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In Internet of Things (IoT) applications, federated learning is commonly used for distributedly training models in a privacy-preserving manner. Recently, federated learning is broadly applied to autonomous driving for training intelligent decision models without disseminating local data remotely. Although federated learning provides a safer training manner for protecting data privacy in autonomous driving, the model training process is still vulnerable to poisoning attacks from vehicle client ends. It is beneficial to study poisoning attacks for enhancing the robustness of the training process to generate reliable decisions for safe driving. Until now, a few researches on poisoning attacks against classification models under federated learning scenarios have been proposed. However, those poisoning attacks against classification tasks cannot be directly applied to regression tasks in a federated learning framework, especially autonomous driving tasks such as steering angle control and brake control. The biggest challenge is that the output of non-linear regression models in federated learning is a dynamic sequential value decided by an online updated non-linear function. Thus, minor attacks can affect the overall non-linear function inference outputs leading to a failed stealthy attack. Based on existing challenges, this paper proposes an ATT ack against F ederated L earning based A utonomous V ehicle framework(ATT_FLAV) to evaluate and enhance the robustness of the federated learning-based autonomous driving models and take the steering angle control task as a representative non-linear regression task to illustrate the methodology. In the proposed framework, a bandit-based A ttack R egion- UCB (AR-UCB) algorithm is designed for dynamic data poisoning attacks against the non-linear regression model. This is a black-box attack strategy that chooses the target attack label region dynamically in each federated learning round based on historical attack experiences. Compared with the attack performance of baseline poisoning attacks and the robustness under defense schemas, the proposed poisoning attack strategy can achieve superior attack performance via continuous data poisoning attacks against the federated learning framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of liquid metal (LM) with high thermal conductivity in electronic thermal management is an emerging hotspot, but leakage of LM can cause environmental pollution and lead to corrosion of electronic equipment, thereby affecting the safety of its operation. Moreover, large temperature fluctuation will be caused for the limited thermal storage capacity of LM. To solve the above problems, it is urgent to develop LM-based microcapsules with high thermal conductivity and high thermal storage capacity. Herein, a novel micro-encapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) with an internal void, composed of liquid metal Sn–Bi–In core and PMMA shell, was firstly fabricated via liquid phase micro-encapsulation method. The results showed that microcapsules maintained good morphology and efficient thermal storage capacity (246.46 J cm−3) after 300 thermal cycles, 97.12% of that before the cycle (253.77 J cm−3). Subsequently, the MEPCM-based composite was prepared by mixing MEPCM into thermal gel. The enthalpy of 50 wt% MEPCM composite was 126.72 J cm−3, and the thermal conductivity of it was 3.23 W m−1·K−1, while that of thermal gel was 0.98 W m−1·K−1. Then the 50 wt% MEPCM-based composite was applied for LED chip, and the temperature of chip was 71.1 °C, 11.2 °C lower than that of thermal gel. Therefore, MEPCM-based composites with high thermal conductivity and thermal storage capacity are considerably potential for electronic thermal management. [Display omitted] • The low-melting-point alloy (LMPA) shows excellent chemical stability and thermal reliability. • The LMPA-based microcapsules with thermal expansion void are prepared via liquid phase micro-encapsulation method. • The LMPA-based microcapsules combine high latent heat, high thermal conductivity and excellent thermal stability. • The environmental issues caused by liquid metal leakage are controlled and resolved by liquid phase micro-encapsulation. • The composite with microcapsules addition shows remarkable thermal management effect in LED chip operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study demonstrated that Tartary buckwheat root polysaccharides (TBRP) could reduce insulin resistance in diabetes mellitus by inhibiting SOCS3-stimulated IRS1 protein degradation. However, whether TBRP has the efficiency to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still undetermined. This investigation aimed to examine the effects of TBRP on a high-fat diet (HFD)-triggered NAFLD, and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Briefly, TBRP toxicity in hepatoma (BEL7404) and pancreatic cancer (BxPC3) cells and zebrafish embryos developmental models, were evaluated in- vitro and in- vivo, respectively. TBRP inhibited cellular lipid accumulation by suppressing fat synthesis, furthermore, it improved body weight gain, liver weight, liver-to-body weight ratio, serum lipids triglyceride, total cholesterol, ALT, LDL-C, HDL-C, and AST levels in the NAFLD mice model. Additionally, TBRP treatment also lowered the nitric oxide content. The qPCR assay revealed that mRNA expression of TNF, IL1β, and IL6 was also markedly reduced in TBRP-treated NAFLD mice. The expression of SOCS3, SREBP1c, and STAT3 was elucidated by western blot analysis, which indicated that TBRP markedly decreased the gene expression for de novo fat synthesis by the SOCS3-SREBP1c pathway. These findings reveal that TBRP ameliorates NAFLD via the IL6-SOCS3-SREBP1c signaling pathway and therefore, may represent a promising approach for NAFLD treatment. • The tartary buckwheat roots polysaccharide (TBRP) demonstrated a lowered toxicity. • TBRP improved lipid accumulation, reduced inflammation, and alleviated NAFLD. • TBRP plays a role in alleviating NAFLD via an IL6-SOCS3-SREBP1-c pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Mineralization at the Zhibula deposit can be divided into three stages. • Cobalt has two occurrences in Zhibula deposit. • Coeval Co, Te, Au, Ag and Cu mineralization occurred during the late retrograde stage. • The mineral occurrence of Zhibula deposit might be used as a general indicator of Co enrichment in skarn deposits. The Zhibula skarn deposit is a Cu polymetallic deposit, located in Eastern Gangdese, Tibet. In recent years, research on this deposit has mainly focused on lithology, geochemistry, ore-forming fluid and mineralization age, whereas there has been a relative lack of focus on the occurrence of Co, Te, Au and Ag. Three paragenetic stages were distinguished based on mineralogy and textural relationships: Stage I prograde skarn with formation of garnet, pyroxene, magnetite and wollastonite; Stage II early retrograde skarn comprising garnet, tremolite and epidote; late retrograde Stage III characterized by various sulfides with chlorite, quartz and calcite. Photomicrographs and backscattered electron images of thin sections confirm that Co, Te, Au and Ag mineralization are usually associated with chalcopyrite and bornite, which developed during the late retrograde skarn stage (III). The independent Co mineral siegenite was identified along with isomorphous substitution of Co in sulfides and oxides. Compared with chalcopyrite (mean Co content = 10.8 ± 5.32 ppm, 1σ, n = 43), both pyrite and magnetite typically contain obviously higher Co contents (2454 ± 1837 ppm (1σ, n = 14) and 228 ± 49 ppm (1σ, n = 19), respectively). The correlations between Co and other elements indicate that Co replaced Fe in pyrite via isomorphous substitution. The mineral assemblage of independent Co, Te, Au and Ag minerals (siegenite, hessite, calaverite, petzite) with bornite and chalcopyrite also indicates coeval Co, Te, Au, Ag and Cu mineralization during the late retrograde stage. Assuming a Cu-Co precipitation temperature of ∼ 300 °C (supported by previously published fluid inclusion microthermometric results), the mineral assemblage of siegenite and hessite with pyrite and galena reveals an ore-forming fluid logf Te2 of −14.9 to −8.3 and logf S2 of −11.4 to −10.5. The Zhibula deposit and the adjacent well-studied Qulong deposit have similar magmatic source characteristics and mantle-derived magma was likely involved in the formation of mineralization at Zhibula. Compared with previously published trace element data from other skarn deposits, chalcopyrite, pyrite and magnetite in the Zhibula skarn deposit have obviously higher Co contents (8 ∼ 20 ppm, 1500 ∼ 5000 ppm and 160 ∼ 300 ppm, respectively). Accordingly, we propose that trace element analysis of these minerals can be used as a general indicator of Co enrichment in skarn deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Densities and viscosities of EGHE + three secondary alkanolamines were measured. • The V E and Δ η values are negative at the investigated conditions for all three systems. • The sign and magnitude of excess properties was discussed from two opposing aspects. • Experimental data were well represented by the proposed Redlich-Kister correlations. Nonaqueous solvents containing secondary alkanolamines and 2-alkoxyethanols, have recently gained significant attention for energy-efficient CO 2 capture process. However, the information of physicochemical property, particularly involving 2-(hexyloxy)ethanol (EGHE), is very limited for mass transfer and process modeling development. In this work, densities and viscosities were measured for binary mixtures of EGHE with 2-(methylamino)ethanol, 2-(ethylamino)ethanol and 2-(butylamino)ethanol at temperatures of (293.15–353.15)K and atmospheric pressure in the entire concentration range. The excess/deviation properties were derived from the experimental data and fitted by the Redlich-Kister equation to estimate the binary interaction parameters. The variation of excess properties with solvent composition and temperature was also discussed in terms of intermolecular interactions. The calculated from the proposed correlations matched well with the experimental values, with AARDs within 0.01% and 1.60% for density and viscosity respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the task scheduling and attitude planning of single agile earth observation satellite for intensive tasks. We aim to obtain the execution strategy and corresponding attitude path at the same time by the maximization of the total number of imaged tasks together with minimization of the energy cost, where the rectangle strip observation tasks are considered. Denoting the ground task as a time-varying attitude path, the whole collaborative task scheduling and attitude planning problem is modeled in the attitude apace. To prepare for the final solution, we first design a time-dependent mechanism to determinate the start working time, based on which an energy-dependent mechanism is designed to determine the attitude path corresponding for each possible execution strategy. Using the results produced by the mechanisms to construct the evaluation process, we propose a novel pseudospectral cooperative genetic algorithm (PCGA) to obtain the effective execution strategy and attitude path simultaneously. In PCGA, the genetic algorithm is employed to search the optimal solution, while the pseudospectral procedure and cooperative concept are combined into the genetic algorithm framework to further eliminate the uncertainty and obtain a compromise solution between two objectives, respectively. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed model and algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) released by vascular endothelial cells (VECs), as a functional factor and signal pathway molecule, plays an important role in regulating vasodilation, inhibiting thrombosis, proliferation and inflammation. Therefore, numerous researches have reported the relationship between the NO level in VECs and the cardiovascular biomaterials' structure/functions. In recent years, biomedical magnesium (Mg) alloys have been widely studied and rapidly developed in the cardiovascular stent field for their biodegradable absorption property. However, influence of the Mg alloys' degradation products on VEC NO release is still unclear. In this work, Mg-Zn-Y-Nd, an Mg alloy widely applied on the biodegradable stent research, was investigated on the influence of the degradation time, the concentration and reaction time of degradation products on VEC NO release. The data showed that the degradation product concentration and the reaction time of degradation products had positive correlation with NO release, and the degradation time had negative correlation with NO release. All these influencing factors were controlled by the Mg alloy degradation behaviors. It was anticipated that it might make sense for the cardiovascular Mg alloy design aiming at VEC NO release and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power flow analysis approach is applied for quantitatively evaluating the dynamic performance of a nonlinear energy sink in the frequency domain. A two-degree-of-freedom model of the whole-spacecraft coupled to a nonlinear energy sink is considered. Analytical approximations and numerical integrations are performed for the integrated system. The time-averaged input and dissipated and absorbed powers of the system are formulated. Power absorption ratio is proposed as the vibration reduction performance indicator of the nonlinear energy sink and is compared with kinetic energy of the oscillator. Results show that the power absorption ratio of nonlinear energy sink is high at all frequencies except at an antiresonance region. The effects of varying nonlinear energy sink parameters on its vibration absorption performance are discussed. As observed, the nonlinear energy sink performs well with the increase in viscous damping of nonlinear energy sink in the high-frequency range. However, the nonlinear energy sink performs poorly in the low-frequency range in the same case. Therefore, power flow analysis can provide great insight for nonlinear energy sink design in frequency domain and is suitable for practical engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 700 °C isothermal section of an Al-B-P ternary system was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy dispersive spectrometry and x-ray diffraction. The Al-1.5B-3P master alloy, designed based on the phase diagram, was used for the modification of a eutectic Al-Si alloy. The results revealed the presence of five three-phase regions in the 700 °C isothermal section of Al-B-P ternary system, namely, Liq. + AlB2 + AlP, AlB2 + AlP + BP, AlB12 + AlB2 + BP, AlB12 + BP + α-B and AlP + BP + Pgas. The phase constituents of the Al-1.5B-3P alloy are the Al, AlB2 and AlP phases. After complex modification by the Al-1.5B-3P alloy, a large number of fine α-Al dendrites and some primary Si formed in the eutectic Al-Si alloy. The morphology of eutectic Si changed from a needle-like to granular or short rod form. Compared with the unmodified eutectic Al-Si alloy, the tensile strength and elongation of the alloy modified with 0.4% Al-1.5B-3P were increased by 20 and 24%, respectively. Overall, the comprehensive mechanical properties of the modified alloy were significantly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flowering is a crucial process for plants that is under complex genetic control. AP1 acts as an organizer and a switch for the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. In our previous study, we found that overexpression of BpAP1 significantly promoted the formation of male inflorescence in birch (Betula platyphlla × B. pendula). In this study, we aimed at investigating the molecular regulatory mechanism of BpAP1 during the process of male inflorescence formation in birch. We found that overexpression of BpAP1 affected the expression of many flowering-related genes, and had significant effect on B class MADS-box genes. A BpAP1-mediated gene regulatory network was constructed and B class gene BpDEF was finally predicted as a key target gene of BpAP1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation results indicated that BpAP1 could directly regulate BpDEF during the process of male inflorescence formation. Yeast one-hybrid assays and its validation in tobacco results suggested that BpAP1 regulated BpDEF via binding to a consensus DNA sequence known as CArG box. Gene function analysis of BpDEF indicated that BpDEF may function in sex-determination, and in particular specify the identity of male inflorescence in birch. Our results provide valuable clues for our understanding of the molecular mechanism of BpAP1 during the process of male inflorescence formation in birch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the magnetic field immunity and near magnetic field reduction for different inductor-winding structures. A double-twisted winding structure, which includes two magnetic cores, is proposed for common mode (CM) inductors. The proposed CM inductor can achieve much lower near magnetic field emission, much better magnetic field immunity against the external magnetic field, and much bigger differential mode (DM) impedance than conventional winding structures. The proposed inductor structures are good for high power-density applications. Theoretical analysis, magnetic three-dimensional simulations and experiments were conducted to validate the developed theory and technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma is highly heterogeneous in microstructure and vasculature, creating various tumor microenvironments among patients, which may lead to different phenotypes. The purpose was to interrogate the interdependence of microstructure and vasculature using perfusion and diffusion imaging and to investigate the utility of this approach in tumor invasiveness assessment. A total of 115 primary glioblastoma patients were prospectively recruited for preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and surgery. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was calculated from diffusion imaging, and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) was calculated from perfusion imaging. The empirical copula transform was applied to ADC and rCBV voxels in the contrast-enhancing tumor region to obtain their joint distribution, which was discretized to extract second-order features for an unsupervised hierarchical clustering. The lactate levels of patient subgroups, measured by MR spectroscopy, were compared. Survivals were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The results showed that three patient subgroups were identified by the unsupervised clustering. These subtypes showed no significant differences in clinical characteristics but were significantly different in lactate level and patient survivals. Specifically, the subtype demonstrating high interdependence of ADC and rCBV displayed a higher lactate level than the other two subtypes (P =.016 and P =.044, respectively). Both subtypes of low and high interdependence showed worse progression-free survival than the intermediate (P =.046 and P =.009 respectively). Our results suggest that the interdependence between perfusion and diffusion imaging may be useful in stratifying patients and evaluating tumor invasiveness, providing overall measure of tumor microenvironment using multiparametric MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the gene expression profiles associated with thymoma to better understand the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of thymoma. Methods: Eight patients with thymomas (type A, AB, B1, and B2) and four controls with thymic cysts were analyzed using microarray profiling to identify changes in gene expression. Results: Across all of our samples, 2319 messenger RNAs were upregulated and 2776 were downregulated in thymomas relative to thymic cysts. Gene ontology and pathway analyses revealed that a large number of genes participate in cellular functions, among which MHC class II protein complex assembly, assembly with peptide antigen, calcium activated phosphatidylcholine scrambling, and release of cytoplasmic sequestered NF‐κB were dysregulated, whereas intestinal immune network for immunoglobulin A production, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, the calcium signaling pathway, and pathways related to autoimmune diseases were downregulated. Conclusions: Our results revealed gene expression differences between thymomas and thymic cysts, and identified key candidate genes/pathways that might be used as diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets to treat cancer metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Particulate organic matter (POM), composed of fine root fragments and other organic debris, is an important fraction of soil organic matter which can affect the fate of nanoparticles and influence their performance in nanoparticle-based remediation technologies due to aggregation. Effects of POM are not well studied compared with those of dissolved organic matter. In this research, POM was extracted from black soil by sieving, and heteroaggregation of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) with POM and consequences for elemental mercury (Hg0) immobilization were investigated. It was found that low concentrations of more negatively charged POM (0–60 mg L−1) inhibited homoaggregation as well as heteroaggregation with SeNPs which had a lower negative charge through electrostatic repulsion. In the presence of high concentrations of POM (80–100 mg L−1), SeNPs were more likely to attach to POM with more Hg0 remaining in the POM since a larger concentration of nanoparticles would lead to more effective collisions. However, Hg0 immobilization efficiency using SeNPs was not significantly influenced by the addition of POM. This work is helpful to further understand the nanoparticle's behaviour in the environment and consequences for toxic metal remediation. Graphical abstract Image 102269 Highlights • POM can affect the fate of SeNPs in the environment. • POM (0–60 mg L−1) inhibited its homoaggregation and heteroaggregation with SeNPs. • Hg0 immobilization efficiency by SeNPs was not inhibited in the presence of POM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the critical parameter design technique for a cascaded H-Bridge (CHB) with selective harmonic elimination (SHE)/compensation (SHC) for single-phase systems. The critical parameters include the filter inductance, the number of H-bridge cells, the dc-bus voltage and the switching frequency. This paper derives the relationship of electrical parameters, topologies, and modulation techniques to the voltage/current harmonic envelopes, and compares the filter inductor design for an H-Bridge with sinusoidal pulsewidth modulation (SPWM), an H-Bridge (HB) with SHE/SHC and a CHB with SHE/SHC. Furthermore, a harmonic-envelope-based approach is developed to determine the optimum design parameters. The developed approach designs the harmonic envelope with two proposed criteria: the first one is the capacity criterion, which guarantees that the fundamental and controllable components are within the applicable solution range to avoid overmodulation; the other one is the attenuation criterion, which ensures that the uncontrollable harmonic complies with the grid limit. Simulations and experiments verified that a CHB designed with the proposed technique can simultaneously fulfill the compensation objectives and meet the harmonic limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract RuO 2 -doped IrO 2 -ZrO 2 ternary oxide coatings with different Ru/Ir/Zr mole ratios were synthesized using a sol-gel route. The surface morphology was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The electrochemical behavior was investigated using linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and accelerated life test (ALT). The results showed that the compositions of the coatings are rutile IrO 2 and RuO 2. ZrO 2 is present as an amorphous phase in the coatings. The coating with Ru content of 21 mol% shows a compact structure with needle-like crystals dispersed. With the increase in Ru content, the porous and cracked structure of the ternary oxide coating of increased active surface area is obtained. Increasing Ru content improves the electrocatalytic activity, but worsens the stability of the coating in OER. The coating with Ru content of 21 mol% shows good electrocatalytic activity and the longest service lifetime in OER. Highlights • RuO 2 -doped Ti/IrO 2 -ZrO 2 anodes were prepared using a sol-gel route. • Compositions and nanostructured morphology of coatings were detected. • Effects of Ru content on crystallization and microstructure were determined. • Effects of Ru content on electrocatalytic properties were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Herein, we report the successful synthesis of a series of poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA)/layered double hydroxides (LDHs)/nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) hydrogels via in-situ radical polymerization. The internal morphology, thermo sensitivity, rheological properties, swelling behavior and hemocompatibility of the PNIPA/LDHs/HA composite hydrogels were systematically investigated. Results show that the hydrogels had a reversible sol-gel transformation around 33 °C. Interactions between the positively charged LDHs and negatively charged nano-HA particles created a highly porous hydrogel network. The composite hydrogels exhibited excellent hemocompatibility, incredible mechanical toughness and reversible swelling/deswelling behavior. To our knowledge, this is the first reported study to use two types of inorganic nanoparticle with opposing charges as hydrogel crosslinking agents. Based on its properties, we expect this hydrogel has broad applications potential in tissue engineering, drug delivery and biosensor development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of path following for biomimetic underwater vehicles (BUVs) propelled by undulatory ribbon-fins. First, the general kinematics and dynamics models of underwater vehicles are presented, followed by a fuzzy logic model for dealing with a nonlinear relationship between the propulsive force/torque and the control parameters of the undulatory fins of the BUV. Then the path following problem of the BUV is formulated. A path following control paradigm integrating the line-of-sight guidance system with backstepping (BP) technique is proposed to maneuver the BUV to follow a predefined parameterized curve without time constraints. The stability of the BP controller is analyzed and guaranteed by Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, simulations and experimental results illustrate the performance of the proposed path following control paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Microchannel heat sinks have provided an efficient solution in the thermal management of high-power density devices. In general, however, they cannot exhibit high thermal performance and lower pressure drop simultaneously. In this work, an improved design of microchannel heat sinks possessing a combination of high thermal performance and low pressure drop is proposed, where the superiority of double-layered concept and the advantage of porous-ribs design are taken into account. In the improved design, two layers of rectangular channels are stacked one atop another with porous ribs utilized in the upper layer while solid ribs employed in the lower layer. The thermal performance and the flow characteristics of the improved design are numerically studied using a three-dimensional solid-fluid conjugate model. Four other heat sinks with different structure (solid-ribs single-layered, porous-ribs single-layered, solid-ribs double-layered, and porous-ribs double-layered) are designed for performance comparison. The results demonstrate that the improved design yields the lowest thermal resistance and the best temperature uniformity on the bottom wall among all the five designs whether at an identical Reynolds number or at a fixed pumping power. The appropriate combination of better thermal conductivity of solid ribs and lower pressure drop of porous ribs in a double-layered heat sink is responsible for the performance improvement. Highlights • An improved double-layered microchannel heat sink is proposed. • Porous ribs are employed in the upper layer with solid ribs in the lower layer. • Thermal performance and pumping power both reduce for the improved design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BuShenKangShuai tablet (BSKS) is a Chinese herbal compound, which has been used to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular diseases in clinic for over four decades. This study intends to explore whether BSKS administration can alleviates hepatic steatosis via improving liver adiponectin resistance in ApoE-/- mice. ApoE-/- mice were fed with western-type diet for 6 weeks and then were administrated with BSKS or atorvastatin for 6 weeks by gavage, and then blood and liver were collected for analysis. The results showed that BSKS attenuated hepatic steatosis, decreased blood lipids, and increased the serum level of adiponectin. We also found that adiponectin resistance in the liver was improved by BSKS, while the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 was inhibited, followed by the suppression of proinflammatory mediators of TNF-α. Our data provided evidence that BSKS was able to alleviate hepatic steatosis in vivo. The underlying mechanism of BSKS was focused on improving liver adiponectin resistance, thereby regulating dyslipidemia and inhibiting inflammatory signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The solubility of dipyridamole was determined in five pure solvents (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol and 1-butanol) and three binary solvents (methanol + water, ethanol + water and 2-propanol + water) by gravimetric method from 293.15 K to 328.15 K at atmospheric pressure. The solubility of dipyridamole increases in all solvent systems with increasing temperature. In binary solvents, the solubility varies with the solvent composition and shows the maximum in (ethanol/2-propanol + water) binary solvents at a certain composition of 0.7 and 0.6. The Apelblat model, λh equation and NRTL model were employed to correlate the solubility data. Moreover, the mixing thermodynamic properties in both pure and binary solvents were calculated based on the NRTL model. The results indicate that the dissolution process of dipyridamole is spontaneous and exothermic. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Solubility of dipyridamole rises with rising temperature in selected solvents. • Solubility shows the maximum in (ethanol/2-propanol + water) binary solvents. • The experimental data was well correlated by the Apelblat, λh and NRTL models. • The mixing process in all selected solvents is spontaneous and exothermic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recombined humanized endostatin (Rh‐endostatin) exhibits a potent anti‐cancer effect involving multiple molecular targets and signaling pathways. HMGB1 is a highly conserved DNA‐binding protein involved in cancer development. The therapeutic effect of Rh‐endostatin on HMGB1 has not been reported, thus we investigate the effect in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Methods: Quantitative real‐time PCR and Western blot were used to analyze the messenger RNA and protein expression of HMGB1 in A549 cancer cells, while enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the release of HMGB1. Western blot was performed to evaluate HMGB1 expression in SK‐MES‐1 and H661 NSCLC cells. Results: Rh‐endostatin inhibited the proliferation of A549 cancer cells and distinctly downregulated the expression and release of HMGB1 in dose and time dependent manners. Rh‐endostatin‐induced HMGB1 downregulation was confirmed in different types of NSCLC cells. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the general phenomenon that Rh‐endostatin can induce HMGB1 suppression in a variety of NSCLC cells. Rh‐endostatin may suppress HMGB1 expression and release in A549 cancer cells, thus inhibiting cell proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-type calcium channels in the brain mediate the pathophysiology of epilepsy, pain, and sleep. Recently, we developed a novel therapeutic candidate, SAK3 (ethyl 8'-methyl-2',4-dioxo-2-(piperidin-1-yl)-2'H-spiro[cyclopentane-1,3'-imidazo[1,2-a] pyridine]-2-ene-3-carboxylate), for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The cognitive improvement by SAK3 is closely associated with enhanced acetylcholine (ACh) release in the hippocampus. Since monoamines such as dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), and serotonin (5-HT) are also involved in hippocampus-dependent learning and psychomotor behaviors in mice, we investigated the effects of SAK3 on these monoamine releases in the mouse brain. Oral administration of SAK3 (0.5 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly promoted DA and 5-HT releases in the naive mouse hippocampal CA1 region but not in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), while SAK3 did not affect NA release in either brain region. The T-type calcium channel-specific inhibitor, NNC 55–0396 (1 μM) significantly antagonized SAK3-enhanced DA and 5-HT releases in the hippocampus. Interestingly, the α7 nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR) antagonist, methyllycaconitine (1 nM) significantly inhibited DA release, and the α4 nAChR antagonist, dihydro-β-erythroidine (100 μM) significantly blocked both DA and 5-HT releases following SAK3 (0.5 mg/kg, p.o.) administration in the hippocampus. SAK3 did not alter basal monoamine contents both in the mPFC and hippocampus. SAK3 (0.5 mg/kg, p.o.) administration also significantly elevated DA and 5-HT releases in the hippocampal CA1 region of amyloid-precursor protein (APP)NL-GF knock-in (KI) mice. Moreover, hippocampal DA and 5-HT contents were significantly decreased in APPNL-GF KI mice. Taken together, our data suggest that SAK3 promotes monoamine DA and 5-HT releases by enhancing the T-type calcium channel and nAChR in the mouse hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the active differential-mode (DM) electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter topology for ac/dc converters is first briefly investigated. The active DM EMI filter model was developed based on the models of filter components including a current transformer, a high-pass filter, an operational amplifier, and a class AB amplifier. The system model including the active filter, ac/dc converter, and line impedance stabilization networks (LISNs) are explored. With the developed system model, the loop gain and insertion gain of the active filter are derived. Based on the loop gain, the stability of the active filter is investigated and the compensation is applied to achieve stability and good EMI reduction. Both simulations and experiments are conducted to validate the developed technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hardware acceleration is a promising trend for the energy and thermally constrained systems. The programmable nature of FPGAs allows it to deliver high performance and energy efficient solution. Unfortunately, the traditional RTL-based synthesis flow of FPGAs prevents its wide adoption. In response, recent adoption of OpenCL programming model has raised the possibility to program FPGAs in a software manner. To harness the power of FPGAs using OpenCL programming model, it is advantageous to design an analytical model for performance analysis, design space exploration and provide insights into the performance bottlenecks. To this end, this paper presents FlexCL, an analytical performance and power model for OpenCL workloads on FPGAs. FlexCL leverages static analysis to analyze the OpenCL kernels. As for the performance estimation, it first develops systematic computation models for processing elements, compute units and kernels by modeling the operation scheduling, work-item and work-group scheduling, and the resource constraints. Then, it models different global memory access patterns. Finally, FlexCL estimates the overall performance by tightly coupling the memory and computation models based on the communication mode. FlexCL can be also used to guide performance and power trade-off analysis. Experiments demonstrate that the average performance and power estimation errors of FlexCL are 9.5 and 12.6 percent for the Rodinia suite, respectively. The OpenCL model on FPGAs also exposes a rich optimization design space. With FlexCL, we can enable rapid exploration of the design space with respect to both performance and power within seconds instead of hours or days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effects of diallyl sulfide (DAS) and the potential mechanisms were investigated on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/ d -galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced acute liver injury in mice. DAS (50, 100, 200 μmol/kg) were orally given 1 h prior to LPS (10 μg/kg)/D-GalN (500 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection. Serum and liver were collected at 8 h after LPS/D-GalN treatment. DAS Pretreatment reduced the activities of serum aminotransferase and attenuated histopathological damage in LPS/D-GalN-induced liver injury. Additionally, LPS/D-GalN-induced liver oxidative stress was ameliorated by DAS pretreatment, as evidenced by the decreased content of MDA and increased level of GSH, SOD, CAT in liver. Moreover, LPS/D-GalN-induced the excessive levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and MCP-1 in serum and liver was decreased by DAS pretreatment. Furthermore, DAS pretreatment attenuated LPS/D-GalN-induced hepatocyte apoptosis, as evidenced by TUNEL staining and protein expression of cleaved caspase3, Bax and Bcl-2 in liver. DAS also up-regulated the expression of p-PI3K p85 and p-Akt in a dose-dependent manner, and Akt inhibitor MK-2206 weakened the inhibitory effect of DAS on hepatocyte apoptosis induced by LPS/D-GalN. In conclusion, the results suggest that DAS exerts the protective effect on LPS/GalN-induced acute liver injury, and this effects possibly by suppressing oxidative stress, inflammation and regulating hepatocyte apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt pathway. Highlights • DAS exerts the protective effects on LPS/D-GalN-induced acute liver injury in mice. • The hepatoprotective effect of DAS on acute liver injury may be achieved by inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation and hepatocyte apoptosis. • DAS inhibits LPS/D-GalN-induced hepatocytes apoptosis by regulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies a class of wave equations with nonlinear source terms and boundary damping terms. Dynamic boundary conditions are common in many mathematical models, such as heat transfer in a solid and connected moving liquid, in both media. Heat transfer process and fluid dynamics issues, etc. The dynamic boundary conditions in the equation change the original spatial properties (such as invariant sets), and the original well-posedness research methods are no longer fully applicable. The article introduces the results of vitillaro is research on this type of issue. That is, the existence of local solutions and the overall existence and finite time blasting of the solution at low initial energy level. But when the system has a higher energy level, will the nature of the solution change? In other words, we are more interested in whether the solution to the problem has the same properties at the critical initial energy level. Is the solution of the initial boundary value problem of the wave equation with nonlinear source term and boundary damping term still existing or limited time blasting at the critical initial energy level? This paper will address the above openness problem. Based on Vitillaro's research on this type of problem, the potential well theory is used to prove the global existence and finite time blasting of solution under critical conditions. The above results are extended. Potential well theory, the problem of the overall well-posedness of the solution when nonlinear damping acts inside the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracking methods based on correlation filters have recently attracted attention for achieving fast tracking. However, their performance is somewhat limited in long-term tracking tasks, especially in an occlusion situation. To address this issue, we propose a novel structured correlation filter, which depends on coupled interactions between a static model and a dynamic model. Specifically, the static model exploits the star graph to capture spatial information and provides an initial estimation. The dynamic model based on Bayesian inference uses the rough location as a reference to estimate the final target state. Then, the dynamic model provides a feedback to the static regarding their updates. Finally, the dynamic model provides a scale adaptivity mechanism, which makes the proposed tracker effectively deal with not only partial occlusion but also scale variation. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluations on challenging image sequences demonstrate that the proposed method performs favorably against the state-of-the-art tracking algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A grid-tied cascaded H-bridge (CHB) converter with low frequency modulation techniques needs to meet power quality standards. At the same time, the effects of grid voltage harmonics on CHB converter's current harmonics must be considered in the modulation techniques. Furthermore, the dc link voltages of grid-tied converters need to be regulated. In this paper, an asymmetric selective harmonic current mitigation-pulse width modulation (PWM) (ASHCM-PWM) technique is used to meet the current harmonic limits of a power quality standard with the effects of grid voltage harmonics considered in the equation set of its optimization process. A voltage balancing technique based on the average power of each cell is derived to regulate the dc link voltages of the CHB converters without using dc voltage sensors. By using the proposed voltage balancing technique, the CHB converters do not need complicated dc link voltage controllers. As a result, the cost and complexity of the grid-tied converters can be significantly reduced. Simulations and experiments were conducted on a 7-level grid-tied CHB converter to validate the proposed voltage balancing technique with ASHCM-PWM modulation technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Crystal phase transition rate from Cs 4 PbX 6 to CsPbX 3 can be tuned by halide salt. • Monodisperse CsPbX 3 nanoparticles with double-side SiO 2 -coated is synthesized. • Trimurti nanoparticles exhibit high water stability and fast anion exchange activity. • Anion exchange-based multicolor sensing platform for metabolites is proposed. • The uric acid dual-readout result is the same as that of colorimetric assay kit. High water stability and fast anion exchange (FAE) activity are indispensable requirements of CsPbX 3 (X = Cl, Br, I) nanoparticles (NPs) for achieving multicolor fluorescence sensing in aqueous samples. In this study, we prove that the crystal phase transition rate from Cs 4 PbX 6 to CsPbX 3 can be finely tuned by halide salt, thereby facilitating the exposure of in-situ SiO 2 nucleation sites to CsPbX 3. Through the sol–gel method triggered by KX-containing water, monodisperse CsPbX 3 @SiO 2 Trimurti nanoparticles (TNPs), i.e., double-side SiO 2 -coated CsPbX 3 NPs, are successfully synthesized for the first time. As an example, the CsPbBr 3 @SiO 2 TNPs exhibit significantly enhanced photoluminescence quantum yield (80%), fluorescence lifetime (22.09 ns) and water stability (only 11.4% drop in FL intensity after 60 min reaction with water), meanwhile maintain consistent high FAE activity, compared to bare CsPbBr 3 NPs (57%, 6.56 ns, 97.9% drop) and single-side SiO 2 -coated NPs (69%, 9.76 ns, 39.1% drop). Furthermore, we propose an H 2 O 2 recognition strategy at the organic/aqueous phase interface based on the FAE effect between oleylammonium iodide (OLAI) and CsPbX 3 @SiO 2 TNPs. Thus, the TNPs-based multicolor sensing platform for small molecule metabolites is constructed and utilized for uric acid detection in serum, which obtains consistent results with the commercial method (relative error ≤ 5.67%). This work not only provides a guidance for the tunable surface modification of high-performance CsPbX 3 NPs, but also designs a universal strategy for selectively detecting small molecule metabolites in biological fluids based on the intrinsic FAE effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two kinds of active Al alloys were prepared using melting and mechanical alloy. • Internal microstructure of Al alloys was revealed by synchronous X-ray tomography. • Specific surface area of active alloy powder is 2–4 times that of mixed powders. • The separations of cracks and bi phases are different for these two active alloys. • Cracks and Bi phase have close relationship with the hydro-activity. The Al-water reaction has attracted many attentions as it's a convenient method for on-demand hydrogen generation. Although a variety of additives have been demonstrated to promote the activity of Al, the most likely mechanism is simply the inference made from surface conditions and reaction characteristics. In this study, the activation of two kinds of active Al-10Bi alloys powders was prepared by both melting alloy and mechanical alloy methods. The activity of the as obtained powders was analyzed through various methods including XRD, SEM. 3D characterization of active Al powders was conducted using synchrotron X-ray tomography to reveal the inner structure of ball milled active Al alloy powders. Results show that ball milling could effectively introduce a large number of cracks both on the surface and the inner of powders. The number of cracks increased further after adding salt during ball milling. The relation between the inner structure of the Al alloys and their hydrolysis reaction products was also discussed. The specific surface area, the number and distribution of cracks alloy phase are all important factors that influence the hydrolysis reaction of the active alloy powder. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Water-lean EGHE-based CO 2 absorbents with novel water balance control was proposed. • Effect of water content on CO 2 capture performance of amine/EGHE/H 2 O was discussed. • EAE-EGHE-10%H 2 O showed about 40 % reduction in regeneration energy than aqueous MEA. Maintaining water balance in water-lean solvents is drawing special attention as it may affect the capture performance and process stability. In this study, novel water-lean solvents containing ethylene glycol monohexyl ether (EGHE) and secondary alkanolamines was proposed for energy-saving postcombustion CO 2 capture. Excess water from wet flue gas can be discharged from the desorber overhead condensate which can produce a spontaneous phase-separation feature. Less than 0.8 mass% EGHE was observed in the water-rich phase of the biphasic condensate. Effect of water content in these absorbents on CO 2 capture performance was discussed. Most notably, regeneration energy consumption increased significantly as increasing water content in the absorbent. The proposed water-lean absorbents with 10 % H 2 O can reduce the regeneration heat duty by about 40% in comparison with aqueous MEA, indicating that the novel water balance design can make it competitive in a practical sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Build an experimental platform of intermediate cycle aeroengine thermal management system. • Explore the influences of working condition on the systematic heat transportation. • Apply heat current method and artificial neural network builds simulation model. With the increment of Mach number, the heat dissipation load of aeroengine increases significantly. Systematic thermal management has become an urgent problem to be solved. The intermediate cycle system is one of the widely used thermal management solutions. This paper builds an experiment platform of thermal management system of aeroengine including intermediate cycle to explore the influence of working condition on the systematic heat transportation. Water is selected as the working medium in the experiment. The experiment results show all the temperatures of working medium decrease with the flow rate increment of working medium in fuel oil circuit. The temperature of working medium flowing to the afterburner increases with the temperature increment of lube oil circuit1 and 2. But only the temperature of working medium flowing to the main combustor increases while the temperatures of lube oil circuit1 increase. At last, using heat current method and flow resistance model builds the systematic simulation model. The relative errors between the simulation and experimental values are all less than 5%. The simulation results show all the temperatures of working medium increase with the increment of fuel oil circuit temperature. The working medium temperature flowing to the afterburner and lube oil circuit2 increases with the flow rate increment of lube oil circuit3. It reveals the heat transfer principle of the intermediate circulation thermal system under different working states and provides a powerful guidance for the systematic analysis and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber metal laminas (FMLs) are disadvantaged by weak interlaminar strength limiting their application where dynamic loads are expected. In this study, graphene platelets (GnPs) were employed to strengthen the interlaminar interface in carbon fiber (CF) metal laminates. GnPs within range of 0–1 wt% were added into epoxy resin via ultrasonication. GnPs-based FML samples were prepared by wet lay-up method and tested under flexural loading, short beam shear and single lap shear. The reinforcing mechanism and failure modes were investigated. The results show that 0.5 wt% of GnPs increases the flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength by 39.7% and 53.2%, respectively. In addition, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations concluded that the addition of low content of GnPs increases the elastic modulus of the matrix and improves the resin adsorption on the surface of carbon fiber and Al sheets. The results from both the experimental and MD simulation indicate that adding GnPs can effectively improve the interlaminar mechanical properties of FMLs. In principle, the research method in this paper can be applied to the study of FMLs with other nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a buffer-aided TDMA uplink network, where multiple status-update devices and throughput-demand devices are supposed to upload their data to one information access point (AP), and all devices are assumed to be provisioned with a data buffer to temporarily store the randomly generated data from either the installed sensor or upper-layer applications. To fulfill the communication requirements using two types of devices, the average Age of Information (AoI) is utilized to characterize the data freshness of the status-update devices, while the average sum rate is employed to capture the average transmission performance of the throughput-demand devices. On this basis, a joint-optimization problem was formulated to minimize the average AoI for status-update devices and to maximize the average sum rate for the throughput-demand devices. Lyapunov optimization framework was used to solve the problem of obtaining an AoI-aware adaptive TDMA uplink scheme. Numerical results are presented to show that an AoI-aware adaptive TDMA uplink scheme can effectively fulfill the heterogeneous service requirements using status-update devices and throughput-demand devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients presenting to the emergency department with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are characterized by advanced age, comorbidities, critical illness and less-than-typical symptoms, posing a diagnostic challenge. Plasma heparin-binding protein (HBP) and the heparin-binding protein-to-albumin ratio (HBP/Alb) have not been adequately studied in the early diagnosis of CAP. This study assessed the diagnostic value of plasma HBP, HBP/Alb, and conventional inflammatory markers in emergency department patients with CAP. Methods: We enrolled 103 patients with CAP, retrospectively analyzed the patients' clinical data, and divided the CAP patients into antibiotic (n = 79) and non-antibiotic (n = 24) groups based on whether antibiotics were administered prior to blood sampling and laboratory tests. The control group was comprised of 52 non-infected patients admitted during the same period. Within 24 h of admission, plasma HBP, serum procalcitonin (PCT), white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and HBP/Alb levels were collected separately and compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to assess the diagnostic value of each indicator for CAP patients. Utilizing the Kappa test, the consistency of each indicator used to evaluate CAP and clinical diagnosis was analyzed. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the correlation between plasma HBP and clinical indicators of CAP patients. Results: Plasma HBP, serum PCT, WBC, NLR and HBP/Alb were all elevated in the CAP group in comparison to the control group (P < 0.001). Plasma HBP, serum PCT, WBC, NLR and HBP/Alb levels did not differ statistically between antibiotic and non-antibiotic groups (P > 0.05). Plasma HBP and HBP/Alb had the highest diagnostic accuracy for CAP, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.931 and 0.938 (P < 0.0001), and the best cut-off values were 35.40 ng/mL and 0.87, respectively. In evaluating the consistency between CAP and clinical diagnosis, the Kappa values for HBP, PCT, WBC, NLR and HBP/Alb were 0.749, 0.465, 0.439, 0.566 and 0.773, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis showed that plasma HBP was positively correlated with serum PCT, WBC, NLR and HBP/Alb in CAP patients (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Plasma HBP and HBP/Alb have a high clinical diagnostic value for CAP and can be used as good and reliable novel inflammatory markers in the emergency department for the early diagnosis of CAP patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a new bridge damage indicator, the moving reference influence function (MRIF), to detect bridge bearing damage using deflections inferred from vehicle accelerations. Recently, vehicle acceleration has been used to find the apparent profile (AP) of a bridge when a vehicle passes. This AP consists of bridge profile elevations and bridge deflection components. To describe the relationship between these deflection components and load, a MRIF is proposed for the first time in this paper. An error minimization process is used to find the MRIF and the road surface profile on the bridge. The vehicle acceleration signals used in the paper are assumed to be collected from a partially instrumented vehicle fleet. In the fleet, only the first axle acceleration is collected from each vehicle. To simplify the minimization process, both the MRIF and the bridge profile are represented by kernel density functions. The results show that the bridge profile can be accurately obtained and that bridge bearing damage can be identified from the MRIF. Both area and skewness of the MRIF are damage sensitive and can be used together to find the location and severity of bridge bearing damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical investigation on the effect of anti-site point defects on mechanical and thermodynamic properties of MgZn 2 and MgCu 2 based on the first-principles calculations has been implemented. The results show that Mg anti-site defect on Zn or Cu site plays a reinforcing role, while exhibiting a more brittle behavior. However, the defect phase of Cu anti-sites on Mg sublattice shows a ductile tendency. The temperature-dependent thermodynamic properties are also predicted along with Debye-Grüneisen model including Debye temperature, thermal expansion coefficient and vibrational heat capacity as well as vibrational entropy. Taking into account the contribution of the lattice vibration and thermal electronic excitations, the Helmholtz free energy F can be calculated, suggests that anti-site defects caused by the occupancy of Mg at the Zn or Cu site are thermodynamically unstable compared to the defect-free phases. In addition, the total amount of charge transfer, the overall and the local difference charge densities are further discussed to analyze the mechanism of mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium titanates (including three main phases, Mg 2 TiO 4 , MgTiO 3 and MgTi 2 O 5 ) and Mn 4+ doped magnesium titanates were successfully prepared in a simple route. Mn 4+ occupied octahedral positions to substitute Ti 4+ in the magnesium titanates host lattice. The absorption bands at 400–600 nm assigned to the d-d band transition of Mn 4+ had difference in three systems, which were strongly influenced by local crystal field environments. In this work, the samples doped Mn 4+ showed the difference in emission peak positions, attributing to the 2 E g → 4 A 2g emission process of Mn 4+ . Crystal field strength of host material and Mn O nephelauxetic nature of the Mn 4+ -doped magnesium titanates (Mg 2 TiO 4 :Mn 4+ , MgTiO 3 :Mn 4+ and MgTi 2 O 5 :Mn 4+ ) influenced on the photoluminescent properties, which was demonstrated through the combination with density functional theory (DFT) and experimental method. These results suggested that Mn 4+ doped Mg 2 TiO 4 material had high color purity, which was a promising material for red phosphor in attractive white-light LEDs application. This research is very useful because it could rapidly predicted the luminescent property of new Mn 4+ doped materials through DFT calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cluster computing applications, such as MapReduce and Spark, have been widely deployed in data centers to support commercial applications and scientific research. These applications often involve a collection of parallel flows generated by two groups of machines, and the slowest flow will determine the completion of applications. However, existing network-level optimizations are agnostic to the special communication pattern of the applications. Most of them only focus on improving the completion time of an individual flow instead of a collection of parallel flows. The recently proposed coflow abstraction exactly expresses the requirements of cluster computing applications and creates new opportunities to reduce the completion time of jobs in cluster computing. Due to the wide variations in coflow characteristics, coflow scheduling faces great challenges in data center networks. Much work has been proposed to solve one or some of the various challenges. Therefore, in this article, we survey the latest development in coflow scheduling for data center networks. We hope that this article will help readers quickly understand the causes of each problem and learn about current research progress, so as to serve as a guide and motivation toward further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fraction of primary Si and primary α–Al in Al–Si eutectic alloy were largest after modification at 740 °C when a certain amount of Al–3P was added. The fraction of primary Si and primary α–Al in Al–Si eutectic alloy first increased and then decreased with increasing amount of Al–3P. The fraction of primary Si and primary α–Al in the Al–Si eutectic alloy was largest when the added amount of Al–3P modifier was 0.4wt.%. The fraction of primary Si and primary α–Al decreased with further increased Al–3P modifier. The size of the primary Si decreased continuously. Compared to the unmodified Al–Si eutectic alloy, the tensile strength and elongation of the alloy modified with 0.4wt.% Al–3P at 740 °C increased by 7% and 74%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new double-layered microchannel heat sink design is proposed in this work. The new design adopts porous fins instead of solid fins. A three-dimensional solid-fluid conjugate model is employed to compare the overall thermal resistance and pumping power of the new and original designs at Reynolds number ranging 65–200. The results show that with the same Reynolds number, the new design yields 45.3–48.5% reduction in pumping power, while it also deteriorates heat transfer with 14.8–16.2% increase in thermal resistance. Due to the noticeable friction reduction effect, the inlet flow velocity of coolant in the new design can be increased significantly to enhance convective heat transfer. With the same pumping power, the new design reduces the thermal resistance by about 10% in a wide range of Reynolds numbers. The predicted reduction efficiency of the pumping power is in good agreement with the existing model, confirming that the friction reduction can be attributed to “slip effect” of coolant on the porous fin walls. The effects of channel number, channel aspect ratio, and width ratio of channel-to-pitch on cooling performance on the new design are also discussed. The results show that with a constant Reynolds number, there are an optimal channel number and an optimal width ratio of channel-to-pitch to achieve the lowest thermal resistance; however, cooling performance monotonously depends on the channel aspect ratio and a larger channel aspect ratio can always yield a lower thermal resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new gas-tight pair sampler was designed for the collection of gas-tight fluid samples from the hadal zone. The sampler uses two titanium bottles and one sampling valve to collect two samples at once. The sampler can be deployed in the deepest trenches in the ocean as a result of its ability to resist ultrahigh pressure and its good bidirectional sealing performance. It can be used on manned submersibles, remotely operated vehicles, and deep-sea landers. Three sets of this new sampler were constructed and field tested in the Mariana Trench during the cruise TS-03 from 15 January to 23 March 2017, during which 3 L of water samples were successfully obtained from the bottom of the Challenger Deep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 therapies have demonstrated prominent clinical effects in the treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, limited understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of PD‐L1 has become one of the biggest challenges for further improving efficacy. In this study, we observed that in wild‐type EFGR cell lines A549 and H460, the ubiquitin ligases Cbl‐b and c‐Cbl inhibit PD‐L1 by inactivating STAT, AKT, and ERK signaling. MiR‐181a and miR‐940 were screened and validated to target Cbl‐b and c‐Cbl, respectively. Furthermore, in NSCLC tissues, the expression of Cbl‐b/c‐Cbl is negatively correlated with PD‐L1 expression. Taken together, these findings indicated a new regulatory mechanism for PD‐L1 in wild‐type EGFR NSCLC cell lines by Cbl‐b and c‐Cbl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure the safety of freshwater which is the priority concern of the general public, it is necessary to inactivate pathogens effectively using innovative methods to disinfect freshwater. A new perspective for disinfection application of slightly acidic electrolyzed water was proposed in this study, namely the disinfection methods of “liquid-liquid”. The effects of freshwater disinfection using slightly acidic electrolyzed water by means of continuously dynamic hybrid was evaluated. Under the different conditions of mixture, parameters variation characteristics of slightly acidic electrolyzed water including available chlorine concentration, pH and oxidation-reduction potential showed small fluctuations within a certain range and remained relatively stable. Compared with static mixture, the method of continuously dynamic hybrid had better sterilization effect. Under condition of static mixture, the disinfection effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water to freshwater followed more sophisticated dynamic model. At different volume ratios, the correlation coefficients (R 2 ) were all greater than 0.9, which means that the model has good prediction effect. Under condition of dynamic hybrid, the variation of available chlorine concentration kept in a dynamic balance, which is in conformity with the zero-order kinetics model. The disinfection effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water to freshwater followed first-order kinetic model, which also has better forecasting effect. The increase of temperature within limits contributed to promoting disinfection effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water. But the disinfection effect became worse along with the increase of turbidity. The Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) inactivation effect under condition of mixture rendered slightly acidic electrolyzed water a promising disinfectant, which can be applied in freshwater to control natural microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been known that metabolism of benzene is necessary for its toxicity. The purpose of our study is to investigate the effect of diallyl trisulfide (DATS) on attenuating cytopenia in peripheral blood introduced by benzene through regulating benzene metabolism in rats. We established benzene poisoning model with benzene (1.3 g/kg), while the DATS treatment groups were treated with DATS plus benzene (15 or 30 mg/kg) for 28 days, respectively. The results of blood parameters and concentration of metabolites of benzene (t, t-MA and SPMA) determination in urine showed that DATS could effectively attenuate the cytopenia induced by benzene through regulating benzene metabolism. Western blot and chemical method were used to detect the activities and protein expression levels of enzymes CYP2E1 and GSTT1 in liver and enzymes MPO and NQO1 in bone marrow were tested. The results suggested that the inhibition of bioactivation in liver and bone marrow catalyzed by CYP2E1 and MPO and the activation of detoxification catalyzed by GSTT1 and NQO1 might be the critical mechanism, through which DATS modulated benzene metabolism to prevent benzene-induced cytopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spherical particles of (Y 1- x Eu x )BO 3 ( x = 0–0.20, ∼0.8–1.5 μm in diameter) have been converted from (Y 1- x Eu x )(B(OH) 4 )CO 3 precursors synthesized via homogenous precipitation processing. Detailed characterizations of the samples were achieved by combined techniques of XRD, Raman, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, PLE/PL, and fluorescence decay analysis. Through homogenous precipitation processing in the absence of EG, orthorhombic (Y,Eu)(B(OH) 4 )CO 3 cubic particles were obtained owing to their crystal habit. Proper EG addition leads to the formation of spherical particles, but nano-sized amorphous particles were resulted from the excessive EG content. Longing reaction time or elevating the reaction temperature induced the appearance of cubic ones. Calcining (Y,Eu)(B(OH) 4 )CO 3 at 700 °C yielded hexagonal structured (Y,Eu)BO 3 phase with the space group of P 6 3 / m , but another hexagonal structured (Y,Eu)BO 3 phase (space group: P 6 3 / mmc ) was obtained with the calcination temperatures of 800–1000 °C. The spherical shape and excellent dispersion of the original particles can be well retained up to 800 °C. Upon UV excitation, the (Y 1- x Eu x )BO 3 ( x = 0–0.20) spheres exhibited a typical Eu 3+ emission with the orange emission at 592 nm from the 5 D 0 - 7 F 1 magnetic dipole transitions of Eu 3+ ions taking the dominant role. Space-group vibrations between in 700 °C-phase and 800–1000 °C phase resulted in the blue shift of CTB center, but they did not significantly affect the lifetimes. A higher Eu content ( x = 0.01–0.10) leaded more Eu 3+ ions occupying the non-centrosymmetric site instead of S 6 one, thus inducing enhanced emission of 5 D 0 → 7 F 2 transition, larger asymmetry factor, and red shift of the CIE chromaticity coordinates. However, the asymmetry factor remains nearly constant with the x value up to 0.20. The fluorescence lifetime is similar (5.3 ± 0.3 ms) up to 8 at% of Eu 3+ , followed by decreases at higher Eu 3+ contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isothermal section of the Zn-Al-Mg-Si quaternary system at 450 °C with Zn fixed at 70 at.% has been determined by means of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The results show that there exist the following equilibria regions in the isothermal section: Liq. + α-Al + MgZn + MgSi and Liq. + α-Al + MgSi + (Si) four-phase regions, and Liq. + α-Al + MgSi, Liq. + α-Al + MgZn, Liq. + MgZn + MgSi, Liq. + α-Al + (Si) and Liq. + MgZn + (Si) three-phase regions. Si is almost insoluble in MgZn and α-Al. The maximum solubility of Al and Zn in MgSi is 1.8 and 6.1 at.%, respectively. The maximum solubility of Al and Si in MgZn is 3.2 and 0.5 at.%, respectively. No ternary and quaternary compounds were found in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal dependence of the columnar aerosol optical and chemical properties on regional transport in Beijing over 10 years (from January 2005 to December 2014) were analyzed by using the ground-based remote sensing combined with backward trajectory analysis. Daily air mass backward trajectories terminated in Beijing were computed with HYSPLIT-4 model and were categorized into five clusters. The columnar mass concentrations of black carbon (BC), brown carbon (BrC), dust (DU), aerosol water content (AW), and ammonium sulfate like aerosol (AS) of each cluster were retrieved from the optical data obtained from the Aerosol Robotic NETwork (AERONET) with five-component model. It was found that the columnar aerosol properties in different seasons were changed, and they were related to the air mass origins. In spring, aerosol was dominated by coarse particles. Summer was characterized by higher single scattering albedo (SSA), lower real part of complex refractive index ( n ), and obvious hygroscopic growth due to humid air from the south. During autumn and winter, there was an observable increase in absorption aerosol optical thickness (AAOT) and the imaginary part of complex refraction ( k ), with high levels of retrieved BC and BrC. However, concentrations of BC showed less dependence on the clusters during the two seasons owing to the widely spread coal heating in north China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For isolated dc–dc power converters, the interwinding parasitic capacitance of the transformer is usually one of the main paths for common-mode (CM) noise. In order to simplify the CM noise analysis, this paper proposes a two-capacitor transformer winding capacitance model. The model is derived based on general conditions so it can be applied to different isolated converter topologies. A measurement technique is also proposed to obtain the lumped capacitance for the model. The CM noise models of several isolated converter topologies are analyzed with the proposed two-capacitor transformer winding capacitance model to achieve simplicity. Finally, the proposed transformer winding capacitance model and measurement technique are verified by simulations and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]