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The Mabujina Complex exposed in south-central Cuba consists of an elongated body of metamorphosed volcanic and subvolcanic mafic rocks and tonalitic gneisses. The complex is largely composed of greenschist facies rocks (Porvenir Formation) directly below the Cretaceous volcanic arc section and of a deeper sequence of deformed amphibolite facies rocks (Mabujina Amphibolite Complex). The origin of the protolith of the Mabujina Complex has been the subject of intense debate in the past. While some authors consider the Mabujina Complex to represent the deepest and oldest (Early Cretaceous) exposed section (root) of the Cretaceous Caribbean volcanic arc others suggested an exotic (non-Caribbean related) Early Cretaceous volcanic arc section. The later proposal implies the tectonic emplacement underneath the Caribbean arc of a segment of the Pacific-related Early Cretaceous Mexican Guerrero volcanic arc terrane. A new set of whole-rock geochemical analyses presented in this study shows that the protoliths of the Mabujina Amphibolite Complex constitute an island-arc sequence with a) less abundant island-arc tholeiitic mafic rocks similar to the Early Cretaceous tholeiitic island arc of the Caribbean and b) dominant transitional to calc-alkaline mafic and felsic igneous rocks that resemble the Early to Late Cretaceous magmatism of the Caribbean arc. The high initial Nd ratios of the rocks from the Mabujina Amphibolite Complex are indistinguishable from the tholeiitic to calc-alkaline sequences from the Caribbean arc, reflecting a depleted MORB mantle source with limited subduction-related component input. The present data, together with published geochemical and geochronological data of the protoliths, allow identifying a Caribbean origin for the Mabujina Complex instead of an exotic provenance in the Guerrero Arc of western Mexico. However, even if the interpretation of the geochemical data favours a Caribbean origin, the Mabujina Amphibolite Complex cannot represent the root of the volcanic arc. Here, we propose that the Mabujina Amphibolite Complex is a fragment of the Early to Mid-Cretaceous Caribbean arc that was tectonically emplaced below this same arc as a likely consequence of arc segmentation and strike-slip trans-compression triggered by oblique subduction during the mid-Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a constructible étale sheaf on a smooth variety of positive characteristic ramified along an effective divisor, the largest slope in Abbes and Saito's ramification theory of the sheaf gives a divisor with rational coefficients called the conductor divisor. In this article, we prove decreasing properties of the conductor divisor after pull-backs. The main ingredient behind is the construction of étale sheaves with pure ramifications. As applications, we first prove a lower semi-continuity property for conductors of étale sheaves on relative curves in the equal characteristic case, which supplement Deligne and Laumon's lower semi-continuity property of Swan conductors ([33]) and is also an ℓ -adic analogue of André's semi-continuity result of Poincaré–Katz ranks for meromorphic connections on complex relative curves. ([6]). Secondly, we give a ramification bound for the nearby cycle complex of an étale sheaf ramified along the special fiber of a regular scheme semi-stable over an equal characteristic henselian trait, which extends a main result in a joint work with Teyssier ([20]) and answers a conjecture of Leal ([35]) in a geometric situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-city mobility is one of the most important issues in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as it is essential to access the regional labour market, goods and services, and to constrain the spread of infectious diseases. Although the gravity model has been proved to be an effective model to describe mobility among settlements, knowledge is still insufficient in regions where dozens of megacities interact closely and over 100 million people reside. In addition, the existing knowledge is limited to overall population mobility, while the difference in inter-city travel with different purposes is unexplored on such a large geographic scale. We revisited the gravity laws of inter-city mobility using the 2.12 billion trip chains recorded by 40.48 million mobile phone users' trajectories in the Jing-Jin-Ji Region, which contains China's capital Beijing. Firstly, unlike previous studies, we found that non-commuting rather than commuting is the dominant type of inter-city mobility (89.3%). Non-commuting travellers have a travel distance 42.3% longer than commuting travellers. Secondly, we developed more accurate gravity models for the spatial distribution of inter-city commuting and non-commuting travel. We also found that inter-city mobility has a hierarchical structure, as the distribution of inter-city travel volume follows Zipf's law. In particular, the hierarchy of non-commuting travel volume among the cities is more in line with an ideal Zipf distribution than commuting travel. Our findings contribute to new knowledge on basic inter-city mobility laws, and they have significant applications for regional policies on human mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries (RAIBs) attract great attention for stationary energy storage, but there remains a lack of suitable cathode materials for them. Here, a porous iron fluoride/multi wall carbon nanotube (FeF3/MWCNTs) composite as a cathode for RAIBs shows high discharge capacity (180 mA h g−1) and good rate performance, while MWCNTs play crucial roles in improving conductivity and cycle stability. Various characterizations elucidate its conversion-type mechanism, in particular, the Fe3+/Fe2+ conversion exhibits a high operating potential of 1.75 V and discharge capacity of 123 mA h g−1, which is very promising for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the slip system activities in primary α grains of a forged Ti–6Al–4V alloy under pure fatigue and dwell-fatigue conditions, using high-resolution digital image correlation (HR-DIC) analysis obtained through interrupted mechanical tests. A quantitative examination of operating slip systems and strain localization on large-field HR-DIC data is conducted using an automated analysis framework developed in a previous study. The findings reveal higher slip activities under dwell-fatigue conditions, evidenced by parameters such as slip band density, area fraction of grains activated with slips, and mean equivalent plastic strain intensities along slip bands through statistically sound analysis. A notable shift in dominant slip activity from basal slips to prismatic slips is observed under pure fatigue conditions, while dominant prismatic slip activity persists throughout dwell-fatigue processes. Furthermore, slip bands with early-developed high strain localization, referred to as slip markings, are identified as prerequisites for surface crack initiation, and three types of slip markings are discovered. Finally, possible reasons for dwell-life debits, and potential anisotropy in the two major slip systems, basal and prismatic slips, are discussed. • Slip system activities are analyzed for bimodal Ti–6Al–4V under pure fatigue and dwell-fatigue conditions. • Quantitative analysis on slip band activities is obtained through large-field HR-DIC data. • Similarities and differences in slip band activities are identified for different conditions. • Cracks are observed on slip band with early developed high strain localization in dwell-fatigue. • Anisotropic slip behaviors between basal and prismatic slips are discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we give a bound for the wild ramification of the monodromy action on the nearby cycles complex of a locally constant étale sheaf on the generic fiber of a smooth scheme over an equal characteristic trait in terms of Abbes and Saito's logarithmic ramification filtration. This provides a positive answer to the main conjecture in [24] for smooth morphisms in equal characteristic. We also study the ramification along vertical divisors of étale sheaves on relative curves and abelian schemes over a trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a few existing studies on whether domestic migration improves China's pension system's fiscal sustainability in the context of rapid urbanization and industrialization. In this paper, we systematically investigate the impact of migration on the solvency of the worker's old-age insurance for urban employees by constructing actuarial and econometric models. We use panel data from 2002 to 2018, collected from 31 provinces in China. The results show that the association between migration and the solvency of pensions is an inverted-U shape along the urbanization process. Further regional comparison showed that the above-stated inverted-U curve is more pronounced in the central and western regions. We also established that the number of participants and the contribution base are the main contributors to these results. Our conclusions are important for future population policies and public pension systems in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we prepared small graphite nanoflakes (SGN) by a new strategy of pulverization as the cathode of aluminum ion batteries (AIBs). Electrochemical measurements show that SGN has a very high discharge capacity, excellent rate performance and good cycling stability mainly due to its enlarged edge plane, reduced thickness and high crystallinity. This work provides a new route for preparing high performance graphite-based materials for AIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we prove that the Swan conductor of an étale sheaf on a smooth variety defined by Abbes and Saito's logarithmic ramification theory can be computed by its classical Swan conductors after restricting it to curves. It extends the main result of Barrientos [ 7 ] for rank 1 sheaves. As an application, we give a logarithmic ramification version of generalizations of Deligne and Laumon's lower semi-continuity property for Swan conductors of étale sheaves on relative curves to higher relative dimensions in a geometric situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic congestion is one of the key issues relating to sustainability and livability in many large cities. In particular, the situation in the growing megacities of developing countries has been worsening and is now attracting considerable attention from researchers and politicians. An understanding of the spatio-temporal patterns of this congestion is necessary in order to formulate effective policies to relieve it. Much of the research to date has focused on single districts for relatively short periods (days or weeks) using GPS, while long-term analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of traffic congestion at the city level has been rare. The aim of this paper is to help fill this gap in the literature by applying a big data analytic approach to a sample of 10.16 million records of traffic congestion indexes for 233 roads in the Beijing area over a six-month period. This analysis revealed four typical traffic congestion patterns in Beijing, which can be described as the weekend mode, holiday mode, weekday mode A, and weekday mode B. Each of these patterns possesses unique spatial and temporal characteristics. Compared with working days, on which congestion is regular and agglomerated, weekends and holidays are characterized by long-lasting congestion peaks throughout the day. Non-commuting travel on weekends and holidays, including trips for tourism, shopping, entertainment, and children's after-school activities, are major contributors to traffic congestion of the weekend and holiday mode. Owing to poor jobs-housing balance, the suburban new towns and job centres had relatively higher congestion than other areas. These findings shed significant light on geographical patterns of traffic congestion in growing megacities. • Traffic congestion is a key issue relating to urban sustainability. • This paper apples a big data analytic approach to a sample of 10.16 million records of traffic congestion. • There are four typical traffic congestion patterns in Beijing. • No-commuting travels on weekends and holidays are major contributors to traffic congestion. • The suburban new towns and job centres had relatively higher congestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical analysis of slip system identification and quantitative study on local plasticity is crucial to understand the collective deformation by the sub-grain-scale slip activities in polycrystalline metallic materials. In this study, an automated framework for identifying slip system and assessing strain localization of slip bands termed ASSISL (automated Slip System Identification and Strain Localization analysis of slip bands) is introduced, using the results from high resolution digital image correlation (HR-DIC), and is demonstrated on 1591 primary α grains of a bimodal Ti-6Al-4V alloy under tensile loading. The framework includes: (1) alignment of electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) maps with strain field maps from HR-DIC through treatment of EBSD distortion, (2) slip band orientations identification from strain field map of each grain through a Radon-transform-based algorithm, (3) slip system assignment with combined Schmid factor and critical resolved shear stress analysis, (4) quantification of plasticity by slip activities which provides information on the numbers, positions and mean strain of slip bands in each grain. The confidence of ASSISL is validated through comparing current statistical results with existing literature, as well as examining reasons for grains assigned with wrong slip systems, which accounts for 9.6 percent (153 out of 1591) of the primary α grains. A comparison between ASSISL and other HR-DIC-based slip identification methods is also conducted. This framework provides a method for analyzing slip activities in a large number of grains of polycrystalline metals in a time-saving and automated fashion. • An automated slip analysis framework termed ASSISL using strain field maps from HR-DIC is developed. • Statistical analysis obtained from ASSISL is demonstrated on 1591 primary α grains of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy. • Comparisons among ASSISL and other HR-DIC-based slip system identification methods are presented. • ASSISL could be applied to other metals for automated slip trace and strain localization analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving and controlling the desired movements of active machines is generally accomplished through precise control of artificial muscles in a distributed and serialized manner, which is a significant challenge. The emerging motion control strategy based on self-oscillation in active machines has unique advantages, including directly harvesting energy from constant ambient light, and it has no need for complex controllers. Inspired by the roller, we have innovatively developed a self-rolling roller that consists of a roller and a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fiber. By utilizing a well-established dynamic LCE model and subjecting it to constant illumination, we have investigated the dynamic behavior of the self-rolling roller. Based on numerical calculations, it has been discovered that the roller, when subjected to steady illumination, exhibits two distinct motion regimes: the static regime and the self-rolling regime. The self-rolling regime, characterized by continuous periodic rolling, is sustained by the interaction between light energy and damping dissipation. The continuous periodic rolling observed in the self-rolling regime is maintained through the interplay between the dissipation of damping and the absorption of light energy. In the static state, the rolling angle of the roller begins to decrease rapidly and then converges to zero. Detailed investigations have been conducted to determine the critical conditions required to initiate self-rolling, as well as the essential system parameters that influence its frequency and amplitude. The proposed self-rolling roller has superiorities in its simple structure, light weight, alternative to manual labor, and speediness. This advancement is expected to inspire greater design diversity in micromachines, soft robotics, energy harvesters, and similar areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the singular support and the characteristic cycle of an étale sheaf on a smooth variety over a perfect field are constructed by Beilinson and Saito, respectively. In this article, we extend the singular support to a relative situation. As an application, we prove the generic constancy for singular supports and characteristic cycles of étale sheaves on a smooth fibration. Meanwhile, we show the failure of the lower semi-continuity of characteristic cycles in a higher relative dimension case, which is different from Deligne and Laumon’s result in the relative curve case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatectomy is the optimal method for liver cancer; the virtual liver resection based on three-dimensional visualization technology (3-DVT) could provide better preoperative strategy for surgeon. We aim to introduce right posterior lobe allied with part of V and VIII sectionectomy assisted by 3-DVT as a promising treatment for massive or multiple right hepatic malignancies to retain maximum residual liver volume on the basis of R0 resection.Methods: Among 126 consecutive patients who underwent hepatectomy, 9 (7%) underwent right posterior lobe allied with part of V and VIII sectionectomy. 21 (17%) underwent right hemihepatectomy (RH). The virtual RH was performed with 3-DVT, which provided better observation of spatial position relationship between tumor and vessels, and the more accurate estimation of the remnant liver volume. If remnant liver volume was <40%, right posterior lobe allied with part of V and VIII sectionectomy should be undergone. Then, the precut line ought to be planned on the basis of protecting the portal branch of subsegment 5 and 8. The postoperative outcome of patients was compared before and after propensity score matching.Results: Nine patients meeting the eligibility criteria received right posterior lobe allied with part of V and VIII sectionectomy. The variables, including the overall mean operation time, blood transfusion, operation length, liver function, and postoperative complications, were similar between two groups before and after propensity matching. The postoperative first, third, fifth, and seventh days mean value of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin (ALB), and total bilirubin had no significant difference compared with preoperative value. One patient in each group had recurrence six months after surgery.Conclusion: Right posterior lobe allied with part of V and VIII sectionectomy based on 3-DVT is safe and feasible surgery way, and can be a very promising method in massive or multiple right hepatic malignancy therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean energy conversion is a core approach and development trend to tackle climate change, while the severe drawbacks such as supply deficiency and cost increase restrict regional sustainable development. This paper employs a natural experiment of coal-to-gas conversion of the Chinese government to study the effect of such policy on regional sustainable development, as well as the underlying mechanism. Based on a city-level dataset from 2006 to 2019, this paper measure green total factor productivity (GTFP) using data envelopment analysis (DEA) combined with the Malmquist‒Luenberger productivity index. Then, this paper evaluates the impact of the CTG policy in pilot cities using the Difference-in-Difference (DID) with Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach. This paper finds that the CTG policy increased the GTFP of the pilot cities by 2.25% (0.0229/1.02). A series of robustness tests confirmed the findings. Subsequent mechanism analysis shows that the CTG policy increases the GTFP of pilot cities mainly by increasing technical efficiency. In addition, the mechanism of the CTG policy's impact differs between central and noncentral cities. In particular, the CTG policy increases the technological innovation indicator (TC) of provincial capital cities by 2.35% while it increases the technical efficiency indicator (EC) of other cities by 1.89%, which proves the Porter effect in provincial capital cities. Finally, several implications are provided for policymakers to promote other types of renewable energy. • A detailed energy conversion policy analysis is provided. • The GTFP is measured through DDF and MLI techniques. • Mandatory energy conversion can benefit regional sustainable development. • DID approach and various robustness checks support this finding. • Central and non-central cities developed differently in innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we extend an inequality that compares the pull-back of the total dimension divisor of an étale sheaf and the total dimension divisor of the pull-back of the sheaf due to Saito. Using this formula, we generalize Deligne and Laumon's lower semi-continuity property for Swan conductors of étale sheaves on relative curves to higher relative dimensions in a geometric situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of different modeling hypotheses for the plastic deformation of lath martensite was investigated through an integrated experimental–numerical approach. The local plastic strain distribution of a dual-phase steel with a coarse microstructure was quantified by high-resolution digital image correlation analysis. The same area was reproduced in a crystal plasticity finite element model using the electron backscatter diffraction measurement of the specimen surface prior deformation. Different modeling hypotheses in terms of in-lath and out-of-lath slip strength as well as boundary and bulk elements were explored. It was found that early plastic deformation in lath martensite grains predominantly took place at various interfaces in the form of slip bands parallel to the in-lath slip planes in blocks exhibiting high in-lath Schmid factor. A comparison between experiment and simulations suggested that assuming a lower strength and hardening rate for in-lath slip systems of boundary elements better reproduced the plastic strain fields in martensite grains. However, the different models showed limited effect on the strain distribution within ferrite grains and on the local stress–strain path at void nucleation sites. This suggested that the main factor affecting early strain concentration and subsequent damage initiation in ferrite grains was the phase morphology and strength contrast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Broadband China strategy as a quasi-natural experiment, our study attempts to understand how broadband infrastructure (BI) impacts entrepreneurship in China. Employing a staggered difference-in-difference approach, we argue that BI significantly enhances entrepreneurship, and that this conclusion holds after considering the identification of assumptions and a range of other factors that may interfere with the estimation results. The mechanism exploration reveals that human capital agglomeration and financial development are the main pathways through which BI encourages entrepreneurial activities. Furthermore, the positive effects of BI are bigger in eastern cities, high market-oriented cities, and among cities with excellent traditional infrastructure. Our findings reveal the role of improving BI in facilitating the development of new ventures in China. • This paper estimates the causal effect of broadband infrastructure on entrepreneurship. • We exploit the launch of Broadband China strategy as a quasi-natural experiment. • Broadband infrastructure has had a significant beneficial role. • Potential mechanisms include human capital agglomeration and financial development. • Broadband infrastructure effects on entrepreneurship are heterogeneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries have invested in transport infrastructure and public service in recent years to reduce rural poverty and income inequality. However, the effects of transport infrastructure on the residents with economic and educational disadvantages in rural areas are still under debate. In this paper, we investigate the impact of road infrastructure on the income of rural residents at the municipal level using data from the China Family Panel Survey (CFPS) from 2010 to 2018. By using the instrumental variable regression model, we found that rural residents' household incomes benefit from road infrastructure. Within income components, road infrastructure plays a role in improving rural residents' wage and business income. Further comparing different rural resident groups, we found that rural residents with lower initial farming and business income benefit more from improved road infrastructure in terms of their farming and business income from 2010 to 2018. In addition, in poverty-stricken areas, rural residents with lower initial farming and business income benefit more from road infrastructure in improving their farming and business income. However, the household incomes of rural residents with low formal education improve less as a result of road infrastructure. Policymakers should thus consider combining transport infrastructure provision with other policy packages, such as education program or skill training, to target different groups of rural residents in China. • Explaining the relationship between road infrastructure and rural residents' income. • Rural residents with lower initial farming and business income benefit more from improved road infrastructure. • In poverty-stricken areas, rural residents with lower initial farming and business income benefit more from road infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic hepatectomy for centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma is challenging to perform. Augmented reality navigation (ARN) and fluorescence imaging are currently safe and reproducible techniques for hepatectomy, but the efficacy results for centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma have not been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an ARN system combined with fluorescence imaging (ARN-FI) in laparoscopic hepatectomy for centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma. STUDY DESIGN: This was a post hoc analysis of an original nonrandomized clinical trial that was designed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of ARN-FI for laparoscopic liver resection. A total of 76 patients were consecutively enrolled from June 2018 to June 2021, of which 42 underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy using ARN-FI (ARN-FI group), and the other 34 who did not use ARN-FI guidance (non–ARN-FI group). Perioperative outcomes and disease-free survival were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the non–ARN-FI group, the ARN-FI group had less intraoperative blood loss (median 275 vs 300 mL, p = 0.013), lower intraoperative transfusion rate (14.3% vs 64.7%, p < 0.01), shorter postoperative hospital stay (median 8 vs 9 days, p = 0.005), and lower postoperative complication rate (35.7% vs 61.8%, p = 0.024). There was no death in the perioperative period and follow-up period. There was no significant difference in overall disease-free survival between the 2 groups (p = 0.16). CONCLUSIONs: The ARN system and fluorescence imaging may be of value in improving the success rate of surgery, reducing postoperative complications, accelerating postoperative recovery, and shortening postoperative hospital stay. This study found that augmented reality navigation and fluorescence imaging showed favorable results in the perioperative period. In addition, although no significant differences in disease-free survival (DFS) were found between the 2 groups overall, the cohort with both techniques showed higher DFS in subgroup analysis of type IV centrally located hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder with high rate of prevalence, persistence, and leads to negative consequences. The mainstays of insomnia treatment have limitations due to either the side effects of hypnotics or limited accessibility to cognitive behavioral therapy. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Zaoren Anshen capsule alone or as an adjunct treatment with different doses of the nonbenzodiazepine medication zolpidem tartrate in treating insomnia. Method. This randomized, double-blind, multicentre placebo control trial was conducted in 131 patients with chronic insomnia. The patients were randomly assigned to one of the following four regimen groups: Group ZA + Z5 : Zaoren Anshen capsule and 5 mg zolpidem tartrate (n = 32); Group Z5: 5 mg zolpidem tartrate and placebo capsule (n = 35); Group Z10 : 10 mg zolpidem tartrate and placebo capsule (n = 32); Group ZA : Zaoren Anshen capsule and placebo pill (n = 32). The drugs were administered for 4 weeks. All patients were evaluated by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) at 0, 2, 4, 5, and 6 weeks, and adverse events were recorded. Result. There are significant differences in the comparison between the four groups at each treatment stage (P < 0.05). Repeated measurement analysis of variance (ANOVA) of ISI scores in each treatment stage of the four groups exhibits significant differences in time effect, intergroup effect, and interaction effect (P < 0.05). After four weeks of drug administration, the treatment efficacy is similar in Groups ZA + Z5 and Z10 (93%) and in Groups Z5 and ZA (62% and 65%, respectively). Groups ZA + Z5 and Z10 present significantly lower ISI scores compared with Groups Z5 and ZA (P < 0.05), which indicates better treatment response of Groups ZA + Z5 and Z10. No significant difference was observed in the incidence of adverse events between the groups. Conclusion. Zaoren Anshen capsule can effectively treat insomnia disorder either alone or in combination with zolpidem tartrate. A preferred combination of TCM Zaoren Anshen capsule with zolpidem can provide a magnified therapeutic efficacy with fewer side effects than zolpidem-only management, clinical trial registration number: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-IPR-1600969. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The augmented reality-assisted navigation system (AR-ANS) has been initially applied to the management of hepatolithiasis. The current study examines the safety and efficacy of the AR-ANS for hepatectomy in the treatment of hepatolithiasis. It is the first study to assess the preoperative and long-term outcomes of hepatectomy guided by the AR-ANS for hepatolithiasis. STUDY DESIGN: From January 2018 to December 2021, 77 patients with hepatolithiasis who underwent hepatectomy at Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University were included. The subjects were divided into the AR group (n = 31) and the non-AR group (n = 46) according to whether the surgery was guided by the AR-ANS. Clinical baseline features, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, immediate postoperative residual stone rate, postoperative stone recurrence rate at 6 months, and postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between preoperative baseline data from the 2 groups (p > 0.05). The AR group had a longer surgical time than the non-AR group (p < 0.001). The intraoperative blood loss in the AR group was lower than in the non-AR group (p < 0.001). Alanine transaminase, aminotransferase, immediate residual stone rate, and stone recurrence rate in the AR group were lower than in the non-AR group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The application of the AR-ANS in hepatectomy for hepatolithiasis has not only achieved satisfactory therapeutic efficacy, but has also shown significant advantages in reducing intraoperative blood loss, immediate stone residual rate, and stone recurrence rate, which has clinical promotion value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion capacitors (LIC) have problems such as the imbalance of electrochemical kinetics between the battery-type anode and the capacitive cathode, and the large change in the working potential of the hard carbon anode during charge and discharge, which limit the improvement of electrochemical performance for LIC. To solve these problems, CoSe 2 nanoparticles embedded nitrogen-doped hard carbon microspheres (NCS-CoSe 2) are synthesized and used as the anode material of LIC. Electrochemical tests show that NCS-CoSe 2 has a reversible specific capacity of as high as 500 mAh g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, which can effectively stabilize the working potential of the anode. At a high working voltage window of 2.2–4.5 V, the potential change of the NCS-CoSe 2 anode is as low as 0.35 V, significantly smaller than that of the pure hard carbon (0.87 V). Regarding the electrode kinetics, the NCS-CoSe 2 anode is matched with the active carbon cathode well. When the power density rises sharply from 335 W kg−1 to 6700 W kg−1, the energy density of NCS-CoSe 2 //AC LIC can attain 82 Wh kg−1 (56.9% of initial energy density). Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Mey.) is a perennial herb of the genus ginseng, which is used as medicine with dried roots and rhizomes. With the deepening of research on ginseng, the chemical components and pharmacological effects of ginseng have gradually been discovered. Endophytes are beneficial to host plants. However, the composition of endophytes in different organs from ginseng is poorly elucidated. The report of ginsenoside production by endophytic microbes isolated from Panax sp., motivated us to explore the endophytic microbial diversity related to the roots, stems, and leaves. In this study, the V5–V7 variable region of endophytic bacteria 16S rRNA gene and V1 variable region of endophytic fungi ITS gene in different organs were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. The diversity and abundance of endophytic microbes in the three organs are different and are affected by the organs. For example, the most abundant endophytic bacterial genus in roots was Mycobacterium, while, the stems and leaves were Ochrobactrum. Similarly, the fungal endophytes, Coniothyrium and Cladosporium, were also found in high abundance in stems, in comparison to roots and leaves. The Shannon index shows that the diversity of endophytic bacteria in roots is the highest, and the richness of endophytic bacterial was root > stem (p < 0.05). Principal coordinate analysis showed that there were obvious microbial differences among the three groups, and the endophytic bacterial composition of the leaves was closer to that of the roots. This study provides an important reference for the study of endophytic microorganisms in ginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is common and affects approximately 15% of individuals at different ages and activity levels. As a non-surgical intervention, physiotherapy is widely used to treat PFPS. Neuromuscular training exercise is one of the most effective methods for decreasing musculoskeletal pain and improving knee function. However, the effectiveness of neuromuscular training exercise for treating PFPS is not without argument. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of neuromuscular training exercise on patellofemoral pain and whether the neuromuscular training exercise have more advantage effects than taping and health education.Methods: We will operate a prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial of 60 patients with patellofemoral pain. Individuals will be indiscriminately assigned to two intervention groups and a health education group. The neuromuscular training exercise which includes the muscle strength training, balance training and knee joint proprioception training, and taping group will use "Y" and "I" type taping on the participants three times a week for three months. The health education group will be given education lectures once each week and which last for three months. The primary outcome measures include the adverse events, visual analog scale for pain, and Anterior Knee Pain Scale Index, which is a knee function self-report questionnaire to evaluate the function of the knee especially for PFPS patients. The secondary outcome measures are the muscle strength and endurance of knee joint flexion and extensor muscles, knee joint proprioception, muscle thickness of the quadriceps femoris, knee function ability, and quality of life. We will manage the intention-to-treat analysis for individuals who will withdraw from this study.Discussion: According to previous studies, neuromuscular training exercise and the taping method are effective treatment for PFPS patients. In this study, we will perform a neuromuscular training exercise for patients with PFPS. We believe that this study may prove the effectiveness of neuromuscular training exercise in treating PFPS.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1800014995 . Registered on 27 February 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A light-powered liquid crystal elastomer semi-rotary motor is proposed. • Two motion modes distinguished as the static mode and the self-rotation are presented. • The influences of system parameters on the triggering conditions, frequency and amplitude of self-rotation are investigated. • Results provide a reference for the design and control of self-rotating LCE semi-rotary motor. Self-excited oscillators are characterized by active energy harvesting from the stable external environment, autonomy and portability, which allow them to act as engines to drive other working devices. Taking inspiration from the pump drill, a semi-rotary motor consisting of a motor rotor and three liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) fibers is constructed in this paper, which can realize self-rotation under stable illumination. Considering the existing twisted wire model and the dynamic LCE model, a nonlinear dynamics model for the semi-rotary motor under stable illumination is established. Numerical calculations witness the existence of two motion modes for the semi-rotary motor under stable illumination, namely the static mode and the self-rotation mode. Under stable illumination, the light-driven contraction of twisted segments in LCE fibers for the winding state can trigger the self-rotation and maintain the continuous periodic motion through the interrelationship between optical energy and damping dissipation. The critical conditions required to trigger the self-rotation are also investigated in detail, as well as the crucial system parameters affecting the self-rotation frequency and amplitude. The proposed self-rotating semi-rotary motor has a simple structure, customizable dimensions and high speed, prompting its potential use in soft robots, energy harvesters, and micro-machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In polycrystalline austenitic stainless steels, a comprehensive three-dimensional configuration of crystal plasticity in relation to microstructure is required to elucidate the deformation behaviors during mechanical loading. In the present work, a combination of backscattered electron image (BSE) based high-resolution digital image correlation (HR-DIC) and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) was employed to simultaneously investigate in-plane and out-of-plane deformations at the sub-grain scale in 316 stainless steel. The high spatial resolution and precise alignment provided by the three-dimensional deformation assessment enable the identification of specific slip and twinning systems. This is achieved through the minimization of the residual L 2 norm between the in-plane components of experimental and theoretical strain tensors. Dominant slip and few mechanical twinning activities are initiated at the early-stage of yielding, and their frequency and intensity increase with the applied load. The hierarchical networks formed by nanotwins, along with the presence of grain and annealing twin boundaries, serve as obstacles for slip glide, leading to substantial twin–slip interaction and grain boundary strengthening. As a consequence of wide mechanical twins formed by parallel nanotwins coalescence and strain localization at the twin boundary, slip transmission occurs, resulting in an effective accommodation of external stress. Furthermore, the consistent observation of out-of-plane roughness, in alignment with twinning Burgers vector predictions, offers valuable insights into the significant deformation gradient occurring in the vicinity of boundaries. This deformation gradient is influenced by the neighboring mechanical twinning activities, indicating strong obstacle to twin transmission and high back-stresses resulting from the highly misoriented grain boundary. • Three-dimensional configuration of crystal plasticity was assessed by HR-DIC and LSCM. • Slip and twinning systems were identified through the minimization of residual L 2 norm. • Slip transmissions were observed at annealing twin boundaries and deformation twins. • Consistent observation of out-of-plane roughness with Burgers vector prediction provided an insight into the pronounced deformation gradient in boundary vicinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrafine grained medium Mn steel exhibits simultaneous high strength and ductility, however, often showing Lüders deformation and discontinuous yielding phenomena. The connections between martensite transformation and Lüders deformation as well as the localized failure behavior are quantitatively investigated through high resolution digital image correlation, enabled by nanoscale strain distribution and microstructural alignment. At a low global tensile strain level, strain localization happens in austenite domain resulted from a sequential slip deformation and martensite transformation, which then triggers the yielding of ferrite by generating thin strain channels to connect adjacent hotspots. This microscopic deformation mode promotes the formation of macroscopic deformation bands, resulting in Lüders band initiation and propagation. When increasing the applied load, the externally imposed strain is accommodated by ferrite instead, resulting in pronounced strain partitioning. The triple grains boundary having no further strain hardening capacity is favorable for void initiation and propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateralization is a fundamental characteristic of many behaviors and the organization of the brain, and atypical lateralization has been suggested to be linked to various brain-related disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Right-handedness is one of the most prominent markers of human behavioural lateralization, yet its neurobiological basis remains to be determined. Here, we present a large-scale analysis of handedness, as measured by self-reported direction of hand preference, and its variability related to brain structural and functional organization in the UK Biobank (N = 36,024). A multivariate machine learning approach with multi-modalities of brain imaging data was adopted, to reveal how well brain imaging features could predict individual's handedness (i.e., right-handedness vs. non-right-handedness) and further identify the top brain signatures that contributed to the prediction. Overall, the results showed a good prediction performance, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) score of up to 0.72, driven largely by resting-state functional measures. Virtual lesion analysis and large-scale decoding analysis suggested that the brain networks with the highest importance in the prediction showed functional relevance to hand movement and several higher-level cognitive functions including language, arithmetic, and social interaction. Genetic analyses of contributions of common DNA polymorphisms to the imaging-derived handedness prediction score showed a significant heritability (h2=7.55%, p <0.001) that was similar to and slightly higher than that for the behavioural measure itself (h2=6.74%, p <0.001). The genetic correlation between the two was high (r g =0.71), suggesting that the imaging-derived score could be used as a surrogate in genetic studies where the behavioural measure is not available. This large-scale study using multimodal brain imaging and multivariate machine learning has shed new light on the neural correlates of human handedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LiFePO4 is one of the most widely used cathode materials for lithium‐ion batteries, and the low‐temperature performance of LiFePO4‐based batteries has been widely studied in recent years. Herein, a 3.5 Ah pouch‐type full battery was assembled using LiFePO4 as the cathode and artificial graphite as the anode. For the LiFePO4‐based cathode, carbon‐coated aluminum foil was selected as the current collector, and a 0D–1D–2D multi‐scale conductive network was introduced into the electrode. Notably, both the carbon‐coated current collector and novel conductive network could significantly reduce the internal resistance of the LiFePO4‐based battery, thus improving its electrochemical dynamics and low‐temperature performance. This paper provides a theoretical basis for the development of low‐temperature LiFePO4‐based batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the effects of transport infrastructure on regional development have been widely discussed, the relationship between transport infrastructure and urban–rural income disparities has scarcely been examined. This study provides new evidence of those disparities by looking at 227 prefectural-level cities in China in 2016. We found that national, provincial and municipal roads played a positive role in narrowing the urban–rural income gap by facilitating rural labour mobility. The high coefficient of provincial and municipal roads indicates that they provide access to local and regional job markets for migrant farmers. The impact of roads is most remarkable in China's southwestern and middle regions, demonstrating that road infrastructure is more important for rural residents in these regions to increase their income. The least significant impact of road infrastructure was found in the northeast region, where road infrastructure is not the main restriction factor for its development. Policymakers should consider the impact of road infrastructure in different regions to reduce the urban–rural income gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A brand-new two-step reaction mechanism of ONA electrode is proposed in AIB. • The π-π stacking structures of π-COCs can contribute capacity directly. • The ONA show the co-existence of high capacity and excellent cycle stability in AIB. Π-conjugated organic compounds (π-COCs), as a potential electrode material, mainly emphasized the effects of functional groups and intramolecular π-conjugated system on charge storage in the past studies. In this work, we discovered a brand-new two step energy storage mechanism for π-COCs using oligomeric naphthalene (ONA) with intermolecular π-π stacking structure as electrode material in Al ion battery system. The electrochemical reaction of ONA is identified as the synergistic work of the chemical-adsorption of AlCl 4 - anions at low potential and the π···[AlCl 4 ]···π interaction at high potential. Based on this, the Al-ONA battery exhibits an excellent electrochemical performance (high specific capacity of 450 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g, long cycle life without attenuation for 4000 cycles at 1 A/g). This discovery of the energy storage mechanism, especially for the π···anion···π interaction, for π-COCs materials opens the door to exploring high performance organic electrode materials in energy storage field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an emerging post‐lithium battery technology, aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) have the advantages of large Al reserves and high safety, and have great potential to be applied to power grid energy storage. But current graphite cathode materials are limited in charge storage capacity due to the formation of stage‐4 graphite‐intercalated compounds (GICs) in the fully charged state. Herein, we propose a new type of cathode materials for AIBs, namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which resemble graphite in terms of the large conjugated π bond, but do not form GICs in the charge process. Quantum chemistry calculations show that PAHs can bind AlCl4− through the interaction between the conjugated π bond in the PAHs and AlCl4−, forming on‐plane interactions. The theoretical specific capacity of PAHs is negatively correlated with the number of benzene rings in the PAHs. Then, under the guidance of theoretical calculations, anthracene, a three‐ring PAH, was evaluated as a cathode material for AIBs. Electrochemical measurements show that anthracene has a high specific capacity of 157 mAh g−1 (at 100 mA g−1) and still maintains a specific capacity of 130 mAh g−1 after 800 cycles. This work provides a feasible "theory guides practice" research model for the development of energy storage materials, and also provides a new class of promising cathode materials for AIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an emerging post‐lithium battery technology, aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) have the advantages of large Al reserves and high safety, and have great potential to be applied to power grid energy storage. But current graphite cathode materials are limited in charge storage capacity due to the formation of stage‐4 graphite‐intercalated compounds (GICs) in the fully charged state. Herein, we propose a new type of cathode materials for AIBs, namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which resemble graphite in terms of the large conjugated π bond, but do not form GICs in the charge process. Quantum chemistry calculations show that PAHs can bind AlCl4− through the interaction between the conjugated π bond in the PAHs and AlCl4−, forming on‐plane interactions. The theoretical specific capacity of PAHs is negatively correlated with the number of benzene rings in the PAHs. Then, under the guidance of theoretical calculations, anthracene, a three‐ring PAH, was evaluated as a cathode material for AIBs. Electrochemical measurements show that anthracene has a high specific capacity of 157 mAh g−1 (at 100 mA g−1) and still maintains a specific capacity of 130 mAh g−1 after 800 cycles. This work provides a feasible "theory guides practice" research model for the development of energy storage materials, and also provides a new class of promising cathode materials for AIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper examines the time-varying accessibility to senior centers by public transit in Philadelphia using the GTFS data. • Accessibility to senior centers declines from the downtown to the suburbs. • Neighborhoods with higher shares of older adults tend to have lower accessibility to senior centers. • Neighborhoods with higher shares of households having zero cars are better served. • Neighborhoods with higher shares of African Americans and Hispanics are less well served. Public transit offers older adults an important alternative travel mode for accessing social activity destinations. Given the growing size and socioeconomic diversity of the older population, transportation planners should consider how current urban transit systems can better meet their needs. In this study, we examine the time-varying accessibility to senior centers by public transit in each census tract of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Senior centers are community service and activity hubs for older adults which are typically overseen by the local area agency on aging. They offer a variety of services and social activities for older adults, including free meals, volunteering opportunities, information, and technology training. Using General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data and socioeconomic data from the U.S. Census Bureau, we analyze how accessibility varies across census tracts with respect to the tract's share of older adults, particularly those in vulnerable subgroups. We found that accessibility to senior centers declines from the downtown area to the suburbs but varies considerably among the vulnerable subgroups studied. We also found that when accounting for the open hours of senior centers, accessibility to senior centers is generally lower around midday (2 PM) than during peak hours (8:30 AM) on Mondays. We used the vertical equity index to examine social disparities in accessibility among older adults. We found that while SEPTA underserves neighborhoods with higher shares of older adults, tracts with higher shares of some vulnerable subgroups are better served than those with lower shares. Specifically, neighborhoods with higher shares of households that have no cars are better served than those with higher shares of African American and Hispanic older adults. These results suggest that the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) and the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) should work together to better accommodate the diverse travel needs of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fritillaria naturally grows in the temperate region of Northern Hemisphere and mainly distributes in Central Asia, Mediterranean region, and North America. The dried bulbs from a dozen species of this genus have been usually used as herbal medicine, named Beimu in China. Beimu had rich sources of phytochemicals and have extensively applied to respiratory diseases including coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Fritillaria species have alkaloids that act as the main active components that contribute multiple biological activities, including anti-tussive, expectorant, and anti-asthmatic effects, especially against certain respiratory diseases. Other compounds (terpenoids, steroidal saponins, and phenylpropanoids) have also been identified in species of Fritillaria. In this review, readers will discover a brief summary of traditional uses and a comprehensive description of the chemical profiles, biological properties, and analytical techniques used for quality control. In general, the detailed summary reveals 293 specialized metabolites that have been isolated and analyzed in Fritillaria species. This review may provide a scientific basis for the chemical ecology and metabolomics in which compound identification of certain species remains a limiting step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cylindrical organs, e.g., blood vessels, airways, and intestines, are ubiquitous structures in biomedical optical imaging analysis. Image segmentation of these structures serves as a vital step in tissue physiology analysis. Traditional model-driven segmentation methods seek to fit the structure by constructing a corresponding topological geometry based on domain knowledge. Classification-based deep learning methods neglect the geometric features of the cylindrical structure and therefore cannot ensure the continuity of the segmentation surface. In this paper, by treating the cylindrical structures as a 3D graph, we introduce a novel contour-based graph neural network for 3D cylindrical structure segmentation in biomedical optical imaging. Our proposed method, which we named CylinGCN, adopts a novel learnable framework that extracts semantic features and complex topological relationships in the 3D volumetric data to achieve continuous and effective 3D segmentation. Our CylinGCN consists of a multiscale 3D semantic feature extractor for extracting inter-frame multiscale semantic features, and a residual graph convolutional network (GCN) contour generator that combines the semantic features and cylindrical topological priors to generate segmentation contours. We tested the CylinGCN framework on two types of optical tomographic imaging data, small animal whole body photoacoustic tomography (PAT) and endoscopic airway optical coherence tomography (OCT), and the results show that CylinGCN achieves state-of-the-art performance. Code will be released at https://github.com/lzc-smu/CylinGCN.git. • First contour-based model for cylinder-object segmentation in bio-optical imaging. • CylinGCN fuses local semantic and object topology for accurate segmentation. • Attention mechanism, customized graph structure and loss functions are introduced. • CylinGCN achieves state-of-the-art performance in PAT and OCT imaging datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ephedrae Herba and Ephedrae Radix et Rhizoma (Mahuang) have been used as Chinese herbal medicines. Ephedra plants mainly live in deserts and have good governance of desertification. Despite their important medicinal and environmental protection value, dietary supplements containing ephedrine from Ephedra species may threaten the health of people. Morphological resemblance amongst species causes difficulty in identifying the original species of Ephedra herbs. Chloroplast (CP) genome shows good prospects in identification and phylogenetic analysis. This study introduced the structures of the CP genomes of three Ephedra species and analysed their phylogenetic relationships. Three complete CP genomes of Ephedra showed four-part annular structures, namely, two single-copy regions and two inverted repeat regions. The entire CP genomes of three Ephedra species in terms of size were 109,550 bp (E. sinica), 109,667 bp (E. intermedia), and 109,558 bp (E. equisetina). Each CP genome of the three Ephedra species encoded 118 genes, including 73 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 ribosomal RNA genes. Eleven high-variation regions were screened through mVISTA to be potential specific DNA barcodes for identifying Ephedra species. Maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony trees showed that CP genomes could be used to identify Ephedra species. The Ephedra species had a close phylogenetic relationship with Gnetum species and Welwitschia mirabilis. This research provided valuable information for the identification and phylogenetic analysis of gymnosperms and drug safety of Ephedra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Trace nitrogen atoms are successfully inserted into the surface of Ni metal. • Trace nitrogen-incorporation can greatly activate monometallic Ni catalysts. • Apparent charge redistribution of Ni occurs at micro-heterogeneous interfaces. • It shifts the d-band center of Ni atoms for favorable adsorption kinetics. • The synergistic dual-active sites enhance HOR performance. The insufficient activity of Ni-based catalysts toward hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) severely hinders their deployment in alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Here, we demonstrate that trace nitrogen-incorporation can greatly activate monometallic Ni catalysts by constructing synergetic dual active sites across micro-heterogeneous interfaces, resulting in impressive HOR electrocatalytic performance that rivals that of state-of-the-art Pt/C catalysts in alkaline media. The obtained catalyst achieves a high specific activity of 0.074 mA cm−2, a high mass activity of 60.9 A g−1, and outperforms both Ni 3 N and Ni analogues, uncovering an unexpected nitrogen-incorporation criterion for Ni electrocatalysts. Moreover, it also exhibits a remarkable CO tolerance capacity that Pt/C lacks. Mechanistic studies reveal that self-regulated d-band centers of Ni (downshift) in Ni-N bonding and Ni (upshift) in Ni-Ni bonding derived from apparent charge redistribution can weaken hydrogen binding energy and increase hydroxyl binding energy simultaneously, resulting in the HOR enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threat of global climate change has caused the international community to pay close attention to atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Transportation sector carbon dioxide emissions efficiency (TSCDEE) is a key indicator used to prioritize sustainable development in the transportation sector. In this paper, the epsilon-based measure data envelopment analysis model with undesirable outputs is applied to estimate TSCDEE for 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2016. We also analyze influencing factors using the spatial Durbin model. Research shows that the overall TSCDEE of the Chinese provinces studied was 0.618, indicating that most regions are still in need of improvements. The provinces with the highest TSCDEE are located in developed coastal regions of China. This study shows that factors such as transportation structure, traffic infrastructure level, and technological progress have prominent positive effects on TSCDEE, while both urbanization level and urban population density exert significantly negative effects on TSCDEE. The findings should have a far-reaching impact on the sustainable development of global transportation. [Display omitted] • Providing more accurate method in estimating CO 2 emissions of the transport sector. • Focusing on the transportation sector carbon dioxide emissions efficiency (TSCDEE). • Technological progress is the key to improve TSCDEE among different factors in China. • Higher mode share of water and rail transport contributes to higher TSCDEE in China. • Urbanization presents significantly negative effect on TSCDEE in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Monal (Lophophorus lhuysii) is an alpine-obligate galliform species of global conservation priority. It has been listed as a first class protected wildlife species in China, requiring conservation actions during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. However, the diet composition of Chinese Monal and its seasonal variations have rarely been studied, constraining the effective conservation of the species. Here, we investigated the plant diet composition of the Chinese Monal and its seasonal variations using a DNA metabarcoding approach on fecal samples. We collected 190 fecal samples of the Chinese Monals from the central Qionglai Mountains located in China, and analyzed the plant diet of this species using a DNA metabarcoding approach. Taxonomic profiling of higher plants in the fecal samples was performed using the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) amplicon. Downstream analyses, including rarefaction curves, nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA), were used to explore the seasonal variations in diet composition. The Chinese Monal foraged a wide range of plant recipes composed of 35 families and 83 genera throughout the year, with Brassicaceae, Apiaceae, and Poaceae as the dominant families, and Cardamine as the dominant genus. The species consumed plants from 62 genera from 28 families during the breeding season (n ​= ​81) and 66 genera from 31 families during the non-breeding season (n ​= ​109). Further, the plant diet composition significantly varied between the breeding and non-breeding seasons, especially for the frequency of occurrence and relative read abundances at genus level. Our study analyzed the plant diet of the Chinese Monal at a high resolution for the first time, and the results revealed that the seasonal variations in its plant diet composition was adapted to plant phenology and foraging strategy. Fritillaria species, a previously confirmed important food resource for the Chinese Monal, were not detected in any fecal samples, potentially due to overharvesting of Fritillaria bulbs for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Therefore, we highly recommend further restriction of herb gathering in Chinese Monal habitats to facilitate the conservation of this endangered species. Altogether, our study enriches essential ecological information for the Chinese Monal and also provides insights into conservation management for this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ni 3 N/Ni/N-doped graphite nanoflakes was designed for hydrogen oxidation reaction. • Customized N-doped graphite nanoflakes significantly enhance corrosion resistance. • Ni 3 N/Ni heterostructure optimizes the binding energy of intermediates. • The synergy between Ni species and support delivers superior mass activity. Designing electrocatalysts for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in alkaline media is crucial but challenging. Among all available electrocatalysts, Ni-based materials are recognized as the most potential precious-metal-free electrocatalysts for HOR. However, they still suffer from serious problems including low activity and poor stability. In this work, a synergistic chemical anchoring and electronic structure regulation strategy is proposed to gain both high electrocatalytic activity and stability for Ni-based HOR catalyst. N-doped graphite nanoflakes (N-GFs) support with abundant N anchoring sites can stabilize the loading of Ni-based active species, giving rise to an excellent stability of the catalyst. Meanwhile, the rationally designed heterostructure in the active Ni 3 N/Ni can trigger the electron transfer across the heterointerface, which optimizes the binding energy of the reaction intermediates, resulting in an accelerated the Volmer reaction. Benefited from the rational design, Ni 3 N/Ni/N-GFs exhibits excellent mass activity (42.7 A g Ni -1 at the overpotential of 50 mV) and stability (more than 24 h continuous operation). Moreover, the Ni 3 N/Ni heterostructure performs better in HOR electrocatalysis than individual Ni or Ni 3 N. These experimental results are rationalized by the theoretical simulations, which demonstrate that the heterostructure effectively weakens the hydrogen adsorption, optimizes the hydroxyl adsorption, and decreases the water formation reaction barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polythiophene (Pth) is a good candidate cathode material for aluminum ion battery (AIB) because of its lightness, safety, plasticity and flexibility. However, it always manifests inferior stability. Herein, a stable Pth-based cathode is realized through the anchoring effect between Pth and carboxyl. Pth with a thin film morphology is in situ synthesized on the surface of carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNT-COOH). As a support, CNT-COOH not only alleviates the agglomeration of Pth that provides abundant transport channels for ions and electrons simultaneously, but also enhances the stability of Pth through the anchoring effect. As a result, the prepared Pth/CNT-COOH composite exhibits high discharge capacity (113 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1), outstanding rate performance (95 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1) and stable cycle stability (10,000 cycles with 0.001% decay per cycle). This work realizes a promising Pth-based AIBs with high capacity and long lifespan, which paves the way to the applications of organic materials in AIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum-ion battery (AIB) is intriguing for electrochemical power sources due to its potentially high capacity and high safety. However, the most investigated graphitic and metal dichalcogenide cathode materials normally possess moderate capacity and inferior cycling stability, respectively, which limit the performance of current AIBs. Here, we develop a polyaniline (PANI)/ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) composite as a cathode material of AIB using chloroaluminate ionic liquid as an electrolyte. During the charging/discharging process, two obvious platforms are observed at high voltages of 1.1 V and 1.5–1.7 V. The PANI/OMC cathode exhibits outstanding performance in terms of high specific capacity (140 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1), good rate performance (118 mAh g−1 at 2000 mA g−1) and excellent cycling stability (only 12% loss of capacity after 5000 cycles). Based on the ex-situ characterizations, the charge storage of PANI is found to be via the doping/de-doping of anions such as AlCl 4 −. Image 1 • The PANI/OMC cathode shows outstanding electrochemical performance in AIBs. • The ex-situ characterizations reveal the charge storage mechanism. • The charge storage in PANI is by the doping/de-doping of anions such as AlCl 4 −. • The synthetic strategy can be extended to other conductive polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amomum villosum is an important medicinal and edible plant with several pharmacologically active volatile oils. However, identifying A. villosum from A. villosum var. xanthioides and A. longiligulare which exhibit similar morphological characteristics to A. villosum, is difficult. The main goal of this study, therefore, is to mine genetic resources and improve molecular methods that could be used to distinguish these species. A total of eight complete chloroplasts (cp) genomes of these Amomum species which were collected from the main producing areas in China were determined to be 163,608–164,069 bp in size. All genomes displayed a typical quadripartite structure with a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (29,820–29,959 bp) that separated a large single copy (LSC) region (88,680–88,857 bp) from a small single copy (SSC) region (15,288–15,369 bp). Each genome encodes 113 different genes with 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. More than 150 SSRs were identified in the entire cp genomes of these three species. The Sanger sequencing results based on 32 Amomum samples indicated that five highly divergent regions screened from cp genomes could not be used to distinguish Amomum species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the cp genomes could not only accurately identify Amomum species, but also provide a solid foundation for the establishment of phylogenetic relationships of Amomum species. The availability of cp genome resources and the comparative analysis is beneficial for species authentication and phylogenetic analysis in Amomum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the challenge to reach targets of carbon emission reduction at the regional level, it is necessary to analyze the regional differences and influencing factors on China's carbon emission efficiency. Based on statistics from 2005 to 2015, carbon emission efficiency and the differences in 30 provinces of China were rated by the Modified Undesirable Epsilon-based measure (EBM) Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Model. Additionally, we further analyzed the influencing factors of carbon emission efficiency's differences in the Tobit model. We found that the overall carbon emission efficiency was relatively low in China. The level of carbon emission efficiency is the highest in the East region, followed by the Central and West regions. As for the influencing factors, industrial structure, external development, and science and technology level had a significant positive relationship with carbon emission efficiency, whereas government intervention and energy intensity demonstrated a negative correlation with carbon emission efficiency. The contributions of this paper include two aspects. First, we used the Modified Undesirable EBM DEA Model, which is more accurate than traditional methods. Secondly, based on the data's unit root testing and cointegration, the paper verified the influencing factors of carbon emission efficiency by the Tobit model, which avoids the spurious regression. Based on the results, we also provide several policy implications for policymakers to improve carbon emission efficiency in different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The endangered rate of medicinal plant exceeds that of endangered plant species. However, blindly introducing medicinal plants in regions without comprehensively considering the involved environmental factors results in diseases and insect pests and the consequent overproof pesticide residue as well as reduces the quality of herbal medicine produced. Methods: Global Medicinal Plant Geographic Information System (GMPGIS) was developed to analyze environmental information of ecologically suitable regions, thus guiding the conservation and introduction of medicinal plants. This system is based on theories and methods from multiple disciplines, including computer science, geoinformatics, ecology, and traditional herbal medicine. Using a range-based method, the previously established ecologically suitable regions were evaluated. This new method effectively resolved the problem of outlier points, and its functions were implemented in Python. The system automatically calculates the Euclidean distance of climatic factors and intersection of soil factors, thus identifying regions with high ecological similarity and those are climatically and edaphically suitable for the cultivation of medicinal plants. Results: These results, validated using real-world regions, revealed that GMPGIS is highly accurate in screening ecologically suitable regions for the cultivation of medicinal plants worldwide. Conclusions: Overall, because of these features, the GMPGIS is considered as a suitable distribution analysis system for global medicinal plant cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diosgenin, mainly extracted from wild diosgenin-contained Dioscorea species, is a well-known starting material of steroidal and contraceptive drugs. However, due to large market demand and increasingly ecological damage, wild Dioscorea species resources available have been gradually declining. Therefore, identification of new potential ecological distribution of diosgenin-contained Dioscorea species is necessary for diosgenin production. Methods: In this study, a large occurrence dataset (1808 data points) of diosgenin-contained Dioscorea species was obtained from Eastern Asia, Southern North America and Southern Africa. Along with the data for six critical environmental parameters and one soil factor, Geographic Information System for Global Medicinal Plant was applied to predict the potential suitable distribution of Dioscorea species. Results: The results showed that the potential distribution of these Dioscorea species covered a wide field, and that new ecological suitability areas were mainly distributed in the central region of South America, the southern part of the European and coastal region of Oceania. Jackknife test indicated that annual precipitation and annual mean radiation were the important climatic factors controlling the distribution of Dioscorea species. Conclusions: The suitable areas and critical climatic factors will serve as a useful guide for diosgenin-contained Dioscorea species conservation and cultivation in ecological suitable areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]