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Asphalt pavement surface texture is the main factor affecting pavement function. Reconstruction of the asphalt pavement surface texture is needed to accurately reveal its evolutionary characteristics for pavement performance and quality evaluation. To reconstruct an optimised 3D model of the asphalt pavement surface texture and to study its evolutionary properties, digital image processing technique and accelerated pavement testing system were used. First, the asphalt pavement surface texture 3D model optimised by three camera parameters and their thresholds. Next, the accelerated pavement testing system simulated traffic loadings on dense-gradation asphalt mixtures to investigate the pavement surface texture evolution properties. Finally, predictive models are developed for the asphalt pavement surface texture evolution. Results show that the optimised pavement texture 3D model resembles actual pavement structure. The surface texture evolutionary characteristics of asphalt pavement can be divided into three periods and six stages. The evolution model can accurately characterise the evolution of the surface texture of asphalt pavement. Abbreviations: MLS11: Accelerated pavement testing system; HP: Mean pixel difference; Df: Fractal Dimension; MTD: Mean Texture Depth; BPN: British Pendulum Number [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatically derived selenium-enriched peptides from Cardamine violifolia (CV) can serve as valuable selenium supplements. However, the industrial application of free enzyme is impeded by its limited stability and reusability. Herein, this study explores the application of co-immobilized enzymes (Alcalase and Dispase) on amino resin for hydrolyzing CV proteins to produce selenium-enriched peptides. The successful enzyme immobilization was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Co-immobilized enzyme at a mass ratio of 5:1 (Alcalase/Dispase) exhibited the smallest pore size (7.065 nm) and highest activity (41 U/mg), resulting in a high degree of hydrolysis of CV protein (27.2%), which was obviously higher than the case of using free enzymes (20.7%) or immobilized Alcalase (25.8%). In addition, after a month of storage, the co-immobilized enzyme still retained a viability level of 41.93%, showing fairly good stability. Encouragingly, the selenium-enriched peptides from co-immobilized enzyme hydrolysis exhibited uniform distribution of selenium forms, complete amino acid fractions and homogeneous distribution of molecular weight, confirming the practicality of using co-immobilized enzymes for CV protein hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphogypsum, which contains toxic components (e.g., heavy metal elements and fluoride), is one of the byproducts of phosphoric acid production, and filling subgrade is one of the recycling methods for it. In this study, phosphogypsum was stabilized by lime to improve the mechanical properties [California bearing ratio (CBR), resilience modulus, unconfined compressive strength, and shear strength], water stability, and harmful substances dissolubility. Combined with scanning electron microscopy, the strength formation and water stability enhancement mechanism of lime-stabilized phosphogypsum (LSP) were explored. The results demonstrated that the mechanical properties of LSP were better with the lime content of 6%–10%. The CBR, resilience modulus, unconfined compressive strength, and shear strength were 3.35 times, 2.46 times, 8.61 times, and 1.39 times that of plain phosphogypsum, respectively. An intensity prediction model with a correlation of 97% was constructed. The CBR and resilience modulus softening coefficient of LSP reached best values when lime content was 6%–8%. The leaching concentration of arsenic, chromium, and lead of LSP with 2% lime met the quality standards of groundwater levels I, II, and IV, respectively. Fluoride and phosphate were not detected in LSP when lime content was greater than 6.0%. The results show that LSP is feasible as subgrade filler. Considering the mechanical properties, water stability, and dissolution of hazardous substances of LSP, it is recommended to add 6%–8% lime content to LSP as highway subgrade filler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Leguminivora glycinivorella, commonly known as the soybean borer, is one of the main pests in soybean production. Beauveria bassiana is an effective fungus for controlling the soybean borer. This study was based on soybean borer infected by Beauveria bassiana; combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis was performed. Three classes of antifungal differentially expressed genes were screened from the soybean borer, which were glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) genes, heat shock protein (HSP) genes, and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) genes. These three kinds of genes have an immune response in the pathway of glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. These results provide a theoretical basis for improving the efficacy of Beauveria bassiana against soybean borer. According to the antifungal gene of soybean borer, we can develop a biological preparation to improve the control effect of Beauveria bassiana. This study utilized Beauveria bassiana to infect Leguminivora glycinivorella, analyzed the effects on the transcriptome and metabolome, and further investigated the antibacterial function of L. glycinivorella. We performed transcriptome and metabolome sequencing on the L. glycinivorella infected with B. bassiana and its control groups, and performed a joint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome results. Upon screening, 4560 differentially expressed genes were obtained in the transcriptome and 71 differentially expressed metabolites were obtained in the metabolome. On this basis, further integration of the use of transcriptomics and metabonomics combined an analysis of common enrichments of pathways of which there were three. They were glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) genes, heat shock protein (HSP) genes, and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) genes. These three pathways regulate the transport proteins, such as ppars, and thus affect the digestion and absorption of sugars and fats, thus regulating the development of pests. The above conclusion indicates that B. bassiana can affect the sugar metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism pathways of L. glycinivorella, and can consume the necessary energy, protein, and lipids of L. glycinivorella. The research on the immune response mechanism of pests against pathogens can provide an important scientific basis and target for the development of immunosuppressants. This study laid an information foundation for the application of entomogenous fungi to control soybean borer at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduced a preparation method of microcapsules and tests its technical properties. And the survival behaviour of microcapsules in mixture was studied. Then, The influence of microcapsule dosage, mixture properties and healing environment on the mixture self-healing performance was investigated. Finally, the pavement performance of mixture containing microcapsules was studied. Results showed that the microcapsules possessed a smooth surface, a particle size of 14.3 μm, a core content of 85.39%, a hardness of 0.27 GPa, a Young's modulus of 2.49 GPa and good thermal stability. The survival rates of microcapsules were 81.93% and 72.38% at mixing temperature of 130°C and 160°C. Microcapsule dosage of 6%, dense suspension structure, smaller nominal particle size and porosity, large asphalt content, healing temperature of 40–50°C, the healing time of 12 h and dry environment were beneficial to the self-healing performance of the mixture containing microcapsules. After adding microcapsules, the water stability of mixture will decrease, but the high-temperature performance, low-temperature performance and water stability meet the needs of road use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kagome-lattice materials possess attractive properties for quantum computing applications, but their synthesis remains challenging. Herein, based on the compelling identification of the two cleavable surfaces of Co3Sn2S2, we show surface kagome electronic states (SKESs) on a Sn-terminated triangular Co3Sn2S2 surface. Such SKESs are imprinted by vertical p-d electronic hybridization between the surface Sn (subsurface S) atoms and the buried Co kagome-lattice network in the Co3Sn layer under the surface. Owing to the subsequent lateral hybridization of the Sn and S atoms in a corner-sharing manner, the kagome symmetry and topological electronic properties of the Co3Sn layer is proximate to the Sn surface. The SKESs and both hybridizations were verified via qPlus non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and density functional theory calculations. The construction of SKESs with tunable properties can be achieved by the atomic substitution of surface Sn (subsurface S) with other group III-V elements (Se or Te), which was demonstrated theoretically. This work exhibits the powerful capacity of nc-AFM in characterizing localized topological states and reveals the strategy for synthesis of large-area transition-metal-based kagome-lattice materials using conventional surface deposition techniques. Kagome materials host 2D planes which give rise to kagome physics, but these are typically embedded in the bulk. Huang et al. demonstrate a strategy for generating surface kagome electronic states by vertical p-d electronic hybridization between surface atoms and the buried Co kagome network in Co3Sn2S2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The chicken has been a representative model organism to study embryonic development in birds, however important differences exist among this class of species. As a representative of one of oldest existing clades of birds, the African ostrich (Struthio camelus), has the largest body among birds, and has two toes. Our purpose is to establish the corresponding stages in ostrich embryo development that match the well‐established HH system of the chicken to facilitate comparative studies between the ostrich and other birds to better understand differences in development. Results: Here we describe in detail the middle period of embryonic development using microscopic images and skeletal staining. We found that clear morphological differentiation between the ostrich and the chicken begins at stage 26. Bird limb cartilage first form in stage 25, while the development of the limb skeletons differs after stage 31. Calcification of limb skeletons in the chicken was completed faster. The first and second toes of the ostrich disappear at stages 36 and 38, respectively. Conclusions: This study should greatly aid ostrich‐related developmental and morphological research and provide a reference for studying the development and evolution of avian limb skeletons, including molecular research. Questions that can now be addressed include studies into the fusion of tarsometatarsal skeleton, ossification, and digit loss. Key Findings: The stages of ostrich development are defined.Comparison of embryonic development between ostrich and chicken.Continuously record and describe limb bone development in the ostrich and chicken.Limb cartilage first forms in both species at stage 25.The unique degenerated first and second toes of the ostrich is completed by stages 36 and 38, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapy blocking programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway has achieved great therapeutic effect in the clinic, but the overall response rate is not satisfactory. Early studies showed that response to treatment and overall survival could be positively related to PD-L1 expression in tumors. Therefore, accurate measurement of PD-L1 expression will help to screen cancer patients and improve the overall response rate. A small molecular positron emission tomography (PET) probe [18F]LP-F containing a biphenyl moiety was designed and synthesized for measurement of PD-L1 expression in tumors. The PET probe [18F]LP-F was obtained with a radiochemical yield of 12.72 ± 1.98%, a radiochemical purity of above 98% and molar activity of 18.8 GBq/μmol. [18F]LP-F had good stability in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and mouse serum. In vitro assay indicated that [18F]LP-F showed moderate affinity to PD-L1. Micro-PET results showed that the tumor accumulation of [18F]LP-F in A375 tumor was inferior to that in A375-hPD-L1 tumor. All the results demonstrated that [18F]LP-F could specifically bind to PD-L1 and had a potential application in non-invasive evaluation of PD-L1 expression in tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation of surface impurity states with the antiferromagnetic ground states is crucial for understanding the formation of the topological surface state in the antiferromagnetic topological insulators MnBi2Te4. By using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we observed a localized bound state around the Mn-Bi antisite defect at the Te-terminated surface of the antiferromagnetic topological insulator MnBi2Te4. When applying a magnetic field perpendicular to the surface (Bz) from −1.5 to 3.0 T, the bound state shifts linearly to a lower energy with increasing Bz, which is attributed to the Zeeman effect. Remarkably, when applying a large range of Bz from −8.0 to 8.0 T, the magnetic field induced reorientation of surface magnetic moments results in an abrupt jump in the local density of states (LDOS), which is characterized by LDOS-change-ratio d σ ˜ / d B quantitatively. Interestingly, two asymmetric critical field, −2.0 and 4.0 T determined by the two peaks in d σ ˜ / d B are observed, which is consistent with simulated results according to a Mills-model, describing a surface spin flop transition (SSF). Our results provide a new flatform for studying the interplay between magnetic order and topological phases in magnetic topological materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vast tunable optical components are realized based on dynamic reconfigurations of the incident wavefronts, such as beam steering and tunable lens. However, the dominant paradigm of current wavefront reconfiguration technologies relies on complex control systems with degrees of freedom much larger than output wavefronts, e.g., beam steering based on spatial light modulator or phased array antennas. Here, a new paradigm for dynamic reconfiguration of arbitrary output wavefronts using control systems with the same degrees of freedom is proposed. As an example, a wavefront transformer is demonstrated using an in‐plane two‐degree‐of‐freedom (2DOF) mechanical actuation system of metasurface doublet for semi‐omnidirectional beam steering, which measures a 6‐kHz modulation speed and a 131.2° × 131.2° field of view. This paradigm can be applied to metasurface transformers for dynamic wavefront reconfiguration with any control system for vast applications, such as tunable lens, beam steering, and dynamic beam profiler, just to name a few. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulsed electric fields (PEF) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UE) were applied to improve the extraction performance of selenium-enriched tea polysaccharides (Se−TPSs) in mild conditions. Two combined extraction processes were investigated: (1) PEF strength at 10 kV/cm followed by conventional extraction (CE) at 50 °C for 60 min and (2) PEF+UE (PEF strength at 10 kV/cm followed by UE at 400 W for 60 min). The optimal extraction yields, and energy consumption rates were obtained at 36.86% and 41.53% and 78.78 kJ/mg and 133.91 kJ/mg, respectively. The Se−TPSs were analyzed and characterized by GPC, UV, and FT-IR, which evidenced the structural stability of the Se−TPSs during the extraction processes. It was found that PEF and UE could reduce the particle size diameter of the Se−TPS extract, as well as the proportion of uronic acid. Moreover, PEF could increase the selenium content in the Se−TPS extract by 160.14% due to a lower extraction temperature compared to conventional extraction. The antioxidant activities of the Se−TPSs in vitro were investigated using OH, O 2 − , and ABTS + scavenging experiments, as well as a total antioxidant ability evaluation. It was found that the antioxidant activity of the Se−TPSs obtained using PEF2+CE2 was relatively high due to the potential synergistic effect between the selenium and polysaccharides. Based on these results, we speculate that PEF2+CE2 was the best extraction process for the Se−TPSs. Furthermore, this research indicates the application of selenium-enriched tea for functional food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]