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Ridesplitting promises to reduce emissions. Previous studies mainly compared ridesplitting with single rides like taxis, leaving its impact on other modes unclear. This study quantifies the reduction or increase in CO 2 emissions due to ridesplitting from a modal substitution perspective and explore the nonlinear impacts of built environment factors on emission reductions. Considering different urban contexts, we choose Chengdu and Xi'an as representative examples for analysis. The results indicate that most ridesplitting trips lead to an increase in CO 2 emissions when compared to other modes. In Chengdu, a mere 8.92% of ridesplitting trips result in emission reduction, whereas in Xi'an, this figure stands at 4.68%. Emission reduction is predominantly linked to taxi substitution. Moreover, many built environment factors exhibit positive relationship with the increase in emission resulting from ridesplitting, and present nonlinear and threshold effects. The findings offer a framework to assess ridesplitting's environmental benefits, aiding urban planners and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Low cycle fatigue behavior of core–shell heterogeneous grain structured CoCrFeMnNi high entropy alloys is investigated. • The effects of core–shell network structure on cyclic response and LCF failure are revealed. • The LCF induced inhomogeneous plastic deformation in the core–shell network structure is revealed. • The LCF resistance remains when the strain amplitude is below 0.5%. Heterogeneous grain structured high-entropy alloys (HEAs) exhibit excellent strength-ductility synergy due to the peculiar grain structure topology. However, the understanding of cyclic response and deformation mechanism under low cycle fatigue (LCF) loading is still inadequate. Therefore, the LCF behavior and deformation mechanism of CoCrFeMnNi HEAs with a three-dimensional core–shell grain structure were investigated in this paper. The effects of core–shell network structure on cyclic response and fatigue life are revealed. The dislocations activity dominantly appears in the soft core regions prior to the hard shell region. The LCF resistance remains when the strain amplitude is below 0.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The fatigue limit in the GS diagram was corrected using the BS7608 standard.The fatigue limit in the GS diagram was corrected using the BS7608 standard. • Survival probability was incorporated as an optional parameter in the GS diagram. • Conversion equations of fatigue limits for various cycling characteristics were found. • Construction methods that can be applied to GS diagrams of different structure types were proposed. In this paper, an improved method of Goodman-Smith (GS) fatigue limit diagrams for metallic materials of railway vehicles is proposed. Firstly, this method is based on the three traditional GS curves described in the TB/T 3548–2019 standard, coupled with the S-N curve model from the British BS7608 standard, resulting in improved GS curves applicable to different structural configurations. Within this framework, the survival probability p is introduced as a controllable parameter into the improved GS diagrams, and based on this, the conversion equations of yield strength under different cyclic characteristics applicable to different structures are given for the base metal and the welded structure, which are diametrically opposed in terms of the influence of stress ratios, respectively. Finally, fatigue simulation tests were conducted on the bogie frame to verify and validate the improved GS diagrams. It was found that, while meeting the required criteria, the safety margin at the same survival probability reduced to 0.58 times of the original maximum position. Additionally, the coordinates of the inflection points of the improved GS diagrams for different bogie frame structures and their corresponding design criteria were provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding dynamic recrystallisation mechanism has significant scientific and practical importance for controlling the microstructure of AA7050 alloy during hot forging process. In this study, interrupted hot compression was conducted using Gleeble to the strain levels of 0.03, 0.15, 0.40 and 0.58 respectively, at 420 °C and strain rate of 0.05 s−1. The grain orientation, geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) density, low-angle grain boundary (LAGB) and high-angle grain boundary (HAGB) at various strain levels were characterised by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and their evolutions as a function of strain were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. The correlations of GND density, LAGB and HAGB with strain and stress were examined, and the evolution processes of these variables at grain scale were revealed. It was found that dislocations were firstly formed in some of the grains when the deformation started, and the saturation point for the average GND density was 13.5 in log 10 scale at the strain of 0.15. Some dislocations transformed into LAGB which could transform to HAGBs and form recrystallised grains in further deformation, demonstrating continuous dynamic recrystallisation (CDRX) behaviour. During this process, the areas of LAGB and HAGB per unit volume increased from 1.2 × 105 to 1.9 × 105 m−1 and from 2.8 × 104 to 7.1 × 104 m−1 respectively, meanwhile the misorientation angles of LAGB and HAGB did not vary markedly with increasing strain level. Based on the direct observation and the statistical analysis, the detailed dynamic recrystallisation mechanisms have been proposed and discussed. • Continuous dynamic recrystallisation prevails during hot deformation of AA7050. • Detailed microstructure evolution of GND, LAGB and HAGB is characterised with EBSD. • Transformation mechanisms from GND to LAGB and from LAGB to HAGB are illustrated. • Strain softening effect leads to continuous decline of flow stress at 420 °C/0.05 s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Y-SBA-15 was synthesized by doping yttrium (Y) into SBA-15 using a solvent-free solid-state grinding method, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium phosphomolybdic salt ([Bmim]3PMo12O40, abbreviated as [Bmim]PMoO) was also synthesized. [Bmim]PMoO/Y-SBA-15 was prepared and used for oxidative desulfurization (ODS). The physicochemical characteristics of the catalyst have been characterized by FT-IR, XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, FESEM, TEM, XPS, contact angle testing, EPR, etc. A lipophilic surface is beneficial for making the catalyst well disperse in an oil phase, and a hydrophilic core can help to store aqueous oxidants. Therefore, the amphiphilic catalyst 25[Bmim]PMoO/10Y-SBA-15 exhibited high catalytic activity in dibenzothiophene (DBT) ODS, and sulfur compounds can be removed completely within 40 min under the following conditions: VOil = 10 mL, mcatalyst = 0.1 g, m[Bmim]PMoO : m[Bmim]PMoO/10Y-SBA-15 = 25%, and O/S = 4 (molar ratio). In addition, the concentration of aromatics exerted little effect on the DBT ODS. Sulfur compounds in real diesel might be reduced to 8 μg g−1. The hydroxyl radical ˙OH and superoxide radical ˙O2− play crucial roles in the ODS reaction, and the ODS reaction mechanism was also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examines how community norms, such as religious atmosphere and economic pressures, affect corporate philanthropic giving. Grounded in upper echelon theory, the authors further focus on how the women on board of directors (BODs) play an important role in the relationship between community norms and corporate philanthropic giving. Design/methodology/approach: This study utilizes a two-stage Heckman selection model to control the sample-selection bias. The final sample includes 8,566 observations for the first stage and 5,575 observations for the second stage. Then, by using a sample of Chinese listed firms in 2010–2014, this study establishes a strong and robust support for the hypotheses. Findings: This study finds that religious atmosphere is significantly and positively associated with corporate philanthropic giving, whereas the relationship between economic pressure and corporate philanthropy is negative. Furthermore, women on BODs not only strengthen the relationship between religious atmosphere and corporate philanthropic giving but also strengthen the relationship between economic pressure and corporate philanthropic giving. Originality/value: First, the authors contribute to community literature by developing a subdivided perspective. The authors provide the first attempt to empirically investigate the hidden association between the two perspectives of community (religious atmosphere and economic pressure) and corporate philanthropic giving. Second, the authors contribute to the literature on corporate philanthropy by expanding the antecedents of corporate philanthropic giving to communities where firms are headquartered. Third, by capturing the multiple identities of women, the authors enrich the study of the influence of minority groups on corporate decision-making. The authors find that gender diversity on BODs strengthen the influence of community norms on corporate philanthropic giving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of thick-walled tubes of nickel-based superalloy (TWNS) are required in aviation industry and nuclear industry. The rotary tube piercing (RTP) process has great advantages in preparing the seamless tubes. However, the external separation layer defect (ESLD) hinders the application of RTP process in nickel-based superalloy. In the study, the combinations of experiment analysis and numerical simulation were adopted to explore the formation mechanism of ESLD. The experiment results reveal that the ESLD is closely related to the roll speed and diameter reduction rate, and the radial position of ESLD is determined as r/R = 0.8–0.9. The average grain size and micro-hardness on both sides of ESLD vary greatly, which reveals that the formation of ESLD is closely related to the radial strain gradient. The simulation results reveal that the positions of maximum radial strain gradient, maximum shear strain, and maximum temperature rise are all closed to the position of ESLD. Further, a novel damage model considering the effects of maximum shear strain and maximum shear stress on ESLD was proposed. By comparing the experiment results and simulation results, it is found that the proposed damage model is reliable to predict the ESLD. The formation mechanism of ESLD includes crack initiation and crack propagation. The crack initiation is related to the damage of proposed model, and the crack propagation is controlled by radial strain gradient, which provides a path for the crack propagation. The severe temperature rise intensifies the metal flow and further promotes the evolution of crack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subentire-domain (SED) basis functions method has shown its efficiency in solving the electromagnetic problem of large-scale finite periodic structures (LFPSs). However, calculating the expansion coefficients of SED basis functions is very time-consuming due to the consideration of the mutual coupling between all the elements in LFPSs, even after accelerated by conjugate-gradient fast Fourier transform (CG-FFT) and/or fast multipole method (FMM). In this article, based on the physics locations of observation cells, the adaptive artificial neural networks (AANNs) have been employed to rapidly predict the expansion coefficients of SED basis functions on interior cells, edge cells, and corner cells. By involving the AANNs, the mutual coupling between all the elements can be accounted into the neural networks without the construction of the mutual coupling matrix, and the expansion coefficients of SED basis functions can be obtained rapidly. Numerical experiments prove the accuracy and efficiency of the AANN-assisted SED basis functions method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein phylogenetic analysis focuses on the evolutionary relationships among related protein sequences and can help researchers infer protein functions and developmental trajectories. With the advent of the big data era, the existing protein phylogenetic methods, including distance matrix and character-based methods, are facing challenges in both running time and application scope. Here, we developed an R package that we call CProtMEDIAS that is useful for protein phylogenetic analysis. In contrast to existing phylogenetic analysis methods, CProtMEDIAS utilizes dimensionality reduction algorithms to digitize multiple sequence alignments and quickly conduct phylogenetic analysis with a large number of amino acid sequences from similarly distant protein families and species. We used CProtMEDIAS to perform a dimensionality reduction, clustering, pseudotime, specific residue and evolutionary trajectory analysis of the plant homeobox superfamily. We found that CProtMEDIAS delivers consistent clustering, fast running and elegant presentation and thus provides powerful new tools and methods for protein clustering and evolutionary analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the customers' equilibrium and socially optimal joining–balking behavior in a single-server Markovian queue with a single working vacation and Bernoulli interruptions. The model is motivated by practical service systems where the service rate can be adjusted according to whether or not the system is empty. Specifically, we focus on a single-server queue in which the server's service rate is reduced from a regular to a lower one when the system becomes empty. This lower rate period is called a working vacation for the server which may represent that part of the service facility is under a maintenance process or works on other non-queueing job, or simply for saving the energy (for a machine server case). In this paper, we assume that the working vacation period is terminated after a random period or with probability p after serving a customer in a non-empty system. Such a system is called a queue with single working vacation and Bernoulli interruptions. Customers are strategic and can make choice of joining or balking based on different levels of system information. We consider four scenarios: fully observable, almost observable, almost unobservable, and fully unobservable queue cases. Under a reward-cost structure, we analyze the customer's equilibrium and social-optimal strategies. In addition, the effects of system parameters on optimal strategies are illustrated by numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PC-01 is a probiotic candidate isolated from naturally fermented yak milk in Lhasa, Tibet, and it has been shown to possess excellent milk fermentation properties. This study used Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PC-01 as a co-fermentation strain to investigate the effect of inoculum size with a commercial starter in milk fermentation on the product flavor and profile of volatile metabolites over 28 d of cold storage. Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PC-01 was allowed to ferment in pasteurized milk with or without the commercial starter (YF-L904) at 42°C until the pH decreased to 4.5. The finished fermented milks were stored at 10°C for 28 d. Milk samples were taken at hour 0 (before fermentation) and then at d 1, 14, and 28 of cold storage. Different inoculum sizes of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PC-01 had no significant effect on pH or titratable acidity during storage of fermented milk. Viable counts of strain PC-01 continued to increase during cold storage of the fermented milk. Generally, as storage of fermented milk proceeded, the overall sensory quality score decreased in all groups. However, the overall sensory scores of PC-01-M were generally higher than those of other groups, suggesting that a medium dose of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei PC-01 had the most obvious effect of slowing the decline in sensory quality of fermented milk during storage. Changes in sensory scores and consumer preferences were accompanied by increases in both the quantity and variety of key volatile metabolites in fermented milk during fermentation, post-ripening (d 1), and storage. Major differentially abundant metabolites, including acetaldehyde, methyl ketones, medium-chain and short-chain fatty acids, 2,3-butanedione, and acetoin, were enriched in fermented milks rated highly in the sensory evaluation. Our data confirmed that the inoculum size of co-fermentative culture affected the sensory quality and volatile metabolome of fermented milk over storage, and an optimal range of co-fermentative culture was titrated in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A heterostructured covalent organic framework (COF) membrane is synthesized via in situ linker exchange. Narrowed pores can be formed at the interface between two types of COFs by adjusting the linker exchange duration. The resultant COF membrane demonstrates a high rejection rate toward Na2SO4 of up to 97%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This translational study aims to investigate the clinical benefits of indocyanine green (ICG) based near-infrared window II (NIR-II) fluorescence image-guided surgery (FGS) on high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive FGS or traditional white light image-guided surgery (WLS). The detection rate of NIR-II fluorescence was observed. Complete resection rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and neurological status were compared. Tissue samples were obtained from the FGS group, with the diagnosis based on the surgeons and the fluorescence recorded for comparison of diagnostic capability. Patients with WHO grade III gliomas or glioblastomas (GBM) were analyzed separately. Results: 15 GBM and 4 WHO grade III glioma patients in the FGS group and 18 GBM and 4 WHO grade III glioma patients in the WLS group were enrolled. The detection rate of NIR-II fluorescence was 100% for GBM. The complete resection rate was significantly increased by the FGS for GBM (FGS, 100% [95% CI 73.41-100] vs. WLS, 50% [95% CI 29.03-70.97], P = 0.0036). The PFS and OS of the FGS group were also significantly prolonged (Median PFS: FGS, 9.0 months vs. WLS, 7.0 months, P < 0.0001; Median OS: FGS, 19.0 months vs. WLS, 15.5 months, P = 0.0002). No recurrence was observed in WHO grade III glioma patients. Conclusions: NIR-II FGS achieves a much better complete resection rate of GBM than conventional WLS, leading to greatly improved survival of GBM patients. Significance: NIR-II FGS is a highly promising technique worthy of exploring more clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial carcinoma (EC), a common female reproductive system malignant tumor, affects thousands of people with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study was aimed at developing a prediction model for the diagnosis of EC in the general population. First, we obtained datasets GSE63678, GSE106191, and GSE115810 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, dataset GSE17025 from the GEO database, and the RNA sequence of EC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to constitute the training, test, and validation groups, respectively. Subsequently, the 96 most significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and analyzed for function and pathway enrichment in the training group. Next, we acquired the disease-specific genes by random forest and established an artificial neural network for the diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were utilized to identify the signature across the three groups. Finally, immune infiltration was analyzed to reveal tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) alterations in EC. The top 96 DEGs (77 down-regulated and 19 up-regulated genes) were primarily enriched in the interleukin-17 signaling pathway, protein digestion and absorption, and transcriptional misregulation in cancer. Subsequently, 14 characterizing genes of EC were identified by random forest. In the training, test, and validation groups, the artificial neural network was constructed with high diagnostic accuracies of 0.882, 0.864, and 0.839, respectively, and areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) of 0.928, 0.921, and 0.782, respectively. Finally, resting and activated mast cells were found to have increased in TIME. We constructed an artificial diagnostic model with excellent reliability for EC and uncovered variations in the immunological ecosystem of EC through integrated bioinformatics approaches, which might be potential diagnostic targets for EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of learner engagement has traditionally been examined in the field of education and it has been found to be associated with positive educational outcomes. While several studies in second language acquisition have looked at learner engagement with corrective feedback, there is a dearth of research investigating its relevance to successful language learners and effective language learning. Through a narrative inquiry, this study reports an individual language learner's engagement in the acquisition of a second language (L2) – Cantonese. The learner went through three different stages in his learning process, namely the period of silence, the period of early production and experimentation, and the period of continued development and communicative competence. At each stage of learning process, three major types of engagement were observed: behavioural, affective, and cognitive. Individual and contextual factors that influenced learner engagement with language learning were also identified. The findings of this study suggest that the integration of the three types of learner engagement with L2 learning goals, tasks, and context is conducive to effective language learning. The study concludes with some pedagogical implications for both L2 teachers and learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While much attention has been paid to student engagement in feedback research in academic writing across higher education, few studies have investigated the role of the teacher in promoting student engagement with feedback. This exploratory study examines the impact of teacher pedagogical approach and feedback practices on student engagement with feedback. The study was conducted at a Chinese university over a 16-week semester and analysed students' written assignments, teacher feedback, and semi-structured interviews with the teacher and students. It is found that the teacher adopted a collaborative approach in his class that involved group writing and revising in response to detailed teacher feedback. Through this collaborative approach, the students were able to conduct a wide range of revision operations beyond the word level in their writing. The study shows that the majority of students espoused this collaborative approach because it effectively tapped into multiple dimensions of student engagement, increasing active behavioural engagement, promoting positive affective engagement, and encouraging deep cognitive engagement in the writing and revision process. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for academic writing and teacher feedback practices in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schwann cells (SCs) are the major glial cells in peripheral nervous system. They unsheathe and myelinate axons and play an essential role in peripheral nerve regeneration. Several studies report that Parkin-mediated mitophagy is associated with various diseases. Melatonin promotes proliferation of central glial cells. Little is known about the effect of melatonin and Parkin-mediated mitophagy on peripheral nerve repair. In this study, using a rat model of a peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and in vitro model established by RSC96 cells treated with tert -butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), we found that Parkin-mediated mitophagy can effectively reduce the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), maintain the balance of mitochondrial membrane potential, maintain autophagic flux, and inhibit mitochondrial apoptosis. At the same time, we found that the increase of Parkin under stress is a manifestation of the RSC96 cells' resistance to oxidative stress to maintain RSC96 cells' balance. In our experiment, melatonin is similar to a Parkin agonist, up-regulating the expression of Parkin, enhancing all the positive results of Parkin in a stress state, such as inhibiting active oxygen production, maintaining autophagic flux, and inhibiting mitochondrial apoptosis. In addition, we design in vivo experiments to verify in In vitro experiments. In in vivo, melatonin promotes the expression of Parkin, maintains autophagic flux, inhibits apoptosis, promotes myelin regeneration, reduces the regeneration of collagen fibers around damaged tissues, and promotes peripheral nerve repair. When adenovirus was used to down-regulate the expression of Parkin, we found that all the positive effects of melatonin were attenuated. Collectively, these findings indicate that melatonin upregulates Parkin-mediated mitophagy and promotes peripheral nerve repair. The results provide a basis for development of effective drugs for PNI treatment. [Display omitted] • Parkin-mediated mitophagy promotes the repair of peripheral nerves. • Parkin gene knockout aggravated mitochondrial dysfunction. • Parkin gene knockou increased the level of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. • Parkin gene knockout inhibited autophagy flux, and increasing cell apoptosis. • Melatonin acts as an agonist of Parkin to promote peripheral nerve repair in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black silicon, which is an attractive material due to its optical properties, is prepared mainly by laser inducing in an SF6 atmosphere. Considering the effect of SF6 gas on the environment and human health, here we propose an efficient, economical, and green approach to process large-scale black silicon. In the wavelength range of 0.3–2.5 µm, the role of air could replace SF6 gas to texture black silicon by laser inducing with appropriate processing parameters. Then, to extend the working window of its excellent light-trapping status, laser-plasma shockwave cleaning was introduced to eliminate the deposition and improve the structures and morphology. The results revealed that the micro-nano structures became higher, denser, and more uniform with increasing cleaning times and deteriorating cleaning velocity, which compensated for the role of S atoms from the ambient SF6. Moreover, absorptance above 85% in the wavelength range of 0.3–15 µm was realized using our method. The effect of scanning pitch between adjacent rows on large-scale black silicon was also discussed. Our method realized the ultrahigh absorptance of large-scale black silicon fabricated in air from visible to mid-infrared, which is of significance in the field of optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seru is a relatively new type of Japanese production mode originated from the electronic assembly industry. In practice, seru production has been proven to be efficient, flexible, response quickly, and can cope with the fluctuating production demands in a current volatile market. This paper focuses on scheduling problems in seru production system. Motivated by the realty of labor-intensive assembly industry, we consider learning effect of workers and job splitting with the objective of minimizing the total completion time. A nonlinear integer programming model for the seru scheduling problem is provided, and it is proved to be polynomial solvable. Therefore, a branch and bound algorithm is designed for small sized seru scheduling problems, while a local search-based hybrid genetic algorithm employing shortest processing time rule is provided for large sized problems. Finally, computational experiments are conducted, and the results demonstrate the practicability of the proposed seru scheduling model and the efficiency of our solution methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mounting body of evidence suggests that prenatal inflammation may enhance the rate of age-associated cognitive decline and may involve aberrant amounts of synaptic proteins in the hippocampus, including synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc). However, little is known about the specific impact of adolescent environmental enrichment (EE) on age-associated cognitive decline and the changes in synaptic proteins caused by prenatal inflammation. In this study, CD-1 mice in late pregnancy were given intraperitoneal doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 50 μg/kg) or normal saline. Offspring arising from LPS dams were divided into a LPS group and a LPS plus EE (LPS-E) group. The LPS-E mice were exposed to EE from 2 months of age until the end of the experiment (3 or 15 months old). The Morris water maze (MWM) was used to assess the spatial learning and memory capacities of experimental mice, while western blotting and RNA-scope were used to determine the expression levels of Arc and Syt1 in the hippocampus at the protein and mRNA levels, respectively. Analysis revealed that at 15 months of age, the control mice experienced a reduction in cognitive ability and elevated expression levels of Arc and Syt1 genes when compared to control mice at 3 months of age. The LPS-E group exhibited better cognition and lower protein and mRNA levels of Arc and Syt1 than mice in the LPS group of the same age. However, the enriched environment mitigated but did not counteract, the effects of prenatal inflammation on cognitive and synaptic proteins when tested at either 3 or 15 months of age. Our findings revealed that long-term environmental enrichment improved the expression levels of synaptic proteins in CD-1 mice and that this effect was linked to the dysfunctional cognition caused by prenatal inflammation; this process may also be involved in the reduction of hippocampal Arc and Syt1 gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We obtained epitaxial single-crystal Fe3O4(001)/MgO(001) thin films by magnetron sputtering. The high quality of the grown Fe3O4 films was confirmed by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Atomic magnetic properties of Fe3O4(001)/MgO(001) were investigated using vibrating sample magnetometry and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The values of saturation magnetization and magnetic moment are 407 ± 5 emu/cm3 (3.26 ± 0.04 μ B / (f. u.) ) and 3.31 ± 0.15 μ B / (f. u.) , respectively, in the Fe3O4 film as thin as 5 nm, which are close to the bulk values. The spin polarization was directly measured using spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The measured spin polarization has a maximum value of −42% ± 3%, which is comparable to the theoretical value for the (2 × 2)R45° reconstructed Fe3O4(001) surface. Furthermore, the film thickness-dependent measurements indicate that the anti-phase boundaries significantly decrease the spin polarization rather than the lattice mismatch. Our results demonstrate that epitaxial Fe3O4(001)/MgO thin films grown by magnetron sputtering have desired magnetic properties, facilitating the potential application of Fe3O4-based spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has posed a significant threat to global public health since its outbreak in late 2019. Although there are a few drugs approved for clinical treatment to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection currently, the severity of the ongoing global pandemic still urges the efforts to discover new antiviral compounds. As the viral spike (S) protein plays a key role in mediating virus entry, it becomes a potential target for the design of antiviral drugs against COVID-19. Here, we tested the antiviral activity of berbamine hydrochloride, a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, against SARS-CoV-2 infection. We found that berbamine hydrochloride could efficiently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in different cell lines. Further experiments showed berbamine hydrochloride inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection by targeting the viral entry into host cells. Moreover, berbamine hydrochloride and other bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids could potently inhibit S-mediated cell-cell fusion. Furthermore, molecular docking results implied that the berbamine hydrochloride could bind to the post fusion core of SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit. Therefore, berbamine hydrochloride may represent a potential efficient antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Author summary: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global health threat. Development of antiviral agents are urgently required to control the pandemic. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral activity of berbamine hydrochloride, a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid that is isolated from traditional Chinese medicinal Berberis amurensis. We demonstrated that berbamine hydrochloride potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection by blocking the entry of the virus into the host cell. Moreover, berbamine hydrochloride and other bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloids also block SARS-CoV-2 S-mediated membrane fusion. Furthermore, we analyzed the interaction of berbamine hydrochloride and viral proteins by molecular docking analysis. We found that berbamine hydrochloride could directly bind to the post fusion core of SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit, which mediates the fusion with the host membranes. Our results provide a new lead compound for antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engineering problems involving clay under non‐isothermal conditions (e.g., geothermal energy harvest, landfill cover system, and nuclear waste disposal) are multiscale and multiphysics by nature. The nanoscale hydrodynamics of clay at elevated temperature is essential in developing a physics‐based multiscale model for clay under non‐isothermal conditions. The nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) is a useful tool to study the nanoscale hydrodyndamics of clay. This article presents an NEMD modeling of hydrodynamics of clay nanopores at elevated temperatures. Water flow confined in pyrophyllite and montmorillonite clay nanopores is investigated. The nonequilibrium state is maintained by uniformly exerting an external force on each water molecule. The NEMD simulations have provided a molecular‐scale perspective of temperature effect on clay‐water density, water flow velocity, shear viscosity, clay‐water slip length, hydraulic conductivity, and clay‐water friction coefficient. The numerical results have shown a strong temperature dependence of fluid flow velocity, shear viscosity, clay‐water slip length, and hydraulic conductivity at the nanoscale. We have validated the applicability of cubic law in determining hydraulic conductivity at the nanopore scale at elevated temperatures. It is found from our numerical results that slip clay‐water boundary condition is an essential factor in properly determining nanoscale fluid flow velocity. By numerical examples, we also study the impact of nanopore size and clay layer thickness on the hydrodynamics of the clay‐water system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel type of hybrid self-centering braces incorporating tension-only superelastic NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) cables and integrated viscoelastic dampers (VEDs). One of our reasons for proposing this new SMA-viscoelastic hybrid brace (SCVEB) is to provide enhanced energy-dissipation ability whilst promoting increased self-centering tendency compared with the existing SMA-based self-centering solutions, where upgrading behavior is mainly benefited from the participation of the VEDs. The configuration and the working principle, along with theoretical equations describing the mechanical behavior of the SCVEB, are described in detail firstly. Experimental verification of individual elements in this SCVEB system, namely the NiTi SMA cables and VEDs, was performed to obtain a basic understanding of their mechanical properties. A proof-of-concept SCVEB specimen was then manufactured, and its cyclic performance was further investigated. Followed by this, a system-level analysis on a series of steel frames equipped with or without SCVEB was conducted. The results showed that the SCVEB system exhibited a moderate damping ratio and a more efficient controlled behavior in terms of its post-event residual deformation and floor acceleration when compared with those of the non-SCVEB system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with specific morphologies including nanofibers and nanoplates are highly desired in both nanoscience research and practical applications. Thus far, however, morphology engineering for COFs remains challenging because the mechanism underlying the morphology formation and evolution of COFs is not well understood. Herein, we propose a strategy of surfactant mediation coupled with acid adjustment to engineer the morphology of a β-ketoenamine-linked COF, TpPa, during solvothermal synthesis. The surfactants function as stabilizers that can encapsulate monomers and prepolymers to create micelles, enabling the formation of fiber-like and plate-like morphologies of TpPa rather than irregularly shaped aggregates. It is also found that acetic acid is important in regulating such morphologies, as the amino groups inside the prepolymers can be precisely protonated by acid adjustment, leading to an inhibited ripening process for the creation of specific morphologies. Benefitting from the synergistic enhancement of surfactant mediation and acid adjustment, TpPa nanofibers with a diameter down to ∼20 nm along with a length of up to a few microns and TpPa nanoplates with a thickness of ∼18 nm are created. Our work sheds light on the mechanism underlying the morphology formation and evolution of TpPa, providing some guidance for exquisite control over the growth of COFs, which is of great significance for their practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite ghost is a common phenomenon that widely exists in dynamic scene image mosaic and significantly affects the naturalness of mosaic. To remove the ghost effectively and produce visually natural mosaic, we propose a novel image mosaic method by jointly identifying composite ghost and eliminating ghost regions without distorting, splitting, and duplicating objects. Specifically, our main contributions are three-fold: First, we propose the motion-aware composite ghost identification to localize the potential composite ghosts in the mosaic region (i.e., overlapping area between two images to be stitched) by detecting the salient-moving objects in two stitched images. Second, we design the object-aware alternative region selection strategy to produce ghostless regions that can replace the localized composite ghosts while avoiding object distortion, object separation, and object repetition. Third, we realize the image interpolation-based composite ghost elimination that can generate natural stitched image by eliminating the composite ghost of the initial blending result with the selected image source. We validate the proposed method on challenging datasets and show that our method outperform the state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Selenium (Se)‐enriched glycoproteins have been a research highlight for the role of both Se and glycoproteins in immunoregulation. Arsenic (As) is a toxicant that is potentially toxic to the immune function and consequently to human health. Several reports suggested that Se could reduce the toxicity of heavy metals. Moreover, more and more nutrients in food had been applied to relieve As‐induced toxicity. Hence glycoproteins were isolated and purified from Se‐enriched Grifola frondosa, and their preliminary characteristics as well as amelioration effect and mechanism on As3+‐induced immune toxicity were evaluated. RESULTS: Four factions, namely Se‐GPr11 (electrophoresis analysis exhibited one band: 14.32 kDa), Se‐GPr22 (two bands: 20.57 and 31.12 kDa), Se‐GPr33 (three bands: 15.08, 20.57 and 32.78 kDa) and Se‐GPr44 (three bands: 16.73, 32.78 and 42.46 kDa), were obtained from Se‐enriched G. frondosa via DEAE‐52 and Sephacryl S‐400 column. In addition, Se‐GPr11 and Se‐GPr44 are ideal proteins that contain high amounts of almost all essential amino acids. Thereafter, the RAW264.7 macrophage model was adopted to estimate the effect of Se‐GPr11 and Se‐GPr44 on As3+‐induced immune toxicity. The results showed that the pre‐intervention method was the best consequent and the potential mechanisms were, first, by improving the oxidative stress state (enhancing the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, decreasing the levels of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde); secondly, through nuclear factor‐κB and mitogen‐activated protein kinase‐mediated upregulation cytokines (interleukin‐2 and interferon‐γ) secretion induced by As3+. CONCLUSION: The results suggested Se‐enriched G. frondosa may be a feasible supplement to improve health level of the As3+ pollution population. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, research of cable fault diagnosis based on artificial intelligence mainly takes statistical characteristics as inputs, which means the appropriateness of statistical characteristic selection is directly related to the diagnosis accuracy and the identification results may have certain contingency. Further, most of these methods do not consider the correlation of signals in time. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel diagnosis method for 10 kV single-core cable based on Double-Layer Long Short Term Memory (D-LSTM) network considering timing relationship of multiple observable electrical quantities. Firstly, analysis object is expanded from single electrical quantity to multiple observable electrical quantities, and the relationships among these quantities are analyzed. Secondly, characteristic matrix of combined time series is constructed by time series pairs extracted from multiple observable electrical quantities. Thirdly, the D-LSTM network for processing sequenced input is established according to the features of characteristic matrix. Then, adaptive moment estimation (Adam) method is applied to model training under supervised learning and the model of fault diagnosis is obtained. Finally, recognition experiments are carried out by the proposed method with sample data obtained by simulation of three cable faults and load disturbance. Results show the diagnosis accuracy of proposed method can achieve 99.06%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employees' green-oriented behavior can produce positive outcomes for sustainability in all sectors. However, the granularity of how such behaviors can be promoted is limited in the literature. Therefore, research explaining the effect of policies pursued by organizations and the effect of leadership on employee green-oriented behavior can be useful. This study addresses this need by drawing upon Social Cognitive Theory to examine the association of green human resource management (GHRM) with green creativity (GC). In addition, we examine the mediation effect of green self-efficacy (GSE) and the moderation effect of green transformational leadership (GTL) to provide robust insights into how organizations can motivate employees to generate innovative solutions to environmental challenges. The model is tested by analyzing multi-wave and multi-source data collected from luxury resorts and hotels. The findings confirm a positive association of GHRM with GC as well as the mediation effect of GSE on the association of GHRM and GC. However, the moderated mediation influence of GTL on the indirect effect of GHRM on GC is not supported. Our findings can help tourism organizations boost employees' creativity, which, in turn, can support the use of green processes and help these organizations become better aligned with sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To demonstrate the feasibility of automating UED operation and diagnosing the machine performance in real time, a two-stage machine learning (ML) model based on self-consistent start-to-end simulations has been implemented. This model will not only provide the machine parameters with adequate precision, toward the full automation of the UED instrument, but also make real-time electron beam information available as single-shot nondestructive diagnostics. Furthermore, based on a deep understanding of the root connection between the electron beam properties and the features of Bragg-diffraction patterns, we have applied the hidden symmetry as model constraints, successfully improving the accuracy of energy spread prediction by a factor of five and making the beam divergence prediction two times faster. The capability enabled by the global optimization via ML provides us with better opportunities for discoveries using near-parallel, bright, and ultrafast electron beams for single-shot imaging. It also enables directly visualizing the dynamics of defects and nanostructured materials, which is impossible using present electron-beam technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circadian rhythm is an evolutionarily conserved time-keeping system that comprises a wide variety of processes including sleep–wake cycles, eating–fasting cycles, and activity–rest cycles, coordinating the behavior and physiology of all organs for whole-body homeostasis. Acute disruption of circadian rhythm may lead to transient discomfort, whereas long-term irregular circadian rhythm will result in the dysfunction of the organism, therefore increasing the risks of numerous diseases especially cancers. Indeed, both epidemiological and experimental evidence has demonstrated the intrinsic link between dysregulated circadian rhythm and cancer. Accordingly, a rapidly increasing understanding of the molecular mechanisms of circadian rhythms is opening new options for cancer therapy, possibly by modulating the circadian clock. In this review, we first describe the general regulators of circadian rhythms and their functions on cancer. In addition, we provide insights into the mechanisms underlying how several types of disruption of the circadian rhythm (including sleep–wake, eating–fasting, and activity–rest) can drive cancer progression, which may expand our understanding of cancer development from the clock perspective. Moreover, we also summarize the potential applications of modulating circadian rhythms for cancer treatment, which may provide an optional therapeutic strategy for cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LncRNA ELF3-AS1 has been characterized as an oncogenic lncRNA in bladder cancer and oral cancer, whereas its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unknown. In this study, the authors observed that ELF3-AS1 was upregulated in NSCLC tissues in comparison with that in paired nontumor tissues collected from 68 NSCLC patients. High expression levels of ELF3-AS1 predicted the poor survival of NSCLC patients. Expression levels of miR-212 were inversely and significantly correlated with the expression levels of ELF3-AS1 across NSCLC tissue samples. In NSCLC cells, overexpression of ELF3-AS1 led to downregulated miR-212 and increased methylation of miR-212 gene. In addition, overexpression of ELF3-AS1 inhibited the role of miR-212 in suppressing cancer cell invasion and migration. Therefore, ELF3-AS1 is upregulated in NSCLC and promotes cancer cell invasion and migration by downregulating miR-212 through methylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Singapore's construction industry in terms of construction demand, output, prices and project performance. A three-pronged research approach was adopted: a survey, analyzing published statistical data, and conducting in-depth interviews with subject matter experts. The survey revealed that projects suffered significant delays and cost overruns and lower quality. It was found that construction demand and output decreased by 27.9% and 28.6%, respectively. Some project owners postponed awarding contracts or calling tenders because prices exceeded their budgets. While waiting for bid prices to decrease, they re-evaluated the feasibility, scope, design, budget, and timeline of their projects. Contraction of construction output was found to be due to a severe shortage of labor and to lower productivity as a consequence of complying with many safe management measures. The results of autoregressive time-series modeling predicted that tender prices will continue to rise in the short term before decreasing after mid-2022. Although manual labor may be replaced by productive technologies if technology is cheaper than labor, this was not found to be the case. The originality of this research is that it empirically quantified project outcomes due to the pandemic and predicted tender price indexes for the next 5 years. These predicted indexes are useful for estimating the risk and markup to be added to the base construction cost. The value of this research is that it informs policy makers that regulations need to be enacted to compel the adoption of productive technologies to reduce reliance on labor. Otherwise, the worker shortage problems faced in this pandemic may continue to surface in future pandemics. The implication of adopting productive technologies is that project owners must increase the project budget because these technologies cost more than manual labor. However, the cost might be passed to end users, who will end up paying more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SrTiO3 is a model of the perovskite-like compounds for structural transition which inducing the intriguing physical properties around the critical phase transition temperature TAFD (antiferrodistortive, abbrev. as AFD). Here we report that the electrical transport behavior is a new way to quantify Nb concentration for Nb-doped SrTiO3. The lattice parameter (c), phase transition temperature (TAFD), and the carrier concentration (n) of SrTiO3 may be manipulated by niobium doping. TAFD increases with increasing the niobium content in a rate of about 30 K per (wt%, i.e. niobium element's weight verses total weight) niobium and n in a rate of about 2.5 × 1020/cm3 per (wt%) niobium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics modeling is a useful tool to study the interface physics of the clay-water system at the nanoscale. A key parameter to characterize the interface physics of unsaturated soils is the contact angle between clay and water. In this paper, we propose a deep-learning enhanced numerical method to accurately determine the clay-water contact angle at elevated temperatures from molecular dynamics simulations. In this approach the water droplet on clay is treated as a 3D point cloud. The spatial location of individual water molecular is derived from the coordinate of the molecule's center-of-mass. At each point, the covariance matrix method is used to fit a tangent plane to a surface spanned by its k-nearest neighbors. The clay-water contact angle is calculated from the normal of the tangent plane. The covariance matrix method is enhanced by a deep-learning algorithm through the randomized Hough transform. Through the transform, each normal is mapped to a Hough accumulator with many bins. The final normal is obtained from the most voted bin via the deep-learning algorithm. Numerical results have demonstrated that the deep-learning enhanced algorithm is robust in characterizing variations of the contact angle between clay and water at elevated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morels (Morchella spp.), which are cultivated only in a few regions of the world, are edible mushrooms known for their various properties including antioxidation, immune regulation, antiinflammation, and antitumor effects. Polysaccharides from Morchella are principally responsible for its antioxidant activity. This paper reviews the extraction, purification, structural analysis and antioxidant activity of Morchella polysaccharides (MPs), providing updated research progress. Meanwhile, the structural-property relationships of MPs were further discussed. In addition, based on in vitro and in vivo studies, the major factors responsible for the antioxidant activity of MPs were summarized including scavenging free radicals, reduction capacity, inhibitory lipid peroxidation activity, regulating the signal transduction pathway, reducing the production of ROS and NO, etc. Finally, we hope that our research can provide a reference for further research and development of MPs. • Possible mechanisms of antioxidant activity of Morchella polysaccharides (MPs) are reviewed and proposed. • This paper examines the relationship between MPs' antioxidant activity and their extraction, structure and other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon/phenolic composite, as structural materials for aerospace, undergoes static and dynamic loading which can affect the structural integrity of components. This paper aims to comprehensively investigate the mechanical properties and damage evolution mechanisms of z-pinned carbon/phenolic woven composite subjected to static tensile and different levels of tension-tension fatigue loading. The essential correlation between damage modes and acoustic emission (AE) signals of carbon/phenolic composite was first established. The AE signals were processed using the Hilbert-Huang transform method to obtain the percentage of damage modes at various load levels. The results showed that the peak frequency ranges of the three damage modes, matrix cracking, debonding, and fiber breakage, were 100–200 kHz, 200–300 kHz, and over 300 kHz, respectively. Moreover, the damage evolution mechanisms can be revealed using the OM-AE monitoring method. It was found that the dominant damage modes were all matrix cracking. The fatigue damage occurs at the edge of the specimen, and the three damage modes interact with each other on a microscopic scale. Cracks expand from the edge to the center at low stress. The developed OM-AE online damage monitoring system allows real-time damage monitoring and accurate recognition of damage modes. [Display omitted] • The in-situ OM-AE damage monitoring system is developed. • Establish the correlation between damage modes and AE signals of carbon/phenolic composite. • The evolution of fatigue damage at different stress levels is clarified. • The interaction between matrix cracking and debonding is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Pt-Ru metallic aerogels (MAs) with controllable composition were successfully synthesized using a freeze–thaw method. Among all the samples we prepared, Pt 6 Ru MAs with rich surface defects, large specific surface area, and optimal electronic structure show the highest catalytic activity and reactivation ability in ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). [Display omitted] • Pt 6 Ru MAs with abundant rich surface defects were prepared for the first time. • Pt 6 Ru MAs have excellent EOR activity and stability. • Pt 6 Ru MAs can be reactivated in a 0.1 M HClO 4 after stability measurement. Direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are a new type of green and efficient energy conversion devices, but the slow anodic reaction kinetics limit their application. Herein, a series of Pt-Ru metallic aerogels (MAs) with controllable composition, rich surface defects, and large specific surface area were prepared for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) by freeze–thaw method. Pt 6 Ru MAs exhibit the highest mass activity (1.264 A mg Pt −1) toward EOR among all the catalysts we have prepared, which is 2.0, 1.8, and 3.7 times higher than those of Pt MAs (0.632 A mg Pt −1), the commercial Pt/C (0.696 A mg Pt −1), Pt 6 Ru NPs (0.339 A mg Pt −1). 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirms that only acetic acid was the liquid product of Pt 6 Ru MAs during EOR catalysis. Furthermore, Pt 6 Ru MAs show little attenuation and satisfactory reactivation abilities in stability assessment, demonstrating their good stability. This proves that the introduction of Ru makes feasible adjustments to the electronic structure of Pt in MAs, improving the electrocatalysis activity of Pt 6 Ru MAs in EOR. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the optimal electronic structure is the intrinsic reason for the excellent EOR performance of Pt 6 Ru MAs. The findings open a new way to develop high-performance Pt-based materials electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the saturated solubility of triethylamine hydrochloride (TEA·HCl) was determined using the static method in binary mixed solvents ((1-Butanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 1-Octanol) + dimethyl carbonate (DMC)) at temperatures ranging from 298.15 to 333.15 K and ambient pressure (p = 0.1 MPa). Quantum chemistry calculations were performed to analyze the dissolution process among different solvents. Results showed that the obtained solubility data correlated well with five equations. Evaluation of solubility data was carried out by mean Average Relative Deviation (ARD) and Root-Mean-Square Deviation (RMSD). The findings indicated that the modified Apelblat model demonstrated the strongest correlation among the five models. The ARD and 104 RMSD were 1.39% and 2.61, respectively. Subsequently, the Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy of TEA·HCl dissolved in each mixed solvent can be determined by applying van’t Hoff equations, revealing an endothermic and entropy-driven dissolution process. The experimental results indicated that the solubility of TEA·HCl in the selected binary solvents increased with the increasing temperature and decreased with the increasing molar fraction of DMC. The solubility sequence in various systems was explained in terms of the solvation free energy. The solubility values, model parameters, and thermodynamic properties of TEA·HCl in different mixed solvents can be obtained through experimentation, providing foundational support for its preparation, crystallization process, and further theoretical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water pollution caused by pharmaceutical wastewater has received increasing attention, and photocatalysis is a potential method to solve this problem. In this article, La and Cr co-doped SrTiO 3 was prepared by electrospinning method, and was mixed with g-C 3 N 4 to prepare La 0.01 Sr 0.99 Ti 0.99 Cr 0.01 O 3 /g-C 3 N 4 (STO-1/CN) composite photocatalyst. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The optimized STO-1/CN performs enhanced absorption of visible light, and separation and migration of carriers become more effective, which contributes to improve photocatalytic performance of STO-1/CN composites. The maximum photocatalytic activity, 0.0055 min−1 was obtained by heterojunction containing 50 wt% g-C 3 N 4 (STO-50CN) in degrading CI under visible light, which was 4 and 2 times that of pure g-C 3 N 4 and La 0.01 Sr 0.99 Ti 0.99 Cr 0.01 O 3 , respectively. The active species capture experiments indicate that the photocatalytic degradation of CI by composite photocatalysts is the result of the combined action of h+ and ·O 2 -. Based on the above conclusions, a possible mechanism of La 0.01 Sr 0.99 Ti 0.99 Cr 0.01 O 3 /g-C 3 N 4 photocatalytic degradation of CI is proposed. • The La and Cr co-doped SrTiO 3 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via electrospinning method. • The light absorption and charge carrier separation of La 0.01 Sr 0.99 Ti 0.99 Cr 0.01 O 3 were improved by modifying g-C 3 N 4. • The composite samples exhibit high visible photocatalytic activity fort antibiotics and stability. • A photocatalytic mechanism is proposed based on the band relationship of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three commercially thermoplastic polymers were explored as functional binders. • Versatility of PPCLA for solvent-free manufacturing cathodes has been demonstrated. • The LFP dry cathode using PPCLA as binder had high areal loading up to 57 mg cm−2. • The lithium-ion battery with high areal loading achieved good cycling stability. To achieve high energy density lithium-ion battery depends on high area load of the active material in the cathode. However, it is challenging to attain high loading of active material by traditional wet coating method due to large amount of organic solvent used. A solvent-free manufacturing cathode that take advantages of viscous flow polymer binder under shearing force of ball-milling to bind the active materials and the conductive carbon uniformly on the current collector is an environment-friendly alternative and has attracted increasing attention. Herein, a solvent free manufacturing LiFeO 4 cathode with thermoplastic polymer poly(lactide-co-propylene carbonate) as functional binder has high area loading up to 57 mg/cm2 of active material, and the battery assembled with such a LiFeO 4 cathode and lithium metal anode can release a specific capacity of 135.5 mAh/g at 0.2C. In addition, the cathode using poly(propylene carbonate) or polycaprolactone functional binder can also be loaded with 40 mg/cm2 of active material, which expands the variety of binders for solvent free manufacturing electrodes. Solvent free manufacturing electrodes with such functional binders are expected to break through the technical bottleneck of lithium-ion battery with high energy density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bimetallic ZIFs derived M/N-codoped carbons (M: Fe, Co, Cu) were in-situ fabricated. • Fe/N-codoped carbon had higher adsorption affinity for TCH compared to Co/N and Cu/N. • Abundant pore structures and multifarious active sites in the best one was achieved. • The hierarchical porous structure is due to the synergy of Fe doped and SDBS added. • Adsorption mechanism is the pore fillings, coordination, H-bond and π-π interactions. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) is attracting considerable attention as a superior precursor to fabricate efficient carbon-based absorbents for many contaminants. However, most carbon materials still suffer from low-efficiency mass transfer and few active sites. Herein, transition metal/nitrogen-codoped hierarchically porous carbons (MNHCs) were controllably constructed by pyrolysis of soft-templated bimetallic ZIFs to enhance tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) adsorption. Benefitting from its large specific surface area (920.73 m2 g−1), excellent hierarchical pore structure, high N content and abundant Lewis acid sites, the optimum MNHC (HC1000-Fe 2 Zn 98) obtained at 1000 ℃ and the Fe/(Fe + Zn) molar ratio of 2 % improved the adsorption affinity for TCH and reduced the TCH diffusion resistance compared with other MNHCs, resulting in excellent adsorption of TCH. The synergistic effect of Fe and soft templates (sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, SDBS) added to the precursor significantly improved pore structure and enriched adsorption active sites of the derived carbon. The adsorption kinetics and isotherm data fitted well with pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Sips model (q m = 245.6 mg g−1), respectively. Adsorption experiments and characterization analyses suggested various adsorption interactions between TCH and MNHCs via pore fillings, coordination, H-bonding and π-π interactions. This study offers a facile strategy for fabricating hierarchically porous carbon for removing organic contaminants from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASONs)-based therapeutics offers tremendous promise for the treatment of diverse diseases. However, there is still a need to develop ASONs with enhanced stability against enzymes, improved drug delivery, and enhanced biological potency. In this study, we propose a novel anisamide (AA)-conjugated hairpin oligonucleotide prodrug loading with chemotherapeutic agent (doxorubicin, DOX) (AA-loop-ASON/DOX) for oncotherapy. Results indicated that the introduction of a hairpin conformation and AA ligand in prodrug significantly improved the stability against enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as the cellar uptake of ASONs and DOX. The incorporation of disulfide bonds could trigger mechanical opening, resulting in the release of ASON and DOX in response to the intracellular glutathione (GSH) in tumors. Moreover, the composite of DOX-loading ASONs prodrug exhibited a robust and selective inhibition of tumor cell proliferation. This paper introduces a novel design concept for nucleic acid-based therapeutics, aiming to enhance the delivery of drug and improve biological effectiveness. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) are typically prepared via water suspension granulation (WSG). However, few studies have reported on online monitoring during WSG. In this study, the WSG process for 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazacyclohexane (RDX)-based PBXs was monitored using online imaging and infrared detection technology. The images of the particles and droplets obtained during the WSG process were then identified by employing the Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN). The characteristic peak of ethyl acetate identified in the online infrared spectra during the WSG process is a key indicator for binder concentration. The experimental results show that the changes in the particle size distribution and particle morphology of the explosive modeling powders are consistent with the actual results, online infrared detection can provide effective guidance for the addition of the binder solution. This new and effective approach can be used to study WSG and has considerable potential for process optimization and quality control. Overview of the deep learning-based process used to analyze the production of RDX-based PBXs via WSG. [Display omitted] • Online monitoring of PBXs water suspension granulation process. • Deep learning model performs instance segmentation on images. • Analysis of the number, particle size, and morphology of PBXs modeling powder. • The infrared absorption peak of ethyl acetate is positively related to its content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related cataract (ARC) is the prevalent cause of useful vision loss. Circular RNAs are related to ARC pathogenesis partly through their competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) activity. Herein, we defined the action of hsa_circ_0105558 in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-driven apoptosis and oxidative damage in human lens epithelial SRA01/04 cells. Hsa_circ_0105558, microRNA (miR)-182-5p and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) were evaluated by a qRT-PCR or immunoblotting method. The hsa_circ_0105558/miR-182-5p and miR-182-5p/ATF6 relationships were predicted by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Reactive oxygen species level, glutathione peroxidase level, superoxide dismutase activity, and malondialdehyde level were measured using the matched assay kits. Hsa_circ_0105558 was upregulated in human ARC lens and H2O2-exposed SRA01/04 cells. Suppression of hsa_circ_0105558 attenuated H2O2-driven SRA01/04 cell apoptosis and oxidative damage. Hsa_circ_0105558 targeted miR-182-5p, and reduced miR-182-5p expression reversed the influence of hsa_circ_0105558 depletion on H2O2-driven oxidative damage and apoptosis. ATF6 was a target of miR-182-5p, and miR-182-5p-driven downregulation of ATF6 regulated cell oxidative damage and apoptosis under H2O2 insult. Moreover, hsa_circ_0105558 functioned as a ceRNA to post-transcriptionally control ATF6 expression through miR-182-5p competition. Our study demonstrates that hsa_circ_0105558 modulates SRA01/04 cell oxidative damage and apoptosis under H2O2 insult through the miR-182-5p/ATF6 cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensitivity of temperature on the decomposition/polymerisation of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) was investigated through the dissolution experiments at high water to solid ratio under controlled temperatures (5, 20, and 40 °C). The aqueous compositions during the dissolution in neutral and alkali media were determined by ICP-OES (Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry) and the saturation conditions with respect to the possible precipitations were estimated by thermodynamic modelling. The depolymerisation of silicate groups and the chemically combined water in the residual GGBS was examined by FTIR/SEM (Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy/Scanning Electron Microscopy) and TG (Thermogravimetric) analysis respectively. The results demonstrated that the effect of temperature on the dissolution of GGBS is more pronounced from 5 °C to 20 °C than that from 20 °C to 40 °C. The extremely low temperature (∼ 5 °C) restricts the hydration of GGBS even in a high pH environment. The temperature does not affect the depolymerising sequences of silicate groups in GGBS in a neutral environment but changes the overall dissolution rate. The major silicate spices (Q0 to Q3) in GGBS tend to dissolve evenly in DI water, whereas the Q2 tends to depolymerise faster than others in the NaOH solution. The decreasing Ca concentration in the NaOH solution corresponds to the formation of ∼ 50 nm needle-like precipitates regardless of temperature. Based on the results collected, the dissolving potential and the temperature sensitivity of the major components in GGBS can be divided into three batches: the easiest/most sensitive group: Na-Ox; intermediate group: K-Ox, Si-Ox, Ca-Ox, Al-Ox; the hardest/least sensitive group: Mg-Ox. The intermediate batch required an initial activation energy of ∼ 15 kJ/mol in DI water. The relevant data could be considered as experimental evidence in the thermodynamic modelling of the hydration of GGBSs. • The sensitivity of temperature on the decomposition of GGBS was studied. • The low temperature will restrict hydration of GGBS even in the high pH environment. • The Q0 to Q3 in GGBS tends to be evenly reduced in the neutral environment. • The higher temperature tends to accelerate depolymerisation of Q2 sites in NaOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study proposed a new surface reconstruction method for the absolute measurement of shift rotation. It linearizes the surface distribution function based on the Taylor expansion and constructs a linear system of equations between the surface distribution function and the differential wavefront. The coefficient matrix of this linear system of equations is sparse, so the absolute surface distribution can be obtained quickly and accurately. Compared with existing methods, it has the following advantages: • It can obtain a full-aperture surface distribution regardless of the translation ratio of the test mirror. Then it can significantly reduce the effect of tilt errors by increasing the translation ratio. • It requires only three measurements, and the test mirror can be rotated at almost any angle. • It can reduce the effect of the measurement noise. • It can reduce the effect of translation error, rotation error and eccentricity error. We propose a new surface reconstruction method for the absolute measurement of shift rotation that can obtain a full-aperture surface distribution. Our approach reduces the effect of tilt errors on surface reconstruction by increasing the translation ratio of the test mirror. This method requires the test mirror to be measured once in situ , after translation, and after rotation. Because the known measured wavefront is a nonlinear function of the absolute surface distribution, the function of the surface distribution is linearized by performing a Taylor expansion to achieve fast surface reconstruction. Finally, a linear system of equations is constructed to solve the absolute surface distribution. The coefficient matrix is sparse and can quickly and accurately reconstruct the absolute surface distribution. In the simulation, the root mean square error (RMSE) of the reconstructed surface distribution of the method discussed in this study can reach to 0.012nm. Moreover, our method can significantly reduce the effect of tilt errors compared with typical methods, thereby yielding a new, high-precision solution for absolute measurements in interferometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The low-velocity drop hammer impact tests of five HSC specimens are conducted. • Five failure modes are proposed. • The impact process of HSC specimens is divided into 5 stages. • Static loading tests are implemented on HSC specimens to analyze structural residual bearing capacity. • Comparisons of dynamic response between HSC and SC slabs are made. The current research on the dynamic response of half steel–concrete (HSC) composite slabs is not only limited but also primarily concentrated on high-velocity impacts. This study investigates the dynamic response of such structures by examining failure modes, impact resistance mechanisms, and energy dissipation under low-velocity impacts through drop hammer impact tests conducted on five HSC specimens. In addition, the variation of the out-of-plane residual bearing capacity with the damage degree of specimens and impact energy is analyzed using static loading tests. Finally, the dynamic response differences between half steel–concrete slabs and steel–concrete (SC) slabs are analyzed by comparing multiple indicators. The results indicate that HSC slabs exhibit five distinct failure modes when subjected to low-velocity impact within a range of 3.13–7.00 m/s. Additionally, five stages of the dynamic response process of the HSC slabs are proposed. Moreover, the bottom steel plate plays a crucial role in retaining structural out-of-plane residual bearing capacity. Furthermore, compared with the SC structure, the HSC slab is capable of absorbing input impact energy within a much smaller displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate (C-S-H) is the primary binding phase in cement and plays a crucial role in lifecycle performance of concrete. Understanding its multiscale mechanical properties is essential for optimizing its performance. In this study, we employed atomic force microscopy (AFM), nanoindentation and oedometric test to characterize multi-scale mechanical behaviours of C-S-H with different chemical composition and microstructure. Moreover, a calculation framework is used to bridge inter-scale gaps. Our results reveal the complex hierarchical features of C-S-H and its impact on mechanical properties including elastic, plastic, and viscous responses. We also identify the critical role of chemical composition including calcium-to-silica ratio and water content on the observed mechanical behaviours. Additionally, our multiscale model provides a valuable tool for rational design of C-S-H-based materials with tailored mechanical properties at less material cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]