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Copper calcium titanate (CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 , CCTO) ceramics are receiving a great deal of attention for advanced electronic and energy storage device applications owing to their giant permittivity response and good temperature stability. However, the development and real applications of CCTO ceramics are generally restricted by their large dielectric loss and low breakdown electric field strength. In the present study, a novel type of perovskite-like Na 1/3 (Ca 1/2 Sr 1/2) 1/3 (Bi 1/2 Y 1/2) 1/3 Cu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (NCSBYCTO) ceramics were designed via multiple elements strategy based on the high-entropy concept. Consequently, all the NCSBYCTO ceramics present a giant permittivity response (103∼104), good stability of temperature and frequency, and remarkable relaxation characteristics, especially the NCSBYCTO ceramic sintered at 1050 °C exhibits a relative balance between the giant permittivity of about 7.0 × 103–9.5 × 103 and the lower dielectric loss of approximately 0.043–0.294 at a frequency range of 104–106 Hz under room temperature. Furthermore, all the NCSBYCTO ceramics present an obvious nonlinear characteristic. More encouragingly, a higher breakdown field strength of around 2552.56 V/cm accompanied by a larger nonlinear coefficient of about 6.48 is achieved in the NCSBYCTO ceramic sintered at 1070 °C. A significant electrical heterogeneity structure and electron defect structure induced by the existence of mixed-valence Cu+/Cu2+ and Ti3+/Ti4+ are also found in the NCSBYCTO ceramics. The giant permittivity response, low dielectric loss and improved nonlinear properties can be considered the synergistic effect of the defect mechanism and the internal barrier layer capacitor model. This finding offers a route for designing giant permittivity ceramics with brilliant dielectric properties and nonlinear behaviors, which is expected to benefit dual-functional device applications of capacitors and varistors. [Display omitted] • A novel type of Na 1/3 (Ca 1/2 Sr 1/2) 1/3 (Bi 1/2 Y 1/2) 1/3 Cu 3 Ti 4 O 12 perovskite-like ceramics were developed via multiple elements strategy. • All the NCSBYCTO ceramics exhibit a giant permittivity response (103∼104) and good stability of temperature and frequency. • A relative balance between the giant permittivity and a lower dielectric loss is achieved in the NCSBYCTO ceramic sintered at 1050 °C. • The NCSBYCTO ceramic sintered at 1070 °C shows a higher E b of 2552.56 V/cm and a larger α of 6.48. • The electron defect mechanism and IBLC model can synergistically explain the enhanced electrical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper evaluates the machinability of brazed diamond tools for milling 3D SiC f /C-SiC composites. Defined three milling modes of fiber orientation, transverse, longitudinal, and perpendicular, and surfaces, SA (transverse and longitudinal), SB (transverse and perpendicular), and SC (longitudinal and perpendicular), are chosen to reveal factors influencing milling force and surface integrity. Besides, the removal process mechanism is analyzed through high-speed cameras. The results show that combining fiber orientations influences milling force waveform, whereas surface quality is related to fiber orientation and damage types. The lower cutting speeds obtain better surface quality on SA surfaces, while superior surface quality on SB and SC surfaces is attained with higher cutting speeds. Dominant damage modes include direct fiber breakage and matrix fragmentation. Moreover, the removal process is sequentially matrix cracking and fiber/matrix debonding, fiber breakage, and ultimate failure. Toughening mechanisms of composites containing fiber bridging and fiber pullout are observed during milling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The symplectic approach is applied to solve the strip cross section temperature. • The mechanism of residual stress formation in hot strip rolling is studied by fiber rods model. • An analytical model for the coupling of temperature, crown and residual stress is established. • The strip critical exit crown ratio is obtained by using the residual stress analytical model. • Eliminating manifested and latent flatness defects by critical exit crown ratio of strip. Residual stress is introduced during hot-rolled strip production due to various factors, such as temperature distribution, crown change, and metal transverse flow. Excessive residual stress can cause flatness defects in the strip, while insufficient residual stress may result in deformation during subsequent cutting. To explore the mechanism of residual stress formation in hot-rolled strip and how to control it, an analytical model for the coupling of temperature, crown and residual stress is established. Firstly, based on the symplectic space Hamiltonian system, an analytical solution for the strip cross section temperature field in each inter-stand zone is obtained. Then the residual stress analytical model is derived based on the fiber rod model combined with the law of volume invariance, lateral metal flow function and high temperature stress relaxation phenomenon. Meanwhile, to verify the accuracy of the analytical model, a multi field coupled finite element model based on the measured data validation is established. The calculation results of the analytical model are in good agreement with the finite element model. Furthermore, the buckling model of strip in symplectic space Hamiltonian system is derived, and the critical buckling stress of different strip flatness defects is directly calculated. Finally, the residual stress analytical model is combined with critical buckling stress to calculate the critical exit crown ratio to keep the strip flat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on the fiber rods model, the formation mechanism of residual stress caused by temperature and phase transformation is studied. • An analytical model is established to calculate the residual stresses at different run-out table cooling stages. • Based on symplectic space Hamiltonian system, the mathematical relationship between residual stress and flatness is solved directly. • The edge wave defects in strip run-out table cooling process are calculated directly by using the analytical model. The residual stress formed in the run-out table cooling stage of hot-rolled strip has a great influence on flatness and subsequent cutting. Based on the fiber rods model, the formation mechanism of residual stress induced by incompatible deformation caused by temperature and phase transformation is studied in this paper. Meanwhile, the present study makes a first attempt to establishing the analytical model for calculating residual stresses at different run-out table cooling stages. Moreover, in order to further investigate the relationship between residual stress and flatness defects, a strip buckling model is introduced. The traditional buckling equilibrium equation of Lagrange system is introduced into the Hamiltonian system of symplectic space, and the mathematical relationship between residual stress and strip flatness is obtained directly without assuming stress and deflection function. Then the strip flatness is calculated by using this mathematical relationship and residual stress analytical model. Furthermore, to verify the accuracy of the analytical model, a multi-field coupled finite element model based on the validation of the measured data is established. Finally, the distribution of residual stress calculated by the analytical model and the finite element model is basically consistent. The analytical model calculated that the strip would have edge wave defects during run-out table cooling, which is highly consistent with the results of finite element model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A baffled-type thermochemical reactor (BTR) for high-efficient hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming (MSR) based on the novel concept of methanol-based solar-driven hydrogen station is proposed and numerically investigated in terms of geometric and operating conditions with a multi-physics coupled model. It is found that the radius of heat-exchanging tube shows a significant impact on hydrogen yield (Y H 2 ) whereas the radius of heat-exchanging tube array shows little effect. Both the inlet velocity (V in,HTF) and temperature (T in,HTF) of heat transfer fluid (HTF) affect the reactor performance by influencing the heat transfer inside BTR. Excessively higher V in,HTF and higher T in,HTF would promote the side reaction of methanol decomposition (MD) against the main reaction of MSR, which finally decreases Y H 2 . Moreover, it is also found that for each gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) there is a corresponding optimal value of V in, HTF to maximize Y H 2 . Based on this, an optimal operating curve has been obtained via data-fitting, where Y H 2 decreases while the hydrogen production rate (R H 2 ) increases nonlinearly against GHSV , and the corresponding maximal values of 97.84% and 1.66 mol h−1 have been achieved separately. The results suggest that the practical operating conditions should follow the optimal operating curve with the compromise between Y H 2 and R H 2 . Finally, based on the performance evaluation against the traditional tubular reactor, the hydrogen yield of BTR is up to 1.79% higher than that of the tubular reactor due to (30.44%) more uniform temperature distribution, (15.30%) longer contact time and (7.46%) higher thermal-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency. • A novel concept of methanol-based solar-driven hydrogen station is proposed. • A baffled-type reactor for MSR is comprehensively studied with multiphysics model. • The optimal operating curve that practice should follow is obtained via data-fitting. • Y H 2 , max = 97.84 % or r H 2 , max = 1.66 mol h − 1 could be achieved separately with compromise. • BTR is advantageous in temperature uniformity, catalyst usage and energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predictors of immune tolerance induction (ITI) outcomes in hemophilia A (HA) patients with the same F8 genetic background have not yet been evaluated, although the F8 genotype is strongly associated with ITI response. This study aims to explore the predictors of ITI outcomes in the same F8 genetic background by focusing on intron 22 inversion (Inv22) patients with high-responding inhibitors. HA children with Inv22 and high-responding inhibitors who received low-dose ITI therapy over 24 months were included in this study. ITI outcomes were centrally assessed at the 24th month of treatment. The predictive ability of clinical variables to identify ITI success was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the predictor of ITI outcomes was analyzed on the multivariable Cox model. Among the 32 patients investigated, 23 (71.9 %) achieved success. In univariate analysis, interval time from inhibitor diagnosis to ITI start (interval-time) was significantly associated with ITI success (P = 0.001); however, inhibitor titers showed no significance (P > 0.05). The interval-time demonstrated a good predictive value for ITI success with the area under the ROC curve of 0.855 (P = 0.002), and the cutoff value was 25.8 months (sensitivity, 87.0 %; specificity, 88.9 %). In the multivariable Cox model which considered success rate and time to success, interval-time was the only independent predictor (<25.8 months vs. ≥25.8 months, P = 0.002). The interval-time was first identified as a unique predictor of ITI outcomes in HA patients with high-responding inhibitors under the same F8 genetic background (Inv22). An interval-time of <25.8 months was associated with increased ITI success and reduced time to success. • Predictor of ITI outcomes in the same F8 gene background is unclear. • Inv22 children with high-responding inhibitors were included and analyzed. • Interval time from inhibitor diagnosis to ITI start (interval-time) was first identified as a unique predictor of ITI outcomes. • Interval-time of <25.8 months was associated with improved ITI outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shorter interval-time from inhibitor detection to starting immune tolerance induction (ITI) might predict better ITI outcomes for severe Hemophilia A (SHA) patients with high-risk-inhibitors. However, the prediction-impact of interval-time for these patients on low-dose ITI strategy remained unclear. To explore the relationship between interval-time and low-dose ITI outcomes in Chinese SHA children with high-risk-inhibitors. This was a single-center, retrospective study on SHA children with high-risk-inhibitors (each with immediate pre-ITI inhibitor titer>10 Bethesda Units/mL) undergoing low-dose ITI strategy for ≥24 months. ITI outcomes and their predictive factors were evaluated at the 24th month treatment for each patient. The predictive ability of interval-time on ITI success was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Among 47 patients investigated, 34 (72.3 %) achieved success. Independent predictor for ITI-outcome on multivariate analysis included the interval-time (p = 0.007) and peak inhibitor-titer (p = 0.011). Shorter interval-time predicted ITI success [cut-off value = 22.3 months, area under ROC-curve (AUC) = 0.701] and early-ITI success within 12 month (cut-off value = 9.4 months AUC = 0.704). Linear regression analysis suggested each month interval-time delay delayed success by 0.1552 month. Unlike the interval-time, peak inhibitor-titer had no success-predictive value in high-peak inhibitor-titer patients on ITI with immunosuppressants. Interval-time represented a strong predictive value for outcomes in our low-dose ITI strategy for SHA patients with high-risk-inhibitors. Shorter interval-time was associated with higher success rate and earlier success achievement. The respective interval-time cut-off values were 22.3 months for ITI success and 9.4 months for early-success. • The interval-time is the time from inhibitor detection to starting ITI. • Interval-time for predicting low-dose ITI outcomes remained unclear, for high-risk-inhibitors patients. • Interval-time had a strong predictive value for outcomes in our low-dose ITI strategy. • Interval-time cut-off values were 22.3 for success and 9.4 months for early-success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting climate anomalies months in advance is of tremendous socioeconomic value. Facing both theoretical and practical constraints, this realm of "seasonal prediction" progressed slowly in recent decades. Here we devise an innovative scheme that pushes the boundary of seasonal prediction by recognizing and isolating distinct spatiotemporal footprints left by modes of climate variability that cause varying annual cycles in response to the solar forcing. The predictive power harnessed from these spatiotemporal footprints results in a prediction skill surpassing existing models for seasonal forecasts of eastern China rainfall, which is one of the most challenging seasonal prediction problems. By considering varying annual cycles explicitly, the new scheme is able to predict multi-provincial flood and/or drought occurrences seamlessly over an entire year. This novel scheme is generically applicable for improving seasonal forecasts over other monsoon regions and for critical climate variables such as surface temperature and Arctic sea-ice extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major depressive disorder (MDD), insomnia (INS) and chronic pain (CP) often have high comorbidity and show high genetic correlation. Here we aimed to better characterize their novel, shared and disorder-specific genetic architecture. Based on genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data, we applied the conditional false discovery rate (condFDR) and conjunctional FDR (conjFDR) approach to investigate the novel and overlapped genetic loci for MDD, INS and CP. In addition, putative disorder-specific SNP associations were analyzed by conditioning the other two traits. The functions of the identified genomic loci were explored by performing gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for the loci mapped genes. We identified 22, 43 and 91 novel risk loci for MDD, INS and CP. GSEA for the loci mapped genes highlighted olfactory signaling pathway for MDD novel loci, breast cancer related gene set for both INS and CP novel loci, and nervous system related development, structure and activity for CP. Furthermore, we identified three loci jointly associated with the three disorders, including 13q14.3 locus with nearby gene OLFM4, 14q21.1 locus with nearby gene LRFN5 and 5q21.2 locus located in intergenic region. In addition, we identified one specific loci for MDD, 7 for INS and 11 for CP respectively by conditioning the other two traits, which were mapped to 68 genes for MDD, 85 for INS and 100 for CP. The MDD specific genes are enriched in immune system related pathways. This study increases understanding of the genetic architectures underlying MDD, INS and CP. The shared underlying genetic risk may help to explain the high comorbidity rates of the disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the dynamic event-triggered state estimation problem for a class of spatial-temporal networks (STNs) with time-varying delays under an encoding-decoding strategy. For the sake of reducing the unnecessary resources wastes, we establish a dynamic event-triggered mechanism to determine whether the current measurement output data is transmitted to the filter, where the threshold is dynamically adjusted according to a certain rule. In order to enhance the robustness of signal transmission, an encoding-decoding strategy is exploited in the process of the data transmission. To be specific, the original signals encoded as a bit string are transmitted through binary symmetric channels with certain crossover probabilities and then restored by a decoder at the receiver. By constructing Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, we obtain a sufficient condition to ensure that the estimation error system is exponential mean square ultimately bounded. Subsequently, the desired state estimator is designed in terms of the solution to a certain matrix inequality. Finally, a numerical example is shown to demonstrate that the proposed state estimator is valid for time-delayed STNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 (Bcl-2) has cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress in yeast cells. This study showed that human Bcl-2 increased nerolidol production in an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with higher cell viability and lower reactive oxygen species levels. Our previous study found that the overexpression of HAC1 , the key regulator of endoplasmic reticulum stress, increased the nerolidol titer levels. Endoplasmic reticulum stress has crosstalk with oxidative stress. We thus investigated the coincident effect of the overexpression of BCL-2 and HAC1 , and found that both of them changed the transcription of genes involved in the fatty acid metabolism pathway and resulted in increased nerolidol synthesis. The addition of 3 mM linoleic acid further increased the nerolidol titer to 725.5 mg/L. Finally, fed-batch fermentation was implemented and resulted in the accumulation of 15.5 g/L nerolidol. This study provides a simple and effective strategy for sesquiterpene production in engineered yeast. [Display omitted] • Anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 improves nerolidol production in engineered yeast. • BCL-2 overexpression regulated the metabolism on transcriptional level. • Linoleic acid addition increased the nerolidol titer of the BCL-2 overexpressing strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Few-layer MXene nanosheets possess more active sites and larger specific surface area. • MXene interlayer enables efficient immobilization and electronic structure modulation of metal nanoparticles. • Pd/Ru/MXene/NF electrodes demonstrate excellent repeatability and universality. • OH, reactive atomic H* and HClO play a role in the degradation of TC. • The degradation products of TC were less developmentally toxic and mutagenic. In this study, Pd/Ru/MXene/ nickel foam (NF) electrodes were prepared by the impregnation method and galvanostatic electrodeposition technique to investigate their electrocatalytic degradation of tetracycline (TC). Subsequently, the electron transfer mechanism during this degradation process was studied. Under the optimal conditions, the degradation efficiency of the Pd/Ru/MXene/NF composite electrode for TC reached 92.02 % at 60 min. Bursting experiments as well as H 2 O 2 generation experiments showed that OH, H* and ClO− together realized the degradation of TC. The composite electrode could effectively reduce the biotoxicity of the intermediate products of the TC degradation process. In order to reduce the aggregation of Pd and Ru nanoparticles, a scaffold structure and the introduction of a MXene intermediate layer were used to solve the problem. Electrocatalytic degradation of antibiotic molecules was facilitated by tuning the interface of the catalytic electrode to expose active sites and modulating the electronic state of the catalyst to enhance intrinsic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel tubular photo-thermo-reactor with coaxial baffles and dual (photo-thermo- and thermo-) catalyst beds is proposed, integrated with the commercially-mature parabolic trough concentrators (EuroTrough ET-100 model) with high scalability for high-efficient H 2 production from solar-driven methanol steam reforming. The optical-flow-thermal-chemical multiphysics coupled model, which incorporates the experimental data of photo-thermo-catalytic reaction kinetics, have been established to optimize the geometric and operational conditions of the proposed reactor. It is demonstrated that the systematic solar hydrogen production efficiency up to 21.2 % considering the pumping power and the solar-to-hydrogen efficiency up to 30.6 % without considering the energy cost have been achieved in the best case. The reason for the excellent performance is two-fold. On the one hand, the existence of coaxial baffles guides multiple penetrations of the gaseous reactants through the catalyst beds thus guarantees sufficient contact between them. On the other hand, the design of coaxial dual-bed guarantees cascaded utilizations of both photo-thermo-catalysis and thermo-catalysis thus realizes higher utilization efficiency of full-spectrum solar energy. Considering the compatibility to the commercially-mature optical concentrator, this work exemplifies a practically promising route of effective full-spectrum solar-to-chemical conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purity of sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF 6) is crucial for the preparation of electrolytes in manufacturing. We propose a simple process in order to induce membrane structure rearrangement process (SRP) by activating thin-film composite (TFC) membranes with polyamide (PA) structure and explore their potential green recycling application in concentrating sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) electrolyte. The method utilizes a solution containing polar aprotic solvent as the soaking and activating solution to swell and disintegrate the loosely cross-linked PA layer, and a non-solvent solidification solution complete the SRP , enhancing the permeability of the PA layer while maintaining high rejection rates for divalent ions. Subsequently, during the further treatment of the membrane surface in structure rearrangement, tert-butanol (TBA) is introduced into the aqueous solution to reconstruct the surface PA layer, further improving the permeability. The optimal D80 10 T10 achieved a permeation flux of 24.2 L m−2 h−1·bar−1, with rejection rates for sodium sulfate (Na 2 SO 4), magnesium chloride (MgCl 2), and magnesium sulfate (MgSO 4) reaching 94.7 %, 98.4 %, and 99.1 % respectively. And the mechanism of SRP with different solvent is analyzed and explained through dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations. This study provides a commercially viable approach for manufacturing high-performance membranes. The D80 10 T10 membrane achieves more than 90 % separation efficiency for sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF 6) dissolved in different solvents, providing a potential solution for the concentration and recovery of NaPF 6 in lab-scale, verified its potential use in the organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) and a path way for waste membrane recycling and degrading use in the industry. [Display omitted] • Structure rearrangement process (SRP) with soaking and solidification step was raised. • Tert-Butanol was screened to be the best solidification solvent among candidates. • Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations verified the SRP method. • The performance for recovering and producing NaPF 6 was validated in lab-scale. • SRP offered a path way for waste membrane recycling and degrading use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new perspective that incoherent scattering of photonic glass is treated as a dynamic factor to be used. • Multiple encoding routes including wetting-, humidity- and temperature-responsive structural color. • A type of structural color materials with invisible patterning capability and full-colored features. Stimuli-responsive structurally-colored materials have been extensively developed for decades based on conventional strategies by manipulating periods and refractive indices of the system. Herein, a controlled incoherent scattering strategy is demonstrated for fabricating stimuli-responsive photonic glass featured by scalable produce and dynamic saturation. The incoherent scattering in photonic glass systems is controlled by responsive light absorbers and wetting, leading to a conversion between a whitened state dominated by incoherent scattering and a structurally-colored state dominated by structural resonance. Wetting the system reduces incoherent scattering significantly to reveal the structural color of photonic glass, while engineered absorbers can change the absorption with stimuli-response to shift the shield against incoherent scattering. Responsive structural colors based on the photonic glass systems are presented, realizing wetting-, humidity- and temperature-dependent structurally-colored sensors and patterns. Given that such incoherent-scattering-controlled strategy can be further extended by functional absorbers and wettability modifications, this work may inspire scalable and effective structurally-colored materials with invisible patterning capability for anti-counterfeiting and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orf virus (ORFV), a member of the genus Parapoxvirus, possesses an excellent immune activation capability, which makes it a promising immunomodulation agent. In this study, we evaluated ORFV as a novel adjuvant to enhance the immune response of mice to a subunit vaccine using porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) capsid (Cap) protein as a model. Our results showed that both inactivated and live attenuated ORFV activated mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and increased expression of immune-related cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Enhanced humoral and cellular immune responses were induced in mice immunized with PCV2 Cap protein combined with inactivated or live attenuated ORFV adjuvant compared with the aluminum adjuvant. Increased secretion of Th1 and Th2 cytokines by splenic lymphocytes in immunized mice further indicated that the ORFV adjuvant promoted a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response. Moreover, addition of the ORFV adjuvant to the PCV2 subunit vaccine significantly reduced the viral load in the spleen and lungs of PCV2-challenged mice and prevented pathological changes in lungs. This study demonstrates that ORFV enhances the immunogenicity of a PCV2 subunit vaccine by improving the adaptive immune response, suggesting the potential application of ORFV as a novel adjuvant. • ORFV treatment can activate mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. • ORFV adjuvant enhances immune responses of PCV2 subunit vaccine. • ORFV adjuvant induces a mixed Th1/Th2 immune response in mice. • ORFV adjuvant improves the protective efficacy of PCV2 subunit vaccine. • ORFV can be used as new adjuvants with potential application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A symplectic analytical approach is proposed to study the thermal-metallurgical coupling problems. • The symplectic analytical solution of three-dimensional temperature field is derived directly. • An alternating algorithm is designed to realize the nonlinear thermal-metallurgical coupling calculation. • The symplectic approach considers both quantization mechanism and computational efficiency. • The temperature and microstructure evolution during the coil cooling process are precisely calculated. The cooling process of hot-rolled coil directly affects the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the final product. The non-uniform behavior of temperature and microstructure can easily result in sufficient residual stress to induce subsequent cutting deformation. Therefore, the focus of this study is to analyze the thermal-metallurgical coupling problem during the cooling process of hot-rolled coil. Unlike before, a symplectic analytical approach is proposed to calculate the temperature and microstructure evolution of hot-rolled coil. Firstly, the hot-rolled coil is discretized to convert the three-dimensional heat transfer problem in cylindrical coordinate system to cartesian coordinate system. Then, the traditional heat transfer model is introduced into the symplectic Hamiltonian system and the symplectic superposition method is employed to handle complex cooling boundary conditions. The symplectic analytical solution of the three-dimensional temperature field is obtained through rigorous derivation without any assumptions or predetermined solution forms. Meanwhile, an alternating algorithm is designed between the heat transfer model and the phase transformation dynamics model to realize the coupling process. Moreover, a high-precision finite element model verified by the measured data is established. The symplectic analytical solution of coil temperature and microstructure during the cooling process is in good agreement with the finite element solution. Finally, the symplectic approach has been proven to enable quantitative mathematical analysis of the coupling mechanism of thermal-metallurgical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) from starch nanocrystals (SNCs) is currently a key area of research. However, the high cost of producing SNCs restricts their usage in the food industry. This study investigated the effectiveness of micron-sized esterified maize starch (M-NMS) as the sole stabilizer for the preparation of HIPPEs. It was found that stable, gel-like HIPPEs with an oil phase volume of 75–90% could be created by using M-NMS granules at a concentration of ≥3.0 wt%. At a pH of 5.0–9.0, the absolute value of zeta potential for all emulsions exceeded 61 mV, indicating high interfacial stability. The addition of NaCl at a concentration of 40–160 mmol/l had no significant effect on the emulsion's viscosity, viscoelasticity, or stability. The gel structure formed by the swollen M-NMS molecular chain predominantly determined the emulsion's performance, as shown by atomic force microscopy. • Pickering emulsions of 75–90 vol% were prepared by using micron-scale starch. • A physical barrier was obtained by starch swelling at the oil drop interface. • In the pH values of 5.0–9.0, zeta potential of all emulsions exceeded 61 mV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highly selective Mg2+/Li+ separation membranes (S Mg, Li ,95.9) are prepared. • The positively charged groups are immobilized by nucleophilic substitution. • The membrane rejection for MgCl 2 reaches 99.2 % with a water flux of ∼ 50 LMH. • A two-stage NF treatment achieves Li 2 CO 3 powder with a purity level of 99.4%. • The membrane preparation process is easy to scale up with cost effectiveness. The efficient separation of Mg2+ and Li+ is the crucial step in the process of extracting lithium from salt lake brine. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes exhibit promising application potential in Mg2+/Li+ separation but the Mg2+/Li+ selectively of negatively charged NF membranes prepared by conventional interfacial polymerization process is far from desirable. In this study, a novel positively charged quaternary ammonium bromide, 3-bromopropyl trimethylammonium bromide (BTAB), is grafted on the polyethyleneimine (PEI)/trimesoyl chloride (TMC) NF membrane surface. This is achieved by a chemical reaction known as nucleophilic substitution, which involves the replacement of a bromine atom (-Br) with an amine group. Owing to the enhanced Donnan effects, the BTAB-modified NF membranes exhibit a MgCl 2 rejection of up to 99.2 %, while maintaining a water flux of approximately 50 LMH under 5 bar. Meanwhile, the LiCl rejection is only ∼ 30 %. The Mg2+/Li+ selectively of the BTAB-modified NF membranes reaches 95.9 when filtrating a simulated brine with a Mg2+/Li+ ratio of 20 (2000 ppm MgCl 2 and LiCl mixture), which is a twofold improvement compared with the pristine NF membranes. The working stability of the BTAB-modified NF membranes is confirmed by a 50-h continuous operation process. A two-stage NF treatment is conducted using a simulated East Taijinar salt lake brine, achieving Li 2 CO 3 powder with a purity level of 99.4 %. The nucleophilic substitution reaction between -Br and the amine groups offers a good reference for the surface functionalization of NF membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise mechanism behind the association between plants' reactions to cadmium (Cd) stress and brassinosteroid (BR) remains unclear. In the current investigation, Cd stress quickly increased the endogenous BR concentration in the rice roots. Exogenous BR also increased the hemicellulose level in the root cell wall, which in turn increased its capacity to bind Cd. Simultaneously, the transcription level of genes responsible for root Cd absorption was decreased, including Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Protein 1/5 (OsNRAMP1/5) and a major facilitator superfamily gene called OsCd1. Ultimately, the increased expression of Heavy Metal ATPase 3 (OsHMA3) and the decreased expression of OsHMA2 , which was in charge of separating Cd into vacuoles and translocating Cd to the shoots, respectively, led to a decrease in the amount of Cd that accumulated in the rice shoots. In contrast, transgenic rice lines overexpressing OsGSK2 (a negative regulator in BR signaling) accumulated more Cd, while OsGSK2 RNA interference (RNAi) rice line accumulated less Cd. Furthermore, BR increased endogenous Gibberellic acid (GA) level, and applying GA could replicate its alleviative effect. Taken together, BR decreased Cd accumulation in rice by mediating the cell wall's fixation capacity to Cd, which might relied on the buildup of the GA. [Display omitted] • Cd induced endogenous brassinosteroid accumulation. • Exogenous brassinosteroid increased the fixation of Cd in the root cell wall hemicellulose. • Brassinosteroid decreased expression of genes involved in Cd absorption and translocation. • Brassinosteroid up-regulated expression of genes involved in Cd sequestration. • Brassinosteroid decrease Cd accumulation in rice, a process might mediate by GA signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of durability tests were conducted using varying composite salt solutions (5% Na 2 SO 4 + 3.5% NaCl, 10% Na 2 SO 4 + 3.5% NaCl, and 3.5% NaCl) and stress levels (F-0.3, F-0.6) to investigate the durability of concrete reinforced with steel and basalt fibers. Specimens were extracted after 0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 wet-dry cycles to explore the changes in the appearance, mass loss, relative dynamic modulus of elasticity, and compressive strength with the number of wet-dry cycles and different coupling effects. Mathematical models correlating mass and compressive strength with wet-dry cycles and stress levels were separately established. The concrete microstructure under coupling effects was observed using Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM). The results indicated that the inhibitory effect on the increase in concrete mass was higher in the F-0.6 group than in the F-0.3 group, showing that concrete under F-0.3 exhibited faster mass growth. As the axial compressive stress ratio increased, steel-basalt fiber reinforced concrete's relative dynamic modulus of elasticity changed less. Concrete degradation was more pronounced in the 10% Na 2 SO 4 + 3.5% NaCl solution and F-0.6 loading environment. The calculated results from the established models agreed with the experimental results, demonstrating a certain degree of feasibility. • Experimental study on the durability of fiber-adulterated concrete under multi-factor coupling. • Group F-0.6 inhibited the increase in concrete mass more effectively than group F-0.3. • Increasing axial stress ratio suppresses the relative dynamic modulus change in fiber reinforced concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training in the subspecialty of spinal tumors is challenging and less researched. The anatomic variations and complex relationship with paraspinal structures tend to be the main obstacle for the trainees in this field. Three-dimensional (3D)-printing technique has the advantage of individual customization and high fidelity, and can produce case-tailored models as auxiliary tools in medical training. The main parts of the study included case-based lectures with tailored 3D-printing models, evaluating their performances in a controlled examination and anonymous questionnaire survey regarding the trainees' opinion towards the tailored models. The examination was designed as case-based clinical analysis. All trainees were randomly allocated to the study group and control group, and the former group was additively provided a case-tailored model. Thirty-six participants were recruited in this study, including 16 residents and 20 fellows. In the section of examination, there was significant difference in the aspects of describing the involvement of paraspinal structures and discriminating the relationship between the tumor and large vessels (P < 0.05), but similar in the aspects of surgical planning and relevant complications (P > 0.05). In the survey, most participants gave favorable responses to 3D-printing models in the aspects of understanding anatomic structures and relationship, inter-trainee communication, surgical planning, and enhancement of interest and confidence (50.0% to 94.4%, respectively). The 3D-printing model is a valuable tool in the training of new residents and fellows in the subspecialty of spinal tumors. It can facilitate the trainees' understanding of tumor anatomy, surgical readiness, and confidence as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-order multi-time-step scheme (MTS) for the bond-based peridynamic (PD) model, an extension of classical continuous mechanics widely used for analyzing discontinuous problems like cracks, is proposed. The MTS scheme discretizes the spatial domain with a meshfree method and advances in time with a high-order Runge–Kutta method. To effectively handle discontinuities (cracks) that appear in a local subdomain in the solution, the scheme employs the Taylor expansion and Lagrange interpolation polynomials with a finer time step size, that is, coarse and fine time step sizes for smooth and discontinuous subdomains, respectively, to achieve accurate and efficient simulations. By eliminating unnecessary fine-scale resolution imposed on the entire domain, the MTS scheme outperforms the standard STS scheme for PD by significantly reducing computational costs, particularly for problems with discontinuous solutions, as demonstrated by comprehensive theoretical analysis and numerical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neutrophil-derived extracellular vesicles play a role in noncancer liver diseases by acting as receptor cells or maternal cells, respectively. Liver disease ranks as the eleventh leading cause of mortality, leading to approximately 2 million deaths annually worldwide. Neutrophils are a type of immune cell that are abundant in peripheral blood and play a vital role in innate immunity by quickly reaching the site of liver injury. They exert their influence on liver diseases through autocrine, paracrine, and immunomodulatory mechanisms. Extracellular vesicles, phospholipid bilayer vesicles, transport a variety of substances, such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, and pathogenic factors, for intercellular communication. They regulate cell communication and perform their functions by delivering biological information. Current research has revealed the involvement of the interaction between neutrophils and extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis of liver disease. Moreover, more research has focused on targeting neutrophils as a therapeutic strategy to attenuate disease progression. Therefore, this article summarizes the roles of neutrophils, extracellular vesicles, and their interactions in noncancerous liver diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Highly selective Cl−/SO 4 2− separation NF membranes (S = 488) are prepared. • The membrane rejects 99.5% of Na 2 SO 4 , 18.3% of NaCl, with a flux of 9 LMH/bar. • Pore sharpening and increased negativity are realized by a one-step process. • 8″ × 40″ sized modules exhibit good Cl−/SO 4 2− separation performance. • A pilot trial in Sinopec's zero discharge processes is in plan. The petrochemical industry is an important producer of high salinity wastewater, necessitating the efficient separation of salts in zero discharge processes. This study reports the development of an industrially scalable thin film composite nanofiltration membranes that facilitate the effective separation of NaCl/Na 2 SO 4. Employing a one-step functionalization process, the membrane pore distribution is sharpened, and the surface negativity is intensified. Branched polyethyleneimine with abundant reactive amine groups is employed as an aqueous co-monomer, leading to the generation of high density grafting active sites. Nucleophilic substitution reaction is employed to functionalize the membrane surface with negatively charged sulfonic acid groups. Simultaneously, large voids within the free volume are filled and the pore size distribution is effectively narrowed. The resultant membranes demonstrate an impressive rejection of 99.5 % for Na 2 SO 4 , a selectivity of 163.4 for NaCl/Na 2 SO 4 and a selectivity of 488 for Cl−/SO 4 2−, with a water flux of 45 LMH under 0.5 MPa. The corresponding 8″ × 40″ sized spiral wound membrane modules exhibit a NaCl/Na 2 SO 4 selectivity of 100.4 and a Cl−/SO 4 2− selectivity of 258.3, demonstrating high practical applicability. A pilot trial is planned to integrate these novel membrane products into zero discharge processes within the internal chemical enterprises of Sinopec. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The universal strategies of graphene films interfacial modification are concluded. • The research results adhering to "simplicity" concept have been importantly focused. • Strategies to precisely manipulate the interlayer spacing and channels is discussed. • The well-aligned GO films with regularized mass-transfer channels are emphasized. • Potential application and future direction in flexible energy devices are discussed. The advancement of flexible electronics relies heavily on the progress in flexible energy storage device technology, necessitating innovative design in flexible electrode materials. Among numerous potential materials, graphene-based composite films emerge as promising candidates due to their capacity to leverage the superior electrochemical and mechanical properties of graphene flakes. However, the influence of strong van der Waals forces often leads to inevitable agglomeration and self-stacking of adjacent graphene flakes. Consequently, achieving an elaborate control over the interlayer structure of graphene-based composite films becomes imperative to improve their structural stability in electrolytes and enhance charge/electron transfer efficiency. Herein, this review provides a comprehensive overview of diverse interfacial functional modification strategies for graphene and graphene oxide nanoflakes, thereby facilitating the assembly of graphene-based composite films. Additionally, it encompasses a discussion on the universal designs of micro-nanostructures within interlayers. Particularly, the technologies to manipulate, stabilize and orientate the interlayer channels and interlayer spacing are highlighted. These insights serve as an informative reference for the engineering of interlayer structures in graphene-based composite films. Furthermore, the review addresses the potential applications of flexible graphene-based composite films in wearable applications, current challenges, and future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper mainly discusses exponential synchronization of nonlinear CDN via intermittent pinning control on T. By using Lyapunov and time scales theory, a novel sufficient condition to guarantee the synchronization of CDNs is obtained. The method of intermittent pinning control is adopted in designing controllers to ensure the realization of synchronization of CDNs. Unlike most existing results, our results are an extension of previous results, integral delay and coupling disturbance are considered in the time-delay nonlinear CDNs. Therefore, our results are less conservative but more persuasive. Moreover, our model can be applied not only to continuous/discrete CDNS, but also to mixed CDNs. Finally, we give numerical simulations to demonstrate the feasibility of our theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the challenges posed by the connection of new energy sources to the grid, pumped storage power stations (PSPSs) are required to frequently engage in transient processes to maintain load balancing and regulate grid frequency. It remains difficult, however, to evaluate the transient characteristics of the hydraulic turbine governing system (HTGS) and shafting system because of the lack of suitable models. This study seeks to address this challenge by establishing a transient turbine model based on the surface-cluster method and the shafting system transient coupling model, accounting for hydraulic-mechanical-electrical factors. HTGS and shafting systems' dynamic response characteristics are investigated under two small oscillation processes and eleven closure laws of guide vanes (CLGVs). The findings reveal that the shafting system vibration increases with the load drop during small oscillation processes. Conversely, sudden load increases reduce shafting vibration and the change of vibration is related to the force of the blade. Moreover, the study identifies that under the fast-slow two-phase CLGV, the maximum relative head and rotor radial amplitude increase with decreasing guide vanes (GV) opening of the turning point, while the change in maximum relative speed is opposite. Under the slow-fast two-phase CLGV, the maximum head and speed increase with decreasing GV opening of the turning point, while the maximum radial amplitude of the rotor is the opposite. Finally, under all the three-phase CLGVs, the transient characteristics of the head, speed, and shafting vibration under close-close-close (CCC) CLGV are the best. The innovation of this paper is to provide a method to establish the transient coupling model of HTGS and shafting, and to study the stability and transient response characteristics of HTGU. • The study establishes an improved transient turbine equation using the surface-cluster method. • A transient shafting system model was established by considering hydro-mechanical-electric coupling factors. • A method is provided for establishing the transient coupling model of the HTGS and shafting system. • HTGS and shafting systems' dynamic response characteristics are investigated under oscillation processes and CLGVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Deep CNNs predict flatness in complex tandem cold-rolling environments. • An efficient two-stage strategy with AdaBound optimization for model training. • Thorough investigation of network structures on flatness prediction performance. • A complete pipeline of AI-based forecasts for the strip rolling process industry. Flatness deviations in the tandem cold-rolling process of steel strips have a direct impact on product quality and shape, leading to strip breakage, reduced working speed, and equipment damage. However, conventional physics-based numerical models are inadequate for accurately predicting flatness in the complex operating conditions and variables of tandem rolling environments. To address this challenge, a novel approach is proposed that utilizes deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) based on real industrial data from tandem cold rolling. The multi-input and multi-output architecture of our DCNNs enables them to solve the multi-level nonlinear problem associated with flatness prediction in the tandem cold-rolling process. The flatness profiles are effectively predicted using the proposed method, incorporating multiple variables without requiring additional data pre-processing methods. Additionally, the effects of network width, depth, and topology on flatness prediction performance are thoroughly investigated. The developed Inception-ResNet demonstrates remarkable predictive performance while using fewer model parameters and exhibiting lower computational complexity compared to other network architectures. Specifically, the proposed Inception-ResNet-39 model, consisting of 39 layers of learnable parameters, achieves state-of-the-art predictive performance. Our deep learning-based approach accurately predicts flatness in tandem cold-rolling through end-to-end modeling and provides complete pipelines for model transfer construction to ensure efficient implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Learned the complete two-dimensional merging behaviour from vehicle trajectories with AIRL. • Improved the merging performance with goal-conditioned and confidence-aware mechanisms. • Demonstrated the performance and transferability of the developed model. Merging behaviour is a fundamental yet challenging driving task which has significant impact on traffic flow operations. While numerous efforts have been made on the modelling of decision-making of lane-based merging behaviour, little was focusing on the simulation of the complete merging process, which generates two-dimensional merging trajectories allowing for the investigation of merging behaviour's impact on the traffic flow. This study thus aims to develop a two-dimensional data-driven simulation model for merging behaviour based on the emerging imitation learning framework for generating realistic vehicle trajectories and traffic characteristics. To account for the specific goal of merging vehicles (reaching the planned destination) and the presence of suboptimal behaviours in real traffic, we incorporate goal-conditioned and confidence-aware mechanisms into adversarial inverse reinforcement learning (is referred to as GC-AIRL) to learn the merging behaviour from real-traffic demonstrations. Using the vehicle trajectories data extracted from the NGSIM dataset, we demonstrate that the proposed model is capable of generating two-dimensional vehicle trajectories with superior efficiency, safety, and comfort performance compared to human drivers. The superiority of the GC-AIRL model is validated by comparing with several bench-marking models, including the basic AIRL model, generative adversarial imitation learning (GAIL) model, a reinforcement learning (RL) based model, and long short-term memory (LSTM) model. Moreover, we examine the transferability of the proposed model in producing merging behaviour at a new site that indicates its applicability in diverse environments. The findings of this study highlight the great potential of the developed two-dimensional merging behaviour model for future application in connected and automated vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposed a generic framework for theoretical string stability analysis of NN-based models. • Derived general stability criterion of FNN and RNN based models. • Demonstrated the applicability of the stability analysis framework. String stability plays a crucial role in regulating traffic flow, as traffic oscillation can be triggered by string instability in the car-following (CF) behavior. Although studies over the past decades have provided various methods for analyzing string stability of analytical CF models, no studies have focused on neural network (NN) based CF models despite the fact that these models have exhibited remarkable performance in learning realistic driving behavior in the recent literature. This paper fills this gap by proposing a generic theoretical framework for analyzing the string stability of NN-based CF models through an Estimation-Approximation-Derivation-Calculation process (referred to as EADC framework). Within the framework, we first estimate the steady states of NN-based CF models by solving the corresponding optimization model and obtain the smooth approximation of the NN-based models for linearization, based on which the transfer function is constructed. We then derive the general stability criteria for two commonly used classes of NN in CF modeling, i.e., feedforward NN-based CF models with basic input and recurrent NN-based CF models with multi-step historical information. The string stability is thus obtained by calculating the partial derivatives through the automatic differentiation method. As two case studies, we apply the proposed stability analysis framework on two typical NN-based CF models, the Mo-MLP model (Mo et al., 2021) and the Huang-LSTM model (Huang et al., 2018), and obtained the complete consistency between the theoretical results and the simulation results for both models, which demonstrates the soundness of the proposed EADC framework. Moreover, we discuss the applicability of the proposed EADC stability analysis framework in the emerging era of connected and autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel full-spectrum dual-bed photo-thermo-reactor with cascading PTC and TC is proposed. • Short-wave spectra are utilized in PTC bed for photo-thermo-driven conversion. • Long-wave spectra are utilized in TC bed for thermo-driven conversion. • Solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 22.5% is achieved in the proposed reactor. Sunlight-driven methanol-steam-reforming (MSR) reaction using solar energy promises efficient production and safe transportation of hydrogen energy while storing solar energy. However, the low efficiency of photo-reforming and the high cost of thermo-reforming, intrinsically due to limited usage of full-spectrum solar energy, pose a significant challenge to practical application. Here, we propose a sunlight-driven dual-bed photo-thermo-catalytic reactor (DBPTR) for high-efficient hydrogen production from MSR with the cascaded utilization of photo-thermo-catalysis (PTC) over Pt-CuO catalyst bed and thermo-catalysis (TC) over CuO/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 catalyst bed, respectively. The experimental data verify that the overall solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies of DBPTR remarkably achieve 22.5% in the laboratory and 20.3% outdoors, respectively. These excellent performances are evidently attributed to the fact that our DBPTR could harvest the short-wave radiation (high-energy photons) in the PTC bed for photo-thermo-driven hydrogen production and confine the long-wave radiation (low-energy photons) in the TC bed for thermo-driven hydrogen production. Meanwhile, the proposed DBPTR has been proved to be scaled-up and operate under a reasonably concentrated irradiance of 16 kW m−2 with the above high STH efficiency, harmonizing the high-performance reactor, low-cost concentrator and moderate-accuracy sun-tracker. This work opens up a novel practical pathway towards high-efficient solar-to-chemical conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have gained significant attention in the fields of medicine and healthcare products due to their various biological activities and low toxicity. In this study, we focused on genetically modifying the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YW16 (CICC 1406), which has the ability to efficiently reduce sodium selenite and produce red SeNPs. By overexpressing genes involved in glutathione production, we successfully increased the glutathione titer of the modified strain YJ003 from 41.0 mg/L to 212.0 mg/L. Moreover, we improved the conversion rate of 2.0 g/L sodium selenite from 49.3% to 59.6%. Furthermore, we identified three surface proteins of SeNPs, and found that overexpression of Act1, one of the identified proteins, led to increased stability of SeNPs across different acid-base and temperature conditions. Through a 135-h feed fermentation process using 5.0 g/L sodium selenite, we achieved an impressive conversion rate of 88.7% for sodium selenite, and each gram of SeNPs contained 195.7 mg of selenium. Overall, our findings present an efficient method for yeast to synthesize SeNPs with high stability. These SeNPs hold great potential for applications in nanomedicine or as nutritional supplements to address selenium deficiency. ● To achieve a higher yield of SeNPs, attempts have been made to enhance the GSH synthetic pathway. ● ACT1, RRM3 and HSP104 were identified as the surface proteins of SeNPs. ● Overexpression of Act1 resulted in increased stability of SeNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the hydrodynamics behavior of a 3D small-scale cold flow modeling of a gas-solid tapered fluidized bed is evaluated with the Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid modeling (TFM) approach. The sensitivity of different modeling parameters, including lift and virtual mass forces, viscous force, gas-solid drag force, granular temperature, granular viscosity, granular pressure, particle-wall specularity coefficient, particle-particle restitution coefficient, and particle-wall restitution coefficient, are systematically investigated to optimize the performance of the present numerical model. The results from different sensitivity analyses reveal that the gas-particle drag force is a more important force to resolve the correct time-averaged axial and radial solids holdup profiles of the tapered fluidized bed than the other investigated parameters. The highest accuracy possible from simulations is achieved from the Gibilaro drag model followed by the Arastoopour and EMMS/bubbling models. In contrast, all other drag models over-predict the gas-particle interaction force. The assessment of the lift and virtual mass forces, viscous force, granular temperature, granular viscosity, granular pressure, and particle-wall restitution coefficient results reveal that these parameters are less critical for the numerical simulations of the tapered fluidized bed than the gas-solid drag force. However, the assessment of particle-wall specularity coefficient and particle-particle restitution coefficient reveals that adjusting these parameters in the numerical simulations is helpful to achieve a better agreement between the experimental data and model results. For the higher gas flow rate, the current work shows that a better agreement can be achieved by tuning the parameter values in the standard sub-models than the previously published TFM studies. Meanwhile, for the lower gas flow rate, the accuracy of the present work is slightly lower than the previously published work but acceptable with the experimental measurements. The current work has an advantage over the previously published work in terms of lower computational effort by using the simplified geometry and mean particle diameter assumptions. [Display omitted] • We simulated a 3D tapered fluidized bed reactor using the TFM approach. • We performed the sensitivity analysis of key modeling parameters and sub-models. • Drag force has a much greater impact on the hydrodynamics than the other forces. • We implemented the BVK, EMMS/bubbling, and Arastoopour drag models through UDFs. • We optimized the performance of the TFM based on its sensitivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment erosion of Pelton turbines seriously damage the economic benefits and safe operation of the power station under the high head. The gas-liquid-solid three-phase unsteady flow calculation was carried out using the Eulerian-Lagrangian method to study the influence of velocity and nozzle opening on buckets torque and erosion. Experimental research were carried out under the condition of clear water and sediment-laden flow, the experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results, which proves the reliability of the calculation model and calculation method. The conclusions obtained from the numerical simulation are as follows: after adding the sediment particles, there is a slight delay of the bucket torque curve. Compared to clear water, the maximum torque of a single bucket will increase by about 2% in sediment-laden flow under different scenarios (the particle concentration is 1%, the particle size is 0.1 mm, the velocity range is 28–32 m/s, and the nozzle opening range is 50%–100%). For particles with strong flowability, the erosion region is highly consistent with the high-pressure zone. The increase in the velocity will increase the erosion rate on buckets. The nozzle opening change has little effect on the erosion region and maximum erosion rate. Meanwhile, the number of eroded buckets is three at the same moment, which is not affected by the nozzle opening change. This paper could provide some theoretical assistance for runner manufacturing, optimization design, and maintenance. • The hydro-abrasive erosion of Pelton turbine buckets is carried out to study. • The results of numerical simulation and field test are compared. • The changing process of bucket torque is revealed. • The relationship between pressure and erosion is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduce cardiovascular events, but their effects on atherosclerotic plaque remain elusive. Using serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we studied changes in carotid plaque lipid content and neovasculature under PCSK9 inhibition with alirocumab. Among patients with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥70 mg/dl but ineligible for high-dose statin therapy, those with lipid core on carotid MRI were identified to receive alirocumab 150 mg every 2 weeks. Follow-up MRI was performed at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Pre- and post-contrast MRI were acquired to measure percent lipid core volume (% lipid core). Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI was acquired to measure the extravasation rate of gadolinium contrast (K trans ), a marker of plaque neovasculature. Of 31 patients enrolled, 27 completed the study (mean age: 69 ± 9; male: 67%). From 9.8% at baseline, % lipid core was progressively reduced to 8.4% at 3 months, 7.5% at 6 months, and 7.2% at 12 months (p = 0.014 for trend), which was accompanied by a progressive increase in % fibrous tissue (p = 0.009) but not % calcification (p = 0.35). K trans was not reduced until 12 months (from 0.069 ± 0.019 min−1 to 0.058 ± 0.020 min−1; p = 0.029). Lumen and wall areas did not change significantly during the study period. Regression in plaque composition and neovasculature were observed under PCSK9 inhibition on carotid MRI, which provides unique insight into the biological process of plaque stabilization with disease-modifying therapies. [Display omitted] • Carotid MRI can quantify plaque lipid content (% lipid core) and neovasculature (K trans ). • With PCSK9i, % lipid core was reduced progressively and seen as early as 3 months. • K trans , a marker of plaque neovasculature, was not reduced until 1 year. • Changes in serum lipids and imaging markers did not correlate at the individual level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of naturally colored cotton (NCC) in the textile industry is limited due to its inferior fiber quality. Recent advances in understanding pigmentation in NCC fiber and the genetic relationship between pigmentation and fiber development may overcome this hindrance and can guide developing high fiber quality and yield NCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eulerian–Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian numerical approaches are both widely used to investigate hydrodynamic behavior in dense gas-solid fluidized bed reactors, yet there has been a lack of comparative investigations involving the two. Therefore, the present work compares the numerical performance of a two-fluid model (TFM) and a dense discrete phase model (DDPM) in describing the hydrodynamic behavior of a pilot-scale bubbling bed reactor. The effects of several different parameters – drag force, grid size, fluid time-step, time-averaging interval, particle-wall specularity coefficient, particle-particle restitution coefficient, particle-wall reflection coefficient, and numbers of parcels (the latter two parameters only for the DDPM) – are investigated and compared for the two approaches using two-dimensional (2D) simulations. The numerical results for both models indicate that sub-grid drag correction based on the energy minimization and multiscale (EMMS) theory is the most essential modeling parameter to account for the multiscale structures (i.e., bubbles and void spaces) and to resolve the axial and radial solid distributions. Both the TFM and DDPM, coupled with the EMMS/bubbling drag, predict similar hydrodynamics behavior; however, the better accuracy in terms of axial and radial solids concentration profiles is achieved from the TFM approach. Further, our grid size analysis results indicate that the DDPM generates a better grid-independent solution than the TFM. This important advantage of the DDPM over TFM makes it a suitable candidate for large-scale industrial applications by employing it on much coarser grids. Meanwhile, the results from the time-step, time-averaging interval, specularity coefficient, restitution coefficient, reflection coefficient, and numbers of parcels represent a minor effect on the overall hydrodynamics behavior of the pilot-scale bubbling bed reactor. [Display omitted] • Hydrodynamics of a 2D bubbling bed was investigated with the TFM and DDPM. • Sensitivity of some key modeling parameters and sub-models was conducted. • Results in terms of numerical accuracy and computational effort were compared. • Both models provide good results with the proper selection of a drag model. • TFM provides better results while the DDPM gives a good grid-independent solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large domain wall conductivity in insulating ferroelectric thin films provides a new idea for non-destructive readout of domain information of a nonvolatile ferroelectric domain wall memory. However, there are several challenges hindering its development, including the excessive leakage current and insufficient on-state read current. A lot of experimental and theoretical data have referred to the accumulation of oxygen vacancies at the domain wall regions of ferroelectric thin films as the extrinsic contribution of the wall conduction. In this work, we found that the wall current varied with the angle between the applied electric field and the initial polarization, and that the wall current could be increased to 1.9 μA for a bismuth ferrite thin-film device with the reduced oxygen vacancies in contrast to the previous value of 2 nA for the device with rich oxygen vacancies. The oxygen vacancy concentration can be controlled through the thermal annealing of the sample at two atmospheres of 5% hydrogen mixed with argon gas and pure oxygen gas. For the former, the enhanced oxygen vacancies within the annealed sample at the reduced atmosphere decreased the domain wall current by over a few orders of magnitude, in contrast to the significant enhancement of the wall current for the sample in the latter annealed at the oxidizing atmosphere. The change of oxygen vacancy concentration was implied from the Fe2+⇔Fe3+ transition by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. This change confirmed the rigid domain wall conduction mechanism as well as the extrinsic adverse defect compensation of the wall current, paving the way to the exploration of high-power domain-wall nanodevices with sufficient output currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracellular metabolic adaptations help define the function and homeostasis of memory CD8+ T cells. These cells, which promote protection against infections or cancer, undergo consecutive metabolic shifts, ultimately relying on mitochondrial-related pathways. Past CD8+ T cell metabolism studies focused on circulating memory cells, which are exclusive to secondary lymphoid organs or recirculate between lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs. Yet, now there is unequivocal evidence that memory CD8+ T cells reside in many non-lymphoid organs and mediate protective immunity in barrier tissues. The metabolic adaptations occurring in forming and established tissue-resident memory CD8+ T cells are currently subject of intense research. In this review, we discuss the latest breakthroughs on the transcriptional and protein control of tissue-resident memory CD8+ T cell metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperspectral remote sensing can get spatially and spectrally continuous data simultaneously. However, the imaging equipment is usually expensive and complex, along with the low spatial resolution. In recent years, reconstruction of hyperspectral image by deep learning from the widely used low-cost, high spatial resolution RGB camera, has attracted extensive attention in many fields. However, most research is limited to three bands in the range of 400–700 nm, which greatly restrains its application in remote sensing. In this study, a more suitable for remote sensing multispectral to hyperspectral network (M2H-Net) is proposed, which can take many bands as input and output hyperspectral images with any number of bands within a wider spectral range (380–2500 nm). Its characteristics include adding residual connection on U-Net to reduce vanishing gradients; adding convolution combinations with different kernel sizes (1 × 1 and 3 × 3) to balance the spectral and spatial relationships. It is applied on images from different platforms (UAVs and Satellites), different imaging modes (frame and pushbroom) and different spectral response functions (narrow and wide bandwidth), and the results show that: 1) it has a very high accuracy of hyperspectral image reconstruction. The mean relative absolute error (MRAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE) are between 0.039 and 0.074 and 0.010–0.016, respectively, which are 69.2% and 41.2% lower than those of U-Net; 2) it has high efficiency with fast convergence (about 40 epochs) and stable performance. Compared with many algorithms won in the new trends in image restoration and enhancement (NTIRE) competition, M2H-Net ranked 7th in accuracy, but took less time (0.44 s); 3) it has strong generalization ability. Using the pre-trained M2H-Nets to reconstruct Cubert S185 and GF-5 hyperspectral images in different locations, different times and complex scenes, high accuracy (MRAE = 0.072, RMSE = 0.011) can still be obtained. This method is more suitable for remote sensing to meet the needs of multiple bands, spectrum width and complex scenes, thus provides the possibility to generate the global coverage hyperspectral imagery by using the massive in-orbit or historical archived multispectral images, which will not only greatly save the R&D and investment on hyperspectral imaging equipment, but also conduct data collection with higher efficiency and lower complexity. Due to the ability to reconstruct hyperspectral images in specified bands on demand, M2H-Net is also of great value in hyperspectral image processing, such as data compression, storage and transmission, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the traditional Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid modeling (TFM) approach, dense discrete phase model (DDPM) is potentially promising for industrial-scale applications of fluidized bed reactors, due to its capability of tracking the trajectories of particle parcels and resolving the particle size distributions (PSD). However, DDPM is yet at its early stage of mature implementation. Hence, verification and validation of the DDPM approach is still required for future applications of different gas-solid fluidization regimes. In the present work, verification and validation of the DDPM is systematically investigated for the first time, with regards to bubbling, turbulent and circulating fluidized beds. The sensitivity of the drag force, a key modeling parameter in gas-solid fluidized bed reactors is investigated with two different drag models i.e., Gidaspow and EMMS/bubbling. Numerical results of bubbling, turbulent and circulating fluidization regimes are presented in terms of discrete particle distributions, axial and radial solid concentrations and radial solid velocity profiles distributions. The results indicate that the sub-grid correction based on the EMMS approach is essential for the DDPM to correctly account for the effects of dissipative structures in all three fluidization regimes. While, the DDPM with the conventional Gidaspow drag failed to do so. Further, validations of the numerical results with the experimental data also prove that the DDPM approach with EMMS/bubbling drag model can resolve the time-averaged axial and radial solid concentrations and radial solid velocity profiles better than the conventional Gidaspow drag model. Unlabelled Image • Hydrodynamics behavior in three different fluidized bed reactors was investigated. • 2D numerical simulations based on the DDPM approach were performed. • Sensitivity of the homogeneous Gidaspow and heterogeneous EMMS/bubbling drag models were tested. • Good agreement between the experimental data and simulations was achieved with the EMMS/bubbling model. • Simulations with the conventional Gidaspow drag failed to predict the realistic flow field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The model combines micro, meso and macro scale features of woven composite. • The damage of matrix in the yarn, pure matrix and the fiber initiates successively. • Yarn waviness affects the mechanical behaviors and damage distribution. In this paper, a novel multiscale progressive damage model is proposed to study the complex mechanical behavior and damage mechanism of plain woven composites. In the macroscale, composites are treated as full-scale model with three-dimensional solid elements. The mechanical response of element integration points depends on the mesoscale constitutive relationship, including orthotropic undulating yarn and isotropic matrix. Based on the microscopic representative volume element (RVE), the stress amplification factor (SAF) database is introduced to characterize the microscale stress state of the fiber and matrix. SAF is used to realize the stress correlation calculation from the yarn level to the micro level, and a progressive damage model based on the micro-mechanics of failure (MMF) theory is developed. Quasi-static tension experiments are carried out to validate the accuracy of the model, and the influence of meso‑scale waviness and non-waviness constitutive models on the simulation results is compared. The results indicate the waviness constitutive model predicts are more consistent with the experimental results, and the prediction deviations about modulus, failure strength and failure strain are around 5%. The damage initiation of matrix in the yarn and pure matrix occurs successively, and finally the fiber failure is the main cause of catastrophic damage. Furthermore, the proposed multiscale method can be further used to predict the strength and damage of full-size woven composites under complicated loading. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air Conditioning is one of the largest uses of energy used in building operations. The combination of photovoltaic power generation and building air-conditioning is one of the important ways to realize building energy savings and emission reduction. In this context, this study uses two software, Design Builder and TRNSYS, to build college teaching buildings and equip them with centralized air conditioning systems and Photovoltaic storage (PV-storage) systems, aiming to explore the electric characteristics of college teaching buildings and the economy of PV-storage system under 36 scenarios. It provides a theoretical reference for the integrated application of centralized air conditioning "PV-storage" in teaching buildings of colleges and universities. The main results show that the system has a strong ability to match the power load, and its solar fraction is between 0.85 and 1.00. The system's payback period (PBP) is short, and the net present value (NPV) is large. Its PBP is 6.09–6.38 years, and the NPV is 2809.47–3017.04 thousand yuan. This teaching building system has a good economy while realizing energy saving and emission reduction through a simulation case study, which shows high potential for applications. In addition, in summer, reducing attendance, reducing classroom utilization (in the semester), and not setting up night self-study can reduce electricity consumption. In winter, increasing attendance, reducing classroom utilization (in the semester), and setting up night self-study can reduce electricity consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Complete symmetry breaking of chiral compound is obtained by process intensification. • Combination of ultrasound and temperature cycle antagonistically affects deracemization. • Primary nucleation promoted by ultrasound decreases the resolution efficiency of TCID. • Synergistic intensification was established by using ultrasound only in the heating stage of TCID. Deracemization is a promising chiral resolution technique that combines racemization reaction with stereoselective crystallization for complete chiral symmetry breaking and has attracted much attention. However, the integration process of reaction-crystallization is rather complex and often requires long operation time with high initial solid enantiomer excess which greatly limits its wide application. Herein, we proposed a novel strategy that combines the use of both ultrasound and temperature cycles to accelerate the process of deracemization and thereby chiral separation. A chiral compound, N-acetyl- dl -leucine, was selected as a model drug for experimental validation. We found that either ultrasound or temperature cycle process was capable of accelerating the deracemization efficiency, nonetheless, the combination of the two methods leads to the antagonistic action, decreasing process efficiency and product chiral purity. Through the time-elapsed characterizations on enantiomeric purity of N-acetyl- l -leucine over the course of deracemization, we revealed that the ultrasound negatively impacted the process efficiency of chiral separation via promotion of primary heterogeneous nucleation during the cooling stage. Finally, we strategically designed a synergistic process intensification of crystallization-induced deracemization between temperature cycling and the periodic ultrasound that switches on only during the heating stage to achieve highly efficient separation of pure N-acetyl- l -leucine with theoretical 100% yield at extremely low initial solid ee %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The resistance to adiabatic shear localization of the forged CrMnFeCoNi HEA is related to the strain rate and shows a significant geometric effect. • The hardness of the central ASB is 70 % higher than that of the matrix due to the strengthening effect of fine grains. • Both the central ASB and the transition region are deformed by nano twinning and dislocation coordination. • The failure occurs along the ASB, and ductile fracture characterized by shear dimples is the main fracture mechanism. Dynamic shear deformation generally occurs in machining, punching and other manufacturing processes, so it is of key significance to study the shear properties of materials under high strain rate for guiding machining and realizing the application of materials. In this work, the dynamic shear behavior of forged CrMnFeCoNi high entropy alloys at different temperatures and strain rates was studied by using hat-shaped specimens. Dynamic loading at a wide temperature range (-100–650 °C) and ultra-high strain rate (5 × 105 s−1) was achieved. To investigate the influence of specimen geometry on shear properties, the shear widths (the horizontal width between the upper hat portion and the lower brim portion of the specimen) were set as 50 μm,100 μm, 200 μm and 400 μm, respectively. The results showed that the adiabatic shear was a precursor to failure, and the resistance to adiabatic shear localization of this alloy was related to the strain rate and geometric effect. The shear strength decreased gradually with the increase of temperature. The microstructure of the shear zone was characterized. The central ASB was composed of nanograins with the size of 200–300 nm, containing nano-twins and dislocations. The hardness of the central ASB was 70 % higher than that of the matrix due to the strengthening effect of fine grains. The grains in the transition region were deformed along the shear direction to form slender sub grains containing a large number of dislocations and nano-twins, resulting in strain hardening. The cracks propagated along the ASB, and the ductile fracture characterized by dimples was the main fracture mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis plays a pivotal role in cell physiological functions. Various pathological, physiological, or pharmacological stimuli can destroy ER homeostasis and cause an adaptive response noted as ER stress. Meanwhile, ER stress is frequently associated with inflammatory response. GRP78 (Glucose-regulated protein 78) is crucial to maintaining the homeostasis of cells. Nonetheless, the potential mechanisms underlying the impact of GRP78 on ER stress and inflammation remain incompletely elucidated in fish. In the current research, the ER stress and inflammation were induced by Thapsigargin (TG) treatment in large yellow croaker macrophages. Then, the macrophages were incubated with agonist/inhibitor of GRP78 before or after the TG incubation to figure out the effects of GRP78. The results demonstrated that exposure to TG could significantly induce ER stress and inflammation in large yellow croaker macrophages, while the overexpression of GRP78 attenuated the ER stress and inflammation induced by TG. Furthermore, the inhibition of GRP78 further induced the ER stress and inflammation induced by TG. In conclusion, the above results indicated that GRP78 could regulate the ER stress and inflammation induced by TG in large yellow croaker. • Thapsigargin (TG) incubation could markedly induce ER stress and inflammation in macrophages of large yellow croaker. • Overexpression of GRP78 could attenuate the ER stress and inflammation induced by TG. • Inhibition of GRP78 could exacerbate the ER stress and inflammation induced by TG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a high-order temporal discretization for reformulations of both bond-based and state-based peridynamic models modeling, e.g. crack propagation. It is discovered from various experiments that for such discontinuous problems, commonly-used second-order methods are less stable and more computationally consuming than the high-order method, which indicates that the high-order temporal discretization not only improves the accuracy and the efficiency for conventional smooth problems, but also exhibits a promising behavior for some non-smooth models such as peridynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Transformer-ELM hybrid model detects mixed odors in refrigerators. • Model captures long-term serial data patterns via adaptive feature fusion. • Active temperature modulation technique enhances sensor sensitivity. • High accuracy achieved for mixed odor classification. • Low error rate for odor intensity detection. Accurate detection of food spoilage in refrigerators is crucial for ensuring food freshness and safety. However, due to the wide variety of gases emitted by decaying food and their uneven distribution of gases within the refrigerator, current mixed odor detection methods are not satisfactory. This study proposes a dedicated algorithm for a refrigerator electronic nose that enables precise classification of mixed food odors and prediction of their intensity. To achieve this objective, a dataset of food odor samples was collected from refrigerators, and sensory identification as well as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis were performed to obtain freshness and intensity labels. The developed electronic nose algorithm incorporates key techniques, including active temperature modulation and an adaptive fusion model of lightweight Transformer-ELM, to enhance sensitivity, selectivity, and global modeling capabilities for identifying abnormal odors in volatile compounds of mixed gases. Experimental evaluations on a large-scale dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in classifying refrigerated food freshness and predicting odor intensity. This research contributes to the field of electronic nose technology and has potential for applications beyond refrigerator odor detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]