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Owing to the lack of research for evaluating the effect of the aggregate profile on the chloride diffusivity of concrete, this paper presents a numerical scheme for predicting the chloride diffusivity of concrete with practical aggregates. Using Fourier series, practical aggregate models consisting of pixels are established. A computer simulation of the mesostructure of concrete with established aggregates is performed. A random-walk simulation for digitized media is introduced to solve the diffusion equation of chloride ions, and the chloride diffusivity of concrete is determined. To ensure both the simulation accuracy and the operating efficiency of the computer, the first-passage radius and the numbers of random walkers are determined. The accuracy of the numerical scheme is verified via a comparison with experimental results. Finally, the impact factors, e.g., the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) thickness and the aggregate content, shape, angularity, and surface texture, are quantitatively evaluated. The simulation results indicate that the chloride diffusivity is significantly affected by the ITZ thickness, aggregate content, and aggregate shape but is hardly affected by the angularity and surface texture of the aggregate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Al on the defect behaviors of AlxCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloys (HEAs) is studied by ab initio calculations. The lattice distortion, defect formation energies, and defect migration energies were calculated for different Al concentrations ranging from 0 to 6.25 at. %. First, the increase in the lattice distortion of AlxCoCrFeNi by the addition of Al is demonstrated, but the increment is smaller than that predicted by the atomic size difference of constituent elements. Second, although formation energies of Al vacancies and dumbbells containing Al are higher, the addition of Al decreases the average formation energies of vacancies and interstitials, which is probably due to the Al-induced local strain field and lattice distortion. The migration energies of interstitials and vacancies exhibit opposite variations, the migration energies of interstitials are increased while that of vacancies are decreased with the Al content. Moreover, the distributions of formation and migration energies of both defects are significantly broadening with increasing Al content, which could further enhance the characteristic effects of HEAs and play a more important role in the irradiation resistances of HEAs. Based on the calculation results, the effects of Al on the irradiation responses of AlxCoCrFeNi are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytic acid, the principal storage form of phosphorus in wheat, plays both beneficial and antinutrient functions for human being, and its analytical method still needs further development. In this work, we have developed a new method for the determination of phytic acid in wheat products based on derivatization with (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane in combination with liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis. Methyl esterification greatly decreased the polarity and the acidity of phytic acid, and thus the corresponding derivative can be easily analyzed by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry under common conditions. Furthermore, treatment with cation exchange resin removed the polyvalent metal ions in the solutions, and thus derivatization of phytic acid can be achieved efficiently and completely. The standard curve for phytic acid has been well established in the linear range of 0.5–100 ng/mL with squared correlation coefficient more than 0.999 and the quantification limit of 0.25 ng/mL. The phytic acid content varies greatly in different wheat products, ranging from 153.5 to 17299.0 μg/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water purification is an important issue in our daily life. Various pollutants, from micrometer-sized microorganisms to molecular- or atomic-sized pollutants, need to be efficiently removed from water. Unlike traditional cascade-stage techniques, we report a one-step water purification method based on a ceramic aerogel composed of porous BN fibers, which realizes >99% Microcystis and >98% E. coli cell removals from water and high-capacity adsorptions of pesticide, oils, organic compounds, metal ions, etc. The adsorption capacities for metal ions are about one order of magnitude higher than those achieved by the reported porous/activated carbons. Our studies show the importance of the unique hierarchical structure of the BN aerogel to realize remarkable water purification performances; micrometer-sized pores constructed by high-dense fibers, the porous structures and rich surface functional groups of the BN fibers all contribute to the efficient removals of different types of the pollutants. These results suggest the potential applications of the BN aerogels toward one-step and comprehensive water purifications. [Display omitted] • Aerogels made of dense BN fibers are highly efficient for removals of microorganisms and pollutants in water. • The unique hierarchical structure of BN aerogel is critical to realize simultaneous removals of cross-scale pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dislocations play an important role in thermal transport by scattering phonons. Nevertheless, for materials with intrinsically low thermal conductivity, such as thermoelectrics, classical models require exceedingly high numbers of dislocations (>1012 cm–2) to further impede thermal transport. In this work, a significant reduction in thermal conductivity of Na0.025Eu0.03Pb0.945Te is demonstrated at a moderate dislocation density of 1 × 1010 cm–2. Further characteristics of dislocations, including their arrangement, orientation, and local chemistry are shown to be crucial to their phonon‐scattering effect and are characterized by correlative microscopy techniques. Electron channeling contrast imaging reveals a uniform distribution of dislocations within individual grains, with parallel lines along four <111> directions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows the parallel networks are edge‐type and share the same Burgers vectors within each group. Atom probe tomography reveals the enrichment of dopant Na at dislocation cores, forming Cottrell atmospheres. The dislocation network is demonstrated to be stable during in situ heating in the TEM. Using the Callaway transport model, it is demonstrated that both parallel arrangement of dislocations and Cottrell atmospheres make dislocations more efficient in phonon scattering. These two mechanisms provide new avenues to lower the thermal conductivity in materials for thermal‐insulating applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concise, one‐pot route for the synthesis of furo[3,2‐c]‐coumarins under the catalysis of Zn(OTf)2 is reported. Utilizing this synthetic strategy, libraries of furocoumarin analogues can be easily obtained by multicomponent tandem reactions with different nucleophile in the presence of 4‐hydroxycoumarin and arylglyoxal monohydrate system, This transformation exhibited highly atom economical and good functional group compatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our study aims to delineate the miRSNP–microRNA–gene–pathway interactions in the context of hypertrophic scars (HS) and keloids. Materials and Methods: We performed a computational biology study involving differential expression analysis to identify genes and their mRNAs in HS and keloid tissues compared to normal skin, identifying key hub genes and enriching their functional roles, comprehensively analyzing microRNA‐target genes and related signaling pathways through bioinformatics, identifying MiRSNPs, and constructing a pathway‐based network to illustrate miRSNP‐miRNA‐gene‐signaling pathway interactions. Results: Our results revealed a total of 429 hub genes, with a strong enrichment in signaling pathways related to proteoglycans in cancer, focal adhesion, TGF‐β, PI3K/Akt, and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance. Particularly noteworthy was the substantial crosstalk between the focal adhesion and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, making them more susceptible to regulation by microRNAs. We also identified specific miRNAs, including miRNA‐1279, miRNA‐429, and miRNA‐302e, which harbored multiple SNP loci, with miRSNPs rs188493331 and rs78979933 exerting control over a significant number of miRNA target genes. Furthermore, we observed that miRSNP rs188493331 shared a location with microRNA302e, microRNA202a‐3p, and microRNA20b‐5p, and these three microRNAs collectively targeted the gene LAMA3, which is integral to the focal adhesion signaling pathway. Conclusions: The study successfully unveils the complex interactions between miRSNPs, miRNAs, genes, and signaling pathways, shedding light on the genetic factors contributing to HS and keloid formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sucrose nonfermenting-1 (SNF1)-related protein kinases (SnRKs) play important roles in regulating metabolism and stress responses in plants, providing a conduit for crosstalk between metabolic and stress signalling, in some cases involving the stress hormone, abscisic acid (ABA). The burgeoning and divergence of the plant gene family has led to the evolution of three subfamilies, SnRK1, SnRK2 and SnRK3, of which SnRK2 and SnRK3 are unique to plants. Therefore, the study of SnRKs in crops may lead to the development of strategies for breeding crop varieties that are more resilient under stress conditions. In the present study, we describe the SnRK gene family of barley (Hordeum vulgare), the widespread cultivation of which can be attributed to its good adaptation to different environments. Results: The barley HvSnRK gene family was elucidated in its entirety from publicly-available genome data and found to comprise 50 genes. Phylogenetic analyses assigned six of the genes to the HvSnRK1 subfamily, 10 to HvSnRK2 and 34 to HvSnRK3. The search was validated by applying it to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) genome data, identifying 50 SnRK genes in rice (four OsSnRK1, 11 OsSnRK2 and 35 OsSnRK3) and 39 in Arabidopsis (three AtSnRK1, 10 AtSnRK2 and 26 AtSnRK3). Specific motifs were identified in the encoded barley proteins, and multiple putative regulatory elements were found in the gene promoters, with light-regulated elements (LRE), ABA response elements (ABRE) and methyl jasmonate response elements (MeJa) the most common. RNA-seq analysis showed that many of the HvSnRK genes responded to ABA, some positively, some negatively and some with complex time-dependent responses. Conclusions: The barley HvSnRK gene family is large, comprising 50 members, subdivided into HvSnRK1 (6 members), HvSnRK2 (10 members) and HvSnRK3 (34 members), showing differential positive and negative responses to ABA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scales are symbolic characteristic of Lepidoptera; however, nothing is known about the contribution of cuticular proteins (CPs) to the complex patterning of lepidopteran scales. This is because scales are resistant to solubilization, thus hindering molecular studies. Here we succeeded in dissolving developing wing scales from Bombyx mori, allowing analysis of their protein composition. We identified a distinctive class of histidine rich (His-rich) CPs (6%–45%) from developing lepidopteran scales by LC-MS/MS. Functional studies using RNAi revealed CPs with different histidine content play distinct and critical roles in constructing the microstructure of the scale surface. Moreover, we successfully synthesized films in vitro by crosslinking a 45% His-rich CP (BmorCPR152) with laccase2 using N-acetyl- dopamine or N-β-alanyl-dopamine as the substrate. This molecular study of scales provides fundamental information about how such a fine microstructure is constructed and insights into the potential application of CPs as new biomaterials. Liu et al. analyse the protein composition of developing wing scales in the domestic silk moth. This molecular study of scales provides fundamental information about how such a fine microstructure is constructed and insights into the potential application of His-rich cuticular proteins as new biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A conceptually novel method for the preparation of pyrrole is described by electrochemical‐oxidation‐induced intermolecular annulation via enamines. In a simple undivided cell, based on a sodium acetate‐facilitated, polysubstituted pyrrole derivations has been facilely synthesized under external oxidant‐free condition. This electrosynthetic approach providing an environmentally benign protocol for C−C bond cross‐coupling and oxidative annulation, which features unparalleled broad scope of substrates and practicality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A versatile palladium-catalyzed C6-selective C–H acylation of 2-pyridones with commercially available aldehydes using TBHP as an oxidant has been developed. This protocol tolerated diverse functional groups and has excellent level of site selectivity. Moreover, it does not require silver salts as additives. Key words: 2-pyridones C6-selective palladium catalysis C–H acylation radical [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method of current reference setting for interior permanent magnet synchronous motor based on virtual constant signal injection is proposed. Unlike traditional methods, the partial derivative of torque to d-aixs, q-axis currents is obtained by injecting a virtual constant signal into d-axis, q-axis currents, then the derivative of torque to current angle is obtained through the full differential equation. A scheme of current reference setting, which is applicable to constant torque region and flux-weakening region, is established by means of the derivative information. The difference between the voltage output by the current controller and the actual voltage applied to the motor is also analyzed. Filters that are essential in the virtual sinusoidal signal injection scheme are avoided. Moreover, the acquisition of partial derivative information avoids the influence of neglecting high-order partial derivative term from which the method of injecting virtual square wave signal along the current angle suffers. This method not only realizes maximum torque per ampere control, accurately, but also guarantees the speed range of constant torque region by the setting of q-axis current reference, which is parameter independent. Meanwhile, the torque output capacity is assured in the flux-weakening region. Finally, the proposed method is verified by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to simultaneously produce hydrogen and reduce the salinity of concentrated wastewater (brine) from the desalination plant, a lab-scale reverse electrodialysis (RED) hydrogen production system driven by salinity gradient energy is designed and its performance is experimentally studied. The energy conversion of the RED system is found affected by the ionic compositions of the desalination concentrated brine (DCB). The effects of ionic types (multivalent cation, anion, and phosphorous salt) and ionic concentration (from 0.01 to 0.05 M) and pH of DCB (from 5 to 11) on the hydrogen production are investigated. The results show that the existence of multivalent ions in brine significantly degrade the capability of output voltage and hydrogen production of the RED system. Compared to the control group, the additions of 0.05 mol·L−1 NaBr and 0.05 mol·L−1 FeCl 3 into the simulated brines lead to the output voltage drops of 29 % and 60 %, respectively, when the current is maintained at 0.2A. Additionally, the experiment yields an MHP of 128 mL·h−1 at the current of 0.3A. Generally, the performances of the RED stack can be improved as increasing the pH of an acidic DCB, but declined as the increasing the pH of an alkaline DCB. • A RED system driven by the desalination concentrated brine was designed. • Effects of multivalent ion types and concentration on system performance is studied. • Presence of multivalent ions hinders the salinity gradient energy extraction. • The RED stack performance is elevated with enlarging the pH of an acidic feed solution • The H 2 production is dropped-down for increasing the pH of an alkaline feed solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow regime transition between dilute pneumatic conveying and fast fluidization is identified for two Geldart A particles and four Geldart B particles in a novel gas-solid fluidization system configuration without exit restrictions. The results indicate that both saturation carrying capacity G s ⁎ and saturated solid fraction ε s, ch strongly depend on superficial gas velocity and particle properties. Based on data from this study and literature, improved correlations for estimating G s ⁎ and ε s, ch were developed. The correlations predictions agreed much better with experimental data than previously reported correlations. Unlabelled Image • A novel riser without top and bottom constraints, with solids feed from the middle section. • Saturation carrying capacity and saturated solid fraction for gas-solids upflow are determined. • New correlations are developed using data from this study and literature. • New correlations give much improved performance than previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon steel is an essential material for constructing pipelines in different industries, but serious casualties and significant economic loss could occur due to the corrosion of the pipeline steel. The artificial intelligence–based method has been shown successful in evaluating the corrosion problem in pipelines. The accuracy of the corrosion data used in the artificial intelligence–based method is crucial. The data can be collected from field tests and laboratory experiments. Compared with field tests, the corrosion data obtained through laboratory experiments, such as electrochemical measurements, are more comprehensive, but the results are often inaccurate due to the nonuniform surface state. This study aims to propose a method to improve the accuracy of electrochemical experiment data by modified the surface morphology. To achieve the objective, a technique was designed to prepare the uniform morphology. Moreover, different electrochemical measurements, texture analysis, micromorphological characteristics, and chemical composition analysis were performed under the nonuniform and uniform surface conditions in this work. It was found that the addition of 0.5×10−3 M Fe2+ was effective in preparing a homogenous electrode surface while almost having no additional impact on the corrosion process. The results proved that the surface morphology of the carbon steel electrode significantly influenced the results of the open circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization. A uniform surface could improve the accuracy of electrochemical measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the efficiency, reliability of power supply, and to give overall consideration to the power transformation and power quality control, a brand-new multifunction transformer with intrinsic adjustable magnetic state is put forward based on semihard magnets NdFeB in this paper. First, according to the formation mechanism of dc bias and the regulation means of inductance value, the peculiar core structure of a single-phase transformer is designed so as to realize the flux adjustment of transformer core under different magnetic states. Second, taking advantage of the magnetic conductive and excitation characteristics of NdFeB, the magnetic state conversion of electromagnet core between several kinds of working conditions can be achieved, such as voltage transformation, adjustable inductance, and dc bias compensation. Finally, two 10 kVA transformers with adjustable magnetic state are manufactured. The experiments of dc bias compensation and inductance regulation are carried out, which validates the feasibility and correctness of the design scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate calculation of temperature, stress, sag, and critical current (corresponding to critical temperature) of operational overhead conductors is important for ensuring the strength and sag safety of overhead lines. Based on 2D steady-state heat transfer equations, this article studies the temperature fields of the cross section of typical electrified conductors and establishes numerical simulation methods for calculating the layered stress, sag, and critical temperature. Using the algorithm, the relationship between the critical temperature and characteristics of conductors (e.g., the sag and tensile force) is studied. The results are verified by a comparison with the test results for heat-resistant aluminum alloy conductors JNRLH1/G1A-400/65 and JNRLH1/G1A-630/55. Finally, the paper studies the relationship between the critical temperature of the conductor and its most sensitive factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) gastrointestinal (GI) complication is characterized by multi-segment and multi-compartment involvement. The aim of this study is to develop a computed tomography (CT) image-based system for disease evaluation. SLE patients with GI involvement from two independent cohorts were retrospectively included. Baseline abdominal CT scan with intravenous and oral contrast was obtained from each individual. A CT scoring system incorporating the extent of GI tract involvement and intestinal wall thickness, along with extra-GI compartment involvement, was developed and validated. The outcome measurement was the time to GI functional recovery, defined as the time to tolerable per os (PO) intake ≥50% of ideal calories (PO50). A total of 54 and 37 patients with SLE GI involvement were enrolled in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The CT scores for SLE GI involvement were positively correlated with patients' time to PO50 (r = 0.57, p < 0.0001, derivation cohort; r = 0.42, p = 0.0093, validation cohort). Patients with a CT score ≤ 3 had a shorter time to PO50 (median time of 0 day) in pooled cohort, whereas those with a CT score > 3 incurred a significantly prolonged recovery with a median time to PO50 of 13 days (p < 0.0001). The CT-based scoring system may facilitate more accurate assessment and individualized management of SLE patients with GI involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing the dependence of crop production on chemical fertilizer with its associated costs, carbon footprint and other environmental problems is a challenge for agriculture. New solutions are required to solve this problem, and crop breeding for high nitrogen use efficiency or tolerance of low nitrogen availability has been widely considered to be a promising approach. However, the molecular mechanisms of high nitrogen use efficiency or low-nitrogen tolerance in crop plants are still to be elucidated, including the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Results: In this study, we identified 498 lncRNAs in barley (Hordeum vulgare) landrace B968 (Liuzhutouzidamai), of which 487 were novel, and characterised 56 that were responsive to low-nitrogen stress. For functional analysis of differentially-expressed lncRNAs, the gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment of co-expressed and co-located protein-coding genes were analyzed, and interactions with annotated co-expressed protein coding genes or micro RNAs (miRNAs) were further predicted. Target mimicry prediction between differentially-expressed lncRNAs and miRNAs identified 40 putative target mimics of lncRNAs and 58 target miRNAs. Six differentially-expressed lncRNAs were further validated by qPCR, and one in particular showed consistent differential expression using both techniques. Expression levels of most of the lncRNAs were found to be very low, and this may be the reason for the apparent inconsistency between RNA-seq and qPCR data. Conclusions: The analysis of lncRNAs that are differentially-expressed under low-nitrogen stress, as well as their co-expressed or co-located protein coding genes and target mimics, could elucidate complex and hitherto uncharacterised mechanisms involved in the adaptation to low-nitrogen stress in barley and other crop plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The offset linear canonical transform (OLCT) has proven to be a novel and effective method in signal processing and optics. Many important properties and results of the OLCT have been well studied and published. In this work, the sampling theorem of the OLCT bandlimited signals based on reproducing kernel Hilbert space has been proposed. First, we show that the bandlimited signals in the OLCT domain form a reproducing kernel Hilbert space. Then, an orthogonal basis for the OLCT bandlimited signals has been obtained based on the reproducing kernel Hilbert space. By using the orthogonal basis, the uniform sampling theory for bandlimited signals associated with the OLCT has been obtained. Furthermore, the nonuniform sampling of the OLCT bandlimited signals also has been attained. Finally, the simulations are provided to prove the usefulness and correctness of the derived results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a continuum approximation model from a macroscopic point of view. • Prove that the investigated problem is equivalent to a simpler revised problem. • Decompose the original problem into a set of analytically solvable subproblems. Time-varying capacity design holds an opportunity to reduce the energy consumption of urban mass transit systems, e.g., urban rail transits, bus rapid transits, modular autonomous vehicles. In this paper, we investigate the joint design of dispatch headway and vehicle capacity for one to one shuttle systems with oversaturated traffic to achieve the optimal tradeoff between general vehicle dispatching cost (mainly comprised of vehicle energy consumption) and customer waiting cost. We propose a continuum approximation model from a macroscopic point of view to reveal fundamental analytical insights into the optimal design. By introducing the concept of a preferred virtual arrival demand curve at the origin station, we prove that the investigated problem with possibly oversaturated traffic can be equivalently solved with a simpler revised problem where only unsaturated traffic is present. With this property, we decompose the original problem into a set of independent unit-time revised unsaturated problems that can be analytically solved in each neighborhood across the operational horizon. With two sets of numerical experiments, we show that the CA model offers near-optimum solutions with negligible errors very efficiently and we also verify the theoretical properties. Also, the effectiveness of time-varying vehicle capacity design is demonstrated in shuttle systems under both saturated and unsaturated traffic. Overall, the proposed CA model contributes to the CA methodology literature by extending the CA method for traditional transit dispatching problems with unsaturated traffic to the joint design of dispatch headway and vehicle capacity considering oversaturated traffic, adjustable vehicle capacities and other factors (e.g. minimum dispatch headway). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose a methodological framework for assessing the equity performance of bike sharing systems. • Model Individual accessibility to activity locations using bike-sharing as the mode of transportation. • Analyze equity performance from the perspective of both horizontal and vertical equity through a series of equity measures. • Carry out a case study with real data from the Coast Bike Share system in southern Tampa. The rising adoption of bike-sharing systems brings significant benefits to individuals and society as a whole. However, whether these benefits are distributed throughout society in a fair manner is still an open question. This study presents a methodological framework for assessing the equity performance of bike-sharing systems, with Coast Bike Share system in southern Tampa as a case study. The framework integrates three different datasets: bike-sharing infrastructure, individual travel itineraries and individual sociodemographic attribute data. With these datasets, we model individual accessibility to activity locations using bike-sharing as the mode of transportation by analyzing the "walking-cycling-walking" process of a bike-sharing trip and the trip-chaining behavior in individuals' travel itineraries. Further, a series of equity measures are used to analyze equity performance from the perspective of both horizontal and vertical equity. To assess horizontal equity, we apply the Lorenz curve, Gini index and mapped geographic differences. For vertical equity, we compare descriptive statistics by group, perform analysis of variance, and calculate the subgroup inequality index using disaggregated data. Results reveal that accessibility to bike-sharing is not evenly distributed among individuals in the population, within the geographic space, and among different sociodemographic groups of southern Tampa. Further, our results also highlight the need to incorporate high-resolution disaggregated data and tour-based analysis to address the equity performance of bike-sharing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the principal effectors during hepatic fibrosis, which is characterized by the accumulation of extracellular matrix. Therefore, present therapies and investigations into hepatic fibrosis mainly focus on the suppression of activated HSCs. Astragaloside IV (ASIV) is an effective constituent extracted from the plant Astragalus membranaceus and has exhibited anti-fibrotic properties in hepatic fibrosis. However, its protective mechanism against hepatic fibrosis is not fully understood. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanistic role of ASIV on rat HSC-T6 cells activated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB. HSC-T6 cells were activated using PDGF-BB and subsequently treated with ASIV (final concentrations of 20 and 40 µg/ml) for 48 h. ASIV treatment decreased the expression of α1 type I collagen, α-smooth muscle actin and fibronectin on mRNA and protein levels, suggesting that ASIV suppresses PDGF-BB-induced HSC-T6 activation. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, p21, high-mobility group AT-hook 1 and p53, common biomarkers of senescence, were upregulated by ASIV treatment. In addition, the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase was reduced. ASIV promoted apoptosis of PDGF-BB-activated HSC-T6 cells. The NF-κB signaling pathway, which controls cellular senescence and apoptosis, was demonstrated to be stimulated by ASIV by increasing p65, p52, p50 and inhibitor of NF-κB kinase α expression levels, and by suppressing the expression of NF-κB inhibitor α. Taken together, these results demonstrated that ASIV promoted cellular senescence and apoptosis by activating the NF-κB pathway to suppress PDGF-BB-induced HSC-T6 activation; with potential implications for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with Achilles tendon rupture, and the predictive values and significance in clinical efficacy were explored. Forty-two patients with Achilles tendon rupture, surgically treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, were selected and the clinical efficacy was evaluated based on the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scoring system. RT-qPCR was adopted to detect the expression of serum TGF-β1 and VEGF in the patients before and after treatment, and Spearman's correlation was used to analyze the correlation of TGF-β1 and VEGF with the clinical efficacy after treatment. Patients were divided into an excellent efficacy group and a good/general efficacy group according to the predictive efficacy. In the two groups, the expression levels of TGF-β1 and VEGF before treatment were observed, and the predictive values of TGF-β1 and VEGF in clinical efficacy using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were obtained. The 42 patients showed significantly higher expression of TGF-β1 and VEGF at 3 months after treatment, and significantly decreased expression at 6 months after treatment, compared to the results before treatment (both P<0.001). After treatment, the efficacy was excellent in 11 patients, good in 25 and general in 6. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that the expression of TGF-β1 and VEGF decreased with the improvement of efficacy after treatment (P<0.001), and the excellent efficacy group showed significantly lower expression of TGF-β1 and VEGF than that in the good/general efficacy group (P<0.01). Moreover, according to ROC curves, the areas under the curves (AUCs) of TGF-β1 and VEGF were 0.651 and 0.645, respectively. In conclusion, TGF-β1 and VEGF can be considered as observational indexes and predictors for clinical efficacy in patients with Achilles tendon rupture, before and after treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered Ni-rich cathode materials, LiNi x Co y Mn z O 2 , are regarded as the most promising cathode materials due to their high energy density. However, their poor cyclic stability at high voltage significantly limits their commercial application. To address this problem, a series of SnO 2-x surface-modified LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 cathode materials is prepared by a one-step plasma-assisted milling strategy. The conductive SnO 2 nanograins are homogeneously coated on the surface of LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 microsized particles under the interaction of plasma and mechanical energy. As a result, the electrode consisting of milled LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 coated with 3 wt % SnO 2 exhibits a high initial Coulombic efficiency of 82.7% and a good capacity retention of 92.3% after 150 cycles. This is superior to the other milled control materials and a commercial LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 electrode with an initial Coulombic efficiency of 77.4% and a capacity retention of 87.1% after 150 cycles. It is demonstrated that the synergistic effect of high energy plasma and milling-induced oxygen vacancies in the SnO 2-x surface protection layers of the LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 cathode enable greatly increased conductivity of the active materials and stable interfaces between the electrolyte and electrode. These factors are beneficial to provide a higher discharge capacity and enhanced cyclic stability in the 3 wt % SnO 2 coated LiNi 0.5 Co 0.2 Mn 0.3 O 2 cathode. Image 1 • A rough coating structure of NCM523@SnO 2 is obtained by plasma-assisted milling. • A one-step, simple and high-efficiency surface modification is described. • Conductive SnO 2-x particles are effectively distributed on the surface of NCM523. • The milled NCM523 coated with 3 wt% SnO 2 witnessed largely enhanced cycle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IRAK4 is a critical mediator in NF-κB-regulated inflammatory signaling and has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases; however, none of its inhibitors have received FDA approval. In this study, we identified a novel small-molecule IRAK4 kinase inhibitor, DW18134, with an IC50 value of 11.2 nM. DW18134 dose-dependently inhibited the phosphorylation of IRAK4 and IKK in primary peritoneal macrophages and RAW264.7 cells, inhibiting the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 in both cell lines. The in vivo study demonstrated the efficacy of DW18134, significantly attenuating behavioral scores in an LPS-induced peritonitis model. Mechanistically, DW18134 reduced serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels and attenuated inflammatory tissue injury. By directly blocking IRAK4 activation, DW18134 diminished liver macrophage infiltration and the expression of related inflammatory cytokines in peritonitis mice. Additionally, in the DSS-induced colitis model, DW18134 significantly reduced the disease activity index (DAI) and normalized food and water intake and body weight. Furthermore, DW18134 restored intestinal damage and reduced inflammatory cytokine expression in mice by blocking the IRAK4 signaling pathway. Notably, DW18134 protected DSS-threatened intestinal barrier function by upregulating tight junction gene expression. In conclusion, our findings reported a novel IRAK4 inhibitor, DW18134, as a promising candidate for treating inflammatory diseases, including peritonitis and IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,5-tetrahydrofurandimethanol (THFDM), which is an alicyclic diol in products of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), is a sustainable monomer to protect environment for replacing the role of isophthalic acid (IPA) and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) which were optimized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) performance. By direct esterification method, poly (ethylene-co-tetrahydrofurandimethanol terephthalate) (PETT) was synthesized in 2.5 L reactor. The results showed that the contents of THFDM in copolyester were less than that feeding ratio attributed to its lower reaction reactivity. The color of PETT slightly turned yellow. PETT performed broader processing temperature window, while Tg maintained in good range because of the cyclic structure of THFDM. Especially, the cold crystallization occured in PETT but not in PET after finishing melt crystallization. Otherwise, the thermal stability and crystal structure of PETT remained the same as PET. The crystallization activity of PETT became significantly lower than PET. What proved THFDM was effective in reducing PET crystallinity was that crystallization kinetics using Jeziorny theory and the trend of activation energy of melt crystallization which was calculated by Friedman method. And PETT-2 fibre had comparable mechanical property to PET fibre. In the advancement of green chemistry, THFDM has added a choice of cyclic bio-based comonomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work designed a mesoscale method of multi-step reduction of Fe 2 O 3 with H 2 based on Lattice Gas Cellular Automata (LGCA). Particles in the LGCA were marked to distinguish all the reactants, intermediates, products, and inert. A self-organized evolutionary mechanism is designed. The hydrogen reduction of Fe 2 O 3 in the temperature range of 460–550 °C and 650–800 °C was simulated. Results show that the intermediate product Fe 3 O 4 was found in both conditions, and its mass fraction quickly reach a peak at ∼0.8 and gradually decrease thereafter. An "induction period" can be identified in the initial stage of the reaction at 650–800 °C, where the reduction rate is slow due to the hindered formation of FeO. The porosity inside the Fe 2 O 3 particles increases continuously through the reduction process, resulting in significant changes in the flow field around the particles. Consequently, the wake vortex gradually decreases and disappears eventually. • The multiple step reduction of Fe 2 O 3 by hydrogen is investigated in mesoscale. • A mesoscale method with self-organized evolutionary mechanism is developed. • Three obvious reaction rate transitions can be identified at 650–800 °C by the method. • The flow field is altered from internal structural of Fe 2 O 3 changes during reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An WSoS-oriented resilience model and evaluation algorithm are proposed. • A resilience-based optimization model is developed considering reduced costs and increased resilience. • WSoS resilience is more vulnerable to CMDA than random attack. • Dynamic reconfiguration can enhance the WSoS resilience against adverse external shocks. • WSoS resilience factors and performance of constituent systems are optimized. The weapon system of systems (WSoS) is a collection of various weapon systems used to achieve a common goal and mission. Stakeholders are committed to lowering design costs while achieving greater resilience. In this paper, we establish a resilience evaluation and optimal design method for WSoS under different attack and reconfiguration strategies that can balance its resilience and cost. Firstly, a WSoS-oriented three-phase resilience model and evaluation algorithm are developed, taking into account resistance, adaptability, and recovery factors. Then, a resilience-based WSoS cost model is presented to assess the cost of new equipment, improved equipment, and resilience-associated costs. Additionally, a resilience-based optimization model is proposed that considers reduced costs and increased resilience. Non-dominated sorting in genetic algorithms: II (NSGA-II) is selected to achieve the Pareto optimal solution. Finally, a typical 5-node formation air defense WSoS is utilized to illustrate the resilience evaluation and optimization design, which can serve as a reference for WSoS design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• By connecting the AC/DC/DC converter to the transformer, the function of the traditional transformer is expanded. • The DC magnetic bias and inrush current of transformer are suppressed by magnetic compensation. • The suppression method proposed in this paper has low cost and is easy to realize, so it is worth popularizing. The transformer core is easy to saturate in the half cycle under the influence of the remanent magnetism (RM) and the bias magnetism (BM), then the excitation surge current (ESC) and the DC bias will be generated, causing the transformer excitation current (TEC) distort, leading the winding temperature rise and decreasing the transformer insulation. In this paper, one kind of magnetic balance modulation method for the transformer core is proposed. TEC distortion could be improved by adjusting the transformer magnetic field distribution. Firstly, the AC/DC/DC converter was designed and connected to the auxiliary winding according to the hybrid transformer topology. Second, the specific modulated signal for the magnetic field modulation (MFM) was generated and output through the AC/DC/DC. The modulated forward and reverse DC current or the stepped AC current would be injected into the transformer winding to achieve the balance of the transformer magnetic state. Finally, in order to verify the correctness of the design scheme, a 1 kVA/380 V/220 V/38 V transformer experiment platform was built. The results showed that this proposed MFM strategy could effectively solve the impact of the transformer ESC, DC bias and prolong the transformer service life, which provides a novel idea to solve the transformer fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermolecular zero-quantum and double-quantum coherences (iZQCs and iDQCs) are frequently discussed in literature since they may provide novel contrast mechanisms in magnetic resonance imaging and possibilities for high-resolution spectra in an inhomogeneous and unstable magnetic field. In a previous paper [J. Chem. Phys. 115, 10769 (2001)], we have studied both theoretically and experimentally the properties of iZQC and iDQC nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signals related to intermolecular dipolar interactions in two-component systems. In this paper, the investigation is extended to homonuclear intermolecular single-quantum coherences (iSQCs) from the second-order spin interactions, which have not been observed and studied previously. Selective excitation was used to suppress the strong conventional single-spin single-quantum signals. A combination of dipolar field treatment and Torrey equation was used to derive a general theoretical expression for the time evolution of spins with arbitrary flip angles of rf pulses. The expression was used to predict the optimal conditions for iSQCs among highly polarized spins in liquid. Dependence of the iSQC signals on the experimental parameters was measured and analyzed to verify the theoretical predictions. For the first time, signals from pure homonuclear two-spin iSQCs free of much larger conventional single-spin single-quantum signals, and intermolecular iSQC cross peaks in homonuclear pulsed-field gradient COSY experiments were observed and characterized, in one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) experiments, respectively. The use of coherence-selection gradients tilted at the magic angle results in the suppression of iSQC cross peaks. It provides strong evidence that the observed signals originate from distant dipolar interactions. Relaxation and diffusion properties of iSQCs in multiple-component samples were characterized and analyzed as well as the optimal rf flip angles. Theoretical and experimental results... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid nuclear magnetic resonance behaviors related to intermolecular dipolar interactions were investigated theoretically and experimentally in highly polarized two-component spin systems. A modified CRAZED pulse sequence was designed to investigate relative signal intensities with considerations of spin transverse relaxation, longitudinal relaxation, molecular diffusion, and optimal radio-frequency flip angles. The dissipation of the demagnetizing field due to relaxation and diffusion processes during the detection period was taken into account as well. For the first time, vigorous analytical expressions of the spin dynamics, including all the effects mentioned above, were derived from the combination of the demagnetizing field model and product operator formalism. In the regime where the linear approximation (γμ[sub 0]M[sub 0]t<1) is valid, these explicit analytical expressions can quantitatively describe the signal behaviors related to intermolecular dipolar interactions. All the theoretical predictions based on the analytical expressions for the directly excited component are in excellent agreement with experimental observations reported previously. Several valuable insights for the indirectly excited component were gained from the analytical expressions and verified by experimental measurements, including optimal radio-frequency flip angles, unusual relative signal intensities for n=-2 and n=2, and unconventional diffusion and multi-exponential longitudinal relaxation processes, where n is the ratio of the coherence-selection gradient areas in the CRAZED pulse sequence. In addition, n-order diffusion coefficients of the directly and indirectly excited spins during the evolution period predicted by the demagnetizing field picture are found to be the same as those obtained with the combination of the intermolecular multiple-quantum picture and Gaussian phase distribution approximation which is valid in the case of unrestricted isotropic diffu... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two μ3-oxo carboxylate-bridged heteronuclear complexes, [Fe2IIINiIIO(O2CC2H5)6(H2O)3]·H2O and [Fe2IIINiIIO(O2CC2H5)6(py)3]·py, were prepared and characterized by several spectroscopic techniques including NMR, X-ray diffraction, IR, ESR, and UV. X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrated that the Fe2NiO clusters of the complexes were close to threefold symmetry in crystals. The ligands coordinated to different metal atoms were almost equivalent in the IR timescale but inequivalent in the NMR timescale. The NMR results showed that the largest 1H NMR chemical shift of the complex was 95.1 ppm, implying its paramagnetic property, which was weakened by the antiferromagnetic interaction of metal ions through the μ3–O bridge. NMR and IR studies indicated that the complexes were stable in various nonpolar and moderately polar solvents, such as CDCl3 and d3-MeCN, but they were decomposed into metal ions and the corresponding ligands in strong polar solvents, such as water, at room temperature. Assignments of the 1H NMR spectra of the complexes were made on the basis of relative intensities, broadening, variable temperature experiments, spin-lattice relaxation times, and substitution by appropriate ligands. The 1H spin-lattice relaxation time T1 and variable-temperature NMR experiments were also applied to investigate the solution structures and dynamics of the complexes. It is worth noting that the 1H chemical shift of the pyridine coordinated to the metals could be greater than 90 ppm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexibility and extensibility are important issues in the design of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) software, as these determine the ability to integrate a variety of continuously evolving data acquisition and processing methods. Here, SpinStudioJ is introduced. It is an NMR data acquisition and processing workbench with a plug‐in‐based architecture. The workbench is based on Eclipse Rich Client Platform, which provides a plug‐and‐play runtime mechanism and rich graphical user interface functionality. New data acquisition methods and processing algorithms can be easily integrated into the SpinStudioJ workbench by defining extension points, without the need to redistribute existing modules. The software is independent of operating systems, as it leverages the cross‐platform feature of the Java virtual machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the incomplete technical features of the traditional low-frequency transformer (LFT) and the existing power electronic transformer (PET), especially in terms of the function, the voltage level, and the cost, the core flux modulation of the hybrid transformer was achieved through the establishment of auxiliary windings combined with connection of the power electronic converter (PEC). For the hybrid transformer, a three-port converter topology is proposed and the strategy applicable for the dc bias compensation by connecting the converter is presented. By utilizing the dc modulation magnetic flux, the dc bias problem could be directionally compensated. The exciting current could be improved significantly and maintained at a steady state. The method proposed does not change the connection of the transformer external circuit and does not increase the peripheral device of the transformer, which provides a new way to solve the problems of magnetic state fluctuation and excitation current distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The familial, individual, social and educational factors mainly affect one's learning. • With "ideal type", learning motivations can be divided into different quadrants. • The Chinese lifelong learning features embody "Social utilitarianism" Type. • The American have "Individual interests and hobbies" feature. • Each culture has reasons and backgrounds that formed own particular learning culture. The notion of lifelong learning nowadays is necessary to focus on individual growth and daily life, so as to create a collective ideology of lifelong learning based on the improvement of individual consciousness. This article explores the different style of lifelong learning based on influencing motivations and factors by comparing interviews on Chinese and American citizens from different social backgrounds, genders, ages, professions, educational levels, and geographic locations, etc. Using a biographical research and Grounded Theory with open, axial and selective coding, we found that the main motivations and factors affecting one's learning in each country can be classified into four groups: the familial, individual, social, and educational influencing factors. According to the learning process and results mentioned in the interviewee's narration, it can be found these groups influence learning decisions, effectiveness, contents, purposes and future development. After analyzing the contents of each interview, we can divide learning motivations and influencing factors into different quadrants of a classification diagram based on the "ideal type". Each narration, with typical features and key words, can be marked as circles in the x- and y-coordinate on the diagram. Lining these circles up together toward one end, the cluster diagrams were drawn to show the Chinese lifelong learning features embody "Social utilitarianism" Type while the American have "Individual interests and hobbies" features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Macroporous Al 2 TiO 5 –mullite (AT–M) ceramics with a controllable hierarchical pore structure were prepared by combining biological foaming and flour consolidation using an ice bath to improve pore distribution. The effects of flour, yeast, and solid contents on foaming ability and foam stability were evaluated. In addition, the related effect on pore size distribution, apparent porosity, and mechanical strength of the specimen were systematically investigated. Results indicated that the porosity, compressive strength, and pore structure of macroporous AT–M ceramics could be controlled by adjusting yeast, solid, and flour contents. The solid and flour contents significantly affected the pore size of the specimen. Macroporous AT–M ceramics with a macropore size of 200–400 µm, porosity of 58.77–76.74%, and compressive strength of 3.2–13.98 MPa were obtained. The pore-forming mechanism of the porous ceramics was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Loxoprofen (LOX) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Although oral administration of LOX has been widely prescribed, clinical guidelines for osteoarthritis generally recommend topical rather than oral NSAIDs in specific patients. However, there is limited information on the effects of loxoprofen sodium oral (LOX-O) versus loxoprofen sodium hydrogel transdermal patch (LOX-T) in myalgia patients. Hence, this non-inferiority study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of LOX-O versus LOX-T in Chinese patients with myalgia. Methods: In this double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial, 182 Chinese patients were enrolled and randomized equally to either LOX-T or LOX-O treatment for 2 weeks. Patients in the LOX-T group applied one sheet of the active LOX-T once a day on the affected site and took one placebo tablet three times a day immediately after meals, whereas patients in the LOX-O group applied one sheet of the placebo patch once a day and took one active LOX-O three times a day. Primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with 50% overall improvement or higher at the final visit. The cutoff value of a non-inferiority difference was set as − 10%. Results: In the full analysis set, the primary endpoint of final efficacy rate was 81.3% (n = 91) in the LOX-T group and 72.2% (n = 88) in the LOX-O group. The difference between the two groups was 9.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) − 3.1 to 21.3%], which showed that LOX-T was non-inferior compared with LOX-O. No serious adverse events occurred in either group. Conclusions: This trial showed the non-inferiority of LOX-T compared with LOX-O in efficacy and safety in Chinese patients with myalgia. Also, the characteristic features of topical LOX-T, such as better compliance and lower risk-benefit ratio, make it more favorable for clinical practice. Trial Registration: The study was registered in the isrctn.com registry (ISRCTN trial ID: ISRCTN16227145). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Investigate the joint design of dispatch headway and vehicle capacity for a shuttle system under oversaturated traffic. • Formulate a mixed integer linear programming model that can yield exact solutions to the optimal design with a discretized time representation. • Propose an efficient customized dynamic programming (DP) algorithm whose unboundedly increasing state space is tightly bounded by a set of valid inequalities. • Conduct extensive experiments to test the computation performance of the proposed algorithm. Abstract Existing peak/off-peak based schedules in urban mass transit systems feature two types of dispatch headways and a fixed vehicle capacity across the operational horizon, which lowers their service quality and causes significant energy waste. A promising cure to this challenge is to jointly design the dispatch headways and vehicle capacities in urban transit schedules. Chen et al. (2018) propose a continuous modeling method to solve the near-optimum solutions to and shed analytical insights into this joint design problem. Based on the theoretical properties discovered in the preceding paper, this paper formulates the joint design problem as a mixed integer linear programming model that can yield exact solutions to the optimal design with a discretized time representation. Further, a customized DP algorithm is proposed to solve this model. Similar to other problems that can be solved by DP algorithms, the "curse of dimensionality" also exists in the investigated problem since the queue length, as a state variable, may have a large set of possible values at each stage, which may lead to dramatically increasing computational time in solving the problem. To expedite the solution speed of the DP algorithm, we propose a set of valid inequalities based on the relationship between the queue length and vehicle capacity. These valid inequalities can reduce the unboundedly increasing state space into a narrow band and thus dramatically expedite the DP algorithm. With two sets of numerical experiments, we show that the discrete model can be solved by the customized DP algorithm to optimality with much less computation time compared with a state-of-the-art commercial solver, Gurobi. The analysis also reveals that the input parameters affect the effectiveness of dynamic capacity design under oversaturated and unsaturated traffic systems in a similar way despite some minor differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of chiral 4‐pentenals by olefin hydroacylation. A primary amine racemizes the aldehyde substrate via enamine formation and hydrolysis. Then, a cationic rhodium catalyst promotes hydroacylation to generate α,γ‐disubstituted cyclopentanones with high enantio‐ and diastereoselectivities. Dynamic duo: Racemic α‐allyl aldehydes undergo stereoconvergent hydroacylation to generate α,γ‐disubstituted cyclopentanones with high diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities. In this dynamic kinetic resolution, a primary amine catalyst racemizes the aldehyde substrate via enamine formation and hydrolysis while a rhodium catalyst promotes cyclization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of chiral 4‐pentenals by olefin hydroacylation. A primary amine racemizes the aldehyde substrate via enamine formation and hydrolysis. Then, a cationic rhodium catalyst promotes hydroacylation to generate α,γ‐disubstituted cyclopentanones with high enantio‐ and diastereoselectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its low harmonic, high efficiency, and high power factor (PF), the multipulse autotransformer has been frequently used in the aviation sector. Many studies have been carried out on the theoretical calculation and simulation analysis of the autotransformer. However, the practical application of the multipulse rectifier in the practical engineering field is inevitable. This paper investigates an 18-pulse rectifier power supply of 11 kW being constructed using a multipulse autotransformer to suppress the harmonics of a radar power system, in which the parameters of the various parts are designed in detail, and test results are simulated using MATLAB/Simulink software. The actual test suggests that, at the rated condition, the PF of the rectifier is 0.99, the total harmonic distortion of the input current is below 6.7%, and the efficiency is more than 96%. The power supply is successfully applied to the radar power supply system of a large transport aircraft, and meets the requirements of an environmental test. Furthermore, the results also provide powerful application support for the power supplies and distribution systems in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the environment deteriorates, recycling of solid waste has become increasingly important. This study aimed to optimize the use of the Fe2O3, SiO2, and CaO components in coal fly ash and to convert coal fly ash into stable porous Al2TiO5‐mullite (AT–M) composite ceramic by sintering with AlOOH and TiO2 additives at high temperatures. The phase composition, microstructure, apparent porosity, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties of porous AT–M composite ceramics were systematically investigated. Results indicated that the sintered samples exhibited pore size distributions within the 0.16‐2.9 μm, apparent porosities of approximately 52.8%, and flexural strength of 29.6 MPa. Corrosion resistance data revealed quality losses in the aqueous NaOH and H2SO4 solutions for 10 hours at 0.42% and 2.19%, respectively. After corrosion for 8 hours, the average flexural strength of the samples remained at 21.6 ± 0.53 and 20.84 ± 0.6 MPa, respectively. These findings show that these porous AT–M ceramics may provide enhanced corrosion resistance under alkaline conditions. The porous AT–M composite ceramics may fabricate high‐performance composite membrane supports for the high temperature flue gas filtration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel kind of direct-current and alternate-decay-current hybrid integrative magnetization and demagnetization power supplies applied to transformer dc bias treatment based on a nanocomposite magnetic material. First, according to the single-phase transformer structure, one dc bias magnetic compensation mechanism was provided. The dc bias flux in the transformer main core could be eliminated directionally by utilizing the material remanence. Second, for the rapid response characteristic of the magnetic material to an external magnetic field, one positive and negative dc magnetization superimposed decaying ac demagnetization hybrid integrative power supplies based on single-phase rectifier circuit and inverter circuit was designed. In order to accurately control the magnetic field strength by which a good de/-magnetization effect could be achieved, this paper adopts the double-loop control technology of the magnetic field strength and magnetizing current for the nanocomposite magnetic state adjustment. Finally, two 10 kVA transformers and the experiment module of the hybrid integrative power supplies were manufactured and built. Experimental results showed that the integrated power supplies have good de/-magnetization effect and practicability, proving the validity and feasibility of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lattice thermal conductivity (κ L) is one of the most fundamental properties of solids. The acoustic–elastic-wave assumption, proposed by Debye (Debye P. Ann Phys 1912; 344 : 789–839), has led to linear phonon dispersion being the most common approximation for understanding phonon transport over the past century. Such an assumption does not take into account the effect of a periodic boundary condition on the phonon dispersion, originating from the nature of periodicity on atomic arrangements. Driven by modern demands on the thermal functionality of materials, with κ L ranging from ultra-low to ultra-high, any deviation from the Debye approximation in real materials becomes more and more significant. This work takes into account the periodic boundary condition, and therefore rationalizes the phonon dispersion to be more realistic. This significantly improves the precision for quickly predicting κ L without any fitting parameters, as demonstrated in hundreds of materials, and offers a theoretical basis rationalizing κ L to be lower than the minimum currently accepted based on the Debye dispersion. This work paves the way for designing solids with expected κ L and particularly inspires the advancement of low- κ L materials for thermal energy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Porous alumina ceramics were fabricated by starch consolidation casting using corn starch as a curing agent while their microstructure, mechanical properties, pore size distribution, and corrosion resistance were examined. Results showed that the porous alumina ceramics with the flexural strength of about 44.31MPa, apparent porosity of about 47.67% and pore size distribution in the range of 1‐4 μm could be obtained with 3wt% SiO2 and 3wt% MgO additives. Corrosion resistance results showed mass losses: hot H2SO4 solution and NaOH solution for 10 hours were 0.77% and 2.19%, which showed that these porous alumina ceramics may offer better corrosion resistance in acidic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, A core-shell hierarchical microspherical BiOCl photocatalyst was prepared by a one-step solvothermal method in acid solution. Abundant of oxygen vacancies existed on the surface of BiOCl microspherical, which shortened the band gap to 1.77 eV and broadened the light absorption range to 700 nm. More importantly, the modified BiOCl showed greatly improved photon capture capability in the visible light region due to the synergistic effect of the oxygen vacancy and hierarchical structure of BiOCl. The BiOCl photocatalyst synthesized at 140 °C showed the best photocatalytic degradation performance for norfloxacin (NOR), and it can completely mineralize NOR to CO 2 and H 2 O in four hours under the visible light. Thus, the synergistic effect of the oxygen vacancy and hierarchical structure is considered as a potential method to improve the photocatalytic performance of a wide band gap semiconductor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A SiOC@carbon ceramic spring with the laminar spring-like structure was fabricated. • The ceramic spring exhibits excellent superelasticity and oxidation resistance. • The derived sensor can function at a wide temperature range from −196 °C to 500 °C. • The sensor has superior physiological signal and human movement capture capability. With the flourishing development in space exploration and human motion detection, the wide-temperature flexible pressure sensors are urgently required in various complex application situations. One massive challenge of current available sensors is to enhance the oxidation resistance property, which is crucial for their applications in high-temperature environments. Herein, we fabricated a superelastic silicon oxycarbide @carbon (SiOC@C) ceramic spring, possessing a porous lamellar and spring-like structure. The spring-like structure tends to deform and absorb the energy under the external loads, and then the anisotropic lamellar structure can effectively and uniformly release the stress. The as-prepared SiOC@C spring exhibits excellent superelasticity, high compressibility (60%), and robustness (∼99.0% maximum stress retention after 1000 cycles at 50% compression). Meanwhile, the SiOC@C spring-derived sensor possesses a high sensitivity under low pressure (282.46 kPa−1 at < 1.3 kPa), a low detection limit (< 0.098 Pa) and a short response/recovery time (∼12 ms/4 ms). Moreover, benefiting from the high/low-temperature resistance of SiOC nanolayer coated on the carbon framework, the SiOC@C spring-based sensor can function properly at a wide temperature range from − 196 °C to 500 °C, showing the potential application in various fields of biomedical monitoring, space exploration, and automotive industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The porous Fe 3 O 4 /Ag composite is successfully fabricated by a handy self-propagating combustion method, and the underlying mechanisms for lightweight and efficient microwave absorption performance are roundly revealed based on magnetic-dielectric composition and porous microstructure. [Display omitted] • The porous Fe 3 O 4 /Ag composites are achieved via a handy self-propagating combustion. • Multiple electromagnetic loss mechanisms are integrated in the Fe 3 O 4 /Ag composites. • The strong reflection loss (−45.01 dB) is achieved at thin thickness and low density. Due to the growing demands for radar stealth and electromagnetic pollution prevention, EM-waves absorbing materials with lightweight, broad bandwidth, thin thickness and strong strength are in high need nowadays. However, the achievement of both lightweight and efficient absorption still remains a challenge. In this work, the porous Fe 3 O 4 /Ag composites are successfully synthesized by a self-propagating combustion method, which has the advantages of simplicity, green and high yield. The magneto-electric synergy components and porous microstructure not only effectively reduces the density of the composites, but also significantly reinforces the absorption of EM waves. The sample with Fe 3 O 4 /Ag molar ratio of 4:1 attains the maximum reflection loss of −45.01 dB at the matching thickness of 1.85 mm and it can realize dramatical reduction of RCS signal by coating on the perfect electric conductor. The findings shed light on the promising application of the porous Fe 3 O 4 /Ag composites in the fields of environmental protection and military stealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]