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Background: Lianhuaqingwen (LHQW) has been used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, but the precise mechanism through which LHQW exhibits its anti-inflammatory effects in this context is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the active ingredients and signaling pathways responsible for LHQW's effectiveness in managing chronic bronchitis. Methods: The research leveraged the TCMSP database to determine the active compounds and drug targets of LHQW. In parallel, the GeneCards, DrugBank, and PharmGkb databases were used to uncover targets pertinent to chronic bronchitis. To discern the potential mechanisms by which LHQW's active ingredients might treat chronic bronchitis, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed. Network pharmacology facilitated the construction of a drug-active ingredient-disease target network, aiding in forecasting the core targets for chronic bronchitis treatment by LHQW. Subsequently, molecular docking techniques alongside in vitro experiments were applied to confirm the interactions between the active ingredients and the primary targets. Results: A total of 157 active ingredients, 225 potential drug targets, and 594 bronchitis-related targets were derived from various databases. Following this, 76 potential gene targets were pinpointed by integrating drug and related targets. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were employed to identify key pathways involved in LHQW's mechanism for treating chronic bronchitis. By constructing a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network for the 76 potential gene targets, four core targets (TNF, IL6, IFNG, and STAT3) were identified as primarily involved in responses to lipopolysaccharide, the TNF pathway, and the JAK-STAT pathway. Molecular docking results revealed a favorable affinity between multiple active ingredients of LHQW and the four core targets, suggesting that the therapeutic effects are mediated through the inhibition of inflammatory responses and signaling pathways. Interestingly, quercetin, an active ingredient of LHQW, was observed to bind to all four core targets simultaneously. Furthermore, cell experiment and western blot analysis indicated that both LHQW and quercetin exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by targeting the four core proteins and the JAK-STAT pathways. Conclusion: This research emphasizes the diverse active ingredients, targets, channels, and pathways of LHQW in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, providing important perspectives for the creation of novel therapeutic drugs and clinical uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The yellow-leaf gl1 mutant of Lagerstroemia indica exhibits an altered phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway compared to wild-type (WT). However, details on the metabolites associated with leaf color variation, including color-specific metabolites with bioactive constituents, are not fully understood. Methods: Chemical and metabolomics approaches were used to compare metabolite composition and antioxidant capacity between the gl1 mutant and WT leaves. Results: The mutant exhibited an irregular xylem structure with a significantly lower phenolic polymer lignin content and higher soluble phenolic compounds. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified phenolic compounds, particularly lignans, as key differential metabolites between gl1 and WT, with a significant increase in the mutant. The neolignan derivative balanophonin-4-O-D-glu was identified as a characteristic metabolite in the gl1 mutant. The soluble phenolic compounds of the gl1 mutant exhibited higher FRAP, ABTS, DPPH, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity than in WT. Correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds in L. indica. Conclusions: Metabolites associated with leaf color variation in the L. indica yellow-leaf gl1 mutant demonstrated high antioxidant capacity, particularly in scavenging hydroxyl radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is confirmed in clinical trials; however, the patients suitable for receiving this therapy remain unspecified. Previous studies have demonstrated that the tumor microenvironment (TME) dominates immunotherapy; therefore, an effective TME classification strategy is required. In this study, five crucial immunophenotype‐related molecules (WARS, UBE2L6, GZMB, BATF2, and LAG‐3) in the TME are determined in five public gastric cancer (GC) datasets (n = 1426) and an in‐house sequencing dataset (n = 79). Based on this, a GC immunophenotypic score (IPS) is constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox, and randomSurvivalForest. IPSLow is characterized as immune‐activated, and IPSHigh is immune‐silenced. Data from seven centers (n = 1144) indicate that the IPS is a robust and independent biomarker for GC and superior to the AJCC stage. Furthermore, patients with an IPSLow and a combined positive score of ≥5 are likely to benefit from neoadjuvant anti‐PD‐1 therapy. In summary, the IPS can be a useful quantitative tool for immunophenotyping to improve clinical outcomes and provide a practical reference for implementing neoadjuvant ICI therapy for patients with GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we report the related transport properties of (La1-yPry)0.5Sr0.5MnO3 (y = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5) films prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The transport properties of the films with different fields applied, such as optical field, magnetic field and strain field, were investigated. The results show that the resistance increases and the metal–insulator transition temperature shifts to lower temperature with the increasing of Pr doping. However, the film with the doping amount of 0.5 exhibits an insulation characteristic, and showed transient photoconductivity effect, with a relative change of photo-resistance of 7.2% at low temperature. Otherwise, a negative magneto-resistance of 54% was observed at 80 K and 1 T magnetic field. Further, by using an external electric field to modulate the films grown on the PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-PbTiO3 substrate, it was found that the electric field reduced the resistance and had a faking effect on the relative change of the photo-resistance. It is mainly attributed to the influence of the external field on lattice distortion and charge carrier delocalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(propylene carbonate phthalate) (PPC-P) is a chemically modified poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) biodegradable thermoplastic by introducing phthalic anhydride (PA) as the third monomer into the copolymerization of propylene oxide (PO) and CO2. To enhance the thermal and mechanical properties of PPC-P, a branching agent pyromellitic anhydride (PMDA) was introduced into the terpolymerization of PO, PA and CO2. The resulting copolymers with branched structure, named branched PPC-P, can be obtained using metal-free Lewis pair consisting of triethyl borane (TEB) and bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride (PPNCl) as catalyst. The products obtained were analyzed by NMR spectroscopy and their thermal, mechanical properties and melt processability were evaluated by DSC, TGA, tensile test and melt flow index (MFI) measurement. The obtained branched PPC-P has a high molecular weight up to 156.0 kg·mol−1. It shows an increased glass transition temperature (Tg) higher than 50 °C and an enhanced tensile strength as high as 38.9 MPa. Noteworthily, the MFI value decreases obviously, indicative of an improved melt strength arising from the branched structure and high molecular weight. What is more, the branched PPC-P exhibits reasonable biodegradability, which demonstrates the great potential as a new green thermoplastic for the family of biodegradable plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the energy transport in simple networks consisting of one-dimensional nonlinear chain with self-coupled loop. The impacts of the loop length and coupling strength on the heat flux and spatiotemporal correlation functions of energy–momentum fluctuations are discussed via Langevin thermostats generated by spatiotemporal noise. For thermostats at different temperatures, the spatiotemporal ones can weaken the total heat flux of the system in comparison with the normal Langevin ones. The total heat flux will increase when the dispersal kernel or the loop length or the coupling strength increases, while the heat flux in the loop does not change as the dispersal kernel or the loop length increases, and decrease as the coupling strength increases. Then the underlying mechanism of heat flux can be well explained by the phonon spectra and Fourier's law. For the thermostats at the same temperatures, it is shown that the peak of the propagating front for the trunk (PT) and the peak of the propagating front from the coupling position to the outer trunk (PC) do not change almost for the normal Langevin and spatiotemporal thermostats. The PT decreases and PC increases when the loop length or coupling strength increases. Our results may contribute to further understanding of thermal information appearing in coupled nanotubes, polymer chains and biological networks. Heat flux J vs the coupling strength k. The red circle, blue triangle and green five-pointed star refer to the total heat flux, heat flux in the self-coupled loop and shortcut, respectively. The length of the FPU- β lattice N = 500 , coupling at i = 151 , j = 350 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NAC transcription factor family is deemed to be a large plant-specific gene family that plays important roles in plant development and stress response. Miscanthus sinensis is commonly planted in vast marginal land as forage, ornamental grass, or bioenergy crop which demand a relatively high resistance to abiotic stresses. The recent release of a draft chromosome-scale assembly genome of M. sinensis provided a basic platform for the genome-wide investigation of NAC proteins. In this study, a total of 261 M. sinensis NAC genes were identified and a complete overview of the gene family was presented, including gene structure, conserved motif compositions, chromosomal distribution, and gene duplications. Results showed that gene length, molecular weights (MW), and theoretical isoelectric points (pI) of NAC family were varied, while gene structure and motifs were relatively conserved. Chromosomal mapping analysis found that the M. sinensis NAC genes were unevenly distributed on 19 M. sinensis chromosomes, and the interchromosomal evolutionary analysis showed that nine pairs of tandem duplicates genes and 121 segmental duplications were identified, suggesting that gene duplication, especially segmental duplication, is possibly associated with the amplification of M. sinensis NAC gene family. The expression patterns of 14 genes from M. sinensis SNAC subgroup were analyzed under high salinity, PEG, and heavy metals, and multiple NAC genes could be induced by the treatment. These results will provide a very useful reference for follow-up study of the functional characteristics of NAC genes in the mechanism of stress-responsive and potential roles in the development of M. sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is caused by Fusarium graminearum, which contributes serious economic losses to crop yields, and is an epidemic disease of wheat. The resistance to tebuconazole of 1,118 F. graminearum strains obtained from different areas of Henan Province in 2018–2020 was determined by the discriminatory doses of 5.0 μg/ml. A total of 362 F. graminearum strains resistant to tebuconazole were detected, and the frequency of resistance of F. graminearum strains to tebuconazole was 30.7%. The EC50 and EC90 values of F. graminearum strains to tebuconazole were calculated according to the mycelial growth inhibition of the Henan F. graminearum population. The range of EC50 values of 756 sensitive strains and 362 resistant strains were 0.01–0.69 and 0.02–3.31 μg/ml, and the average ± SD EC50 of sensitive and resistant strains were 0.13 ± 0.01 and 0.40 ± 0.13 μg/ml. The range of EC90 values of 756 sensitive strains and 362 resistant strains were 0.31–4.89 and 0.65–18.69 μg/ml, and the average ± SD EC90 values were 1.13 ± 0.05 and 2.98 ± 0.09 μg/ml. The CYP51A and CYP51B genes of the sensitive and resistant strains were amplified separately by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analysed. The results showed that among the 150 resistant strains, only six resistant strains had amino acid mutation, which changed from serine to tyrosine (TCA‐TAT, Ser‐Tyr) at position 169 of CYP51B gene, and no amino acid mutation was found in CYP51B of the other 144 resistant strains. No amino acid mutation was found in the CYP51A gene of 150 resistant strains. These results provide important information to growers for monitoring tebuconazole resistance in F. graminearum field populations from wheat in Henan Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A series of semi-aromatic polyesters named as Poly(PO-CHO-PA) were facilely synthesized via ring-opening terpolymerization of bio-based cyclohexane oxide (CHO)/propylene oxide (PO)/phthalic anhydride (PA) using economical U1/PPNCl as dual catalyst. The proportion of CHO-PA and PO-PA segments in polymer can be readily altered by changing the feed ratio of CHO/PO because the reactivity ratios of CHO and PO with PA calculated by Fineman-Ross method are comparable. All synthesized amorphous polyesters with various compositions show one Tg ranging from 62 °C to 133 °C. Significantly, the mechanical, thermal and barrier properties of these amorphous semi-aromatic polyesters are also adjustable and investigated for the first time. The results indicate the semi-polyesters exhibit superior thermostability (T5% ranging from 306 °C to 323 °C) and high tensile strength (40.21–55.7 MPa) that is comparable with polystyrene (PS). Furthermore, Poly(PO-CHO-PA) films possess a promising prospect as packaging materials because of its colorless and highly transparent nature, along with low oxygen and water vapor transmission rate. All above performances may guarantee its potential alternative to commercial PS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a devastating fungal disease in oilseed rape. Chemical control with fungicides is the primary method of controlling this disease. Metconazole is a demethylation inhibitor fungicide that has high activity against mycelial growth of phytopathogenic fungi. In this study, 119 isolates of S. sclerotiorum were collected from oilseed rape fields in different regions of Henan Province, China, in 2015 and 2016 prior to exposure to metconazole. The sensitivities of the S. sclerotiorum isolates to a range of concentrations of metconazole were determined based on mycelial growth inhibition in 90 cm Petri-dishes containing Potato dextrose Agar to which the fungicide was added. The 50% inhibition of mycelial growth (EC50) values of the S. sclerotiorum population to metconazole ranged from 0.0469 to 0.3912 µg mL− 1 and the mean EC50 value was 0.1875 ± 0.0058 µg mL− 1 (mean ± standard error). The frequency distribution range curve was unimodal with a narrow range. Spearman's rho (ρ) for the log10 of the EC50 values of 22 isolates of S. sclerotiorum between metconazole and carbendazim, dimethachlone, boscalid, fluazinam, and fludioxonil showed that there was no cross-resistance between metconazole and the other test fungicides. The results from this study provide important information for the control of Sclerotinia stem rot and sensitivity monitoring of S. sclerotiorum to metconazole in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnO2 nanocrystalline films with different crystallite sizes were grown by direct current sputtering. All the films show radiative recombination of free exciton (FX) and surface exciton (SX) with emission peaks varied from 330 to 338 nm and from 364 to 375 nm, respectively. The emission intensities of FX and SX versus crystallite size, excitation intensity, and temperature were also investigated. It was found that the emission intensities of both FX and SX increase with the decrease of the crystallite size of the films. In addition, the crystallite size has significant influence on the emission intensity of FX than SX. A model was also established to describe the relationship between crystallite size and excitonic emission intensity. From the temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra, the activation energies of FX and SX are deduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the reorientation of magnetization by spin–orbit torque (SOT) in YIG/Pt bilayers. The SOT is investigated by measuring the spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR), which is highly sensitive to the direction of magnetic moment of YIG. An external in-plane rotating magnetic field which is applied to the YIG/Pt bilayers, and the evolutions of SMR under different injected currents in the Pt layer, result in deviation of SMR curve from the standard shape. We conclude that the SOT caused by spin accumulation near the interface between YIG and Pt can effectively reorient the in-plane magnetic moment of YIG. This discovery provides an effective way to modulate YIG magnetic moments by electrical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) is one of the most destructive wheat diseases worldwide. F. graminearum is the dominant pathogen of FHB in Henan Province. Epoxiconazole is a demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicide, and is the main fungicide for controlling FHB in China. In this study, 118 F. graminearum isolates were collected from different regions of Henan Province in 2016 and 2017. The sensitivity of these F. graminearum isolates to epoxiconazole was determined by the method of mycelial growth inhibition. The results showed that the EC50 values range of epoxiconazole to the tested F. graminearum isolates was 0.0196 to 0.5708 μg ml−1, and the mean EC50 value was 0.2178 ± 0.1178 μg ml−1 (mean ± SD). The sensitivity frequency distribution of these F. graminearum isolates to epoxiconazole was a continuous single peak curve, and no isolates resistant to epoxiconazole were found in Henan Province, China. The field control efficacy of epoxiconazole against F. graminearum was evaluated and the results showed that epoxiconazole had a significantly higher control efficacy on FHB, compared to the control fungicide carbendazim. The thousand grain weight of all the fungicide treatments was significantly higher than water control (without fungicide). This study showed that the DMI fungicide epoxiconazole has high activity and field control efficacy on F. graminearum, and can effectively control the prevalence of FHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The filamentous plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum is one of the most important pathogens causing Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat in the Henan Province of China. Metconazole is among the demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides with a higher inhibitory activity on the mycelial growth of F. graminearum. In 2016 and 2017, 119 single spore isolates of F. graminearum, prior to being exposed to metconazole, were recovered from 52 wheat fields near 11 cities in Henan Province. The inhibitory activity of metconazole on the mycelia of the Henan F. graminearum population was determined, and EC50 values were calculated. The range of EC50 values of the Henan F. graminearum population to metconazole was 0.0103 to 0.0775 μg/ml with an average EC50 value of 0.0293 ± 0.0114 μg/ml. The sensitivity frequency distribution curve presented a single peak in a narrow range. No cross‐resistance was found between the DMI fungicide metconazole and the benzimidazole fungicide carbendazim or the cyanoacrylate fungicide phenamacril. Therefore, these sensitivity data could be used as the baseline of F. graminearum susceptibility to metconazole in the Henan Province and provide the basis for monitoring metconazole resistance in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Two homologs PsnSuSy1 and PsnSuSy2 from poplar played largely similar but little distinct roles in modulating sink strength, accelerating vegetative growth and modifying secondary growth of plant. Co-overexpression of them together resulted in small but perceptible additive effects. Sucrose synthase (SuSy) acts as a crucial determinant of sink strength by controlling the conversion of sucrose into UDP-glucose, which is not only the sole precursor for cellulose biosynthesis but also an extracellular signaling molecule for plants growth. Therefore, modification of SuSy activity in plants is of utmost importance. We have isolated two SuSy genes from poplar, PsnSuSy1 and PsnSuSy2, which were preferentially expressed in secondary xylem/phloem. To investigate their functions, T2 tobacco transgenic lines of PsnSuSy1 and PsnSuSy2 were generated and then crossed to generate PsnSuSy1/PsnSuSy2 dual overexpression transgenic lines. SuSy activities in all lines were significantly increased though PsnSuSy1/PsnSuSy2 lines only exhibited slightly higher SuSy activities than either PsnSuSy1 or PsnSuSy2 lines. The significantly increased fructose and glucose, engendered by augmented SuSy activities, caused the alternations of many physiological, biochemical measures and phenotypic traits that include accelerated vegetative growth, thickened secondary cell wall, and increased stem breaking force, accompanied with altered expression levels of related pathway genes. The correlation relationships between SuSy activities and many of these traits were statistically significant. However, differences of almost all traits among three types of transgenic lines were insignificant. These findings clearly demonstrated that PsnSuSy1 and PsnSuSy2 had similar but little distinct functions and insubstantial additive effects on modulating sink strength and affecting allocation of carbon elements among secondary cell wall components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grey mould, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea Pers ex Fr., is a very destructive and important disease worldwide. Fluazinam is a phenylpyridinamine fungicide with broad‐spectrum activities. The baseline sensitivity of B. cinerea to fluazinam is yet to be established in Henan Province, China. In this study, a total of 117 field isolates of B. cinerea were collected from 49 commercial greenhouses in different locations of Henan Province, in 2016, and the sensitivities of these isolates to fluazinam were determined based on mycelial growth. The effective concentration for 50% (EC50) values ranged from 0.0038 to 0.0441 μg/ml, and the mean EC50 value was 0.0201 ± 0.0081 μg/ml for mycelial growth. The frequency distribution range presented a unimodal curve. To define the cross‐resistance relationships, the linear correlation coefficients of the EC50 values between fluazinam and carbendazim, procymidone, pyrimethanil or boscalid were analysed. The results showed that no correlation was observed between fluazinam and the other tested fungicides. These results provide important information to growers for the prevention and control of grey mould. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) mesocrystals consist of a large number of subunits possessing distinct characteristics of large surface area, high crystallinity and large density and are considered as promising potential materials for energy storage and conversion, sensing, and photocatalysis. Therefore, it is significant to develop a robust and universal method to synthesize and precisely tune the TiO2 mesocrystals at low temperatures. However, this is still a big challenge and has not been largely achieved. In this context, we develop a robust method of synthesizing TiO2 mesocrystals by a facile hydrolysis and evolution process induced by acetic acid (HAc) solution at 80 °C using TiN as a starting material. The size and crystallinity of the TiO2 mesocrystals can be easily tuned by adjusting the HAc content and reaction time. The HAc governs the transformation of TiO2 from the amorphous state to the anatase phase at a low temperature (80 °C). The average size of the TiO2 mesocrystals can be tuned from ∼100 nm to 20 nm by changing the HAc content. TiO2 mesocrystals with a spindle-like morphology were formed and the tiny anatase TiO2 grains were grown along the same orientation [001] plane, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance for lithium-ion storage. The specific capacity at 1C is 180 mA h g−1 and the retention is 92.9% after 100 cycles. Thereby, this study presents a universal method of crafting anatase TiO2 mesocrystals at low temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium oxide (TiO2) has attracted great interest as a promising anode material for lithium (Li) ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium (Na) ion batteries (SIBs). However, the key factors that dictate the Li-ion and Na-ion storage and transportation in TiO2 remain unclear. Herein, we report a facile hydrolysis route to crafting a variety of high tap-density TiO2 spheres with controllable size and hierarchical pores. The Li-ion and Na-ion storage properties based on these TiO2 spheres were systematically investigated. The pore distribution and the size of TiO2 spheres were found to exert profound influence on the Li-ion and Na-ion storage and transportation. The Li-ion storage and transportation in dense TiO2 spheres was dependent mainly upon the micropore distribution and volume and independent of the size of spheres. In contrast, the excellent Na-ion storage and transportation in TiO2 spheres was enabled by the loose structure with a large macroscopic pore volume and shortened Na-ion diffusion length. High tap-density TiO2 spheres (1.06 g cm−3) with superior Li-ion and Na-ion storage properties were produced, exhibiting a Li-ion storage specific capacity of 189 mA h g−1 at 1C and a high capacity retention of 88.1% after 100 cycles, and a Na-ion storage specific capacity of 184 mA h g−1 at 1C and capacity retention of 90.5% after 200 cycles. The ability to understand the critical factors controlling the Li-ion and Na-ion storage in high tap-density TiO2 spheres enables their implementation for practical applications in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The online version of the original article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-019-00850-w. B Retraction Note: Plant Molecular Biology (2019) 100:215-230 b https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-019-00850-w The Editor in Chief has retracted this article. [Extracted from the article]

Relatively well crystallized and high aspect ratio Mg-Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were prepared by coprecipitation process in aqueous solution and further rehydrated to an organic modified LDH (OLDH) in the presence of surfactant. The intercalated structure and high aspect ratio of OLDH were verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A series of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC)/OLDH composite films with different contents of OLDH were prepared via a melt-blending method. Their cross section morphologies, gas barrier properties and tensile strength were investigated as a function of OLDH contents. SEM results show that OLDH platelets are well dispersed within the composites and oriented parallel to the composite sheet plane. The gas barrier properties and tensile strength are obviously enhanced upon the incorporation of OLDH. Particularly, PPC/2%OLDH film exhibits the best barrier properties among all the composite films. Compared with pure PPC, the oxygen permeability coefficient (OP) and water vapor permeability coefficient (WVP) is reduced by 54% and 17% respectively with 2% OLDH addition. Furthermore, the tensile strength of PPC/2%OLDH is 83% higher than that of pure PPC with only small lose of elongation at break. Therefore, PPC/OLDH composite films show great potential application in packaging materials due to its biodegradable properties, superior oxygen and moisture barrier characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We first introduce the notion of partial group twisted smash product and construct a Morita context for partial coaction of co-Frobenius Hopf group coalgebra relating generalized partial group smash product and partial coinvariants. Furthermore, we study group-Galois extensions and reobtain some classical results in the partial case. Finally, we prove that any partial group Galois extension induces a unique partial group entwining map compatible with the partial right coaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile route to synthesize amorphous TiO2 nanospheres by a controlled oxidation and hydrolysis process without any structure-directing agents or templates is presented. The size of the amorphous TiO2 nanospheres can be easily turned from 20 to 1500 nm by adjusting either the Ti species or ethanol content in the reaction solution. The phase structure of nanospheres can be controlled by hydrothermal treatment. The TiO2 nanospheres show excellent size-dependent light-scattering effects and can be structured into a light-harvesting layer for dye-sensitized solar cells with a quite high power conversion efficiency of 9.25 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let H be a weak Hopf algebra in the sense of Böhm et al. (J Algebra 221:385-438, ) measuring an algebra A. Let A# H be a weak crossed product with σ invertible. Then in this paper we first give some conditions for A# H to be a weak Hopf algebra. Next the spectral sequence for Ext will be constructed which yields an estimate for the global dimension of A# H in terms of the corresponding data for H and A. Furthermore, we will investigate when A ⊂ A# H becomes a separable extension. Finally, we prove that if H and its dual H* are both semisimple, then the finitistic dimension of A# H is equal to that of A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Size and shape, in particular of the external surfaces, are very important factors in determining the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanostructures. Here, we demonstrate that the sea-urchin-like rutile superstructure with ultrathin nanorods and exposed {110} faces is an excellent photocatalyst in the removal of CrVI ions from plating wastewater. The superstructure consists of ultrathin rutile nanorods with a specific surface area of 224.4 m2 g-1; the nanorods have a diameter of several nanometers, and the exposed faces are predominantly {110} faces. This special morphology exhibits a structure-enhanced catalytic activity because it facilitates the transport of photoelectrons to the rutile nanorod {110} faces and prevents them recombining with holes. The rutile superstructure proved excellent at removing chromium from plating wastewater by photocatalytic reduction of CrVI to CrIII in sunlight, and at adsorption of the CrIII ions. The removal effectiveness is nearly 100 % at initial Cr concentrations below 53.7 ppm, and the removal capacity can reach about 1000 mg g-1 under irradiation by sunlight for 3 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To classify the quality of the resistance spot welding process, a relationship between the welder electrode displacement curve characteristics and the weld shear force has been explored. Eleven statistical features of the displacement signals are extracted to represent the welding quality. Self-organizing map (SOM) neural networks have been employed to discover their quantitative relationship. In order to identify the influence of various displacement curve features, all of the available combinations have been used as inputs for SOM neural networks. Further we analyze the impact of each feature on the classification results, yielding the best quality-indicative combination of characteristics. There is no determinant relationship between the welding quality and the level of expulsion rate. The quality of welding is most impacted by the maximum electrode displacement, the span of welding process and the centroid of the electrode displacement curve. The experiments show that SOM is feasible to assess the welding quality and can render the visualized intuitive evaluation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the functor F from the category of partial entwined modules to the category of right A-modules to be separable. This leads to a generalized notion of integrals of partial entwining structures. As an application, we prove a Maschke-type theorem for partial entwined modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let π be a discrete group. Given a Doi-Hopf π-datum ( H, A, C) and α∈ π, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the functor F from the category of Doi-Hopf π-modules to the category of right A-modules to be separable. This leads to a generalized notion of integrals. As an application, we prove a Maschke type theorem for Doi-Hopf π-modules and relative Hopf π-modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method of constructing quasitriangular group-cograded multiplier Hopf algebras is provided. For a multiplier Hopf dual pairing σ between regular multiplier Hopf algebras A and B, we introduce the concept of a σ-compatible pairing (Φ, Ψ, σ ), where Φ and Ψ are actions of the twisted semi-direct group [InlineMediaObject not available: see fulltext.] of a group G on A and B, respectively. We construct a twisted double group-cograded multiplier Hopf algbera D( A, B; σ, Φ, Ψ). Furthermore, if there is a canonical multiplier in M( B ⊗ A) we show existence of quasitriangular structure on D( A, B; σ, Φ, Ψ). As an application, special cases and examples are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using supported multi-component zinc dicarboxylate catalyst, poly(1,2-propylene carbonate- co-1,2-cyclohexylene carbonate) (PPCHC) was successfully synthesized from carbon dioxide (CO) with propylene oxide (PO) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO). The conversion of epoxides dramatically increased up to 89.7% (yield: 384.2 g of polymer per g of Zn) with increasing reaction temperature from 60°C to 80°C. The optimized reaction temperature is 80°C. The chemical structure, the molecular weight, as well as thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting terpolymers were investigated extensively. When CHO feed content (mol%) is lower than 10%, the PPCHC terpolymers have number average molecular weight ( M) ranging from 102 × 10 to 202 × 10 and molecular weight distribution (MWD) values ranging from 2.8 to 3.5. In contrast to poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), the introduction of small amount of CHO leads to increase in the glass transition temperature from 38.0°C to 42.6°C. Similarly, the mechanical strength of the synthesized terpolymer is greatly enhanced due to the incorporation of CHO. These improvements in mechanical and thermal properties are of importance for the practical application of PPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the Morita context and graded cases for weak group corings and derive some equivalent conditions for µ to be surjective. Furthermore, we develop Galois theory for weak group corings. As an application, we give Galois theory for comodulelike algebras over a weak Hopf group coalgebra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The band gap of two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystals with the square lattice of rotational square air columns made of GaAs and Ge is analyzed by the plane wave expansion method. The effects of dielectric refractive index and crystal structures on the absolute photonic band gap are investigated. The results show that the maximum absolute photonic band gap emerges when the square air columns are rotated for 30° and the filling ratio f of the medium is 0.3276. It is also noticed that absolute photonic band gaps appear when the refractive index of the medium ( n) is 2.61. When n=3.70, the width of the absolute photonic bandgaps reaches the maximum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(propylene carbonate maleate) (PPCMA) was successfully synthesized from carbon dioxide with propylene oxide and maleic anhydride using supported zinc glutarate as catalyst. The PPCMA can be readily cross-linked using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as a cross-linking agent. The gel content, thermal performance and mechanical properties of the cross-linked PPCMA were then investigated. The results showed that the gel content increased with increasing DCP content and reaction temperature. The as-prepared PPCMA showed higher glass transition temperature ( Tg) and decomposition temperature compared with uncross-linkable poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC). The introduction of small amount of cross-linkable moiety provides a very effective way to improve the thermal stability and to extend the molecular weight of PPC, consequently extending its application area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to investigate the feasibility of intramembranous osteogenesis from tissue-engineered bone membrane in vivo. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of rabbits were harvested, expanded and some of them were induced into osteoblasts. Porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) was converted by a series of physical and chemical procedures into a scaffold. MSCs and induced osteoblasts were seeded separately onto the scaffold, thus fabricating two kinds of tissue-engineered bone membrane. A total of 12 New Zealand rabbits were subjected to a surgical operation; a 15 mm bone segment, including the periosteum, was resected from the radius on both sides of each rabbit to create critical bone defects. The two kinds of tissue-engineered bone membrane and SIS (as control) were implanted randomly into the site of bone defect. The animals had radiographs and were killed after 4 weeks. The specimens were harvested and histological examination performed for evidence of osteogenesis. Bone tissue had formed in defects treated by the two kinds of tissue-engineered bone membrane at 4 weeks. This was supported by the X-ray and histological examination, which confirmed the segmental gap bridged by bone. There was no attempt to bridge in the bone defect treated by SIS. Tissue-engineered bone membrane, constructed by seeding allogeneic cells on an xenogeneic and bio-derived scaffold, can repair critical bone defects successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to study the twisting theory of weak Hopf algebras and give an equivalence between the (braided) monoidal categories of weak Hopf bimodules over the original and the twisted weak Hopf algebra to generalize the result from Oeckl (2000). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral resistance of silicon-based p-type and n-type Schottky junctions is investigated. After one electrode on a metallic film is irradiated, the differential lateral resistance of the system is dependent on the direction of the bias current: it keeps constant in one direction and decreases in the opposite direction. By systematically investigating the electrical potential changes in silicon and the junction, we propose a new mechanism based on light-controlled leak current. Our work provides an insight into the nature of this phenomenon and will facilitate the advanced design of switchable devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anisotropic resistances along [001] and [1-10] axes are investigated for an La5/8−yPryCa3/8MnO3 (y = 0.43) (LPCMO) film grown on (110)-oriented LaAlO3 substrate. It is found that the charge order (CO) transition is much stronger and the resistance is larger along the [001] direction than that along the [1-10] direction. Special attention has been paid to the different effects of a magnetic field on the resistances of the two axes. The resistance is more susceptible to the magnetic field along the [001] direction compared with that along the [1-10] direction. Our results demonstrate that the anisotropic transport properties can be ascribed to the intrinsic anisotropic strain field in the film, which changes the shape of metallic domains for the phase separation manganite film. We also provide a feasible method to rule out the Joule heat effect from the electric current effect. This could be useful for future construction and application of materials and devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]