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The inverse analysis of the deformation moduli of high arch dams based on displacement monitoring data is essential for structural safety assessment. In traditional inverse analysis methods, the deformation moduli are identified based on the single‐objective optimization and the hydrostatic component derived from the statistical model. This type of method has two main shortcomings: First, it treats the essential multi‐objective optimization problem as a single‐objective problem; second, the extracted hydrostatic component may be biased due to the multicollinearity of variables in the statistical model. This paper presents a methodology for the inverse analysis of the deformation moduli of high arch dams under a multi‐objective optimization strategy. The methodology employs empirical mode decomposition to extract the aging component from displacement monitoring data. Then, thermomechanical analysis is used to reconstruct the remaining hydrostatic and temperature components, thereby avoiding the biases encountered in solving the statistical model. The adaptive polynomial chaos expansion method is embedded in the NSGA‐III algorithm to establish and solve multi‐objective functions in the inverse analysis. Additionally, a composite decision index considering errors and test information is proposed to determine acceptable deformation moduli from the Pareto solution set. A high arch dam is selected to illustrate this methodology with static and dynamic monitoring data. The results show that the identified deformation moduli have errors of 3.8% and 7.2% in displacement and acceleration, respectively. The proposed methodology can yield deformation modulus values that are more consistent with the physical implications than those of the single‐objective optimization method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The droplet breakups in an orifice jet mixer are studied to gain a deeper understanding of the breakup mechanism and establish breakup models used as population balance model source terms for accurate predictions. The breakup process and details are captured in situ using a high‐speed photomicrography system. Experiments are performed with different levels of pressure drop and mother droplet size. A complete breakup process consists of several different sub‐breakup events, hence the cascade breakup definition is adopted to determine statistical results. High breakup frequency is achieved under high pressure drop and small mother droplet size. The average number of daughter droplets is 102–105 and is positively correlated with the pressure drop and mother droplet size. The daughter droplet size distribution has a tailing phenomenon and is mainly affected by the pressure drop. New breakup models based on the above features are established and predict well with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Damage to the testis following exposure to ionizing radiation has become an urgent problem to be solved. Here we have investigated if inhibition of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signalling could alleviate radiation‐induced testicular damage. Experimental Approach: In mice exposed to whole body radiation (2‐6 Gy), morphological changes of the epididymis and testis was measured by histochemical staining. immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence procedures and western blotting were used to monitor expression and cellular location of proteins. Expression of genes was assessed by qPCR and RNA‐Seq was used to profile gene expression. Key Results: Exposure to ionizing radiation induced dose‐dependent damage to mouse testis. The sperm quality decreased at 6 and 8 weeks after 6 Gy X‐ray radiation. Radiation decreased PLZF+ cells and increased SOX9+ cells, and affected the expression of 969 genes, compared with data from non‐irradiated mice. Expression of genes related to p38MAPK were enriched by GO analysis and were increased in the irradiated testis, and confirmed by qPCR. Levels of phospho‐p38MAPK protein increased at 28 days after irradiation. In irradiated mice, SB203580 treatment increased spermatozoa, SOX9+ cells, the area and diameter of seminiferous tubules, sperm movement rate and density. Furthermore, SB203580 treatment increased SCP3+ cells, accelerating the process of spermatogenesis. Conclusion and Implications: Exposure to ionizing radiation clearly changed gene expression in mouse testis, involving activation of p38MAPK signalling pathways. Inhibition of p38MAPK by SB203580 partly alleviated the testicular damage caused by radiation and accelerated the recovery of sperms through promoting spermatogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC), has repeatedly been demonstrated. However, very few lncRNAs have been well annotated functionally. Our study identified a novel lncRNA upregulated in CRC, NONHSAT136151, which was correlated with clinical progression. In functional assays, NONHSAT136151 significantly enhanced CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Mechanistically, NONHSAT136151 interacted with RNA‐binding protein (RBP) QKI (Quaking) to interfere with QKI binding to target mRNAs and regulate their expression. As well, FOXP3 may be causally related to the dysregulation of NONHSAT136151 in CRC cells through its transcriptional activity. In conclusion, our findings identified a novel lncRNA regulated by FOXP3 participates in CRC progression through interacting with QKI, indicating a novel lncRNA‐RBP interaction mechanism is involved in CRC pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution coupled with organic oxidation reaction is a promising alternative to water splitting, where the efficiency is limited due to the weak correlation between charge separation and surface redox reactions. Here, employing nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) for hole extraction, NiPc‐modified carbon dots (CDs) are combined with Cu–In–Zn–S quantum dots (CIZS QDs) toward a profound understanding of electron/hole extraction and surface proton generation and reduction. The optimal hydrogen evolution rate reaches 4.10 mmol g−1 h−1 for CIZS/NiPc–CDs with l‐ascorbic acid for hole consumption, 8.10 times to that of CIZS QDs, which is further promoted to 11.12 mmol g−1 h−1 under electron/hole coextraction with Ni2+ introduction. For benzyl‐alcohol‐oxidation‐coupled H2 evolution, this strategy shows a more dramatic activity enhancement (19.54 times), which is also appliable to methanol‐ or furfuryl‐alcohol‐oxidation coupling systems with state‐of‐the‐art activities. Transient photovoltage spectroscopy and apparent kinetics analysis indicate, for the first time, a light‐induced electrocatalysis effect consistent with the Volmer–Heyrovsky process, which establishes a quasiquantitative basis for balancing charge extraction and surface reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negatively charged nitrogen vacancy (NV) color center in diamond is a type of point defect, which is extensively studied as a promising high‐sensitivity solid‐state magnetic field sensor. However, its transition from research to application is still limited due to the technical challenges of an integrated physical package. Here, an integrated diamond sensor is demonstrated with the essential component on the order of mm3, which is realized by a standard microfabrication process. A microfabrication‐compatible light guiding structure is constructed, providing photon detection efficiency of 66% and thus enabling a magnetic field detection sensitivity reaching 203 pT·Hz1/2. Incorporation of the sensor device with a magnetic yoke enables high‐precision wide‐range direct‐current sensing with current isolation. A current measuring range of 0–400 A with a minimum detection limit of 2 mA is achieved. By utilizing dual spin resonance modulation, the temperature drift is suppressed from 219 to 1.92 ppm∙°C−1. This configuration provides new possibilities as a robust and scalable platform for current quantum sensing technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials are widely applied in various areas as key structure components. The structural health monitoring of the CFRP components is crucial to prevent catastrophic failure. However, the nonplane surfaces of CFRP components hinder the attaching of monitoring sensors with hard substrates. Therefore, the substrate conditions for sensor preparation are mainly considered in this study. To adapt the proposed sensors to the curved substrate, including nondevelopable surfaces, electrospinning method is used to prepare conformal piezoresistive fiber films, in which polymethyl methacrylate is served as the matrix and carbon nanotubes are utilized as the conductive filler. The piezoresistive fibers covered on CFRP substrates have a gauge factor up to 207.95 and can response to the strain less than 0.05%. Moreover, the sensor also has high durability and the ability to follow the dynamic excitation signals with as high as 50 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many regions, even if waste vegetable oil is used as raw material, the profits of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester, FAME) enterprises still remain restricted, and they are facing environmental problems caused by the by‐product glycerol. Hence, value‐added utilization of FAME and glycerol is a promising alternative to improve the competitiveness of biodiesel enterprises in the economy and environmental protection. In this paper, FAME and glycerol were utilized to prepare epoxidized acyl glycerides by transesterification and epoxidation. In the transesterification, acyl glycerides were prepared by reacting FAME and glycerol catalyzed by K2CO3. The contents of monoacyl glyceride, diacyl glyceride, and triacyl glyceride in the acyl glycerides were about 50%, 40%, and 10%, and the optimal conditions were a temperature of 200°C and the molar ratio of FAME to glycerol of 1:1. In the epoxidation, selectivity of epoxides was significantly affected by monoacyl glyceride content, and a treatment method was developed to control the monoacyl glyceride content <5%. In addition, the plasticity of epoxidized acyl glycerides to partially substitute dioctyl phthalate in polyvinyl chloride was studied, the overall mechanical properties, thermal stability, and extraction resistance were improved. In this work, FAME and glycerol were utilized to prepare epoxidized acyl glycerides with higher value‐added, which provide a potential solution for improving the market competitiveness of biodiesel enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural properties of braided composite laminates are significantly affected by the low‐velocity impact (LVI). In this paper, the impact resistance and damage tolerance of triaxial braid structure laminates at different positions were mainly studied. Three hybrid biaxial (B)/triaxial (T) braided composite structures of BBTT, BTTB, and TTBB were designed, and LVI test and post‐impact compression tests were carried out. The results show that the triaxial braided fabric with quasi‐isotropic on the impact side caused more significant matrix cracks along the axis yarn direction, and the matrix damage area and delamination area were larger. For triaxial braided ply with high curl levels, severe fiber fracture and relatively concentrated damage occurred first on the non‐impact side. Interestingly, triaxial braided fabrics exhibited better impact resistance in terms of mechanical response when distributed across the specimen surface. However, a global damage pattern appears at high energy levels, which seriously reduced the residual strength of the structure and showed the worst damage tolerance. The damage quantification analysis of cracks, dent depths, delamination and residual compressive strength caused by the LVI of hybrid shaft number braided laminates was carried out in this work, which provided a valuable reference for engineering failure analysis and rational structure optimization of composite laminates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether peritoneal disease extent can predict the survival benefit of intraperitoneal/intravenous (IP/IV) chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. Design: A treatment‐free survival (TFS) analysis. Setting: Five‐centre trial. Population: An extended follow‐up of the Additional Intraperitoneal Cisplatin and Etoposide in ovarian cancer (AICE) trial (NCT01669226), with data cut‐off on 27 August 2020. Patients were categorised into subgroups with high tumour burden (HTB) and low tumour burden (LTB). Methods: Overall survival (OS) was divided into time on protocol treatment exposure (T), time free of subsequent treatment or death (TFS) and time after the first subsequent therapy (REL). TFS analyses and quality‐adjusted OS were calculated by multiplying the mean time in each health state by its assigned utility: quality‐adjusted OS = ut × T + TFS + urel × REL. Main outcome measures: The area under each Kaplan–Meier curve was estimated using the 96‐month restricted mean time, with threshold utility analyses used to illustrate quality‐adjusted OS comparisons. Results: In the HTB subgroup, the restricted mean TFS was 33.9 months and 18.7 months in the IP/IV and IV groups, respectively (p = 0.005), with a significant quality‐adjusted OS gain (13.2–16.0 months). In the LTB subgroup, IP/IV therapy yielded no survival benefit in either TFS (p = 0.268) or quality‐adjusted OS (range: 1.4–6.3 months). Conclusions: Both TFS and quality‐adjusted OS was longer across all utility weight values with IP/IV than with standard IV therapy in the HTB subgroup, whereas patients in the LTB subgroup did not benefit from the therapy. The tumour burden of ovarian cancer should be assessed before deciding on IP/IV versus IV treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) have shown great application potential as the active layer of thin film transistors (TFTs). However, MOTFTs usually require an annealing process(≥300°C), which is not conducive to its application in flexible substrates. Here, we establish a Room‐Temperature manufacturing strategy of TFT, which consist of a Nd:AIZO/Al2O3 bilayer structure as the active layer. The Nd:AIZO/Al2O3 bilayer TFTs without further thermal annealing processing show reasonable device characteristics with mobility(µsat) of 28.7 cm2 V‐1 s‐1, an Ion/Ioff ratio of 108, a threshold voltage(Vth) of 0.2 V, and a subthreshold swing(SS) of 0.25 V/decade. The room‐ temperature preparation of Nd:AIZO/Al2O3 bilayer TFT is compatible with low‐cost flexible substrates, which is anticipated in the application of large‐size flexible electronic devices, especially of the "green" flexible display area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2π equivalent circuit model of serpentine interconnect fabricated by transfer printing technology is proposed considering the stretching deformation of the interconnect. The S parameters are measured, and the RLC parameters are extracted by quasi‐linearization method at various elongations. A V‐shaped model is built to illustrate the change of Lc increasing by 9.7% due to elongation. A branch of Rf and Lf in parallel is utilized to model the impact of high‐frequency effects, Rf decreases by 56.7%, and Lf remains ~0.65 nH. A branch of Rsub and Csub characterizing the electrical loss of substrate increases due to substrate thinning with elongation, Rsub increases by 87.1%, and Csub remains 100 fF. S parameters are measured and compared to verify the accuracy of the model and study the effect of elongation on the transmission characteristics; it is found that the amplitude at S11 minimum decreases from −7 to −10 dB during stretching, and the corresponding frequency points also decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A packed bed reactor with orifice plates (PBR@OP) was designed by adding orifice plates periodically in packed beds. Hydrodynamics and droplet size distribution in PBR@OP were experimentally investigated using fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)/water as the model liquid–liquid system. In PBR@OP, the flow pattern was close to plug flow. Droplets with Sauter mean diameter (d32) of 150–550 μm were generated. The pressure drop of orifice, flow velocity and plate spacing were key parameters to control the droplet size. The reactor performance was evaluated by analyzing a FAME epoxidation process. At the same d32 and residence time, the length and total pressure drop of PBR@OP were about 1/3 and 1/4 of those of PBR without orifice plates, respectively. Furthermore, a semi‐empirical correlation describing the d32 change in PBR@OP was developed, revealing a relative mean deviation of 8.64%. PBR@OP presents a cost‐effective option for the intensification of liquid–liquid medium rate reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bladder cancer is the second most common malignant tumor in the urogenital system. The research investigated the prognostic role of immune‐related long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) in bladder cancer. Methods: We extracted 411 bladder cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis was employed to assess the immune cell infiltration of these samples. We recognized differentially expressed lncRNAs between tumors and paracancerous tissues, and differentially expressed lncRNAs between the high and low immune cell infiltration groups. Venn diagram analysis detected differentially expressed lncRNAs that intersected the above groups. LncRNAs with prognostic significance were identified by regression analysis. Multivariate Cox analysis was used to establish the risk score model. Then we established and evaluated the nomogram. Additionally, we performed gene set enrichment analysis to explore the potential functions of the screened lncRNAs in tumor pathogenesis. Results: Three hundred and twenty differentially expressed lncRNAs were recognized. We randomly divided patients into the training data set and the testing data set at a 2: 1 ratio. In the training data set, 9 immune‐related lncRNAs with prognostic significance were identified. The risk score model was constructed to classify patients as high‐ and low‐risk cohorts. Patients in the low‐risk cohort had better survival outcomes than those in the high‐risk cohort. The nomogram was established based on the indicators including age, gender, tumor‐node‐metastases stage, and risk score. The model's predictive performance was confirmed by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, concordance index method, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. The testing data set also achieved similar results. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the 9‐lncRNA signature was involved in the modulation of various immune responses, antigen processing and presentation, and T cell receptor signaling pathway. Conclusions: Our study uncovered the prognostic value of immune‐related lncRNAs for bladder cancer and showed that they may regulate tumor pathogenesis in various ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we show the fabrication of the carbon dots (CDs) with green and orange emissions from PTCDA (perylene‐3,4,9,10‐tetracarboxylic dianhydride). Using these CDs as emitters, the orange (or green) CDs LEDs were fabricated, which show electroluminescence (EL) spectra centered at 560 nm (or 498 nm) with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1.98 % (1.76 %) adhering a luminescence of 626 cd m−2 (or 519 cd m−2). The machine learning was successfully used to predict PL CCT value. With the model, the white photoluminescence (PL) emission with adjustable correlated color temperature (CCT) from 3093 to 11018 K via combining blue, green, and orange CDs was achieved. Then, we obtained the warm white CDs LEDs with CCT of 3107, 4071 and 4548 K, and cold white CDs LEDs with CCT of 5632 (CIE coordinates of (0.33, 0.33), EQE: 1.18 %, luminescence: 598 cd m−2) and 6034 K accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Front Cover: Millimeter-Scale Temperature Self-Calibrated Diamond-Based Quantum Sensor for High-Precision Current Sensing (Adv. In article number 2300210, researchers from SIMIT propose an integrated diamond quantum sensor for high-precision current sensing, which may be potentially applicable to monitor grid current. The cover is an artistic view of the sensor device, where the diamond is encapsulated in a microfabricated silicon structure. [Extracted from the article]

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is one of the most promising candidates in polymer solid‐state electrolyte. However, the polymer matrix has a high degree of crystallinity and thus manifests low conductivity, which restricts its application in all solid‐state lithium‐ion battery. Herein, a new composite polymer electrolyte (PLWLS), which is comprised of PEO, LiClO4, and the independently synthetized walnut‐like SiO2 (WLS) as nano‐fillers, is designed and prepared by the tape‐casting way. The optimum mass fraction of walnut‐like SiO2 is determined by physical and electrochemical characterization. The result shows that the PLWLS‐15 with 15 wt % walnut‐like SiO2 nanoparticles has a crystallinity of 13.7%. Similarly, the maximum tensile strength is improved greatly. The assembled all‐solid‐state lithium‐ion battery with LiFePO4/PLWLS‐15/Li exhibits a higher discharge capacity of 167 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C (1C = 170 mAh g−1) and 143 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C in first cycle, lower voltage polarization and better cycle performance. Therefore, adding nanoparticle into PEO‐based solid‐state electrolyte could effectively promote the mechanical property and electrochemical performance, and thus provide a possibility of application for PLWLS‐15 in next generation all solid‐state lithium battery. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48810. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency response analysis (FRA) is a widely used approach for detecting winding faults in a transformer. Appropriate and quantitative FRA features will help to improve the accuracy of fault diagnosis. In this study, a novel FRA interpretation including new image features is proposed based on the image processing technique. First, winding faults of different windings are simulated in a test autotransformer and the FRA curves are measured under various faults. Then frequency region division method and image processing technique are first applied to the measured FRA curves. The area ratio and centroid deviation in different frequency regions are calculated through a novel algorithm. Finally, the image features are used as the inputs to support vector machine model. Additionally, three different parametric optimisation algorithm are compared during the training process. The results show that the particle swarm optimisation and image feature exhibit best performance for identifying winding faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fluorescent probe CN3, containing 1,8‐naphthalimide and picolinate units, was synthesized, and its structure was characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H NMR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (C NMR), and mass spectroscopy techniques. The detection property of CN3 toward copper ions (Cu2+) has been investigated in ethanol–HEPES buffer (v/v = 1/1, pH = 7.40) solution by UV–Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra. The results showed that CN3 had a highly selective and sensitive fluorescence quenching response to Cu2+, which was attributed to the generation of weak fluorescent N‐ethyl‐4‐hydroxyphenyl‐1,8‐ naphthalimide (compound 2) in polar ethanol–HEPES buffer (v/v = 1/1, pH = 7.40) via selective hydrolysis reaction. The detection of CN3 for Cu2+ was not influenced in the presence of other competing metal ions, and the limit of detection was as low as 50.0 nM. Therefore, the color of CN3 changed from colorless to yellowish when the Cu2+ was added. Furthermore, the fluorescent probe CN3 was utilized to detect Cu2+ in real water samples with fine performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrodynamic cavitation multiphase reactor (HCMR) is emerging as a promising alternative for the intensification of liquid–liquid heterogeneous reactions, but research on HCMR modeling is lacking. In this article, an HCMR model was developed using Prileschajew epoxidation as the model system. First, based on experimental measurements of oil/water two‐phase flow downstream of hydrodynamic cavitation devices, semiempirical correlations were proposed to describe the droplet size and droplet size distribution (DSD) as functions of flow conditions and geometry parameters. Then, with boundary conditions calculated by the DSD correlation, a droplet dynamics simulation in a reaction tank was performed by computational fluid dynamics coupled with population balance model to obtain the two‐phase interfacial area. Finally, the acquired reactor model was substituted into an overall kinetic model, to simulate the epoxidation reaction in HCMR. Model predictions were verified by experimental results measured on an industrial scale HCMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel coumarin derivative CTT was synthesized via the condensation of 7‐(N,N‐diethylamino) coumarin‐3‐aldehyde with 5‐amino‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole‐2‐thiol and its structure was characterized using infrared spectroscopy (IR), 1H NMR, mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, and elemental analysis. The recognition properties of CTT with metal ions were investigated in CH3CN–H2O (v/v = 1/1) solution using UV–vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectrum method. The results showed that CTT could monitor Cu2+ and Hg2+ simultaneously as a dual‐function chemosensor in CH3CN–H2O (v/v = 1/1). CTT could be used to detect Cu2+ colorimetrically; when using CTT, a color change from yellowish‐brown to yellowish‐green could be readily observed by the naked eye. CTT showed turn‐on fluorescent recognition of Hg2+, the fluorescence enhancement was attributed to the inhibited C=N isomerization and the obstructed excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) of CTT. The recognition mechanism of CTT for Cu2+ and Hg2+ was studied by experiments and theoretical calculations, respectively. Therefore, CTT has the ability to be a "single chemosensor for dual targets." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of methionine (Met) on the growth of hair follicles (HFs) in Rex rabbits. A total of 200 weaning Rex rabbits were divided into four groups and fed varying levels of Met‐supplemented diets. We measured the HF density on dorsal skin and the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway protein expression level. Meanwhile, whole HFs were isolated from Rex rabbit skins and cultured with Met in vitro to measure hair shaft growth. The relationship between Met and the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway was also characterized by using the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling inhibitor, XAV‐939. The results showed that the addition of dietary Met could significantly increase the HF density on dorsal skin (p <.05) and enhance the protein expression level of Wnt10b (p <.05), β‐catenin (p <.05) and DSH (p <.05). Methionine stimulation could also prolong the hair shafts growth in vitro (p <.05). And inhibition of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling using XAV‐939 could eliminate this phenomenon. In summary, Met can increase the density of HFs on dorsal skin in vitro and prolong the hair shaft growth of HFs in vivo via the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The windings of a traction transformer are always be threatened by the fluctuation of the load. Frequency response analysis (FRA) is regarded as the most effective method to diagnose the winding deformation. Appropriate FRA modelling method may help to predict typical winding faults for large transformers. The existing model usually simplify dozens of winding disks into several disks, it is applicable when analysing small displacement. However, when the disks between windings are seriously misplaced, the conventional model may not be suitable. This study presents an improved lumped parameter circuit model considering intersection capacitances and mutual inductance between windings. The feasibility of the proposed model is verified based on a 10 kV test transformer. Finally, the model is applied for a 220 kV traction transformer, the variation of parameters and features are analysed for axial displacement of different windings. The results show that the axial displacement may lead to increase of resonance frequency and decrease of amplitude. The low‐frequency band (1–30 kHz) may be regarded as visible features for diagnosing axial displacement of H winding and the middle frequency band (50–200 kHz) may be a characteristic band for diagnosing axial displacement of T winding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxidized oils are eco‐friendly plasticizers, which are industrially produced through the epoxidation reaction in a formic acid‐hydrogen peroxide autocatalyzed system. The fundamental knowledge to describe the phase equilibrium of systems after epoxidation reaction is lacking, which is crucial for the design of the purification facilities. This work reported experimental data for the liquid–liquid equilibrium of three systems, i.e., epoxidized fatty acid methyl esters + formic acid + water, epoxidized fatty acid 2‐ethylhexyl esters + formic acid + water, and epoxidized soybean oil + formic acid + water, in the temperature range (303.15–348.15) K under atmospheric pressure. The results indicated that the liquid–liquid equilibrium constant of formic acid in the systems followed the order of epoxidized fatty acid 2‐ethylhexyl esters > epoxidized fatty acid methyl esters > epoxidized soybean oil. Moreover, the obtained experimental data were correlated using nonrandom two liquid (NRTL) and universal quasi chemical (UNIQUAC) models. The maximum root mean square deviation (RMSD) values as low as 0.0052 and 0.0263 were estimated using the NRTL and UNIQUAC model, respectively. The NRTL model is more suitable than the UNIQUAC model to describe the liquid–liquid equilibrium behavior of these ternary systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutualistic and dynamic communication between tumour cells and the surrounding microenvironment accelerates the initiation, progression, chemoresistance and immune evasion of glioblastoma (GBM). However, the immunosuppressive mechanisms of GBM has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. We enrolled six microenvironmental signatures to identify glioma microenvironmental genes. The functional enrichment analysis such as ssGSEA, ESTIMATE algorithm, Gene Ontology, Pathway analysis is conducted to discover the potential function of microenvironmental genes. In vivo and in vitro experiments are used to verify the immunologic function of LGALS1 in GBM. We screen eight glioma microenvironmental genes from glioma databases, and discover a key immunosuppressive gene (LGALS1 encoding Galectin‐1) exhibiting obviously prognostic significance among glioma microenvironmental genes. Gliomas with different LGALS1 expression have specific genomic variation spectrums. Immunosuppression is a predominate characteristic in GBMs with high expression of LGALS1. Knockdown of LGALS1 remodels the GBM immunosuppressive microenvironment by down regulating M2 macrophages and myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and inhibiting immunosuppressive cytokines. Our results thus implied an important role of microenvironmental regulation in glioma malignancy and provided evidences of LGALS1 contributing to immunosuppressive environment in glioma and that targeting LGALS1 could remodel immunosuppressive microenvironment of glioma. What's new? When a glioblastoma (GBM) develops in the CNS, immunosuppressive cytokines allow the tumor to evade and suppress the immune system. They also prevent current immunotherapies from effectively attacking the tumor. In this study, the authors found that variations in the gene coding for the cytokine Galectin‐1 may provide a prognostic biomarker in GBM. They also found that blocking this gene reduces immunosuppression in the GBM microenvironment. These results help to explain why immunosuppression is a hallmark of GBMs, and may also lead to improved immunotherapies for this aggressive tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nitride/bismuth sulfide (C3N4/Bi2S3) nanocomposites were prepared by a facile one‐step in situ calcination method using ammonium thiocyanate and bismuth chloride as reagents. The crystal structure, composition, and morphology of the nanocomposites were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) was carried out to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites under visible light irradiation. The as‐prepared C3N4/Bi2S3 nanocomposites displayed enhanced visible light absorption. These photocatalysts exhibited superior photodegradation performance under visible light irradiation compared to pure C3N4. Meanwhile, the C3N4/Bi2S3 nanocomposites exhibited remarkably stable photocatalytic efficiency after five cycles of photodegradation of RhB. The C3N4/Bi2S3 heterostructure improved the separation and transfer efficiency of the photogenerated electron–hole pairs. It played an important role for the enhanced photocatalytic performance of the nanocomposite photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Cr3+‐selective ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor 1‐substitued‐2‐carbazoleylbenzoimidazole (L) based on benzimidazole and carbazole was synthesized and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (1H/13C NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and mass spectroscopy. L could selectively detect Cr3+ over other metal ions by UV–vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopic methods in CH3CN. L showed ratiometric fluorescent recognition of Cr3+; the fluorescent responses could be observed by naked eye under a UV lamp. The binding stoichiometry ratio of the L–Cr3+ complex was found to be 1:1 according to Job’s plot and MALDI‐TOF MS analysis. The results of DFT calculation supported this conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Owing to the decrease of global oil price, development of downstream value‐added products is important to biodiesel industry. In this study, we used palmitic acid methyl ester (PAME) as a starting material to produce 2‐ethylhexyl palmitate (2‐EHP), an environmentally friendly biolubricant product, which was derived from the transesterification of fatty acid methyl esters and long chain fatty alcohols. Conventional synthetic routes of 2‐EHP have disadvantages, including high catalyst price, low conversion efficiency, and pollution issues. To solve these problems, in situ transesterification of PAME with 2‐ethylhexanol (2‐EH) was conducted over unsupported potassium carbonate as heterogeneous catalyst. The optimal reaction temperature, 2‐EH to PAME molar ratio, and catalyst to PAME mass ratio were 180 °C, 3:1, and 3.0 wt%, respectively. The PAME conversion reached up to 100% within 1 hour under the optimal conditions. In addition, a kinetic model describing the experimental data over a temperature range of 160–180 °C was developed. The dependence of kinetic rate constant (k) on temperature was evaluated, and the activation energy (Ea) for the transesterification of PAME with 2‐EH was calculated to be 57.04 kJ mol−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient non-noble metal and earth-abundant electrocatalysts with tunable microstructures for overall water splitting is critical to promote clean energy technologies for a hydrogen economy. Herein, novel three-dimensional (3D) flower-like Ni2P composed of mesoporous nanoplates with controllable morphology and high surface area was prepared by a hydrothermal method and low-temperature phosphidation as efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Compared with the urchin-like Ni xP y, the 3D flower-like Ni2P with a diameter of 5 μm presented an efficient and stable catalytic performance in 0.5 m H2SO4, with a small Tafel slope of 79 mV dec−1 and an overpotential of about 240 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a mass loading density of 0.283 mg cm−2. In addition, the catalyst also exhibited a remarkable performance for the OER in 1.0 m KOH electrolyte, with an overpotential of 320 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 72 mV dec−1. The excellent catalytic performance of the as-prepared Ni2P may be ascribed to its novel 3D morphology with unique mesoporous structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was carried out to investigate the prognostic value of baseline and dynamic changes in anxious emotion in advanced cancer patients undergoing palliative care.Methods: The association between anxious emotion and survival was investigated in a retrospective sample of 377 consecutive advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care from August 2013 to October 2015 and in an extended follow-up study of 106 of those patients.Results: The prevalence of anxious emotion was 24.93% (94/377) overall, 22.48% (47/209) in men and 27.97% (47/168) in women. Significant associations between baseline anxious emotion and overall survival (OS) were not found in the whole sample or in women. However, univariate and multivariate analyses showed that anxious emotion was an independent prognostic indicator of OS in men (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.811, P = .003). Moreover, findings showed that newly developed anxious emotion was significantly associated with poor OS in all readmitted patients (HR: 5.568, P < .001), in men (HR: 5.104, P = .006) and women (HR: 5.820, P = .004).Conclusions: Our study suggests that anxious emotion, especially dynamic changes in anxious emotion, needs to be monitored in advanced cancer patients; whether targeted interventions would prolong survival requires further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rod-like ZnO nanoparticles ( NPs) were synthesized from zinc powder by a simple hydrothermal oxidation method. The presence of acetylacetone could promote the oxidation reaction of Zn and the formation of hexagonal nanorods. Then, the as-prepared samples were annealed in N2 , O2 , and air atmosphere at 550°C for 2 h to control the number of oxygen vacancies in the samples. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy. The correlation between the oxygen vacancies and the photocatalytic activity was investigated. The results reveal that the annealing process alters the samples' bandgap and number of the oxygen vacancies, thereby improving the photocatalytic activity. The enhancement of photodegradation efficiency arising from the appropriate content of oxygen vacancies is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a sample consisting of 1,160,801 observations of privately held firms, we explore the relationship between earnings quality and privately held firms' debt financing, access to debt, and cost of debt, as well as the moderating effects of provincial-level economic development on this relationship. Our findings indicate that better earnings quality increases private firms' access to debt financing and lowers their cost of debt. The empirical results also show that these effects are more pronounced in less developed provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the mass transfer and reaction kinetics of soybean oil epoxidation using concentrated hydrogen peroxide in a formic acid-autocatalyzed reaction system were studied in detail. Studying the mass transfer of formic acid showed that the influence of reactant diffusion near the interface is eliminated when the stirring rate is > 120 rpm in a double-stirred cell, and the mass transfer rate decreases greatly with the conversion of double bonds and a decrease of reaction temperature. A temperature increase has little impact on the equilibrium of formic acid in the oil/water system, while an increase of epoxidized soybean oil significantly increases the value of the partition coefficient of formic acid. Another important aspect in the kinetic study is the decomposition of performic acid, which can cause the reduction of H2O2 and formic acid during the reaction. Finally, a biphasic model, which considers all reactions in oil and aqueous phases, the equilibrium and mass transfer of reagents and products between the phases, and the evolution of proton concentrations with time, was developed to describe the epoxidation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manuscript Type Empirical Research Issue We investigate the joint effects of family control and the regulatory environment on entrepreneurial growth through the lens of socio-emotional wealth ( SEW) theory. Research Findings Taking into consideration both economic and non-economic goals of entrepreneurial firms, measured by sales growth and employment growth respectively, we find that, compared to their non-family-controlled counterparts, family-controlled firms tend to have lower sales growth rates, but higher employment growth rates. Furthermore, less favorable regulatory environments reduce both sales and workforce growth rates to a greater extent for family-controlled firms than for non-family-controlled firms. Theoretical/Academic Implications We add to the corporate governance and family business management literature by documenting that the regulatory environment moderates the corporate governance effect of family control on the economic and non-economic goals of family-controlled firms. The findings also contribute to the family business management literature by enriching and providing strong evidence in favor of the SEW theory through our exploration of the moderating role that macro-governance plays in the family control- SEW relation. This research also makes contributions to the entrepreneurship literature, laying a foundation for future empirical studies on entrepreneurial growth by separating its economic from its non-economic dimensions. Practitioner/Policy Implications Our findings provide practical implications for both policy makers and entrepreneurs. They not only help entrepreneurs better understand growth strategies in various macro-governance settings, but also provide governments and policymakers with potential policy implications to encourage entrepreneurial and economic growth. Policies that improve the macro-governance environment can help family firms to prosper by contributing to their economic and non-economic growth, both of which are important for economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether peritoneal disease extent can predict the survival benefit of intraperitoneal/intravenous (IP/IV) chemotherapy in ovarian cancer., Design: A treatment-free survival (TFS) analysis., Setting: Five-centre trial., Population: An extended follow-up of the Additional Intraperitoneal Cisplatin and Etoposide in ovarian cancer (AICE) trial (NCT01669226), with data cut-off on 27 August 2020. Patients were categorised into subgroups with high tumour burden (HTB) and low tumour burden (LTB)., Methods: Overall survival (OS) was divided into time on protocol treatment exposure (T), time free of subsequent treatment or death (TFS) and time after the first subsequent therapy (REL). TFS analyses and quality-adjusted OS were calculated by multiplying the mean time in each health state by its assigned utility: quality-adjusted OS = u t  × T + TFS + u rel  × REL., Main Outcome Measures: The area under each Kaplan-Meier curve was estimated using the 96-month restricted mean time, with threshold utility analyses used to illustrate quality-adjusted OS comparisons., Results: In the HTB subgroup, the restricted mean TFS was 33.9 months and 18.7 months in the IP/IV and IV groups, respectively (p = 0.005), with a significant quality-adjusted OS gain (13.2-16.0 months). In the LTB subgroup, IP/IV therapy yielded no survival benefit in either TFS (p = 0.268) or quality-adjusted OS (range: 1.4-6.3 months)., Conclusions: Both TFS and quality-adjusted OS was longer across all utility weight values with IP/IV than with standard IV therapy in the HTB subgroup, whereas patients in the LTB subgroup did not benefit from the therapy. The tumour burden of ovarian cancer should be assessed before deciding on IP/IV versus IV treatment., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)