Search

With the rapid progress of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), integer ambiguity resolution has gradually become one of the key factors that affecting Precise Point Positioning (PPP) to achieve high-precision positioning results and fast convergence. Fortunately, the proposal of observable-specific code/phase biases (OSB) has greatly alleviated this problem tremendously. Different from obtaining OSB by dual-frequency linear combinations, this research proposed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) OSB estimation method from raw observations. This method allows for more flexible estimation in a global network, without the need to compose the complex linear combinations when involving multi-frequency measurements processing. The BDS-3 observation data collected from 112 stations over one month (October 2022), containing B1C/B1I/B2a/B2b/B3I frequencies, were used for five-frequency phase OSBs estimation. Subsequently, static and kinematic PPP were executed utilizing two different ambiguity resolution strategies to corroborate the efficacy of this method. The results revealed that the BDS-3 five-frequency phase OSBs possessed good monthly stability, with standard deviation less than 0.3 cycle. High position accuracy was achieved in the static mode by fixing the ambiguity directly, with root mean square (RMS) of 3.0, 4.8 and 9.9 mm. Meanwhile, the ambiguity fixed rate was maintained at a high level around 96 % in multi-frequency tests. Simultaneously, the kinematic mode also presented the centimeter-level dynamic positioning results and the positioning accuracy improved by 55, 31 and 17 % in the East, North and Up components, respectively. Compared to the float solutions, the adoption of multi-frequency OSBs significantly accelerated the convergence speed by 55 % on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite structures material such as the doped barium cerate-zirconates possessing high concentration and mobility of proton defects have drawn substantial attention. However, the low thermodynamic stability of alkaline earth cations hinders it further application in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). From this point of view, lanthanum-based perovskites without alkaline earth metals can be considered as suitable electrolyte material for SOFC. In this study, a new perovskite material La(Mg 2/3 Nb 1/3)O 3 (LMN) is introduced as a high performing electrolyte with considerable proton conduction conductivity of 0.0023S cm−1 at 550 °C for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs). LMN electrolyte is characterized in terms of phase structure, morphological feature and surface properties. It is found that LMN sample is stable under fuel cell condition and deliver promising performance with a maximum output power density of 742 mW cm−2 at 550 °C. Moreover, concentration cells experiment confirmed that the LMN possessed hybrid proton/oxide conduction and was dominated by proton conduction surface properties. Our work thus vouch that LMN can be an efficient alternative electrolyte for low temperature fuel cell applications. • A new perovskite material La(Mg 2/3 Nb 1/3)O 3 was applied as electrolyte in SOFC. • The SOFC with LMN electrolyte achieved P max of 742 mW cm−2 under 550 °C. • LMN electrolyte delivered hybrid protonic/oxide ion conduction. • Proton conduction predominates in LMN materials with the intrinsic proton conductivity up to 0.0023 S cm−1 at 550 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the capitellum is a joint defect that is common among adolescent athletes. It is important to diagnose OCD as early as possible, because early-stage OCD lesions have a high rate of spontaneous healing with rest. Medical ultrasound could potentially be used as a screening tool for OCD but is limited by the use of delay-and-sum (DAS) reconstruction. In this study, we tested conventional delay-multiply-and-sum (DMAS) and novel low-pass DMAS reconstruction algorithms for better visualization of OCD lesions. We created phantom and cadaveric OCD models that simulated a range of OCD lesion severities and stabilities. We also imaged an in vivo case of OCD in a patient study. In the reconstructed images, several profiles were taken to measure OCD lesion contrast, cartilage contrast, crack thickness error and bone interface clarity. In the phantom and cadaveric OCD models, we found that histogram-matched conventional DMAS reconstruction improved lesion contrast by up to 16%, cartilage contrast by 26% and bone interface clarity by 15% on average compared with DAS reconstruction. Histogram-matched low-pass DMAS reconstruction improved lesion contrast by up to 22%, cartilage contrast by 45%, and bone interface clarity by 29% on average compared with DAS reconstruction. In the in vivo case of OCD, we found that histogram-matched conventional and low-pass DMAS reconstruction improved lesion contrast by 22% and 26%, respectively. The application of DMAS reconstruction improved the ability of medical ultrasound to detect OCD lesions of the capitellum when compared with DAS reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• APRIL and BAFF levels are elevated in the AH of vitreoretinal lymphoma patients and uveitis, and our results show that BAFF and APRIL AH levels are markedly increased in patients with uveitis compared with VRL. • In this retrospective study, we illustrate the potential of APRIL and BAFF as reliable diagnostic biomarkers for differentiating VRL from uveitis. • A significant reduction in AH APRIL and BAFF levels during chemotherapy suggests that they can be used as an indicator for efficacy assessment for VRL patients. Early diagnosis of vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) is critical for the successful treatment of this rare intraocular malignancy. However, fast and reliable diagnosis of VRL in patients presenting with intermediate or posterior non-infectious uveitis remains a challenge. A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) and B-cell activating factor (BAFF) are vital factors in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and prognosis of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and systemic autoimmune diseases. However, their utility as biomarkers for the diagnosis of VRL and uveitis remains unclear. In this retrospective study, we analyzed APRIL and BAFF levels in the aqueous humor (AH) of 43 eyes of 40 patients, including 23 eyes of 20 patients with VRL, eight eyes of eight patients with uveitis, and 12 eyes of 12 patients with other ocular diseases (OODs). Additionally, we measured their levels after induction of chemotherapy in five eyes of five patients with VRL. AH levels of APRIL reliably distinguished VRL from uveitis, with a specificity of 78.3% and sensitivity of 75%. BAFF also showed similar potential. Serial AH analysis of patients with VRL during chemotherapy demonstrated a corresponding decline in AH levels of APRIL and BAFF. This study extends the spectrum of valuable diagnostic biomarkers for VRL and uveitis. In patients with uveitis, the assessment of AH APRIL may help accelerate the diagnosis of VRL. Moreover, our results underline the important role of APRIL and BAFF in therapeutic monitoring of VRL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyploidization plays a crucial role in plant breeding and genetic improvement. Although the phenomenon of polyploidization affecting the area and number of plant epidermal pavement cells is well described, the underlying mechanism behind this phenomenon is still largely unknown. In this study, we found that the leaves of autotetraploid birch (Betula pendula) stopped cell division earlier and had a larger cell area. In addition, compared to diploids, tetraploids have a smaller stomatal density and fewer stomatal numbers. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed no significant difference in global DNA methylation levels between diploids and tetraploids. A total of 9154 differential methylation regions (DMRs) were identified between diploids and tetraploids, with CHH-type DMRs accounting for 91.73% of all types of DMRs. Further research has found that there are a total of 2105 differentially methylated genes (DMEGs) with CHH-type DMRs in birch. The GO functional enrichment results of DMEGs showed that differentially methylated genes were mainly involved in terms such as cellular process and metabolic process. The analysis of differentially methylated genes and differentially expressed genes suggests that hyper-methylation in the promoter region may inhibit the gene expression level of BpCYCD3;2 in tetraploids. To investigate the function of BpCYCD3;2 in birch, we obtained overexpression and repressed expression lines of BpCYCD3;2 through genetic transformation. The morphogenesis of both BpCYCD3;2 -OE and BpCYCD3;2 -RE lines was not affected. However, low expression of BpCYCD3;2 can lead to inhibition of cell division in leaves, and this inhibition of cell proliferation can be compensated for by an increase in cell size. Additionally, we found that the number and density of stomata in the BpCYCD3;2 -RE lines were significantly reduced, consistent with the tetraploid. These data indicate that changes in cell division ability and stomatal changes in tetraploid birch can be partially attributed to low expression of the BpCYCD3;2 gene, which may be related to hyper-methylation in its promoter region. These results will provide new insights into the mechanism by which polyploidization affects plant development. • There is no significant difference in global DNA methylation levels between diploid and tetraploid birches. • The decrease in the expression level of BpCYCD3;2 gene in tetraploids may be attributed to hypermethylation of the promoter region. • The decrease in BpCYCD3;2 expression level can lead to changes in the number and area of leaf epidermal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A method of retrieving plant height and phonological information by GNSS is proposed. • The retrieval heights are in relatively high agreement with in-situ values, with RMSE of less than 9 cm. • The difference between estimated phenology metric dates and reference value from NDVI is within 8 days. • High correlations observed between GNSS-IR observations and NDVI and low to LAI. Monitoring vegetation growth utilizing the Global Navigation Satellite System-interferometric reflectometry (GNSS-IR) technology has obtained widespread attention in recent years. GNSS-IR based approaches demonstrate the advantageous characteristics of high temporal resolution while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Most existing studies generally utilize reflected signals to retrieve the plant height and vegetation water content, while few studies focus on vegetation phenology and yield. In this study, both phenology metric dates and plant height of wheat were extracted using reflected signals data from GPS and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in a wheat farmland, located at northeast of Henan, China. The results showed that there was reasonable consistency between the retrieval heights and in-situ measurements, with the correlation coefficient of 0.836 for GPS and 0.868 for BDS. The damping coefficient calculated by signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) presented obvious characteristics during different wheat growth stages and the trends of the damping coefficient were basically consistent with that of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). When taking a lag between the leaf area index (LAI) and the damping coefficient into consideration, the correlation was greatly increased. Moreover, the phenology metrics dates extracted by the damping coefficient were close to those estimated by NDVI with errors less than 8 days. Hence, this research preliminarily proves the feasibility of obtaining the wheat phenological period by using GNSS-IR technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • In this study, a stable, uniform, and sensitive SERS substrate was successfully synthesized by combining COFs and AgNPs. • We conducted a detailed analysis of the specific role of COFs in the substrate through their characterization and DFT simulation. • The detection limits achieved in amoxicillin aqueous solution, lake water, and honey were found to be satisfactory. Specifically, the detection limits were 0.279 μg/L in the aqueous solution, 8.246 μg/L in lake water, and 2.47 ng/g in honey. This study presents the design of a Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, COF@Ag, for the sensitive detection of Amoxicillin (AMX) in lake water and honey. Furthermore, the study investigates the role of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in SERS detection. The characterization results demonstrate the capability of COFs to efficiently enrich Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), resulting in a more concentrated distribution of hotspots and an enhanced electromagnetic field on the substrate. By employing density functional theory (DFT) simulation, the frontier electronic orbitals of COFs and AMX were analyzed, and the chemical bonds and weak interactions in the system were examined using the Interaction Region Indicator (IRI) method to propose potential enhancement mechanisms. In aqueous solutions, the linear range is 1 μg/L-30 μg/L, with a limit of detection (LOD) 0.279 μg/L. In lake water, the linear range span from 100 μg/L to 500 μg/L, with a detection limit of 8.244 μg/L. For honey, the linear range extend from 20 ng/g to 100 ng/g, with a detection limit of 2.917 ng/g. This method holds key significance in facilitating the rapid detection of amoxicillin and advancing the application of COFs in SERS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Special attention has been paid in recent years to the social and environmental implications of municipal solid waste. There are potential social and environmental issues associated with storing any waste in landfill. Soil, groundwater, and surface water contamination are issues related to landfill and the migration of contaminants by leaching to adjacent areas. The current research attempts to simulate the penetration of landfill contaminants through groundwater leaching, using PART modeling approaches. Multiple social factors, taken from five years of data from 20 counties and cities in Taiwan were used as predictors of groundwater arsenic content. The results indicate that the proposed model attains a precision rate of 87%. The findings suggest that county and city demographics and the volume of waste removed are two major factors in determining the arsenic content of groundwater. The proposed predictive model can be adopted by agencies as an effective early warning tool for groundwater arsenic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Severe permafrost degradation was found beneath the EBTS, with temperatures nearing thawing point. • 80% settlement from foundation ground, transition weakening can cause up to 49% of total settling. • Expansion joint was still observed narrowing during winter despite partial abutment-beam contact. • Backfill frost heave induced abutment displacement, resulting in expansion joint failure. Differential embankment settlement and expansion joint failure in the embankment bridge transition section (EBTS) are two main issues endangering the safety of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) in permafrost. A better understanding of the causes of EBTS deformation can offer valuable guidance for engineering maintenance. In this study, a comprehensive field investigation and a series of simulations were carried out to reveal the formation causes. The results revealed significant permafrost degradation beneath the EBTS after 15 years of operation, with temperatures nearing the thawing point. Despite contact between the abutment and beam end, the expansion joint exhibited continuous narrowing, particularly during the cold season. Permafrost degradation was primarily attributed to the heating effect of adjacent bridge structures. Foundation ground settlement emerged as the primary cause of embankment settlement in the transition section, contributing up to 80 % of the total settlement. Differential embankment settlement of the EBTS primarily stemmed from the uneven warming or thawing of permafrost, induced by the thermal impact of the adjacent bridge structures. The weakening of the transition section had a concentrated impact on embankment settlement within a 12-meter span behind the abutment, inducing approximately 30 % to 50 % of the embankment settlement. The backfill soils near the abutment experienced severe lateral frost heave in cold seasons. Horizontal displacement of the abutment caused by the lateral frost heave was identified as the main reason for expansion joint failure. Additional cooling measures are necessary to ensure the long-term stability of the EBTSs along the QTR, considering the faster degradation of ambient permafrost than expected. The findings offer valuable insights for the maintenance and design of railways in permafrost regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that the number of wheelchair users is on the rise at the global level due to population aging, it is crucial to secure their rights to have adequate access to healthcare services. Spatial accessibility to healthcare services has been well recognized to influence people's health. However, research on healthcare accessibility of wheelchair users is scarce. This study proposes a barrier-free path planning method to estimate wheelchair users' travel time as the measurement of their accessibility. A study on Wuhan, China, is conducted to evaluate the spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users and compare it with the general population. The results show that: (1) the levels of healthcare accessibility are unevenly distributed across the city center and the periphery of the study area for both wheelchair users and the general population, while wheelchair users have lower accessibility overall; (2) both similarities and differences in hospital and travel mode selection to access healthcare services co-exist in the study area between the two groups; (3) significant inequality in healthcare accessibility is observed in Hongshan and Qingshan districts. The research findings are beneficial for policymakers to further improve healthcare accessibility and its equality by optimizing the allocation of hospital resources and barrier-free public transport. • Proposes a barrier-free path planning method to estimate wheelchair user's accessibility. • Compares the spatial accessibility to healthcare services for wheelchair users with that of the general population. • Explores the similarities and differences in hospital and travel-mode selection pertinent to healthcare access for the two groups. • Measures the equality in healthcare accessibility between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breakthrough infections of hepatitis B virus (HBV) after neonatal vaccination occurred in some adolescents and young adults who were born to mothers with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). We aimed to determine the impacts of prenatal HBsAg exposure on the generation of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and antibodies (anti-HBs) specific to HBsAg. To mimic human prenatal HBsAg exposure, we mated female Alb1-HBV (HBV-M) mice with male C57BL/6J mice. Of their first filial generation (F1), HBV-M/F1+ expressed HBsAg in liver tissues and blood, and HBV-M/F1− mice exposed HBsAg in amniotic fluid. At their four weeks old, each HBV-M/F1 mouse was immunized with hepatitis B vaccine containing 5 μg HBsAg subcutaneously. Both HBV-M/F1− and HBV-M/F1+ mice had reduced generation of HBsAg-specific CD4+CXCR5+PD1+ Tfh cells and CD138+IgD− plasma cells in comparison with C57BL/6J mice. Results of coculturing the Tfh cells with B cells that were isolated from different strains of mice indicated that CD4+ T cell activation in response to HBsAg was critical for anti-HBs generation after prenatal HBsAg exposure. When interleukin (IL) 21 was supplemented, the generation of HBsAg-specific Tfh and plasma cells in HBV-M/F1− mice was improved, while supplementation showed little effect in HBV-M/F1+ mice. In HBV-M/F1− mice, HBV vaccine booster improved the generation of Tfh cells and plasma cells, and enhanced anti-HBs production. Impaired generation of HBsAg-specific Tfh cells and plasma cells after prenatal HBsAg exposure can be improved by HBV vaccine booster, most likely increasing IL-21 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore drilling is a complex and hazardous operation. The safety of the drilling operation is a strong function of many time-dependent parameters. The traditional risk analysis model fails to capture the impact of spatial and temporal variations of these parameters. This paper presents a Bayesian Network (BN) model for the offshore drilling operation. The model uniquely considers the evolution of hazards as a function of time and space, and failure of the safety barriers. The model development is explained using the bowtie approach, which is routinely used in the industry for risk management. The bowtie model is subsequently transformed into a BN model and simulated for the well blowout scenarios. The blowout risk is updated based on operational field observations. An uncertainty analysis is also conducted to capture the spatial variability of the parameters. The results of the BN model provide a dynamic risk profile of the blowout accident during the drilling operation. Other possible accident scenarios, such as lost circulation, can also be analyzed using the proposed model. The proposed BN model serves as a robust tool for risk management of offshore drilling operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixing the posterolateral fragments of tibial plateau fractures has been challenging owing to potential neurovascular injuries and fibular head blocks. Several surgical approaches and fixation techniques have been reported, with distinct limitations. We propose a novel lateral tibia plateau hook plate system and compare its biomechanical stability with other fixation methods. Twenty-four synthetic tibia models were simulated to present posterolateral tibial plateau fractures. These models were randomly assigned to three groups. Group A models were fixed with the lateral tibia plateau hook plate system, Group B with variable-angle anterolateral locking compression plates, and Group C with direct posterior buttress plates. The models' biomechanical stability was evaluated using static (gradually increased axial compressive loads) and fatigue (cyclically loaded from 100 to 600 N for 2000 cycles each) tests. Groups A and C models exhibited comparable axial stiffness, subsidence load, failure load, and displacement in the static test. Group A model exhibited higher subsidence and failure loads than Group B model. Groups A and C models exhibited comparable displacement at 100 N cyclic loading in the fatigue test. Group C model was more stable at higher loads. Group C model endured the highest subsidence cycle numbers, followed by Groups A and B models. The lateral tibia plateau hook plate system provided similar static biomechanical stability as the direct posterior buttress plates and comparable dynamic stability under limited axial loading. This system is a potential posterolateral treatment choice owing to its convenience and safety, in treating tibia plateau fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of intraocular cytokines in aqueous or vitreous humor is one of the most effective methods to assist in the diagnosis of VRL. • Aqueous humor could be used to assist in the diagnosis of vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) by detecting IL-6 and IL-10. • The use of aqueous humor to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy is equivalent to that of vitreous fluid. Vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) is a subtype of central lymphoma, which at present is hard to diagnose. The gold standard of VRL diagnosis is vitreous cytology, but the vitreous specimen needs to be obtained by the invasive surgery of vitrectomy. Aqueous humor is easier to obtain, has better stability, and has a lower operating risk than vitreous specimens. We studied the diagnostic value of interleukin 10 (IL-10), IL-10/ IL-6 ratio and interleukin score for intraocular lymphoma diagnosis (ISOLD) in both vitreous and aqueous humor for vitreoretinal lymphoma, to determine if aqueous humor could be used to assist in the diagnosis of vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) by detecting IL-6 and IL-10. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of vitreous fluid IL-10, IL-10/IL-6 ratio and ISOLD at the diagnosis of VRL diagnosis were 93.5%, 93.6% and 93.8%, respectively. The AUC of the aqueous humor IL-10, IL-10/IL-6 and ISOLD for VRL diagnosis were 83.8%, 72.8% and 85.9%, respectively. Aqueous humor can thus replace vitreous humor as a potential sample type for the diagnosis of intraocular lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gene therapy can be classified as in vivo or ex vivo. • Gene therapy has developed rapidly from World to China Mainland. • In vivo approach is easier to get launched as IND. • The most promising gene therapy for solid tumors in vivo is oncolytic virus. Gene therapy involves the introduction of new genes into cells, to modify or manipulate the expression of a gene or to alter the biological properties, for the purpose of treating disease. It is designed to treat genetic diseases at their root, by correcting the mutation responsible, its success in treatment of blood cancers and rare diseases is encouraging, and it is also beginning to show promising effects against solid tumors. Here, we comprehensively analyze all the active clinical trials of gene therapy for solid tumors from January 2010 to April 2020. Our analysis highlights the increasing trends in gene therapy trials in China and elsewhere, as well as the potential of oncolytic viruses as gene therapy products for solid tumors in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressurized O 2 /H 2 O combustion is a potential CCS technology. In this study, a pressurized horizontal furnace was used to prepare pyrolysis char under pressurized inert atmosphere, and then a pressurized drop tube furnace was used to carry out char combustion under pressurized O 2 /H 2 O atmosphere (5% O 2 , 20% H 2 O) at the same pressure and temperature as the pyrolysis process. The carbon conversion of char under different pressures (0.4/0.7/1.0 MPa), temperatures (900/950/1000 °C), and residence time (1.38/2.76/4.14 s) was studied by proximate analysis. The random pore model was used to calculate reaction kinetic parameters of char combustion at different pressures. The results show that when the pressure increased from 0.4 MPa to 0.7 MPa, the carbon conversion increased significantly, with the increment reaching up to 9.90 percentage points. The marginal diminishing effect became significant when the pressure was greater than 0.7 MPa. The reaction activation energy and pre-exponential factor at 0.4/0.7/1.0 MPa were 66.53/66.29/35.79 kJ/mol and 20.54/36.84/1.69 s−1, respectively. • Pressurization promote carbon conversion of char combustion in O 2 /H 2 O atmosphere. • The promotion of pressurization weakened when pressure was greater than 0.7 MPa. • Activation energy at 0.4/0.7/1.0 MPa was 66.53/66.29/35.79 kJ/mol, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most promising bio-based polyester with great potential to replace for the petroleum-based polymers, which can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the inherent brittleness of PLA seriously restricts its broad applications. Herein, PLA/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/ethylene methyl acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate (EMA-GMA) ternary blends with different phase structures were prepared through reactive blending. The reactions between the epoxy groups of EMA-GMA and the carboxyl and hydroxyl end groups of PLA and PCL and were evidenced from the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis and rheological results. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) images clearly revealed the formation of stack structure of the PCL and EMA-GMA minor phases in PLA/PCL/EMA-GMA (80/15/5) blend, and core-shell particle structures in PLA/PCL/EMA-GMA (80/10/10) and (80/5/15) blends. In terms of elongation at break and impact toughness, PLA/PCL/EMA-GMA (80/5/15) blend presents the best properties among all the compositions. Moreover, it also behaved excellent stiffness-toughness balance. The toughening mechanism can be ascribed to the formation of core-shell structure and the existence of interfacial adhesion in the ternary blends. This work can provide guide for the preparation and design of PLA-based partially renewable supertough materials that can compete with conventional petro-derived plastics. • PLA/PCL/EMA-GMA ternary blends with different phase structures were fabricated. • Reactions of EMA-GMA with PLA and PCL were evidenced. • AFM images clearly revealed stack or core-shell structures of minor phases in PLA. • PLA/PCL/EMA-GMA (80/5/15) shows the best toughness and stiffness-toughness balance. • Core-shell structure of minor phases is mainly responsible for toughening of PLA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to observe the transformation of Chinese universities into think tanks and the adoption of new forms of promoting knowledge transfer in the social sciences, addressing the current lack of quantitative research on this topic in academia. The study introduces a two-stage network DEA and Malmquist index to analyze the transfer of social sciences in universities. The transfer process is divided into scientific research and knowledge transfer stages, and their changes from 2011 to 2019 are measured. The findings are as follows: Firstly, from 2011 to 2019, the global efficiency of universities increased from 0.415 to 0.469. Research efficiency improved from 0.506 to 0.597, and transfer efficiency increased from 0.117 to 0.218. This indicates intensified competition in both research and transfer stages, although knowledge transfer is still at a relatively low level. Secondly, the overall efficiency of universities declined by an average of 1.5 % per year. Research efficiency declined by 2.8 % per year, while transformation efficiency improved by 9.6 % per year. Thirdly, the decline in efficiency is not due to a reduction in the academic competence of the university but is influenced by publishing factors. Additionally, the potential for improvement in transfer efficiency is limited by the number of senior officials and their attention resources. Lastly, due to the regulation that research reports are equivalent to journal papers in Chinese universities, there may be signs of knowledge transfer replacing basic research in a few universities. This could potentially harm the basic research of Chinese social sciences. The experience of Chinese universities can provide a reference for promoting the knowledge transfer of social sciences in other countries. • The study examines the knowledge transfer efficiency of Chinese universities as think tanks in social sciences. • The article addresses the lack of quantitative research on knowledge transfer in social sciences. • The analysis employs a two-stage network DEA and Malmquist index. • The findings reveal an increase in transfer efficiency of universities and a decrease in research efficiency. • The experience of Chinese universities provides a reference for promoting knowledge transfer in social sciences globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we designed/developed a mixed fluorescence system with europium metal-organic framework (EDB) and zinc metal-organic framework (ZBNB). At the 270-nm excitation wavelength, the EDB-ZBNB dually emitted at 425 and 615 nm and displayed blue solution under 365-nm UV lamp. When HOCl was fortified, the 425-nm blue emission dropped progressively, while the 615-nm red emission was relatively stable. Upon addition of ClO−, the shortened fluorescence lifetime demonstrated that the quenched 425-nm fluorescence of ZBNB was owing to the occurrence of dynamic quenching effect. Besides, amino groups are protonated in water to form -NH3+, which interact with ClO− to form hydrogen bonds, reduce the distance between -NH3+ and ClO−, produce energy transfer and result in fluorescence quenching. The ratiometric fluoroprobe provided a significant color change from blue to red, making HOCl detection visual and rapid. This fluorescent probe overcome the disadvantage of conventional redox-based fluorescent probes that can be interfered by MnO4− and other oxidants with stronger oxidizing capacity than free ClO−. Furthermore, a smartphone-based portable sensing platform was developed based on EDB-ZBNB. By using a "Thingidentify" software on smartphone, the sensing platform was used to detect HOCl in waters with a low detection limit of 28.0 nM and the fortified recoveries of 98.87–103.60%. Thus, this study provides a novel and promising platform for the detection of free ClO− in monitoring water quality. [Display omitted] • A fluorescent probe for detection of hypochlorous acid was designed for the first-time using MOF combined with smartphone. • Ratiometric fluorescent sensor constructed by two MOFs enhance the stability of fluorescent material fordetection. • The fluorescent probe for detecting hypochlorous acid has a quite low LOD as 28.0 nM. • Strong oxidant has no effect on the detection process of this probe. • Hypochlorous acid in lakes and domestic water can be stably and efficiently detected by this probe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we performed coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations of G3, G4, and G5 polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers grafting with fatty acid (FTA) chains. The FTA chains of varying length and grafting densities (50% and 100% of surface terminals) correspond to pH 7 and 5, respectively. Our findings suggested that the structural properties of dendrimers were determined by dendrimer generation, polymerization degrees, and pH. With one exception, the size of the FTA grafting dendrimer shrank after fatty acid attachment. Because of the protonation of the dendrimer's interior amines at low pH, the FTA chains are distributed at the dendrimer's surface group. At pH 7, the FTA chains that have aggregated in the interior of the dendrimer cause chain crowding. Our research provided references on drug encapsulation and the lower toxicity of these hydrophobically modified nanoparticles. [Display omitted] • Attaching the FTA to the dendrimer, the size of the dendrimers decreased from 1.2% to 30.3% in two pH. • At neutral pH, FTA chains exhibited an aggregation behavior in the interior of the dendrimer. • At low pH, some dendrimers, especially G5-F4-5-50%, exhibited near spherical morphology and presented the attached FTA chains at the dendrimer surface, in agreement with recent experiment. • Hydrophobically modified PAMAM dendrimers which blocked positive charges performed lower toxicity than unmodified dendrimers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of PAI implant energy on the performance of MOSFET devices with varying threshold voltages is investigated using a commercial 28 nm CMOS platform. Physical and electrical characterization have first time revealed that, while high-energy cold PAI has little influence on vertical doping distribution, it has a disproportionate effect on device performance with different Vt flavors. This observation can be attributed to horizontal EOR damage. The findings emphasize the significance of fine-tuning PAI implant settings for each Vt flavor in multi-Vt SoCs in order to maintain high performance and ensure consistent device behavior across multiple Vt flavors. • Pre-amorphization implantation (PAI) has a disproportionate effect on device performance with different Vt flavors. • Dose-dependent Transient enhanced diffusion (TED) in the vicinity of the horizontal End of Range (EOR) damage region has been identified as the root cause of this Vt-dependent phenomenon. • Careful optimizing PAI implant parameters for each Vt flavor in multi-Vt SoCs is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chronic exposure to MC-LR has adverse effects on glucose metabolism. • MC-LR is able to enter pancreatic β cells and exhibit cytotoxicity. • MC-LR plays a crucial role in contributing to the development of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR), which is released from several bloom-forming cyanobacteria, on the glucose metabolism of pancreatic β cells in vivo and in vitro. Male mice and the pancreatic MIN6 cells were respectively treated with varying concentrations of MC-LR. After 3- or 6- months of MC-LR exposure, increase in the body weight of mice was found to be inhibited, and the structure of their pancreatic tissues was damaged with impaired glucose tolerance and impaired insulin secretion. Further, these toxic effects became more pronounced with time and with increased dosages. Direct cytotoxic effects of MC-LR were observed in the MIN6 pancreatic β-cells possibly due to their expression of the MC-LR specific transporter. MC-LR entered the MIN6 cells that significantly reduced the cell viability. Both in viv o and in vitro experiments demonstrated that MC-LR was able to induce apoptosis, possibly associated with mitochondrial damage. Above all, these findings implied that MC-LR may be transported into the pancreatic β cells and cause subsequent cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane steam reforming (MSR) is studied experimentally and numerically. The intrinsic kinetics of the reaction are determined using a micro fluidized bed with a catalyst containing more than 50 wt % NiO/α-Al 2 O 3. Intrinsic kinetic models are developed for parallel and serial reaction mechanisms, but the parallel mechanism is found to better match the experimental data. The activation energies for CO and CO 2 formation are 81.69 kJ/mol and 59.38 kJ/mol, respectively, and the pre-exponential factors are 316.6 mol/(g h kPa0.85) and 0.00263 mol/(g h kPa3.1), respectively. As the reaction temperature increases, the rate of CO formation increases and that of CO 2 decreases. At 800 °C, almost all the CH 4 is converted to CO and H 2 , and the methane conversion rate (X CH4), the hydrogen production rate (Y H2), and the CO selectivity (S CO) are 92.28%, 3.34, and 0.99, respectively. The effects of the steam-to-carbon ratio (S/C), inlet velocity, and preheating temperature at different reaction temperatures are simulated using the FLUENT software package. As S/C increases, X CH4 and Y H2 increase, but S CO decreases. The higher the reaction temperature, the less S/C promotes X CH4 and Y H2. When the reaction temperature is 700 °C and the inlet velocity is 0.2 m/s (residence time is 0.5 s), X CH4 is above 95%, and changes in the inlet velocity strongly influence the formation of CO. With increasing preheating temperature, X CH4 , Y H2 , and S CO all increase gradually. • Intrinsic kinetics of MSR was studied in a micro fluidized bed. • The model was tested by mathematical statistics. • Parallel reaction mechanism best describes MSR. • CH 4 is almost completely converted into CO and H 2 at 800 °C. • Residence time has a great influence on CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A stable Cu-based catalyst is fabricated by forming Cu–LaO x interfaces. • LaO x not only improves CO 2 adsorptionbut also enhances the dispersion of Cu NPs. • A CO 2 conversion of 6% with a selectivity of 81.2% to methanol without deterioration for 100 h is achieved. • Intermediates of methoxy and formate species are detected by in situ FTIR. • The formate route is preferable in methanol formation at Cu–LaO x interfaces. The direct hydrogenation of CO 2 to methanol has become a very active research field because CO 2 can be prospectively recycled to mitigate greenhouse effect and store clean synthetic fuels. This reaction can be catalyzed by supported Cu catalysts and the catalysts display strong support or promoter effects. Sintering of Cu species accelerates the separation of Cu–oxide interfaces, reduces the active component, and diminishes the methanol selectivity. In this work, we report a Cu catalyst supported on La-modified SBA-15, where the Cu–LaO x interface is generated through the interaction of highly dispersed Cu nanoparticles with LaO x species bedded into the SBA-15 pore wall. The optimized Cu 1 La 0.2 /SBA-15 catalyst can achieve methanol selectivity up to 81.2% with no deterioration in activity over 100 h on stream compared with the La-free catalyst. A thorough study reveals that La species not only significantly improve the CO 2 adsorption but also enhance Cu dispersion to produce well-dispersed active sites. The H/D exchange experiments show that the methanol synthesis displays a strong thermodynamic isotope effect and the Cu–LaO x interface plays a crucial role for the methanol synthesis rate in CO 2 /D 2 feed. In situ DRIFTS studies reveal that *HCOO and *OCH 3 species are the key intermediates formed during the activation of CO 2 and methanol synthesis over the Cu 1 La 0.2 /SBA-15 catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A testing method is developed to quantitatively determine the thermo-mechanical cycling life in oxidizing atmosphere for the joint between a solid oxide fuel cell glass-ceramic sealant and a ferritic stainless steel interconnect. Thermo-mechanical cycling tests are performed under cyclic shear or tensile loading in conjunction with cyclic temperature variance between 40 °C and 800 °C. Results reveal thermo-mechanical cycling life under both shear and tensile loadings increases with a decrease in end stress at 800 °C, for a certain end stress at 40 °C. Nevertheless, for a certain end stress at 800 °C, the tensile thermo-mechanical cycling life increases with a decrease in end stress at 40 °C, while the shear thermo-mechanical cycling life is independent of end stress at 40 °C. A difference in fracture pattern is also observed between shear and tensile loadings. For shear loading, fracture mainly takes place along the interface between glass-ceramic sealant and an oxide layer, such as BaCrO 4 or Cr 2 O 3. However, for tensile loading, fracture mainly occurs within the glass-ceramic layer, following crack initiation at the interface of Cr 2 O 3 /sealant or Cr 2 O 3 /BaCrO 4. Highlights • A thermo-mechanical cycling (TMC) test technique at 40–800 °C is developed. • TMC life of SOFC sealant/interconnect joint is quantitatively assessed. • TMC life under shear load is controlled only by end stress applied at 800 °C. • Both end stresses applied at 40 °C and 800 °C affect TMC life under tensile load. • Life trend difference between shear and tensile loads is ascribed to failure mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontitis-induced alveolar bone defects necessitate the use of bone grafts for optimal therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, synthetic bone grafts exhibiting consistent properties, sufficient amounts, and multiple application forms have been extensively studied. Our previously designed Ca–Si–Mg cement has demonstrated benefits regarding cell proliferation, osteogenesis, and angiogenesis. Similarly, Sr exhibits osteogenic, anti-osteoclastogenic, and angiogenic properties by influencing several intracellular signaling pathways. In this study, we modified the previously established Ca–Si–Mg cement by incorporating Sr, which resulted in the formation of Mg–Sr-calcium silicate (CS) cement. Furthermore, we evaluated its biocompatibility and efficacy in promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis. The results revealed that the setting time of the cement was extended with the individual incorporation of either Mg or Sr; notably, the setting time of M5S5 (integrating both Sr and Mg in equal proportions) was 2.7 min shorter than that of M5S0 (integrating only Mg). In addition, the presence of Sr enhanced the mechanical strength to an ultimate strength of 1.89 MPa and reduced the biodegradation rate of the Mg-doped CS cement from a weight loss of 13.9 %–11.5 %. Sr and Mg also demonstrated a synergistic effect on cell proliferation, with no observed cytotoxicity in human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLs). Osteogenic markers such as alkaline phosphate, bone sialoprotein, and osteocalcin were significantly expressed in hPDLs under the combined influence of Mg and Sr on osteogenic activity. Similarly, the angiogenesis-related proteins, vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-1 exhibited considerable enhancement, indicating the angiogenic capability of M5S5. In summary, our in vitro experiments confirmed that M5S5 is a potential candidate for osteogenic substitutes and alveolar bone regeneration, suggesting its potential applicability in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effects of a dietary multistrain probiotic (Bacillus subtilis , B. licheniformis and Lactobacillus plantarum) on the growth, immune function and intestinal microbiota of the tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis. Fish in three groups were fed for 21 days: the control group (BG), which received with basal feed; the high-dose group (HG), which received basal feed supplemented with the probiotic at a dose of 2 × 109 CFU/kg feed; and the low-dose group (LG), which received basal feed supplemented with the probiotic at a dose of 5 × 108 CFU/kg feed. After feeding for 21 days, the weight gain rate was higher in HG and LG than in BG, whereas the feed conversion ratio was lower in HG and LG (P < 0.05). Among the three groups, HG had the highest lysozyme, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase activities and complement C3 concentration. The analysis of the diversity and species abundance of the fish intestinal microbiota revealed that HG had a higher Simpson index than LG at days 7 (P = 0.0238) and 21 (P = 0.0077). The HG samples at day 21 formed a distinct cluster that was separate from the other samples. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Firmicutes was significantly higher in HG than in the other two groups at day 21 (P < 0.05). The 10 most abundant genera were not significantly different between BG, LG and HG at any time point. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) analysis indicated that Firmicutes (phylum), Desulfovibrionaceae (family), Lachnospiraceae (family), and Desulfovibrio (genus) were representative biomarkers in HG at day 21. Overall, the higher dose of the multistrain probiotic was more effective than the lower dose in improving the growth performance, immune function, and intestinal microbiota of tongue sole. • A dietary multistrain probiotic improved the intestinal microbiota in tongue sole. • The dietary probiotic enhanced the fish growth performance. • Supplementation with the multistrain probiotic increased fish immune function. • Firmicutes is the biomarker in fish administrated with the higher-dose probiotic. • The higher dose of the probiotic was more beneficial than the lower dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the close correlation between psychological states and behavior during civil aircraft evacuations, accurately characterizing the diverse reactions of passengers in cramped conditions remains a formidable task. The trajectory data for the evacuation of crowds in a confined cabin was obtained by modeling the seat row spacing, aisle width, and exit width of a Boeing 737. Furthermore, emergency evacuation experiments were conducted to investigate crowd behaviors under competitive and cooperative conditions. A novel neural network architecture, namely the Separated Multiple Convolution and Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network (SMCNN-LSTM), has been developed. The network incorporates an instantaneous behavior feature module, which enables the identification of passenger evacuation states through multiple convolutions. To capture the temporal features, we have adopted the continuous behavior feature module. This has been followed by utilizing the Softmax activation function for classification to recognize the evacuation behavior patterns of different groups. Our approach aims at capturing the intricacies of time-related aspects, enabling us to gain a deeper understanding of evacuation behavior. The results revealed that with identical aisle widths, the evacuation crowd behavior pattern can be accurately identified with a precision exceeding 95%. In cases with differing aisle widths, the accuracy of pattern recognition based on the original sample ranged from 60% to 85%, while recognition accuracy following symmetric flip enlargement of the sample surpassed 95%. In the meantime, a comparison of the five categorization algorithms reveals that the best precision is achieved. Furthermore, the discrete SMCNN-LSTM network demonstrates its efficacy in accurately identifying the diverse evacuation behaviors that arise from the distinct psychological conditions of passengers within the constrained environment of an aircraft cabin. Moreover, this approach can offer a verification technique relying on the identification behavior process to prognosticate evacuations, besides serving as a foundation for assessing the comparability and genuineness of simulated and observed behavioral patterns in populations. • Conduct full-scale evacuation experiments with passenger differentiation feature. • Deep learning model established to recognize passenger evacuation state successfully. • Changes in environmental layout can affect model recognition accuracy. • Flipping data to increase quantity can greatly improve recognition accuracy. • Deep learning proven effective for aircraft evacuation through comparative analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great importance to develop the highly efficient fluorescence strategy for rapid/sensitive detection of metam-sodium (MES) in evaluating its residual safety, especially in fresh vegetables. Herein, we prepared an organic fluorophore (thiochrome, TC) and glutathione-capped copper nanoclusters (GSH-CuNCs), and their combination (TC/GSH-CuNCs) was sucessfully employed as a ratiometric fluoroprobe by means of the blue-red dual emission. The fluorescence intensities (FIs) of TC decreased upon the addition of GSH-CuNCs via the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process. When fortified at the constant levels of GSH-CuNCs and TC, MES substantially reduced the FIs of GSH-CuNCs, while this was not the case in the FIs of TC except for the prominent red-shift of ∼30 nm. Compared to the previous fluoroprobes, the TC/GSH-CuNCs based fluoroprobe supplied wider linear range of 0.2–500 μM, lower detection limit (60 nM), and satisfactory fortification recoveries (80–107%) for MES in the cucumber samples. Based on the fluorescence quenching phenomenon, a smartphone application was used to output RGB values of the captured images for the colored solution. The smartphone-based ratiometric sensor could be utilized for the visual fluorescent quantitation of MES by virtue of the R/B values in cucumbers, which gave linear range (1–200 μM) and LOD (0.3 μM). By means of blue-red dual-emission fluorescence, the smartphone-based fluoroprobe provides a cost-effective, portable and reliable avenue for the on-site, rapid and sensitive assay of MES's residues in complex vegetable samples. [Display omitted] • A smartphone-based ratiometric fluoroprobe is engineered and developed for on-site detection of metam-sodium in vegetables. • A combination of organic and inorganic probes is used to construct a ratiometric fluorescent platform. • TC/GSH-CuNCs based fluoroprobe supplies wide linear range and low detection limit for MES. • A smartphone-assisted ratiometric sensor offers a novel avenue for visual quantitation of MES based on R/B values. • Fluorescence quenching of GSH-CuNCs by MES results from the joint effects of IFE and dynamic-quenching processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-phase closed thermosyphon (TPCT) has been considered to be an effective measure to reduce soil temperatures and maintain engineering stabilities in permafrost, but deformations and cracks of a testing expressway with inclined insertion thermosyphon embankment (ITE) were found to be serious and aggravated year by year. Monitoring results from 2011 to 2018 indicate that uneven temperatures and permafrost thawing are main causes for the disease in ITE. To address this issue, a horizontal insertion thermosyphon embankment (HTE) was proposed in this paper. Numerical results show that thermal performance of HTE is much better than that of ITE. In October of the 20th service year, base temperatures of HTE at center, sunny and shady foot can be reduced to −2.3 °C, −1.2 °C and − 1.6 °C, respectively. Low-temperature (≤ − 1 °C) contours in HTE showed a layered and nearly symmetric distribution, covering almost the entire base width range. The width of −1.5 °C isotherm can be increased by 61%, and the estimated annual heat release of deep soils can be increased by 72% compared with ITE. The thermal enhancement of HTE is because the horizontal-thermosyphon doubles the contact surface with soils and heat dissipation, and effectively reduces the heat flux difference. The horizontal-thermosyphon could be considered for application in expressways built on permafrost stratum. • Uneven ground temperature caused by inclined-thermosyphon has aggravated disease in ITE during the past ten years. • A new embankment (HTE) was presented, and its cooling performance and heat transfer process were analyzed. • HTE performs much better than ITE in terms of temperature uniformity, cooling balance and efficiency. • Isoline width of −1.5 °C in HTE can be increased by 61%, and annual heat release can be enhanced by 72% compared with ITE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The morphological characteristics of petroleum cokes differ apparently from each other. • FWHM of D 1350 is more appropriate than I D1350 / I G1580 for morphology criterion. • An explicitly Growth/Sigmoidal relationship between OTI and FWHM of D 1350 was observed. • RS could be a suitable and convenient method to quantitatively assess the morphology. Abstract A series of petroleum coke species obtained from commercial plants has been studied by polarized-light microscopy observation (PMO), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy characterization (RS). The morphological characteristics of needle coke, shot coke, and transition coke differed apparently from each other. An explicitly close Growth/Sigmoidal relationship between parameters determined from polarized-light micrographs and Raman spectra was observed. The full width at half maxima (FWHM) of D 1350 was more appropriate than I D1350 / I G1580 for morphological correlation, and then establishing the criterion. It was shown that RS with proper spectra decomposition procedure could be a suitable and convenient method to quantitatively assess the morphology of petroleum cokes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple technique for extracting the bias-dependent parasitic series resistances of the GaN-based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) is demonstrated in this paper. With considering the non-quasi-static effect in devices, new analytical Z-parameter formulations are derived to determine parasitic resistances using the curve-fitting algorithm. More accuracy parasitic resistances can be obtained over a wide fitting frequency range compared to the conventional method which ignores the non-quasi-static effect. Here the intrinsic parameters are then calculated directly from intrinsic Y-parameters after de-embedding the parasitic elements in the small-signal equivalent circuit. An excellent agreement between the measured and simulated S-parameters from 100 MHz to 40 GHz is achieved, which validates the feasibility of our method for extracting the bias-dependent parasitic resistances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • SPs are composed of catalyst fragments and organic substances wrapped around them. • The outer surface of SEINS is sufficient in oxygen-containing sites. • A new structure of SPs has been proposed and verified. • The research offers a method to considerably improve clarifying efficiency. Abstract Suspended particles (SPs) were separated from an FCC Slurry Oil (SLO) via centrifugation with the aid of toluene-dilution. Further solvent extraction of SPs with CS 2 /toluene (50 V/V%) mixed solvent would generate solvent extraction insolubles (SEINS) and solubles (SES). They were sent for a series of chemical and structural characterizations, respectively, in the hope of providing clues to address issues from sedimentation and clarification processes. It was found that SPs were composed of catalyst fragments and organic substances wrapped around them, serving as a shield. The characterizations from TEM and XPS strongly suggested that the outer surface of SEINS was sufficient in oxygen-containing sites (organic functional groups and aluminosilicate), while the outer surface of SPs was not. High oxygen content and almost same nitrogen content of SES, comparable with that of asphaltenes, were detected through XPS characterization. This rationalized the strong adsorption of SES on SEINS in the form of a tedious solvent extraction process. A new structure of SPs has thus been described on the basis of these characterizations. Design sedimentation experiments verified the SPs' structure. Furthermore, the experiments offered a promising way for acquiring high clarification efficiency with rather low usage of sinking agent through solvent pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Novel soluble PEG600-imidazole compounds were evaluated as thermal latent catalysts for the polymerization of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). Commercial available catalysts containing imidazole, 4MZ, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-imidazole, and 5-(hydroxymethyl)-imidazole were used as compared molds with soluble PEG600-imidazole catalysts to cure epoxy resin systems to investigate their thermal latency and storage stability. Results from the cure activation energy, the viscosity-storage time and the glass transition temperature (T g) of the catalysts, the soluble PEG600-imidazole catalysts showed better thermal latency than commercialized catalysts. Highlights • A series of soluble PEG600-imidazole compounds were successfully synthesized as thermal latent catalysts for DGEBA. • Soluble PEG600-imidazole catalyst showed the better thermal latency than un-modified imidazole compounds. • PEG600-imidazole catalysts can provide complete or near complete curing systems in the temperature range about 150–159 °C. Abstract A series of novel soluble PEG600-imidazole compounds were synthesized and investigated as thermal latent catalysts for curing diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). Based on the results of thermal latency and storage stability, the PEG600-imidazole catalyst showed better thermal latency than unmodified imidazole compounds. The glass transition temperature (T g) results showed novel PEG600-imidazole catalyst provided complete or near complete curing systems in the temperature range about 150–159 °C. Following the data of the cure activation energy and the viscosity-storage time, the order of thermally latent activity was estimated PEG600-5-(hydroxymethyl)-imidazole (8) > PEG600-4-methylimidazole (6) > PEG600-imidazole (5) > PEG600-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-imidazole (7) > 4-methylimidazole (4MZ, 2) > 5-(hydroxymethyl)-Imidazole (4) > 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-imidazole (3) > imidazole (1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Hydrophilic, carboxylated carbon nanotubes were incorporated in drug crystals. • Crystal structure remained unchanged by incorporation via anti-solvent precipitation. • Hydrophilic carbon nanotubes dramatically enhanced dissolution of hydrophobic drugs. Abstract We present for the first time the direct incorporation of carboxylated carbon nanotubes (f-CNTs) into hydrophobic drug particles during their formation via anti-solvent precipitation. The approach was tested using two drugs namely antifungal agent Griseofulvin (GF) and antibiotic Sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) that had very different aqueous solubility. It was observed that the f-CNTs dispersed in the water served as nucleating sites for crystallization and were readily incorporated into the drug particles without altering crystal structure or other properties. The results showed that the hydrophilic f-CNTs dramatically enhanced dissolution rate for both drugs, and the time necessary to reach 80% dissolution (t 80) reduced from 67 to 10 with the incorporation of 5.1% f-CNTs in SMZ, and from 66 to 18 min with 4.0% f-CNTs in GF. The enhanced dissolution is attributed to the fact that the hydrophilic f-CNTs served as conduits for bringing in water in close contact with the drug crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic structure of active sites plays a crucial role in redox catalysts. Herein, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) decorated with metallic MoO 2 heterojunction nanocomposites were successfully synthesized through a facile calcination route. XPS, UPS, UV–vis and PL spectra results suggest electron transfer from the conduction band (CB) of g-C 3 N 4 to unfilled π* band of metallic MoO 2 in the metal-semiconductor heterojunction. The electron transfer ensures high intrinsic oxidative desulfurization activity for MoO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 composites. Radical scavenger experiments indicate that the electron transfer facilitates the enrichment of electron density around Mo active sites and control the rate-determining step of oxidative desulfurization. The approach can be extended to other low valent transition metal oxides possessing d electrons for enhanced catalytic activity in redox reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study focuses on the production chains that produce plybamboo for use. The production chains were investigated using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, which takes into account all of the input and output flows occurring along the production chain. The results show that the major processing type of plybamboo production is mechanical processing. The characterization of various materials demonstrates that bleached glue-laminated bamboo boards exert the greatest potential environmental impact in terms of power consumption during the three-layer lamination process; in particular, the category with the highest environmental impact is respiratory inorganics. Therefore, energy consumption and productivity are the key factors of the potential environmental impact. The comparison of the two treatment types revealed that the bleached glue-laminated bamboo boards have a lower environmental impact in all four categories than their heat-treated counterparts. The impact of the processing mainly originates from the steps of hot pressing, drying and using chemicals. The comparative results show that plybamboo has a low environmental impact, but the impact is higher than that of concrete. Concerning the carbon storage of plybamboo, using plybamboo has environmental benefits in the impact categories of climate change and global warming. Although plybamboo has a low impact in the impact categories of climate change and global warming, it has a high impact in other impact categories. Therefore, policy makers should consider the highest impact of the aforementioned processing steps and should use energy-saving and high productivity equipment to reduce the environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, system identification by using real-coded genetic algorithm (RGA) with a reduced-order robust observer (RRO) for an induction motor (IM) is successfully proposed and realized. Because the rotor flux linkages of an IM are not easily measurable, the RRO is proposed to observe them. Different state errors including the measurable and observed states are used in the fitness functions, which are optimized by the RGA to find the unknown system's parameters. From numerical simulations and experimental results, unknown parameters of an IM are successfully identified by the RGA with state-error fitness functions. The contributions of this paper are: (i) the RRO is combined in the mathematical model of the IM to observe the un-measureable rotor flux linkages; (ii) The observer gain of the reduced-order observer is given as the unknown parameters, which is selected by the RGA approach to satisfy the linear matrix inequality (LMI) conditions; (iii) Three fitness functions are successfully proposed, compared and optimized by using the RGA. It is found that the one with more real state errors has the best identify performance than the other two; (iv) From numerical and experimental results, it can be concluded that the more system's states are measurable and used in the fitness function, the more system's parameters are accurately identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Si purification mechanism was investigated by using Al Si solvent with small amounts of V to enhance B removal. The results indicated that a small amount of V enhanced the removal of B from the Al Si melt, as it formed the VB X compound. The VB X was determined to be VB 2 via EPMA. The solubility product of the VB 2 in the Al-43at. %Si melt at 1273 K and the Al-35at. %Si melt at 1173 K were initially measured experimentally with equilibrium technology, and were determined to be 8.15 × 10 - 11 (1273 K) and 5.97 × 10 - 12 (1173 K). The relationship between the solubility product of VB 2 and the liquidus temperature of Al Si melt was estimated, which indicated that an excessive V addition or a lower temperature is needed to enhance the efficiency of B removal from the Al Si melt. Based on the thermodynamic analysis, V was used as an additive in the Si purification process with the Al-35at. % Si solvent that had electromagnetic solidification. The results of the Si purification indicated that a small amount of V could enhance the B removal efficiently and VSi 2 was found in eutectic Al Si phase along the Si crystals boundaries. The maximum removal rate of B was about 76%. The supplementary V was completely eliminated together with the B and did not contaminate the refined Si. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, twenty-five nicotinoyl pyrazoline derivates bearing N-methyl indole moiety have been designed and synthesized. The biological evaluation of these compounds as tubulin assembly inhibitors revealed that most of them were potential antitumor agents. Among them, compound 28 exhibited most potency against cancer cell line panels (GI 50  = 29–90 nM for HeLa, HepG2 and MCF-7 cells) without toxicity to non-tumor cells (CC 50  > 300 μM for 293 T cell), bound to the colchicine site of tubulin and displayed excellent inhibitory activity in tubulin assembly assay (IC 50  = 1.6 μM, better than CA-4). Molecular dynamics simulation was carried out to validate the docking pose of compound 28 with tubulin crystalline. Further investigation on HepG2 and HeLa cells demonstrated that compound 28 could cause mitosis arrest to G2/M phase, and subsequently induced cell apoptosis. The efficiency in vivo of compound 28 was also evaluated on HeLa-Xenograft nude mice, and the relative tumor inhibition ration was up to 61.52% without noticeable weight loss and tissue damage (examined by H&E staining), which was comparable to CA-4 (inhibited 59.92%). In brief, compound 28 is a promising candidate for tumor therapy as tubulin assembly inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xinmo landslide slope in Sichuan, China, was stable during the intensive Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008 but failed on June 24, 2017. Landslide debris buried Xinmo Village and blocked the Songpinggou River at the slope toe. This study aims to clarify the post-failure behavior of the landslide using two-dimensional discontinuous deformation analysis (2D DDA). The simulation results provide comprehensive information on the initiation and the evolution of the landslide. The failure process determined by the DDA correlates well with the seismic signal analysis results. In addition, the location of the calculated rock deposit is similar to that shown by the topographic map after the landslide. The maximum rock velocity in the landslide is 65.4 m/s. Therefore, the impacts of the high-velocity blocks and the buildings in Xinmo Village must be considered to simulate the burial of Xinmo Village by rocks and the transport of additional rocks across the Songpinggou River. This Xinmo landslide study demonstrates that the DDA accurately simulates the post-failure behavior and determines the impact area of a landslide with complicated failure processes and topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-Substituted-3(10H)-acridones have been established as visible-light organic photocatalyst. These photosensitizers are efficient for oxidative coupling reaction of N-aryl tetrahydroisoquinolines with various nucleophiles. Notably, N-methyl-3(10H)-acridone ( Ia ) is stable and can be effectively prepared. It is a water-soluble and atom-economic catalyst, and thus holds promise for green chemical applications. Mechanistic studies confirm a single electron transfer (SET)-induced radical process and a rate-limiting step. Analysis of the photocatalytic reactivity−structure relationship reveals that the acridones are robust and tunable photosensitizers for photoredox catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) is a powerful nonlinear spectroscopy technique that is rapidly gaining recognition of different molecules. Unfortunately, molecular concentration information is generally not immediately accessible from the raw CARS signal due to the nonresonant background. In addition, mainstream biomedical applications of CARS are currently hampered by a complex and bulky excitation setup. Here, we establish a dual-soliton Stokes based CARS spectroscopy scheme capable of quantifying the sample molecular, using a single fiber laser. This dual-soliton CARS scheme takes advantage of a differential configuration to achieve efficient suppression of nonresonant background and therefore allows extraction of quantitative composition information. Besides, our all-fiber based excitation source can probe the most fingerprint region (1100–1800 cm −1 ) with a spectral resolution of 15 cm − 1 under the spectral focusing mechanism, where is considerably more information contained throughout an entire spectrum than at just a single frequency within that spectrum. Systematic studies of the scope of application and several fundamental aspects are discussed. Quantitative capability is further experimentally demonstrated through the determination of oleic acid concentration based on the linear dependence of signal on different Raman vibration bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Likelihood methods for large spatial datasets on a d -dimensional lattice are often difficult, if not infeasible, to implement due to the computational limitation. When the number of observations gets increasingly large, it is challenging to evaluate the exact likelihood even if normality is assumed, since the covariance matrix is huge. To alleviate the computational difficulties, one can approximate the exact parametric likelihood through the Whittle likelihood, which is based on periodogram ordinates and spectral density functions. By applying fast Fourier transform, it requires less computational operations to calculate these magnitudes. In this paper, we define a local Whittle likelihood function, which can be used to estimate spectral density functions of general spatial lattice processes and a local Whittle likelihood ratio statistic for testing particular parametric spatial classes. When the bandwidth used is large, this method amounts to ordinary Whittle likelihood, while for moderate or small bandwidth, the method is essentially nonparametric estimation of spectral density functions. In addition, the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimator and associated test statistic are derived. It is shown that the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic is not affected by the underlying spatial asymptotic framework or the shape of the sampling regions. Simulation results and real data examples are also reported to illustrate the finite sample performance of the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, system identification with variable fitness functions (FFs) by using the real-coded genetic algorithm (RGA) is proposed for a liquid crystal display (LCD) glass-handling robot system. The FFs including the state errors and energy balance equation are compared for the system. Firstly, the mechatronic modeling including mechanical and electrical dynamic equations are formulated. Secondly, the FFs including state errors and energy balance equations by using the RGA method are employed to maximize the FFs values, and to identify the unknown system parameters. From numerical simulations, it is found that the identified performance with energy balance equation FF by using the RGA method has the best identified performance among the other FFs. Finally, the RGA method with FFs are experimentally performed to identify the parameters for a real robot system. From the comparisons of the experimental results, it is also found that the energy balance equation FF has the best identified performance among the other FFs. Therefore, the unknown parameters of the real robot system can be correctly identified by the RGA method with the energy balance equation FF. The contribution of this paper is to propose an energetics FF to be implemented in system identification for the mechatronic system. It can be concluded that the more system states are used in the FF, the more correct system parameters are identified for the robot system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel tri-detector structure and signal processing method to suppress the local oscillator noise for optical heterodyne receiver is proposed. The tri-detector receiver adds a negative feedback loop and a photodetector compared with the traditional dual-detector receiver. Theoretical analysis shows: By use of proper signal processing technique the intensity noise of the local oscillator, which is not only in the direct current component but also in the intermediate frequency component, has been canceled completely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase-pure monoclinic VO 2 (M) was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal reduction method using oxalic acid as a reductant and solvent-thermal reduction method using methanol as a reductant. Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) activities were investigated and the results revealed that intrinsic ODS activity increased with increasing cell volume for different synthesized VO 2 (M) catalysts. DSC measurement gives the evidence that phase transition temperature of monoclinic VO 2 (M) to rutile VO 2 (R) decreased with increasing cell volume for different VO 2 (M) catalysts. Variable-temperature in-situ Raman spectrum also confirmed that phase transition from VO 2 (M) to VO 2 (R) occurred. Mechanism of ODS reaction on VO 2 (M) catalyst was investigated precisely involving temperatures which phase transition occurred. Below the phase-transition temperature VO 2 (M) showed higher ODS reaction activation energy, while above the phase-transition temperature VO 2 (R) exhibited lower ODS activation energy. This result may be explained by the fact that V O bond length for VO 2 (R) (1.93 Å) fits more for the five-member ring formed with the oxidant tert -butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) during ODS reaction compared with V-O bond length for VO 2 (M) (about 2.03 or 1.86 Å). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new dust suppression device used in metro tunnel is proposed. • The dust diffusion law along the tunnel and its correlation with nozzle selection are studied. • A full-scale 3D CFD numerical model including dust suppression device is established. • The problem of dust pollution in the construction of urban metro tunnels has been effectively solved. In order to solve the problems of excessive blasting dust concentration and portal pollution in a metro tunnel of a central urban area, a new spray device is discussed and its related parameters are studied in this paper. Through field sampling and an experimental spray dust settling platform, the particle size distribution characteristics of the tunnel blasting dust and the applicability of the nozzle are analysed. The tunnel and spray device are simulated by CFD software, and the variation laws of the droplet field concentration, velocity and particle diameter under different different incident angles, pressures and wind velocity are studied. The dust suppression performance of the new partition spray device is tested through field application. The results show that the droplet field generated by the spray device can effectively cover the whole section of the tunnel. At the same angle of incidence, the high concentration area first increases and then decreases in the direction away from the device, and the maximum concentration section gradually shifts away from the spray device. With the increase of the incident angle, the growth and attenuation trend of the high concentration region gradually flattens. The best incident angle for partitioning and dust reduction is 30°. When the nozzle pressure is set to 8 MPa, the parameters such as concentration, velocity and particle size distribution are the most appropriate. The effect of the air velocity at the air outlet on the characteristics of the droplet group generated by the device is not obvious. The field application shows that when the spray device is used, the dust reduction efficiency of respiratory dust and total dust at each measuring point is higher than 70 %. Compared with the original dust control measures, the average dust reduction efficiency is increased by 30 %, which can effectively improve the working environment of constructors in the tunnel and prevent the outward diffusion of dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-camera common optical path structure is proposed for the tomography of dynamic flame temperature. • The spatial object-image mapping relationship is established quantitatively by convolution method based on the Fourier optics theory. • Both the point spread function and the photoelectric conversion of tomographic imaging system are calibrated by experiments. • The spatiotemporal evolution of flame temperature is analyzed by the proposed method. In the single projection direction, we propose a multi-camera common optical path system for three-dimensional radiation thermometry of dynamic flame, which is realized in the form of prism cascade. Different cameras can focus on certain sections of the flame along the main optical axis synchronously and independently. The image recorded by each camera linearly consists of a focused flame section and other remaining sections with defocused state. On the basis of point spread function, the spatial object-image mapping relationship is established by convolution, and the tomography of flame sections is performed by deconvolution. Then, the flame temperature is reconstructed by use of Planck's Law. The effectiveness of proposed method is verified by experiments, which could characterize the spatiotemporal evolution of flame temperature. Furthermore, it is expected to be able to achieve compatible measurements with high spatial and high temporal resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]