of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni cultivation. Exploring the effects of soil physicochemical properties on daylily yield and related agronomic traits is essential for enhancing the ecological and economic value of dominant crops in ecologically fragile areas. Therefore, in this study, we focused on the daylily, a characteristic cash crop that is grown in the agro-pastoral ecotone in Yunzhou District. Physicochemical property measurement and yield estimation were performed using soil samples collected from 37 sites, with Spearman's correlation analysis, one-way analysis of variance with multiple comparisons, path analysis, and stepwise regression analysis used to analyze the generated data. The results showed the following: (1) The pathway analysis of daylily yield with each agronomic trait showed that the BN and PH directly affected the yield of daylily with direct pathway coefficients of 0.844 and 0.7, respectively, whereas the SN indirectly affected the yield of daylily through the BD and PH, with indirect pathway coefficients of 0.827 and 0.566, respectively. (2) A total of four principal components were extracted for the soil factors, of which SMC, ST and BD had large loadings on PC1; OM, TN and pH had large loadings on PC2; AK had large loadings on PC3; and AP had large loadings on PC4. (3) From the principal component regression and stepwise regression, it can be seen that SMC is the most critical factor affecting the yield of daylily, as well as the related agronomic traits, and the results also show that yield prediction was affected by OM, ST, and AK, while BN was influenced by OM and ST, and SN and PH were influenced by AP. Comparing the goodness of fit and significance of the two models, it can be concluded that the stepwise regression model is the optimal model for this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Rece nt studies ha ve revealed that hemoglobin beta (HBB) plays an important role not only in blood disorders but also in malignancies. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical significance, diagnostic value, and biological function of HBB in lung cancer. Methods: HBB expression was examined in lung cancer tissues and plasma samples using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and its relationship with clinical pathological characteristics was analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of HBB in lung cancer. The proliferation of A549 and SPCA1 cells was analyzed using a cell counting kit-8 assay and protein expressions were detected by western blot. Results: The expressions of HBB were found to be down-regulated in both lung cancer tissues and plasma samples. Notably, plasma HBB levels were significantly elevated in postoperative samples when compared to their preoperative counterparts. Across 66 cases of lung cancer tissues, a correlation was observed between HBB levels and both gender and tumor, node, metastasis staging. ROC curve analysis further confirmed the high diagnostic potential of HBB expression in lung cancer. Moreover, the combination of HBB and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) had greater significance than HBB or CEA alone in the diagnosis of lung cancer. Knocking out or overexpressing HBB could affect lung cancer cell proliferation through the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Conclusion: HBB can serve as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of lung cancer, regulating cell proliferation via the ERK1/2 pathway and playing a pivotal role in the oncogenesis and progression of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The farming–pastoral ecotone in northern China is an ecologically vulnerable area with low-quality arable land, and cash crops are an important economic source for local farmers. Although local governments have introduced supportive policies, there are still several factors that hinder the implementation of the policies: there is a lack of sufficient research on the distribution of specialty crops, and the driving factors for agricultural planting structure adjustment are not yet clear. In this study, the specialty cash crop of the daylily planting industry in Yunzhou District, in the Farming–Pastoral Ecotone in northern China, was selected as the research object. Field surveys were conducted to collect sample points and village-level survey data, which were further combined with Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data, and vegetation indices. Support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) classifiers were utilized to identify daylilies and compare the accuracy using different combinations of input data. Furthermore, the classification results were counted by village, and spatial autocorrelation was used to analyze the spatial distribution pattern of daylilies. Finally, in conjunction with the village-level survey data, Spearman correlation analysis, multiple regression trees (MRT), and random forests were employed to explore the driving factors of daylily cultivation. The results indicate that using an RF classification tree of 300 resulted in the optimal method, as it achieved the highest accuracy for crop classification. The overall accuracy and daylily classification accuracy were 94.6% and 94.75%, respectively. Daylily distributions were mainly concentrated near the Sanggan River, urban areas, and the tourism industry. The distribution area of daylilies in each village was concentrated in 13.4–38.8 hm2. Spatial clustering showed more aggregation of low–low and high–high types. Labor force and daylily yield were identified as the most significant influencing factors. Further analysis of the different regions revealed the importance of industry support policies and technical training. This study provides data to support the distribution of specialty crops in Yunzhou District and a technical basis for adjusting agricultural planting structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bathyarchaeia (formerly Bathyarchaeota) is a group of highly abundant archaeal communities that play important roles in global biogeochemical cycling. Bathyarchaeia is predominantly found in sediments and hot springs. However, their presence in arable soils is relatively limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the spatial distributions and diversity of Bathyarchaeia in paddy soils across eastern China, which is a major rice production region. The relative abundance of Bathyarchaeia among total archaea ranged from 3 to 68% in paddy soils, and Bathy-6 was the dominant subgroup among the Bathyarchaeia (70–80% of all sequences). Bathyarchaeia showed higher migration ability and wider niche width based on the neutral and null model simulations. Bathy-6 was primarily assembled by deterministic processes. Soil pH and C/N ratio were identified as key factors influencing the Bathyarchaeia composition, whereas C/N ratio and mean annual temperature influenced the relative abundance of Bathyarchaeia. Network analysis showed that specific Bathyarchaeia taxa occupied keystone positions in the archaeal community and co-occurred with some methanogenic archaea, including Methanosarcina and Methanobacteria, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea belonging to Nitrososphaeria. This study provides important insights into the biogeography and niche differentiation of Bathyarchaeia particularly in paddy soil ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The final step in the anaerobic decomposition of biopolymers is methanogenesis. Rice field soils are a major anthropogenic source of methane, with straw commonly used as a fertilizer in rice farming. Here, we aimed to decipher the structural and functional responses of the methanogenic community to rice straw addition during an extended anoxic incubation (120 days) of Philippine paddy soil. The research combined process measurements, quantitative real-time PCR and RT-PCR of particular biomarkers (16S rRNA, mcrA), and meta-omics (environmental genomics and transcriptomics). Results: The analysis methods collectively revealed two major bacterial and methanogenic activity phases: early (days 7 to 21) and late (days 28 to 60) community responses, separated by a significant transient decline in microbial gene and transcript abundances and CH4 production rate. The two methanogenic activity phases corresponded to the greatest rRNA and mRNA abundances of the Methanosarcinaceae but differed in the methanogenic pathways expressed. While three genetically distinct Methanosarcina populations contributed to acetoclastic methanogenesis during the early activity phase, the late activity phase was defined by methylotrophic methanogenesis performed by a single Methanosarcina genomospecies. Closely related to Methanosarcina sp. MSH10X1, mapping of environmental transcripts onto metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and population-specific reference genomes revealed this genomospecies as the key player in acetoclastic and methylotrophic methanogenesis. The anaerobic food web was driven by a complex bacterial community, with Geobacteraceae and Peptococcaceae being putative candidates for a functional interplay with Methanosarcina. Members of the Methanocellaceae were the key players in hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, while the acetoclastic activity of Methanotrichaceae members was detectable only during the very late community response. Conclusions: The predominant but time-shifted expression of acetoclastic and methylotrophic methanogenesis by a single Methanosarcina genomospecies represents a novel finding that expands our hitherto knowledge of the methanogenic pathways being highly expressed in paddy soils. 7k5euw-hvBknz_jds4sXXf Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane generation has a significant impact on climate change. Aquatic plants have been widely studied for their role in methane emissions. Most research has focused on the contribution of the plant itself whereas the potential involvement of the phyllosphere microbiota associated with aquatic plants in methanogenesis remains largely unexplored. This study investigated the phyllosphere microbiota on both the top and bottom sides of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), a commonly found aquatic plant in Asia, sampled from two urban ponds, using sequencing for both the 16S rRNA gene and the methanogenesis functional marker gene. Methanogenesis potential was assessed through laboratory-based 13C labeling experiments. Results show that methanogenic archaea were successfully detected on the floating lotus leaves but not on the standing leaves. Among the methanogens detected, Methanobacterium was identified as the predominant group, with significantly higher relative abundance on the bottom sides of floating leaves compared to the surrounding pond water. This study demonstrates the metabolic activity of the phyllosphere methanogens of floating lotus. The microbiota associated with the bottom sides of floating leaves exhibited the ability to produce methane and incorporate 13C carbon into methane during incubation. Overall, this study provides the first compelling genetic and functional evidence for the existence of epiphytic methanogens on the phyllosphere of aquatic plants. Hence, the phyllosphere of floating-leaved macrophytes represents a previously unrecognized habitat for methanogens and a potential microbial source of methane at the water–atmosphere interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping soil organic carbon (SOC) accurately is essential for sustainable soil resource management. Hyperspectral data, a vital tool for SOC mapping, is obtained through both laboratory and satellite-based sources. While laboratory data is limited to sample point monitoring, satellite hyperspectral imagery covers entire regions, albeit susceptible to external environmental interference. This study, conducted in the Yuncheng Basin of the Yellow River Basin, compared the predictive accuracy of laboratory hyperspectral data (ASD FieldSpec4) and GF-5 satellite hyperspectral imagery for SOC mapping. Leveraging fractional order derivatives (FODs), various denoising methods, feature band selection, and the Random Forest model, the research revealed that laboratory hyperspectral data outperform satellite data in predicting SOC. FOD processing enhanced spectral information, and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) proved effective for GF-5 satellite imagery denoising. Stability competitive adaptive re-weighted sampling (sCARS) emerged as the optimal feature band selection algorithm. The 0.6FOD-sCARS RF model was identified as the optimal laboratory hyperspectral prediction model for SOC, while the 0.8FOD-DWT-sCARS RF model was deemed optimal for satellite hyperspectral prediction. This research, offering insights into farmland soil quality monitoring and strategies for sustainable soil use, holds significance for enhancing agricultural production efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study published in the journal Nature used a data-driven machine-learning approach to examine the relationship between microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. The study concluded that CUE promotes global SOC storage based on a positive correlation between CUE and SOC content. However, the study has been criticized for excluding important data sets and lacking mechanistic consideration of the complexities of SOC formation. The critics argue that the stabilization process, rather than CUE, matters more for SOC formation. They also caution against inferring causality from large data sets and emphasize the need for more sophisticated empirical measurements before establishing a globally causal link between CUE and SOC. [Extracted from the article]

Lung cancer is one of the most dangerous malignant tumors to human health in the world. Previous researches have shown that cytoskeleton regulator RNA (CYTOR), a long noncoding RNA was involved in the occurrence and development of various types of cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical significance and biological function of CYTOR in lung cancer. Real-time quantitative PCR was applied to detect the expression of CYTOR. The proliferation of A549 and H1299 cells was analyzed by CCK8 assay. The luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay were used to reveal the interactions between CYTOR and its downstream targets. Western blot was used to detect the expression of high-mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1). Here we found CYTOR was upregulated in lung cancer tissues and cell lines. The proliferation of A549 and H1299 cells was inhibited after CYTOR silencing. In addition, CYTOR could directly interact with and negatively regulate miR-103a-3p, and miR-103a-3p inhibited cell proliferation by targeting HMGB1. The CYTOR/miR-103a-3p/HMGB1 axis promoted lung cancer cell proliferation. CYTOR sponges miR-103a-3p to promote the proliferation of lung cancer cells through HMGB1. The CYTOR/miR-103a-3p/HMGB1 axis plays a critical role in the progression of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Intestinal mucositis is the major side effect during abdominal or pelvic radiotherapy, but the underlying immunogen remains to be further characterised and few radioprotective agents are available. This study investigated the role of dsDNA‐triggered inflammasomes in intestinal mucositis during radiotherapy. Methods: Pro‐inflammatory cytokines were detected by ELISA. Radiation‐induced intestinal injury in mice was analyzed by means of survival curves, body weight, HE staining of intestines, and intestinal barrier integrity. Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, co‐immunoprecipitation assay and flow cytometry were used to investigate the regulatory role of dsDNA on inflammasomes. Results: Here, we show that a high level of IL‐1β and IL‐18 is associated with diarrhoea in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients during radiotherapy, which accounts for intestinal radiotoxicity. Subsequently, we found that the dose‐dependently released dsDNA from the intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) serves as the potential immunogenic molecule for radiation‐induced intestinal mucositis. Our results further indicate that the released dsDNA transfers into the macrophages in an HMGB1/RAGE‐dependent manner and then triggers absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome activation and the IL‐1β and IL‐18 secretion. Finally, we show that the FDA‐approved disulfiram (DSF), a newly identified inflammasome inhibitor, could mitigate intestinal radiotoxicity by controlling inflammasome. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the extracellular self‐dsDNA released from the irradiated IECs is a potential immunogen to stimulate immune cells and trigger the subsequent intestinal mucositis, while blunting the dsDNA‐triggered inflammasome in macrophages may represent an exciting therapeutic strategy for side effects control during abdominal radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This study screened proper storage pattern for long-term storage of bottled domestic red wines to provide evidence for their scientific storage. [Method] Different storage patterns of bottle position (vertical or horizontal) and storage conditions (cabinet, cellar or room) were applied and the effects on color parameters, chemical components and aromatic characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon red wines were examined during 14 months of storage. [Result] Storage patterns had significant impacts on color and sensory quality of Cabernet Sauvignon wines during storage. Bottle position was less effective than storage conditions. Room storage had greatest effects, followed by wine cellar and wine cabinet. During the first 9 months of storage, wine color stability and aroma complexity were improved with the increase of temperature. After storage for 14 months, aging characteristics appeared in samples stored in room condition, such as highlighted yellow color hue and aged red wine aroma, while wines stored in cabinet kept intense ruby color and red berry aroma. The correlation analysis further showed that the changes were mostly related to oxidation occurred in wine samples, and higher storage temperature accelerated the aging of red wine. [Conclusion] The color and sensory evolution of Cabernet Sauvignon wines were closely related to oxidation during bottle storage, resulted from the combination of oxygen, storage temperature and time. Low temperature and horizontal position are suggested for long-term storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of different heat inputs of 1.45 kJ/mm, 1.78 kJ/mm and 2.31 kJ/mm on the microstructure and mechanical properties of deposited metals of the self-developed AWS A5.28 E120C-K4 high strength steel flux-cored wire was studied by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and mechanical property test. With the increase in heat input, the results showed that the microstructure of deposited metals became coarse. Acicular ferrite increased at first and then decreased, granular bainite increased and degenerated upper bainite and martensite decreased slightly. Under the low heat input of 1.45 kJ/mm, the cooling rate was fast and the element diffusion was uneven, which caused composition segregation and easy to form large size inclusions SiO2-TiC-CeAlO3 with weak binding to the matrix. Under the middle heat input of 1.78 kJ/mm, the composite rare earth inclusions in dimples were mainly TiC-CeAlO3. The dimples were small and uniformly distributed, and the dimple fracture mainly depended on the wall-breaking connection between medium-sized dimples rather than an intermediate media. Under the high heat input of 2.31 kJ/mm, SiO2 was easy to adhere to high melting point Al2O3 oxides to form irregular composite inclusions. Such irregular inclusions do not need to absorb too much energy to form necking. Finally, the integrated effects of microstructure and inclusions resulted in the optimum mechanical properties of deposited metals with a heat input of 1.78 kJ/mm, which was a tensile strength of 793 MPa and an average impact toughness at −40 °C of 56 J. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure that regenerative braking energy is fully utilized by traction trains in the whole railway power supply systems, an effective utilization scheme of the regenerative braking energy based on power regulation with a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed in this paper. This scheme consists of railway power conditioners (RPCs), energy transfer converters (ETCs) and a central controller. A RPC connects the two power arms of each TS, and an ETC connects the two power arms of each section post (SP). The RPCs and ETCs are controlled to transfer the regenerative braking power distributed by the central controller, which is calculated by the GA. The detailed calculation steps are described. Moreover, the principle and control strategies of the negative sequence current compensation by the RPCs are given based on the optimization results of the GA. Finally, optimization calculations and hardware in loop (HIL) experiments were performed. The results show that the utilization rate of regenerative braking energy is about 93.3% and the three‐phase current imbalance is reduced by about 98.6% in the case system with the proposed scheme. This result verifies the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Land Surface Temperature (LST) has been operationally produced for a decade since the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) launched in October 2011. A comprehensive evaluation of its accuracy and precision will be helpful for product users in climate studies and atmospheric models. In this study, the VIIRS LST is validated with ground observations from multiple high-quality radiation networks, including six stations from the Surface Radiation budget (SURFRAD) network, two stations from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN), and 13 stations from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) network, to evaluate its performance over various land-cover types. The VNP21A1 LST was validated against the same ground observations as a reference. The results yield a close agreement between the SNPP VIIRS LST and ground LSTs with a bias of −0.4 K and a RMSE of 1.96 K over six SURFRAD sites; a bias of −0.2 K and a RMSE of 1.93 K over two BSRN sites; and a bias of −0.1 K and a RMSE of 1.7 K over the 13 ARM sites. The time series of the LST errors over individual sites indicate seasonal cycles. The data anomaly over the BSRN site in Cabauw and the SURFRAD site in Desert Rock is revealed and discussed in this study. In addition, a method using Landsat-8 data is applied to quantify the heterogeneity level of each ground station and the results provide promising insights. The validation results demonstrate the maturity of the JPSS VIIRS LST products and their readiness for various application studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Microbial immigration is essential for understanding microbial mechanisms involved in nutrient cycling under different fertilization strategies. Here, we aimed to illustrate the effects of fertilization on microbial immigration in the wheat rhizosphere. Materials and methods: Bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS sequencing were applied to determine the microbial composition in the wheat rhizosphere. Co-occurrence networks, spatiotemporal source models, and structural equation models (SEMs) were conducted to investigate microbial immigration in two different niches (bulk soil and rhizosphere) and at two growth stages with different fertilization strategies (control without fertilization (CK), chemical fertilization (NPK), and organic manure fertilization (OM)). Results and discussion: OM greatly decreased the network complexity ratio of the rhizosphere to bulk soil for bacteria (CK/NPK/OM ratio: 4.14/1.65/0.64) and fungi (CK/NPK/OM ratio: 1.09/1.35/0.72). The proportion of bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere sourcing from the bulk soil was highest under OM treatment (94.34%; 88.78%), followed by NPK (88.69%; 83.86%) and CK (85.30%; 76.40%) treatments. The jointing stage contributed more than the flowering stage to microbial immigration. In comparison to fungi, the proportion of bacteria in the rhizosphere derived from the bulk soil was much higher. Structural equation model indicated that the increase of total carbon under OM treatment affected the composition of bacteria and fungi by promoting microbial immigration from the bulk soil to the rhizosphere. Conclusions: OM treatment enhanced microbial immigration in the wheat rhizosphere, providing novel insights into plant-soil-microbiota interactions in the wheat rhizosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxide-metal-oxide (OMO) multilayer film has attracted increasing interest due to its high performance, including the high optical transparency and low electric resistivity, and has been considered a promising substitute for the conventional indium tin oxide (ITO) film. In this work, we studied the role of growth parameters for the performance of sputtered ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer film. ITO/Ag/ITO film with superior properties of transmittance of 89.1% and sheet resistance of 8 Ω/□ was prepared. The effects of deviation of film thickness on the optical and properties were investigated systematically. Ultrathin ITO1−x film with thickness of less than 5 nm covers the active Ag surface to avoid Ag oxidation effectively, resulting in both high transmittance and conductivity. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profile analysis indicates the role of ultrathin ITO1−x film on Ag surface oxidation. This work provides a guideline to fabricate high-quality OMO-based films and devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land surface albedo plays a critical role in climate, hydrological and biogeochemical modeling, and weather forecasting. It is often assigned in models and satellite retrievals by albedo climatology look‐up tables using land cover type and other variables; however, there are considerable differences in albedo simulations among models, which partially result from uncertainty in obsolete albedo climatology. Therefore, this study introduces a new global 500 m daily blue‐sky land surface albedo climatology data set under both actual and snow‐free surface conditions utilizing 20‐year Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer products from Google Earth Engine. In situ measurements from 38 long‐term‐maintained sites were utilized to validate the accuracies of different albedo climatology datasets. The root‐mean‐square error, bias, and correlation coefficient of the new climatology are 0.031, −0.003, and 0.96, respectively, which are more accurate than the Global Land Surface Satellite, GlobAlbedo, and 16 model datasets. Data intercomparison suggests that ERA5 exhibits better performance than Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA2) and 14 Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects Phase 6 models. However, it contains positive biases in the snow‐free season, while MERRA2 underestimates the snow albedo. Global albedo variation associated with basic surface plant functional types was also characterized, and snow impact was considered separately. Temporal variability analysis indicates that traditional climatology datasets with coarser temporal resolutions (≥8 days) cannot capture albedo variation over areas with distinct snow seasons, especially in central Eurasia and boreal regions. These results confirm the high reliability and robustness of the new albedo climatology in model assessment, data assimilation, and satellite product retrievals. Plain Language Summary: Surface albedo represents the Earth's surface ability to reflect solar energy, and thus directly influences atmospheric and water circulations by controlling available energies. As an essential variable estimated in current climate models, surface albedo is assigned by searching look‐up tables based on the land cover and soil types. However, there are large differences in simulated albedo among various models, partially because the albedo climatology in these tables was generated in the 1980s and needs to be updated. As global surface albedo has been accurately retrieved from satellite data for decades, we were able to produce a new albedo climatology data set under actual and snow‐free conditions with high spatiotemporal resolutions. Ground validation and data comparison indicate that the new data set performs with higher accuracy compared with other datasets. Moreover, assessment by the new climatology data set shows that albedo from advanced climate models and reanalysis datasets has clear uncertainties, especially over high latitudes and the Tibetan Plateau. Temporal variation in global albedo is better characterized at basic vegetation types. The new albedo climatology data set shows great potential for use in model assessment, modeling improvement, and satellite retrieval of other variables. Key Points: A global 500 m daily blue‐sky land surface albedo climatology data set in actual and snow‐free surface conditions was produced from Moderate Resolution Imaging SpectroradiometerSite validation and data comparison reveal its reliability and robustness in model assessment, data assimilation, and satellite retrievalsSimulated albedo data by state‐of‐art reanalysis and Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects Phase 6 models still have a clear bias in polar regions and the Tibetan Plateau [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Harnessing soil microbiomes is a major demand for development of sustainable and productive agriculture. Here we aimed to assess the impact of two different types of organic material amendments in combination with chemical fertilizer on the plant-soil microbiota in maize farming and its link to soil fertility and crop productivity. Methods: Soils and roots were collected from a long-term wheat-maize rotation system involving three experimental treatments: chemical fertilizer (CF); chemical fertilizer plus seasonal application of manure (OM); and chemical fertilizer plus one-time application of peat and vermiculite (PV). Crop residues were returned in all three treatments each season. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal ITS sequencing were conducted to elucidate the treatment-specific response of the microbiota in bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, and root compartment. Results: Relative to CF and OM treatments, PV amendment led to significant increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) content, aboveground plant biomass, and grain yield over the five-year field study. The PV-induced changes in microbial composition involved the greatest treatment-specific "effect size" on indicator ASVs (amplicon sequence variants) in bulk and rhizosphere soils. The number of interactions was more than doubled in the PV co-occurrence network relative to those in the CF and OM co-occurrence networks. Potential beneficial microbes, such as Glomeromycota (arbuscular mycorrhiza), Basidiomycota, and various members of the Actinobacteria and Burkholderiales, were most enriched in the root compartment of the PV treatment. Conclusions: Peat-vermiculite enhanced microbiota-driven soil fertility and crop productivity, thereby providing new insights into plant-soil-microbiota interactions that can be harnessed for smart farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the association of early dynamic changes in inflammatory markers with 30-day mortality in in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients. This study retrospectively enrolled 85 IHCA patients. The outcome was 30-day mortality. A linear mixed model was used to analyze the dynamic changes in laboratory indicators within 72 h after recovery of spontaneous circulation(ROSC). Within 72 h after ROSC, the absolute monocyte count (AMC) showed no significant change trend, and the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) showed an overall upward trend, while the absolute neutral count (ANC), white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet (PLT) count, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) showed overall downward trends. Cox multivariate analysis showed that the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (HR = 2.37, 95%CI (1.08, 5.17)), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score (HR = 2.55, 95% CI (1.00, 6.50)), abnormal creatinine level before IHCA (HR = 3.42, 95% CI (1.44, 8.10)) and PLR within 72 h after ROSC (HR = 2.99, 95% CI (1.44, 6.21)) were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. The PLR can be used as a predictor of 30-day mortality in IHCA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sn-Si composite anodes with linear variation composition could be synthesized by co-sputtering method directly. Ductile Sn was used as an additive material for improving the capacity and electrical conductivity of the brittle Si since the synergetic effect. The deposited films possessed a unique phase-separated structure and is beneficial to buffer the volume expansion introduced by an alloying/dealloying process, and the distributed Sn particles improved the transportation of Li+ and remedy the inherent poor conductivity of Si. As a result, the optimal Sn-Si composite film (Sn:Si = 35.9:64.1) possessed a stable discharge capacity of 1134.0 mAh/g after two cycles and a high-capacity retention of 82.8% after 50 cycles. Si played an important role as a buffer matrix, and the increased Si content could suppress the growth of Sn grains, reduce the structural damage and enhance film adhesion. The obtained Sn-Si component film was one strong candidate for next-generation thin film anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO:Al films were prepared by magnetron sputtering at room temperature. During the growth process, H radicals produced by radio frequency power sources were in situ introduced into ZnO:Al films. By injecting H radicals, the content of Al in ZnO:Al films increased from 3.4 at. % to 6.1 at. %, which could be ascribed to the reaction between H radicals and ZnO as well as the resputtering of the Zn element. Surface morphologies of ZnO:Al films were tuned from smooth shape to sunflower seed-like. Furthermore, ZnO:Al films without injecting H radicals showed highly c-axis preferential orientation and then nearly became amorphous with the addition of H radicals, which corresponds to the results of Raman spectra. The grain boundary potentials decreased due to the removal of oxygen at grain boundaries and an amount of Vo was produced, which was proved by Raman and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results. The optimal resistivity of as-grown ZnO:Al films co-doped with H radicals was 1.5 × 10−3 Ω cm at an H2 ratio of 2.3%. The variation of the carrier concentration for annealed ZnO:Al films at different H2 ratios supported the existence of H interstitials and Vo. The optical bandgap varied from 3.44 eV to 3.71 eV with increasing H radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Autotrophic carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation by microbes is ubiquitous in the environment and potentially contributes to the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. However, the multiple autotrophic pathways of microbial carbon assimilation and fixation in paddy soils remain poorly characterized. In this study, we combine metagenomic analysis with 14C‐labelling to investigate all known autotrophic pathways and CO2 assimilation mechanisms in five typical paddy soils from southern China. Marker genes of six autotrophic pathways are detected in all soil samples, which are dominated by the cbbL genes (67%–82%) coding the ribulose‐bisphosphate carboxylase large chain in the Calvin cycle. These marker genes are associated with a broad range of phototrophic and chemotrophic genera. Significant amounts of 14C‐CO2 are assimilated into SOC (74.3–175.8 mg 14C kg−1) and microbial biomass (5.2–24.1 mg 14C kg−1) after 45 days incubation, where more than 70% of 14C‐SOC was concentrated in the relatively stable humin fractions. These results show that paddy soil microbes contain the genetic potential for autotrophic carbon fixation spreading over broad taxonomic ranges, and can incorporate atmospheric carbon into organic components, which ultimately contribute to the stable SOC pool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve highly‐efficient water electrolysis, an effective strategy is to design three‐dimensional hierarchical nanostructures by decorating the surface of the main catalysts with co‐catalytic metal compounds. Herein, leave‐like ultrathin Co(OH)2 nanoflakes are grown on branch‐like Cu(OH)2 nanowires via the combination of an anodization process together with an electrodeposition process. The resulting hierarchical Cu(OH)2@Co(OH)2 nanotrees can be used as efficient OER electrocatalysts with an overpotential as low as 283 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2. After 20 hours of multi‐current density stability test, the electrode shows negligible degradation while retaining an overpotential of 290 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2, thus showing a high electrocatalytic capability and stability. This work provides a new strategy to improve transition metal electrocatalysts in view of low‐cost water oxidation in alkaline media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to investigate the current status of feeding intolerance (FI) among patients with severe neurological conditions and to further determine the correlation between FI and their poor prognosis. Methods: This study performed a retrospective analysis of the medical data of 58 patients from January 2017 to December 2017. Patients were divided into two groups according to modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relevant factors for the poor prognosis of these patients. Results: General data analysis showed that age and diagnosis(stroke) were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that APACHE II score, vomiting within 3 days of NICU admission, gastrointestinal bleeding within 3 days of NICU admission and occurrence of FI within 3 days of NICU admission were all risk factors for a poor prognosis of these patients(P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that FI within 3 days of NICU admission(OR 8.026, 95%CI(1.550–26.039)) and diagnosis(stroke)(OR 10.654, 95%CI (1.746–21.291)) were independent factors for a poor prognosis of patients with severe neurological conditions. Conclusion: The incidence of early FI in stroke patients is correlated with a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Newton's iterative method to solve the nonlinear matrix equation is studied. For the given initial matrix Q, the main results that the matrix sequence generated by the iterative method is contained in a fixed open ball, and that the matrix sequence generated by the iterative method converges to the only solution of the nonlinear matrix equation in a fixed closed ball are proved. In addition, the error estimate of the approximate solution in the closed ball and a numerical example to illustrate the convergence results are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When grown according to the conventional one-step annealing process at 550 °C, WO3 exhibits low photocurrent density and inferior photocurrent retention. In contrast, after a two-step annealing process at first 550 °C and second 700 °C, WO3 contains a higher concentration of oxygen deficiencies acting as shallow donors, thus leading to improved charge separation. Importantly, this results in a substantial photocurrent increase and higher material stability, two criteria that are of utmost importance for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new directional canopy emissivity model (CE-P) based on spectral invariants is proposed in this paper. First, we prove the existence of the spectral invariant properties in the thermal infrared (TIR) band using a Monte Carlo model. Based on it, the equation of the new model is derived from the perspective of absorption. In this expression, single-scattering and multiscattering effects are separated analytically in the TIR band. We find that the overall contribution of multiple scatterings is less than 0.005 when the component emissivities are over 0.90, and the overall contribution decreases with increasing leaf or soil emissivity. Furthermore, the new model can avoid the logical difficulty encountered when using the traditional cavity effect factor to simulate the emissivity of a sparse vegetation canopy. The results of 4SAIL and Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) are selected to do cross validation. The CE-P can achieve a high accuracy compared with 4SAIL and DART, with an absolute bias less than 0.002 when the leaf (soil) emissivity is equal to 0.98 (0.94). Four widely used analytical models are selected for comparison. The resulting accuracies of these models are ordered from CE-P to REN15, FR97, FR02, and VALOR96 with the most serious error up to 0.002, 0.002, 0.007, 0.013, and 0.014, respectively. Three main conclusions are obtained through the sensitivity analysis: the multiscattering between vegetation and the background can be ignored when the leaf (soil) emissivity is no less than 0.94 (0.90), the second and higher order scattering within the vegetation can also be ignored when the leaf (soil) emissivity is no less than 0.94 (0.90), and the single-scattering effect within the canopy should be considered which can be calculated using three view factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the structural and electronic properties of SnSe under pressure, we applied hydrostatic pressure from 0 to 8 GPa to a fully relaxed SnSe cell sample based on plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory. The calculated results indicate that the structure of SnSe changes gradually from an irregular zigzag structure with low symmetry to a B1-like structure with regular arrangement and high symmetry under pressure. The lattice parameters and cell volume of SnSe decrease monotonically as the applied pressure increases. The energy band gap of SnSe becomes narrow under pressure and is finally closed at 6.1 GPa. Moreover, we found that SnSe exhibits non-magnetic and semi-metallic features based on analyzing its electronic state density and spin state density. This can be attributed to the decrease in the lattices constants and the enhancement of the Sn-Se bond interaction under pressure, which causes the density of electronic states to increase near the Fermi surface. Finally, the charge distribution between Se-Sn-Se along the c-axis changes gradually from asymmetric to symmetric as the pressure is increased to 6.1 GPa and beyond. This implies that enhancement of the structure symmetry of SnSe can lead to a symmetrical distribution of charges, which further affects the bonding characteristics of the Sn-Se bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paeoniflorin (PF), the main active component of Shaoyao-Gancao-tang, possesses significantly antinociceptive effects and many other pharmacological activities. However, its poor intestinal absorption results in low bioavailability. Therefore, enhancing PF absorption plays a vital role in exerting its therapeutic effect. Shaoyao combined with Gancao exhibited a synergistic effect. The enhancement of PF absorption through the interaction of its constituents in intestinal absorption would be greatly implicated. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of glycyrrhizin, the main constituent of Gancao, and its main metabolite, 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (18β-GA), on the intestinal absorptive behavior of PF, and the role of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in PF absorption using the in vitro everted rat gut sac model. The results demonstrated that 1 mM of 18β-GA significantly increased PF absorption in both the jejunum and the ileum, while 100 μM of 18β-GA only promoted the ileum absorption and had no obvious effect on the jejunum absorption. The effect of glycyrrhizin on intestinal PF absorption was related to concentrations. One mM of glycyrrhizin significantly increased PF absorption in the jejunum after 45 min and in the ileum after 90 min. But 100 μM of glycyrrhizin had an inhibitory effect in the jejunum and no effect in the ileum before 60 min. Moreover, verapamil, the well-known P-gp inhibitor, could significantly enhance the PF absorption. In conclusion, the influence of 18β-GA and glycyrrhizin on the PF absorption was related to concentrations and intestinal segments. This might be involved in the intervention of efflux transport of PF mediated by intestinal P-gp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to obtain the “truth” of land surface parameter as reference value to validate the remote sensing retrieved parameter in heterogeneous scene and coarse-resolution pixel is one of the most challenging topics in environmental studies. In this paper, a distributed sensor network system named CPP-WSN was established to capture the spatial and temporal variation of land surface parameters at coarse-resolution satellite pixel scale around the Huailai Remote Sensing Station, which locates in the North China Plain. The system consists of three subnetworks that are RadNet, SoilNet, and VegeNet. Time series observations of typical land surface parameters, including UVR, PAR, SWR, LWR, albedo, and land surface temperature (LST) from RadNet, multilayer soil moisture and soil temperature from SoilNet, and fraction of vegetation cover (FVC), clumping index (CI), and leaf area index (LAI) from VegeNet, have been obtained and shared on the web. Compared with traditional single-point measurement, the “true” reference value of coarse pixel is obtained by averaging or representativeness-weighted averaging the multipoint measurements acquired using the sensor network. The preliminary applications, which validate several remote sensing products with CPP-WSN data, demonstrate that a high quality ground “truth” dataset has been available for remote sensing as well as other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The semiconductor industry has seen a remarkable miniaturization trend, where the size of microelectronic circuit components is expected to reach the scale of atom even subatom. Here, an orbital switch formed at the interface between BaTiO3 (BTO) and La0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (LSMO) is used to manipulate the electric field effect in the LSMO/BTO heterostructure. The orbital switch is based on the connection or breakdown of interfacial Ti-O-Mn bond due to the ferroelectric displacement under external electric field. This finding would pave the way for the tuning of the material performance or device operation at atomic level and introducing the orbital degree of freedom into the terrain of microelectronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Stimulating microbial degradation is a promising strategy for the remediation of soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). To better understand the functional microbial populations and processes involved in pyrene biodegradation in situ, the dynamics of pyrene degradation and functional microbial abundance were monitored during pyrene incubation in soils. We hope our findings will provide new insights into in situ pyrene biodegradation in soils and help to identify functional microbes from soils. Materials and methods: Pyrene (60 mg kg) was incubated with two different soils, one is lower PAH-containing agricultural soil (LS), and the other is higher PAH-containing industrial soil (HS). During incubation, triplicate samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 35. Pyrene in soil samples was analyzed using an Agilent gas chromatograph (7890A) equipped with a mass-selective detector (model 5897). DNA in soils was extracted with a FastDNA Spin kit for soil (Bio101, USA). The abundance of functional microbes and genes was monitored by a Taqman or SYBR Green based real-time PCR quantification using an iCycler iQ5 themocycler (Bio-Rad, USA). The diversity of PAH-RHDα GP genes was evaluated by constructing clone libraries and sequencing. Results and discussion: In both soils, more than 80 % of the added pyrene was degraded within 35 days. After 35-day incubation, there was a significant enrichment of Gram-positive bacteria harboring PAH-ring hydroxylation dioxygenase (PAH-RHD GP) genes, and the abundance of Mycobacterium increased significantly. In PAH-RHD GP clone libraries from two soils, Mycobacterium was detected, while most sequences were closely related to uncultured Gram-positive bacteria. In addition, two pyrene catabolic pathways might be involved in pyrene degradation, as pyrene dioxygenase genes, nidA and nidA3, were dramatically enriched during incubation. Moreover, the abundance and diversity of potential degraders in two soils showed significantly difference in responding to pyrene stress. This result indicates that soil condition can significantly affect functional microbial populations and biological process for pyrene biodegradation. Conclusions: These results revealed that Mycobacterium as well as uncultured Gram-positive PAH-RHD genotypes may be the important group of pyrene degraders in soils, and two pyrene catabolic pathways, targeted by nidA and nidA3, might potentially contribute to in situ biodegradation of pyrene. This study characterized the response pattern of potential pyrene degraders to pyrene stress in two different soils, which would increase our understanding of the indigenous processes of pyrene biodegradation in soil environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrated that a combined heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrification (HAD) process is highly effective for the simultaneous removal of acetate, nitrate, and sulfide at an efficiency of 100, 80, and 100 %, respectively. In the HAD system, simultaneous sulfide, acetate, and nitrate removals were observed, which indicated that heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrification occurred simultaneously. When the sulfide was existed in HAD reactor, the main product of sulfide biooxidation was S. Once the sulfide was exhausted, the sulfate concentration in the HAD reactor increased and became the main end product. These results provided an alternative method to control the end sulfide biooxidation product by online monitoring sulfide concentration. Nearly half (43 %) of the total clones in our mix-trophic reactor were amphitrophy denitrifiers. The autotrophic denitrifiers, heterotrophic denitrifiers, and amphitrophy denitrifiers coexisted in the HAD reactor to complete the denitrification process. Retrieved bacterial 16S rRNA gene clones affiliated with uncultured Xanthomonadaceae, Thauera, Thiobacillus, and Chromatiales were dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coarse-resolution satellite albedo products are important for climate change and energy balance research because of their capability to characterize the spatiotemporal patterns of land surface parameters at both the regional and global scales. The accuracy of coarse-resolution products is usually assessed via comparison with in situ measurements. The key issue in the comparison of remote sensing observations with in situ measurements is scaling and uncertainty. This paper presents a strategy for validating 1-km-resolution remote sensing albedo products using field measurements and high-resolution remote sensing observations. Field measurements were collected to calibrate the high-resolution (30 m) albedo products derived from HJ-1a/b images. Then, the calibrated high-resolution albedo maps were resampled (i.e., upscaled) to assess the accuracy of the coarse-resolution albedo products. The samples of field measurements and high-resolution pixels are based on an uncertainty analysis. Two types of coarse-resolution albedo datasets, from global land surface satellite (GLASS) and moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), are validated over the middle reaches of the Heihe River in China. The results indicate that the upscaled HJ (Huan Jing means environment in Chinese and this refers to a satellite constellation designed for environment and disaster monitoring by China) albedo, which was calibrated using field measurements, can provide accurate reference values for validating coarse-resolution satellite albedo products. However, the uncertainties in the upscaled HJ albedo should be estimated, and pixels with large uncertainties should be excluded from the validation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punicalagin, a bioactive ellagitannin isolated from pomegranate, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory property. In the present study, we analyzed the role of punicalagin against acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice. Male BALB/c mice with ARDS, induced by intranasal instillation of LPS, were treated with punicalagin 1 h prior to LPS exposure. The effects of punicalagin on pro-inflammatory cytokines, myeloperoxidase activity, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation, and the histopathological changes were evaluated. The results showed that punicalagin treatment attenuated LPS-induced lung edema, elevating TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Meanwhile, punicalagin significantly inhibited LPS-induced increases in the macrophage and neutrophil infiltration of lung tissues and myeloperoxidase activity. Furthermore, punicalagin inhibits Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression and NF-κB activation induced by LPS. In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate that punicalagin protects against LPS-induced ARDS in mice. The underlying mechanisms may include inhibition of TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical manipulation of lattice, charge, and spin is realized respectively by the piezoelectric effect, field-effect transistor, and electric field control of ferromagnetism, bringing about dramatic promotions both in fundamental research and industrial production. However, it is generally accepted that the orbital of materials are impossible to be altered once they have been made. Here, electric field is used to dynamically tune the electronic-phase transition in (La,Sr)MnO3 films with different Mn4+/(Mn3+ + Mn4+) ratios. The orbital occupancy and corresponding magnetic anisotropy of these thin films are manipulated by gate voltage in a reversible and quantitative manner. Positive gate voltage increases the proportion of occupancy of the orbital and magnetic anisotropy that were initially favored by strain (irrespective of tensile and compressive), while negative gate voltage reduces the concomitant preferential orbital occupancy and magnetic anisotropy. Besides its fundamental significance in orbital physics, these findings might advance the process towards practical oxide-electronics based on orbital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic phase transition has been considered as a dominant factor in the phenomena of colossal magnetoresistance, metal-insulator transition, and exchange bias in correlated electron systems. However, the effective manipulation of the electronic phase transition has remained a challenging issue. Here, the reversible control of ferromagnetic phase transition in manganite films through ionic liquid gating is reported. Under different gate voltages, the formation and annihilation of an insulating and magnetically hard phase in the magnetically soft matrix, which randomly nucleates and grows across the film instead of initiating at the surface and spreading to the bottom, is directly observed. This discovery provides a conceptually novel vision for the electric-field tuning of phase transition in correlated oxides. In addition to its fundamental significance, the realization of a reversible metal-insulator transition in colossal magnetoresistance materials will also further the development of four-state memories, which can be manipulated by a combination of electrode gating and the application of a magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of efficient and systematic ground-based spatial sampling strategies is critical for the validation of medium-resolution satellite-derived leaf area index (LAI) products, particularly over heterogeneous land surfaces. In this paper, a new sampling strategy based on high-resolution vegetation index prior knowledge (SSVIP) is proposed to generate accurate LAI reference maps over heterogeneous areas. To capture the variability across a site, the SSVIP is designed to 1) stratify the nonhomogeneous area into zones with minimum within-class variance; 2) assign the number of samples to each zone using Neyman optimal allocation; and 3) determine the spatial distribution of samples with a nearest neighbor index. The efficiency of the proposed method was examined using different vegetation types and pixel heterogeneities. The results indicate that the SSVIP approach can properly divide a heterogeneous area into different vegetation cover zones. Whereas the LAI reference maps generated by SSVIP attain the target accuracy of 0.1 LAI units in cropland and broadleaf forest sites, the current sampling strategy based on vegetation type has a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.14 for the same number of samples. SSVIP was compared with the current sampling strategy at 24 VALERI sites, and the results suggested that samples selected by SSVIP were more representative in the feature space and geographical space, which further indicated the reasonable validation over heterogeneous land surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]