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Room-temperature switchable dielectric materials are of interest for many applications, including solar energy storage, smart switches, automatic filters, and next-generation sensors. Here, a temperature-triggered dielectric switchable nanocomposite by dispersing octadecylamine-grafted multiwalled carbon nanotubes (ODA-MWCNTs, for short) into hexadecane is reported. The composite has low permittivity at molten state and high permittivity at frozen state, and the permittivity switch is triggered around 18 °C. The highest permittivity contrast ratio reaches 106.4 at 2.0% CNT volume fraction. The composite shows frequency-sensitive and temperature-ramping-rate-sensitive properties. Further investigation indicates that the permittivity switch is caused by the change of the ODA-MWCNT percolating networks during phase transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Rsi-SF and SF-VPD lags of 52 tree species are investigated. • The Rsi-VPD lag largely determines the SF-VPD lag across sites and species. • Higher soil moisture increases Rsi-SF lag but decreases SF-VPD lag for most tree species. • Trees with larger sapwood area are more inclined to have larger Rsi-SF lag and smaller SF-VPD lag. A time lag commonly exists between tree sap flux (SF) and its main driving factors-incoming short-wave solar radiation (Rsi) and atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD), generating a hysteresis response of SF to Rsi and VPD. Understanding the controlling factors of such time lags (i.e., Rsi-SF lag and SF-VPD lag) is imperative to understand the onset of the hysteresis and improve sap flux simulations. Though a few studies have explored the controlling factors of the time lags, discrepancies still exist and a synthesis remains lacking. We hypothesize that the Rsi-VPD lag, soil water content (SWC) and tree sapwood area (SA) impact the time lags from the perspectives of local atmospheric properties, soil water supply and plant water storage. To test the hypotheses, we comprehensively evaluated the magnitude of the time lags for 52 tree species using the global SAPFLUXNET database. The time lags were found to vary with species with the Rsi-SF lag ranging from 0.16 to 2.81 h and the SF-VPD lag ranging from –1.14 to 2.24 h. The SF-VPD lag has a significantly positive correlation with the Rsi-VPD lag for 99% trees, while the Rsi-SF lag has a significantly positive correlation with the Rsi-VPD lag for only 40% trees. Higher SWC generally increases Rsi-SF lag but decreases SF-VPD lag for most species, and such patterns are more evident at sites with higher mean annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. Though SA exhibits divergent impacts on the time lags among different sites and species, trees with larger SA are more inclined to have larger Rsi-SF lag. In this study we provided a cross-site and -species assessment of the controlling factors of the Rsi-SF and SF-VPD lags, explaining the discrepancies emerging in previous studies and improving the understanding of the hysteresis phenomenon associated with sap flux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The addition of nanoparticles to highly mineralized fracturing fluids increases system's thixotropy. • Fumed silica reduce the activation energy of polymeric fracturing fluid systems at high mineralization water. • Molecular dynamics simulations can explain the interaction between nanoparticles and polymeric chains. Fumed silica is combined with highly mineralized water to configure polymeric fracturing fluids for fracture and oil-repellent applications. The properties of fracturing fluids have been systematically studied with regard to thixotropy, shear viscosity, viscoelasticity, and viscosity–temperature relationships. Molecular dynamics simulations are commonly used to discover how fumed silica works in highly mineralized fracturing fluid. Results show that fumed silica can effectively enhance the thixotropy of highly mineralized fracturing fluid. Fumed silica enhances the temperature resistance of highly mineralized fracturing fluid (variation of the Arrhenius constant). Based on SEM analysis, fumed silica can help polymers bond together. In highly mineralized fracturing fluid, fumed silica generates a supramolecular weak gel, which strengthens the weak gel. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations indicate that fumed silica strengthens polymer–nanoparticle–water interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a hybrid adaptive feedforward and feedback controller with hysteresis compensator on a magnetostrictive-actuated multi degree of freedom (DOF) positioning and vibration isolation integrated system (PVIIS). The PVIIS is custom-developed and based on "cubic" Stewart configuration. It is challenging to develop an effective controller to systematically address the issues of cross-coupling, strut hysteresis and dynamics for the PVIIS. Magnetostrictive asymmetric hysteresis leads to the loss of closed-loop output performance with conventional linear controller. To this end, a novel comprehensive controller is proposed in this paper. With the inverse kinematics analysis, the spatial motion of the mobile plate of the PVIIS is decoupled into the independent motions of six actuator struts. As for controlling the single strut of the PVIIS, the hybrid adaptive feedforward (AFF) and proportional–integral–derivative (PID) feedback controller with asymmetric hysteresis compensator (HC) is constructed. Among them, the AFF sub-controller is characterized by an adaptive finite impulse response (FIR) filter whose coefficients are updated by normalized least-mean squares (NLMS) algorithm. The PID feedback sub-controller is introduced to enhance the ability of positioning and vibration isolation. The arctangent-polynomial modified Prandtl–Ishlinskii (APMPI) model is used to build the inversion-based asymmetric hysteresis compensator. The experimental set-up is built. The positioning and vibration isolation experiments are conducted. Experimental studies show that the output performances are best with the proposed controller compared against sole AFF, hybrid AFF and PID controllers. With the proposed controller, the relative positioning error can maintain around 2.83% when the PVIIS performs 2-DOF rotation in the presence of 0.5 Hz disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study investigated the association between multimorbidity patterns and catastrophic health expenditure among Chinese older adults living alone in 2018. • Older adults living alone had high risks of CHE, especially for those with multisystem and cardiovascular diseases. • Integrated care should be adopted in the treatment of multimorbidity. Medical assistance should be provided to solitary older adults with certain patterns of multimorbidity. Multimorbidity is prevalent among older adults and may result in catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) on older adults' households. However, whether older adults living alone suffer such a financial burden is unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between multimorbidity patterns and CHE in Chinese older adults living alone. We included 884 participants aged 60 years and over and living alone from the 2018 wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Latent class analysis was performed to identify multimorbidity patterns based on 14 self-reported chronic diseases. The logit model and Tobit model were adopted to analyze the association of multimorbidity patterns with the incidence and intensity of CHE, respectively. Approximately 20.2% of the older adults living alone experienced CHE. Among the four multimorbidity groups (minimal disease, cardiovascular, lung and asthma, and multisystem), the multisystem group and cardiovascular group had significantly higher incidence and intensity of CHE than the minimal disease group. Older adults living alone had high risks of CHE, especially those belonging to the multisystem pattern and cardiovascular pattern. Integrated care should be adopted in the treatment of multimorbidity to reduce health costs. More elder services and social assistance should be provided to solitary older adults with certain patterns of multimorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain lignin from lignocellulosic biomass, phenoxyethanol (EPH) was employed to construct a biphasic solvent system. The concentration of EPH in this biphasic solvent system was first studied to determine a pretreatment condition for fractionation of lignin. Then, the fractionation of lignin from rice straw was performed under the conditions of temperature 130 °C, cooking time 60 min and sulfuric acid concentration 0.1 M, in 70 % aqueous EPH solvent system. The results showed that 50.97 %, 49.52 % or 82.02 % of the removed lignin with the purity of 89.04 %, 91.30 % or 84.76 % was regenerated from EPH liquor using dimethyl carbonate (DMC), dimethoxymethane (DMM) or diethyl ether (DE) as precipitant, respectively. Additionally, the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) and dispersity index (Đ) of the regenerated lignin decreased to 4247–4809 g/mol and 1.26–1.60 compared with that of the original lignin (5654 g/mol and 4.78). Finally, the compositional and structural characteristics of lignin, e.g., molecular weight and molecular structure, were also investigated by DSC, HSQC and elemental analysis. [Display omitted] • Proposed an efficient biphasic process of fractionating lignin with phenoxyethanol. • > 82 % of the removed lignin could be regenerated from solvent liquor. • Purity of the regenerated lignin reached up to 91.30 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluctuation disturbance of organic loading rate (OLR) is common in actual anaerobic digestion (AD), but its effects on AD of municipal sludge gets little attention. This study investigated the responses of reactor performance and active microbial community in mesophilic and thermophilic AD of municipal sludge before, during and after OLR periodic fluctuation disturbance. The performance of both reactors were similar before and after disturbance although some parameter values changed during the disturbance, which indicated their enough buffer capacity to OLR periodic fluctuation. Different microbial community at RNA level was observed in the two reactors. When the OLR disturbance commenced, the microbial community changed greatly in thermophilic AD. Error and attack tolerance of the microbial network was analyzed in order to learn the response mechanisms to OLR disturbance. The results assisted that the thermophilic microbial community was more vulnerable, but the reactor performance of which could be maintained using the functional redundancy strategy under OLR fluctuation disturbance. • Thermophilic AD of sludge showed higher performance than mesophilic AD. • Both reactors showed enough buffer capacity during the OLR disturbance period. • AD performance could recover to former situation after the OLR disturbance finished. • Microbial network of thermophilic AD was more susceptible to node removal. • Functional redundancy of thermophilic community could keep the reactor stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expose of cadmium (Cd) leads to severe leaf chlorosis and reducing nutrient uptake. It is unclear how plants responded to Cd stress in the roots, and its relation to the leaf chlorosis. Our results showed Cd disturbed the homeostasis of multiple nutrient element at different levels. The most reduced elements were Mn, Fe, with 96 %, 89 % decline in the leaves, that caused leaf chlorosis. The plants actively downregulated the expression of metal transporters to reduce Cd uptake, but consequently reducing Fe and Mn uptake. Moreover, Cd stress promoted the formation of iron plaque and significantly reduced the exchangeable ions on root surface. Importantly, ethylene plays an essential role in regulating iron plaque formation and the existent forms of Cd. Blocking ethylene biosynthesis significantly increased exchangeable Cd on the root surface and decreased the percentage of iron oxides bound Cd, thus leading to increase of Cd in the shoots. Above all, our results revealed plants actively control the expression of metal transporter and the ethylene-dependent iron plaque formation to reduce Cd uptake, but sacrificed iron nutrition. The mechanism of sequester Cd on rhizosphere by ethylene in response to Cd stress may provide guidelines for the mitigation of Cd accumulation in rice via ethylene-dependent rhizosphere regulation. • Cd disturbed the homeostasis of Mn and Fe that caused rice leaf chlorosis. • Cd stress increased the amount of iron plaque and reduced the exchangeable ions. • Ethylene regulated iron plaque formation and the existent form of Cd. • Rice control the ethylene-dependent iron plaque formation to reduce Cd uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First introducing a novel method based on CSF together with RED on delignification. • Getting >99 % delignification after pretreatment with CSF 3.7845 and RED 0.9371. • Up to 70.9 % lignin was regenerated from organosolv liquor after fractionation. • The regenerated lignin with PDI of ∼1.04 was low-MW (435–562 g/mol). A novel method based on pretreatment severity and solvent effects on delignification, was introduced to pretreat and fractionate lignocellulose in a 2-phenoxyethanol (EPH) biphasic solvent system. The combined severity factor (CSF) was used to regulate pretreatment severity, and the relative energy difference (RED) of solvent system to lignin was used to evaluate solvent effects. The combined action of pretreatment severity and solvent effects on delignification was first investigated by the response surface regression analysis on the pretreatment of Amorpha. Accordingly, pretreatment and fractionation of Amorpha, poplar and corn straw were then conducted under the optimized conditions. Results showed that >99 % lignin was removed after pretreatment with CSF 3.7845 in a solvent system with RED 0.9371, and 42.94 %, 39.41 % and 70.90 % lignin from Amorpha, poplar and corn straw were respectively regenerated from organosolv liquor after fractionation. Finally, the regenerated products were characterized by FTIR, TG and GPC analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Malic acid accumulation in the vacuole largely determines acidity and perception of sweetness of apple. It has long been observed that reduction in malate level is associated with increase in ethylene production during the ripening process of climacteric fruits, but the molecular mechanism linking ethylene to malate reduction is unclear.Here, we show that ethylene‐modulated WRKY transcription factor 31 (WRKY31)–Ethylene Response Factor 72 (ERF72)–ALUMINUM ACTIVATED MALATE TRANSPORTER 9 (Ma1) network regulates malate accumulation in apple fruit.ERF72 binds to the promoter of ALMT9, a key tonoplast transporter for malate accumulation of apple, transcriptionally repressing ALMT9 expression in response to ethylene. WRKY31 interacts with ERF72, suppressing its transcriptional inhibition activity on ALMT9. In addition, WRKY31 directly binds to the promoters of ERF72 and ALMT9, transcriptionally repressing and activating ERF72 and ALMT9, respectively. The expression of WRKY31 decreases in response to ethylene, lowering the transcription of ALMT9 directly and via its interactions with ERF72.These findings reveal that the regulatory complex WRKY31 forms with ERF72 responds to ethylene, linking the ethylene signal to ALMT9 expression in reducing malate transport into the vacuole during fruit ripening. See also the Commentary on this article by Martinoia & Neuhaus, 239: 821–823. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural enemies are critical drivers of species biogeography, and they may often limit the evolutionary adaptation and persistence of victim populations in sink habitats. Source-sink migration is also a major determinant of adaptation in sink habitats. Here, we specifically suggest that source-sink migration of enemies reduces evolutionary adaptation of victim populations in sink habitats. The underlying mechanisms may include depressed population size (which limits the supply of genetic variation) and enforced resistance evolution in victims (which shows a trade-off with growth performance). We experimentally tested this hypothesis using a model microbial system, bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens (victim) and its lytic bacteriophage (enemy). The ancestral bacterial strain had lower growth performance at a cold temperature (10 °C, considered as sink habitat) than at its optimal temperature (28 °C, source habitat). Evolutionary adaptation took place in bacterial populations that evolved alone in the cold environment. When phages were present, no significant abiotic adaptation was observed. Crucially, phage immigration from source populations caused maladaptation, i.e., decreased growth performance relative to the ancestral genotype, although this was not the case when there was simultaneous immigration of phage and bacteria. Therefore, enemy-mediated intraspecific apparent competition could lead to prosperity in core habitats causing hardship in edge habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the backward problem for diffusion equation with space fractional Laplacian, i.e. determining the initial distribution from the final value measurement data. In order to overcome the ill-posedness of the backward problem, we present a so-called negative exponential regularization method to deal with it. Based on the conditional stability estimate and ana posterioriregularization parameter choice rule, the convergence rate estimate are established undera-prioribound assumption for the exact solution. Finally, several numerical examples are proposed to show that the numerical methods are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Enhancement in durability of electrocatalyst is still one of the most important issues in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Here, we report a structurally coated electrocatalyst supported on carbon nanotubes (CNT), in which platinum (Pt) nanoparticles are coated by nitrogen doped carbon (NC) layers. CNT/NC/Pt/NC shows comparable electrochemical surface area (ECSA) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity to the non-coated electrocatalyst (CNT/NC/Pt), indicating that NC layer on Pt nanoparticles almost negligibly affects the activities of electrocatalyst; while, CNT/NC/Pt/NC exhibits a higher Pt stability due to the unique structure, in which the Pt nanoparticles are stabilized by the NC layers and Pt aggregation is decelerated proved by TEM measurement. Maximum power density of CNT/NC/Pt/NC reached 604 mW cm −2 with Pt loading of 0.1 mg Pt cm −2 , which only decreases by 7% compared to CNT/NC/Pt (650 mW cm −2 ). The electrochemical analysis and fuel cell test illustrate that NC layer on Pt nanoparticles enhances the durability without serious deterioration of fuel cell performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low durability and fuel cell performance of the platinum electrocatalyst block the widespread application of high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells (HT-PEFCs). Here, we utilize a facile method to improve the durability as well as fuel cell performance of the platinum electrocatalyst supported on oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes ( ox -CNT/Pt), in which the electrocatalyst is coated by polybenzimidazole assisted by the COOH groups on the surface of ox -CNT. The coated and non-coated electrocatalysts remain 50% of the initial electrochemical surface areas (ECSAs) after 350,000 and 50,000 potential cycles from 1.0 to 1.5 V vs. RHE, respectively, indicating that polymer coating enhances the durability of the electrocatalyst. Meanwhile, power density of PBI-coated electrocatalyst measured under anhydrous condition is 1.6 times higher compared to that of non-coated electrocatalyst due to the PBI layer acted as proton conductor in the catalyst layer. This study offers useful knowledge for enhancement of durability and performance of Pt electrocatalyst used in HT-PEFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an efficient segregated solution procedure for the two-dimensional incompressible fluid flow on unstructured grids. The new algorithm is called SIMPLERR (SIMPLERR-revised algorithm). It includes an inner iterative process that consists of a pressure equation solution and an explicit velocity correction, and then, the pressure field is obtained by another solving process for the pressure equation. The features and advantages of the SIMPLERR algorithm are demonstrated by solving a benchmark flow problem, and the results indicate that the SIMPLERR algorithm can maintain a strong stability as the IDEAL algorithm and can converge faster than the SIMPLER algorithm or even than the IDEAL algorithm. The advantage of the SIMPLERR algorithm is especially evident for high-Re and fine-mesh fluid flow cases, where the SIMPLERR algorithm and the IDEAL algorithm can obtain a convergence result but the SIMPLER algorithm cannot. The SIMPLERR algorithm is about two times faster than the IDEAL algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enhancements in fuel cell performance and durability are crucial for the commercialization of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Here, we deposit platinum nanoparticles on nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNT) and continuously coat the electrocatalyst with nitrogen doped carbon (NC) layer derived from the carbonization of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP). The NC-coated electrocatalyst shows stable electrochemical surface area (ECSA) during the potential cycling from 0.6 V to 1.0 V vs . RHE; while, the commercial and non-coated electrocatalysts lose 50% and 33% of initial ECSAs, respectively. Moreover, the NC-coated electrocatalyst shows higher oxygen reaction reduction (ORR) activity compared to non-coated electrocatalyst due to the additional nitrogen atoms in the electrocatalyst. The maximum power density of the coated electrocatalyst reaches 676 mW cm −2 with Pt loading of 0.1 mg cm −2 , indicating that the mass power density of the electrocatalyst is one of the highest values in recently published literature. The NC layer is significantly important for simultaneous enhancements in durability and fuel cell performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide nanotube arrays ( * TNTAs) made by anodic oxidation method and irradiated under 60 Co-γ radiation combining with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) irradiated by 60 Co-γ rays as well were investigated for photocatalytic degradation of ethylene in cold storage environment. Rate constant K of degradation was selected to describe the decomposition efficiency of ethylene with the new photocatalytic composite material (AgNPs/rGO- * TNTAs). Microstructure of the materials as prepared were characterized using analytic techniques: Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Raman Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). We also compared the performance of five photocatalysts (Thermal annealing TNTAs, * TNTAs, rGO- * TNTAs, AgNPs- * TNTAs, AgNPs/rGO- * TNTAs) concerning ethylene decomposition. Results showed that AgNPs/rGO- * TNTAs exhibited enhancement of photocatalytic degradation of ethylene compared with rGO- * TNTAs and AgNPs- * TNTAs in photocatalytic process. Photocatalytic activity and structural evolution of photocatalysts irradiated by gamma rays and impact of the photocatalysts properties responsible for enhancing photocatalytic activity were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether minimally invasive plating osteosynthesis (MIPO) or other operative interventions is superior in the treatment of humeral shaft fractures remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantitatively compare the clinical outcomes of MIPO and other operative interventions in the treatment of humeral shaft fractures.Methods: Pubmed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched to identify all available studies comparing clinical outcomes between patients receiving MIPO and other operative interventions. The weight mean difference (WMD) was pooled to compare the operative time, union time, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and Mayo elbow performance index (MEPI).The risk ratio (RR) was pooled to compare the union rate, and incidence of complications. Pooled estimates were calculated by using a fixed-effects model or a randomized-effects model, according to the heterogeneity among studies.Results: Nine studies were included in this meta-analysis. Our results suggest that both MIPO and other operative interventions can achieve similar union time, UCLA score, MEPI, and union rate. However, MIPO is associated with better outcomes including shorter operation time, and lower incidence of radial nerve injury.Conclusion: Evidence from this meta-analysis demonstrated that, MIPO is effective but safer than other operative interventions in the treatment of humeral shaft fracture. However, due to the potential limitations in this meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes using appropriate blinding methods are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses of electron transport to three levels of irradiation (20, 200, and 1200 μmol photons m −2 s −1 PAR; exposures called LL, ML and HL, respectively) were investigated in eelgrass ( Zostera marina L.) utilizing the chlorophyll a fluorescence technique. Exposure to ML and HL reduced the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) ( F v/ F m) and the maximum slope decrease of MR/MR O ( V PSI ), indicating the occurrence of photoinhibition of both PSII and photosystem I (PSI). A comparatively slow recovery rate of F v/ F m due to longer half-life recovery time of PSII and 40% lower descending amplitude compared to other higher plants implied the poor resilience of the PSII. Comparatively, PSI demonstrated high resilience and cyclic electron transport (CEF) around PSI maintained high activity. With sustained exposure, the amplitudes of the kinetic components ( L 1 and L 2 ), the probability of electron transfer from PSII to plastoquinone pool ( ψ ET2o ), and the connectivity among PSII units decreased, accompanied by an enhancement of energy dissipation. Principle component analysis revealed that both V PSI and F v/ F m contributed to the same component, which was consistent with high connectivity between PSII and PSI, suggesting close coordination between both photosystems. Such coordination was likely beneficial for the adaption of high light. Exposure to LL significantly increased the activity of both PSI and CEF, which could lead to increased light harvesting. Moreover, smooth electron transport as indicated by the enhancement of L 1 , L 2 , ψ ET2o and the probability of electron transport to the final PSI acceptor sides, could contribute to an increase in light utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the elastic anisotropy and the thermodynamic property of a recently reported novel superhard material c -C 3 N was made in this work. The calculated shear modulus, Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus increase with pressure and exhibit elastic anisotropy. Furthermore, the moduli at different pressures have the similar anisotropy. The pressure and temperature dependences of the Debye temperature, Grüneisen parameter, thermal expansion, and heat capacity were studied systematically by using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The pressure and temperature in the calculation were varied in the range of 0–100 GPa and 0–2000 K, respectively. The Debye temperature varies from 1563 K to 2495 K under the given conditions. The Grüneisen parameter varies from 1.383 to 2.213, and almost keeps constant at low temperatures ( T < 400 K). Furthermore, the pressure dependence of thermal expansion has a significant change at high temperatures, and the temperature dependence of that has a significant change at low pressures. The heat capacity, C P , is almost equal to C V at low temperatures ( T < 500 K), and the limit of temperature is increasing with pressure. At high temperatures, C P is larger than C V , and C V closes to the Dulong-Petit limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel superhard carbon allotrope C is predicted which is composed of C28 cages. It is porous and exhibits distinct topologies including zigzag 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12-fold carbon rings. The elastic constants and phonon calculations reveal that C is mechanically and dynamically stable at ambient pressure. The hardness of C is 60.2 GPa. The tensile and shear strength calculations indicate that the lowest tensile and shear strengths have the almost same value of 48.1 GPa. For the electronic properties, the band structure calculations show that C is a quasi-direct band gap semiconductor with a band gap of 1.32 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing state-of-the-art materials for protecting human from unwanted ionizing radiations is urgent and significant for the rapid development of nuclear facilities. Here, bismuth borate nanoparticles have been fabricated via a facile sol-gel process. Characterization with X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy reveals that the product is composed of high-purity orthorhombic Bi 6 B 10 O 24 phase and exhibits a typical single crystal with the size ranging from 100 to 300 nm. The product has an excellent ability to jointly attenuate both neutron and γ-ray. This significant work provides a material with not only good radiation shielding but also other fascinating features, such as environment-friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deficiency of glycogen branching enzyme (GBE) causes glycogen storage disease type IV (GSD IV), which is characterized by the accumulation of a less branched, poorly soluble form of glycogen called polyglucosan (PG) in multiple tissues. This study evaluates the efficacy of gene therapy with an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector in a mouse model of adult form of GSD IV ( Gbe1ys/ys). An AAV serotype 9 (AAV9) vector containing a human GBE expression cassette (AAV-GBE) was intravenously injected into 14-day-old Gbe1ys/ys mice at a dose of 5 × 1011 vector genomes per mouse. Mice were euthanized at 3 and 9 months of age. In the AAV-treated mice at 3 months of age, GBE enzyme activity was highly elevated in heart, which is consistent with the high copy number of the viral vector genome detected. GBE activity also increased significantly in skeletal muscles and the brain, but not in the liver. The glycogen content was reduced to wild-type levels in muscles and significantly reduced in the liver and brain. At 9 months of age, though GBE activity was only significantly elevated in the heart, glycogen levels were significantly reduced in the liver, brain, and skeletal muscles of the AAV-treated mice. In addition, the AAV treatment resulted in an overall decrease in plasma activities of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and creatine kinase, and a significant increase in fasting plasma glucose concentration at 9 months of age. This suggests an alleviation of damage and improvement of function in the liver and muscles by the AAV treatment. This study demonstrated a long-term benefit of a systemic injection of an AAV-GBE vector in Gbe1ys/ys mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which can threaten ecological safety and be harmful to human beings, have been cause for wide concern. There is a high demand for efficient methodologies for evaluating potential EDCs in the environment. Herein an evaluation platform was developed using novel and statistically robust ternary models via different machine learning models ( i . e ., linear discriminant analysis, classification and regression tree, and support vector machines). The platform is aimed at effectively classifying chemicals with agonistic, antagonistic, or no estrogen receptor (ER) activities. A total of 440 chemicals from the literature were selected to derive and optimize the three-class model. One hundred and nine new chemicals appeared on the 2014 EPA list for EDC screening, which were used to assess the predictive performances by comparing the E -screen results with the predicted results of the classification models. The best model was obtained using support vector machines (SVM) which recognized agonists and antagonists with accuracies of 76.6% and 75.0%, respectively, on the test set (with an overall predictive accuracy of 75.2%), and achieved a 10-fold cross-validation (CV) of 73.4%. The external predicted accuracy validated by the E -screen assay was 87.5%, which demonstrated the application value for a virtual alert for EDCs with ER agonistic or antagonistic activities. It was demonstrated that the ternary computational model could be used as a faster and less expensive method to identify EDCs that act through nuclear receptors, and to classify these chemicals into different mechanism groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One potential problem for designing a ground-coupled heat pump systems is the difficulty of identifying ground thermal properties due to complicated ground environment. Ap(t)-linear average method was proposed to improve the accuracy of the identification and was shown to be an effecitive method. However, thep-value in this method is only a fitted value. Thus, an improvedp(t)-linear average method is proposed in this study, in which thep-value is calculated using theoretical models inside the borehole. The relative errors for the borehole thermal resistance for the optimal improvedp(t)-linear average method is 1.90%.ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHERCopyright of Science & Technology for the Built Environment is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seawater warming is emerging as a result of increasing global temperature. In this study, Zostera japonica (Ascherson and Graebner) collected from the intertidal zones of Changdao (37°N, 120°E) were used to investigate the responses of photosynthetic electron transport to thermal exposure in April 2016. As seawater temperature rose from 20 to 32 °C, increases of the relative variable fluorescence at the K-step to the amplitude of F - F ( W ) and the maximum photochemical efficiency ( F / F ) indicated inhibition of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) and photosystem II (PSII) reaction centers, respectively. When exposed to 32 °C for 4 h, both OEC and PSII reaction centers suffered irreversible damage, confirming that 32 °C is the upper critical seawater temperature for Z. japonica photosynthetic electron transport. As a thermal inhibition indicator, PI exhibited a time-dependent linear decrease, with irreversible damage of the PSII reaction center occurring once the value of PI dropped below 10.60. Based on results of the photosynthetic performance, thermal response strategies were summarized as: (1) an enhancement in the efficiency of the active PSII reaction centers; (2) an increase in the activity of the PSII electron acceptor side; (3) an enhancement in the activities of both PSI and the cyclic electron transport around PSI; (4) the alternation between PSII and PSI. Such adaptive strategies may balance the redox state of electron transport and regulate the distribution of excitation energy between the two photosystems, thereby protecting Z. japonica from ocean warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cortisol, cortisone and the ratio of cortisol to cortisone in saliva, urine and hair are acute, short-term and long-term biomarkers to reliably assess the activity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and 11 β -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 β -HSD). One key issue is whether these biomarkers have intraindividual relative stability. Salivary, urinary and hair cortisol was proven to show considerable long-term intraindividual relative stability. However, currently unknown is whether cortisone and the ratio in saliva, urine and hair show intraindividual relative stability. Methods The present study utilized a longitudinal design to validate long-term stability within two weeks of three biomarkers in saliva and urine, and long-term stability within twelve months of three hair biomarkers. Salivary, urinary and hair steroids were measured with high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results Three biomarkers in urine and hair showed moderate test-retest correlations with coefficient ( r ) ranging between 0.22 and 0.56 and good multiple-test consistencies with coefficient of intraclass correlation ( ICC ) ranging between 0.42 and 0.67. Three single-point salivary biomarkers showed weak to moderate test-retest correlations ( r’s between 0.01 and 0.38) and poor to fair multiple-test consistencies ( ICC’s between 0.29 and 0.53) within two weeks. Three single-day salivary biomarkers showed moderate test-retest correlations ( r’s between 0.23 and 0.53) and good multiple-test consistencies ( ICC’s between 0.56 and 0.66) within two weeks. Conclusions Three biomarkers in urine and hair showed moderate long-term intraindividual relative stability. Three single-point salivary biomarkers showed weak to moderate short-term and long-term intraindividual relative stability, but three single-day salivary biomarkers showed moderate short-term and long-term intraindividual relative stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been emerging as a worldwide issue due to their detrimental effect to water quality and the threat to ecological health. However, there were scarcely reports on whether existing agrochemicals such as herbicides have potential effects on Microcystis aeruginosa ( M. aeruginosa ) which may form large surface blooms. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the effects of glufosinate, a widely use herbicide in the world, on the growth of M. aeruginosa . The change of the content of intracellular (intra-) and extracellular (extra-) levels of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) were also determined by HPLC. The mRNA level of mcy A, mcy D, mcy H related to the production of MC-LR was detected after 48 h exposure to glufosinate. Our results revealed that low concentrations of glufosinate exposure (0.5 mg/L, 1 mg/L) would promote the growth of M. aeruginosa. It was worth noting intra-MC-LR contents of algal cells were also significantly increased at low concentrations of glufosinate exposure (1 mg/L). While at high concentrations (5 mg/L, 10 mg/L), glufosinate could induce the MDA level and inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa that would limit the production of MC-LR to the water body. At last, the transcription levels of algae toxin synthesis related genes mcy A and mcy D were increased significantly at environmentally relevant concentrations of glufosinate, which may affect the MC production. This study not only illuminated effects of glufosinate on growth of and MC-LR synthesis of M. aeruginosa at environmentally relevant concentrations, but also reminding us the potential risk caused by herbicide use should arouse concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though the partitioning behavior of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) has been recognized in vitro incubation assay, health risk assessment on those internal exposure with or without partitioning indexes in human blood is still unclear. In this study, nine commonly used OPFRs were quantified in 96 pairs of plasma and blood cell samples from Chinese volunteers. Non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk (CR) assessment building upon two distinct scenarios were conducted and compared. The dominant OPFRs in both plasma and blood cells were TBEP, TBP and TPHP. TCEP was the most enriched compound in plasma with F plasma nearly to 1.0 (0.92), followed by TCPP, TBEP, TPHP, TBP and TEHP (from 0.61 to 0.76). The partitioning behavior of TCP in plasma was equivalent to blood cells with F plasma at 0.50. When fully considered the F plasma , the estimated average daily intake (DI) of ∑OPFRs (638.44 ng/kg BW/day) reached nearly 1.48-fold higher than the conventional calculation (dividing the concentration of plasma (C plasma) by a factor of 2.0). Accordingly, we found the average hazard quotation (index) of TBP, TPHP and ∑OPFRs was underrated 1.50-fold when neglected the partitioning behaviors. Notably, the average CR of TCEP exceeded 10−6 at the highest concentration (1.19 × 10−6 ng/mL in plasma) only when the F plasma was introduced. These data conjointly demonstrated that most of the DI levels and the corresponding risk index of OPFRs would be underestimated without factoring F plasma into calculation, especially for those of low plasma partitioning. To our best knowledge, this study initially uncovered the gap between introducing F plasma and dividing C plasma by 2.0 during health risk assessment on internal OPFRs exposure. • TBEP, TBP and TPHP have high detection frequency in both plasma and blood cells. • Most of OPFRs are prone to partitioning to plasma. • Both DI level and hazard quotients are underestimated without considering F plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to degrade in-car formaldehyde gas, graphene oxide (GO), cerium (Ce), and TiO2 were organically combined by one-step sol-gel method. Then the mixed collosol was coated onto the surface of inorganic glass substrates to form Ce-GO-TiO2 composite film by way of immersion, coating, and calcinations. The morphology and crystal structure of as-prepared Ce-GO-TiO2 film were studied by a series of detection techniques. The photocatalytic performance of this film was analyzed by the degradation effect of formaldehyde under simulated sunlight. The results showed that the Ce-GO-TiO2 film had the inbuilt mesoporous structure in the lamellar stacking with particles. When the doping amount of Ce and GO were 0.4 and 0.2% (mass ratio), the composite film can improve effectively the response to the visible light and its degradation rate for low concentration of formaldehyde was up to 83.8% in simulated sunlight for 7 h, which could be attributed to the co-function of Ce and GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-evolving parasites may play a key role in host migration and population structure. Using co-evolving bacteria and viruses, we test general hypotheses as to how co-evolving parasites affect the success of passive host migration between habitats that can support different intensities of host-parasite interactions. First, we show that parasites aid migration from areas of intense to weak co-evolutionary interactions and impede migration in the opposite direction, as a result of intraspecific apparent competition mediated via parasites. Second, when habitats show qualitative difference such that some environments support parasite persistence while others do not, different population regulation forces (either parasitism or competitive exclusion) will reduce the success of migration in both directions. Our study shows that co-evolution with parasites can predictably homogenises or isolates host populations, depending on heterogeneity of abiotic conditions, with the second scenario constituting a novel type of 'isolation by adaptation'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inefficient cooling systems and rudimentary control methods are accountable for the significant cooling energy consumption in telecommunication base stations (TBSs). To address this issue, our study explores the performance of model predictive control (MPC) technology over a hybrid cooling system with ventilation and air-conditioning cooling. Specifically, a discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm is adopted in the MPC to handle the discontinuity and nonlinearity involved in the model built upon a state-space structure. Simulations are performed for a typical week during a cooling season. Moreover, we observe that a model mismatch could hinder the actual performance of MPC; thus, this study initiatively quantifies the impact of model mismatch by setting different coefficients of performance (COP) on the air-conditioner. The results show that the structured MPC has a better performance over conventional control methods, with an average reduction of 34% daily cooling energy consumption, while increasing the control accuracy in terms of maximum deviation from the desired temperature range. It is also found that a higher degree of model mismatch can lead to a higher performance degradation, either on the total energy consumption or on the room temperature deviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the backward problem for space-fractional diffusion equation is investigated. We proposed a so-called logarithmic regularization method to solve it. Based on the conditional stability and an a posteriori regularization parameter choice rule, the convergence rate estimates are given under a-priori bound assumption for the exact solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the coordination between photosystem II (PSII) and photosystem I (PSI) in response to varying environmental conditions, both diurnal fluctuations and seasonal variability of photosynthetic electron transport activity in ivy ( Hedera nepalensis , Araliaceae) were investigated: by measuring prompt fluorescence, delayed fluorescence (DF) and modulated reflection of 820 nm light (MR). During diurnal fluctuations, the PSII electron donor side was damaged, as evidenced by decreases of the fast amplitude of DF decay kinetics at I 1 , although there was no significant change in relative variable fluorescence at K-step to amplitude of F J − F o . Decreases in the maximum photochemical efficiency (i.e., PSII photoinactivation) were accompanied by an increased maximum decrease in the slope of MR/MR o (i.e., PSI photoactivation). Subsequently, PSII recovery and PSI relaxation occurred in the afternoon. Throughout the season, alternations between PSII and PSI were also suggested by the down-regulation of PSII and the up-regulation of PSI from summer to winter. Significant negative linear correlations between the activity of PSII and PSI across both diurnal fluctuations and seasonal variability were verified by correlation analyses. In addition, PSI was active throughout the year, suggesting PSI is independent from high temperatures. High PSI activity may maintain the functional integrity of the photosynthetic apparatus in overwintering ivy. The alternation between PSII and PSI activity may regulate the distribution of excitation energy between the two photosystems and balance the redox state of the electron transport change, thereby enabling ivy to respond to varying environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study established the three-dimensionally random structures of fibrous filters, with fiber diameters in the range of 10 to 20 μm and solid volume fractions (SVFs) in the range of 12 to 19%, in order to explore the filtration process inside the fibrous filters. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD), coupled with the discrete element method (DEM), was applied to simulate the airflow, the motion of particles, and the interactions between particles, fibers and fluid. The filtration efficiency and pressure drop of the filters were calculated and analyzed in CFD-DEM and the results were validated by the semi-analytical models. In addition, the correlations between filtration performance and fiber structures, particle parameters and fluid properties were investigated. It was found that the changes in key parameters (e.g., particle diameter, fiber diameter and fluid velocity) had significant effects on filtration performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the active vibration control and coupled vibration analysis of a planar parallel manipulator (PPM) with three flexible links. Multiple piezoelectric ceramic transducers are integrated with the flexible links to constitute the smart beam structures, and hence the vibration of the flexible link can be self-sensed and self-controlled. To prevent the spillover phenomena and improve the vibration control efficiency, the independent modal space control combined with an input shaper is developed to suppress both the structural and the residual vibration of the flexible links. The coupled vibration features between rigid and elastic motions and the interaction effects among three flexible links are theoretically analyzed based on the one-pass rigid-flexible dynamic models. Numerical simulation and experiment results show that the vibration of the three flexible links is coupled through the moving platform and the vibration suppression efficiency is getting improved with the number of controlled flexible links increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel α-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP) nanosheet-implanted fibrous polyaniline (PANI) hybrid film with potential-responsive ion exchange function is fabricated by a facile pulse electrochemical synthesis technique. The suppression effect of electrical double layer at the conducting substrate/colloidal solution interface for the formation of PANI/α-ZrP hybrid film is effectively improved through a layer of pre-deposited PANI oligomers, whose thickness plays an important role in the self-assembly of the hybrid film. During the pulse electrochemical synthesis process, the oligomers-grafted fibrous PANI is electropolymerized in the period of high potential; and the translucent exfoliated α-ZrP nanosheets are uniformly implanted into the fibrous PANI by electrostatic self-assembly in the following period of low potential. The amount ratio of α-ZrP nanosheet and fibrous PANI can be regulated by adjusting the pulse width based on their growth rate. The results show that the optimized pulse width for the fabrication of PANI/α-ZrP hybrid film with three-dimensional porous structure is 0.8 s. Under this condition, the generated PANI/α-ZrP hybrid film shows fast uptake/release ability and high capacity for the separation of Pb 2+ ions from aqueous solution based on its unique potential-induced ion exchange process. The adsorption equilibrium time is less than 30 s, and the ion exchange capacity of porous PANI/α-ZrP hybrid film reaches 123.5 mg g −1 , which is almost 9 times higher than that of the compact PANI/α-ZrP hybrid film. Furthermore, the ion exchange capacity retains 85.2% of its initial value after 1000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivalent mannose-functionalized nanoparticles self-assembled from amphiphilic β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) facilitate the targeted delivery of anticancer drugs to specific cancer cells. Doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded nanoparticles equipped with multivalent mannose target units were efficiently taken up via receptor-mediated endocytosis by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells that overexpress the mannose receptor. Upon entering the cell, the intracellular pH causes the release of DOX, which triggers apoptosis. Targeting by multivalent mannose significantly improved the capability of DOX-loaded nanoparticles to inhibit the growth of MDA-MB-231 cancer cells with minimal side effects in vivo. This targeted and controlled drug delivery system holds promise as a nanotherapeutic for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the characteristics and instability of thermocapillary convection of silicon melt with bidirectional temperature gradients, a series of unsteady three-dimensional numerical simulations were carried out in a shallow annular pool. The imposed radial temperature gradient is established by the temperature difference between the outer and inner walls, while the imposed vertical temperature gradient is formed by adding a constant heat flux at the bottom and the thermal radiation on the top free surface. Two kinds of critical heat fluxes are determined. The first type is to ensure the whole silicon in the pool is in the molten state, and the second type is to judge the onset of oscillatory flow. When Marangoni number is small, a three-dimensional steady flow is common without pool rotation, but it becomes oscillatory at a higher ambient temperature or a small rotation Reynolds number. An axisymmetric steady flow can be observed at a large rotation Reynolds number in the case of small or moderate Marangoni number. Furthermore, the transition from the radial temperature gradient dominated flow to the vertical temperature gradient dominated flow is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), which are candidate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) according to the Stockholm Convention, are of great concern because of their persistent bioaccumulation, long-range transport and potential adverse health effects. However, data on the endocrine-disrupting effects of SCCPs remain scarce. In this study, we first adopted two in vitro models (reporter gene assays and H295R cell line) to investigate the endocrine-disrupting effects of three SCCPs (C10-40.40%, C10-66.10% and C11-43.20%) via receptor mediated and non-receptor mediated pathway. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that all test chemicals significantly induced estrogenic effects, which were mediated by estrogen receptor α (ERα), in the following order: C11-43.20% > C10-66.10% > C10-40.40%. Notably, C10-40.40% and C10-66.10% also demonstrated remarkable anti-estrogenic activities. Only C11-43.20% showed glucocorticoid receptor-mediated (GR) antagonistic activity, with a RIC 20 value of 2.6 × 10 − 8 mol/L. None of the SCCPs showed any agonistic or antagonistic activities against thyroid receptor β (TRβ). Meanwhile, all test SCCPs stimulated the secretion of 17β-estradiol (E 2 ). Both C10-66.10% and C11-43.20% increased the production of cortisol at a high level in H295R cell lines. In order to explore the possible mechanism underlying the endocrine-disrupting effects of SCCPs through the non-receptor pathway, the mRNA levels of 9 steroidogenic genes were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). StAR , 17βHSD , CYP11A1 , CYP11B1 , CYP19 and CYP21 were upregulated in a concentration-dependent manner by all chemicals. The data provided here emphasized that comprehensive assessments of the health and ecological risks of emerging contaminants, such as SCCPs, are of great concern and should be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species coexistence can be promoted by both equalizing mechanisms that increase fitness equivalence among species and stabilizing mechanisms that decrease niche overlap among species. Strength of the coexistence mechanisms can be altered by evolution. In particular, populations evolved in sympatry may show niche divergence due to competition-mediated selection, whereas populations evolved in allopatry have a chance to become ecologically equivalent competitors which, on secondary contacts, may form 'neutral communities'., We addressed how evolution may change ecological mechanisms of coexistence with experimental microcosms of Escherichia coli strains that reproduce asexually and can be considered as analogues of species. We obtained five pairs of bacterial strains, within each of which the two strains could coexist stably. We then allowed the bacterial strains to evolve in a chemically defined nutrient medium for ˜1100 generations, under sympatric (in two-strain mixtures) or allopatric scenarios (in monocultures). The strength of coexistence mechanisms was assessed based on reciprocal invasion assays and measurements of environmental carrying capacity., Our data confirmed that coexistence could be weaken by either fitness difference or niche overlap among competitors. In allopatrically evolved strain pairs, fitness difference among competitors became larger or unchanged; and the magnitude of niche overlap often showed an increase rather than a decline. Sympatrically evolved competitors showed no consistent changing trend in the strength of the coexistence mechanisms. Overall, sympatrically evolved competitor pairs did not differ from allopatrically evolved ones in the magnitude of fitness difference, but had lower levels of niche overlap., The results are consistent with the 'character displacement' view that allopatric populations of competing species occupy more similar niche space compared with sympatric populations. However, the pattern observed here resulted from allopatrically evolved competitors showing niche convergence, but not sympatrically evolved competitors consistently showing further niche divergence. The results also suggest that convergent evolution in allopatry followed by secondary contacts is an unlikely mechanism for the origin of 'neutral communities'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differential contribution of the xanthophyll cycle (XC) and the antioxidant system to photoprotect the photosynthetic apparatus of Sargassum thunbergii to high light (HL), dehydration (DY), HL prior to DY (HL-DY), and HL in combination with DY stresses were investigated. Both de-epoxidation state (DPS) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) were upregulated in response to the four kinds of stresses. The de-epoxidation of XC was engaged earlier in response to stress exposure while significant change in antioxidant activities took a relatively long time. Under HL stress, the PSII photoinactivation was significant as suggested by low maximum PSII efficiency together with effective quantum yield and high excitation pressure. Simultaneously, XC-dependent thermal dissipation increased progressively, reaching a high value. The low oxidative stress indicated by low levels of superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide was accompanied with a low T-AOC. However, DY treated samples exhibited severe oxidative stress and high capacity to detoxify reactive oxygen species, as evidenced by the high T-AOC, oxidized glutathione, and dehydroascorbate. The low activity of XC was reflected by low DPS. These results indicated that XC was more sensitive to HL, while the antioxidant system was more sensitive to DY. When S. thunbergii blades were transferred to DY from HL, the enhancement of antioxidant system activity was greater than that of XC de-epoxidation. There exists coordination between XC and antioxidant system in response to varying environmental factors. In addition, as demonstrated in HL-DY stress, preillumination decreased the degree of photoinhibition and oxidative stress during dehydration, indicating that high light exposure could make the blades more tolerant to dehydration. This observation can be the bases to identify species that have developed with higher competitive abilities in adapting to the intertidal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high-performance simpler alloys via simpler processing procedures is of great significance in achieving carbon dioxide emission peak and carbon neutrality. In the present study, room-temperature (RT) rolling was carried out on simple ternary Al–8Zn–1Mg alloy in order to improve its comprehensive performance by regulating microstructure evolution. Ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), fracture elongation (EL%) and uniform elongation (EU%) were tested. Optical microscopy (OM), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the microstructure evolution. Phase analysis was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that RT rolling significantly enhances the UTS and YS of ternary Al–8Zn–1Mg alloy, which are ∼447 MPa and ∼389 MPa, respectively, with the corresponding EL% and EU% of ∼7.1% and ∼4.1%. The comprehensive tensile properties are comparable to or even better than that of their conventional counterparts with more complex compositions or produced by more complicated techniques. Compared with the as-SS alloy, the as-SS + R alloy experiences an additional 227 MPa increase in YS. The calculated results show that fine-grain strengthening and dislocation strengthening (predominantly in the form of microbands in the present study) respectively contribute to 21 MPa and 167 MPa increases in YS. The remaining 40 MPa increase is highly likely derived from the hetero-deformation induced (HDI) strengthening of the heterostructured lamellar microbands. The delicate balance between strength and elongation is mainly attributed to the profuse microbands formed by the coupling effect of high Zn solute atoms and stress. The findings shed light on a fundamental facet of how regulating microbands can develop high performance simpler aluminum alloys which have potential applications in strength-based structural materials. • UTS, YS, EL% of as-SS + R Al–8Zn–1Mg alloy are ∼447 MPa, ∼389 MPa and ∼7.1%, respectively. • Tensile properties of the alloy are comparable to or even better than that of their conventional counterparts. • The delicate balance between strength and elongation is mainly attributed to the profuse microbands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RAFT-based synthesis of salt-resistant hydrophobic association polymerPDMA2 with various molecular weights. • Molecular dynamics simulation was used to investigate the salt tolerance of polymers. • The change in rock wettability can help with fracturing and oil displacement integration. The salt resistance of hydrophobically relating polymer fracturing fluid is one of the main indicators to meet the fracturing operation. Thus, a chain transfer agent was created in this study. Hydrophobically related polymer PDMA2 was synthesized in an aqueous solution through the RAFT approach. The salt resistance mechanism of the polymer was elucidated using molecular simulation software. The experimental results demonstrated that the salt resistance of the polymer can be enhanced by introducing long hydrophobic chain monomers via RAFT polymerization. Inorganic salt ions can improve the polymer skeleton and facilitate polymer chain bonding. The rotation radius of the hydrophobic polymer PDMA2 lowers as the salt concentration rises, allowing polymer molecule interaction. Combined with spatial conformation and fluorescence spectrum analysis, PDMA2 containing hydrophobic monomer was discovered to improve the association effect of polymer and produce more hydrophobic microregions. The radial distribution function results show that increasing the salt content compresses the polymer's main chain. On the polymer backbone, the radial distribution function between N-N atoms grows. This study demonstrates that the hydrophobic-association polymer can meet the service conditions of oilfield mineralized strata and lower the consumption of freshwater resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the time accessibility of URT networks for passengers traveling in the late evening, it is more important to coordinate the train timetables among different lines than to prolong the service time alone. This paper focuses on train timetabling optimization for the last time period of daily URT service. Different from the existing last train timetabling model optimizing the last train timetables alone and considering only the last train passengers, this study expands the optimizing object to the train timetables in the entire period and broaden the beneficiary to all the transfer passengers in the period. An optimization model is developed for minimizing the total passenger transfer failures in such a way that the departure and arrival times of the last trains and non-last trains are made integrated coordination. To solve for large-scale URT networks, we design an ABC algorithm that is verified computationally efficient. A method evaluating the impact of small last train delays on the optimized timetables is proposed to help URT operators in identifying the most "dangerous" delay locations and the most vulnerable transfer relationships. Finally, a case study on Shanghai URT network demonstrates that the proposed period-based train timetabling approach is effective in reducing passenger transfer failures at both the network level and the station level. Comparison analysis shows that the proposed model significantly outperforms the existing last train timetabling model in improving transfer accessibility as well as train connections. • A period-based timetabling model is built to minimize passenger transfer failures in the last period of URT daily service. • The timetables of the last trains and non-last trains in URT networks are made integrated coordination and optimization. • To solve for large-scale URT networks, an ABC algorithm is designed, which is verified computationally efficient. • A method evaluating the impact of small last train delays on the optimized timetables is proposed. • The model outperforms the existing models in enhancing the passenger transfer accessibility and train connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mixed/mixotrophic nitrogen removal were critically reviewed. • Mixed/mixotrophic nitrogen removal offers to extend application of conventional process. • Mixed/mixotrophic nitrogen removal holds potential in achieved carbon reduction. • Future prospects of mixed/mixotrophic nitrogen removal process were put forward. Biological nitrogen removal (BNR) is one of the most important environmental concerns in the field of wastewater treatment. The conventional BNR process based on heterotrophic nitrogen removal (HeNR) is suffering from several limitations, including external carbon source dependence, excessive sludge production, and greenhouse gas emissions. Through the mediation of autotrophic nitrogen removal (AuNR), mixed/mixotrophic nitrogen removal (MixNR) offers a viable solution to the optimization of the BNR process. Here, the recent advance and characteristics of MixNR process guided by sulfur-driven autotrophic denitrification (SDAD) and anammox are summarized in this review. Additionally, we discuss the functional microorganisms in different MixNR systems, shedding light on metabolic mechanisms and microbial interactions. The significance of MixNR for carbon reduction in the BNR process has also been noted. The knowledge gaps and the future research directions that may facilitate the practical application of the MixNR process are highlighted. Overall, the prospect of the MixNR process is attractive, and this review will provide guidance for the future implementation of MixNR process as well as deciphering the microbially metabolic mechanisms. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]