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The key to intelligent fault diagnosis for transformer is to find relevant dissolved gas characteristics with the capability of representing different types of faults. However, the existing problem is that using a single traditional ratio method as the inputs of classification module cannot obtain high classification performance. Therefore, a fault diagnosis method for transformer based on neighborhood component analysis (NCA) and capuchin algorithm (CapSA)-regularized extreme learning machine (RELM) is proposed. Firstly, 21-dimensional features of the oil-immersed transformer are extracted based on the traditional ratio methods such as IEC three-ratio and Roger's ratio. Secondly, The NCA is used to select the feature to obtain an effective 6-dimensional feature. Then, these features are utilized as the input of the RELM model for training, and the parameters of model are optimized by CapSA. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the proposed method are verified by actual data sets collected from previous publications. The experimental results show that the proposed method has higher diagnostic precision and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) and laparoscopic central pancreatectomy (LCP) are two surgical methods that can remove pancreatic neck lesions. However, their benefits remain controversial. We aimed to compare the benefits and limitations of LDP and LCP. Methods: In total, 50 patients who underwent LDP (n = 34) or LCP (n =16) between January 2014 and November 2019 were retrospectively reviewed using our database. We analyzed their preoperative characteristics, operative data, pathological features, and postoperative outcomes. Results: The baseline features of patients did not differ significantly between the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the LDP group, the LCP group showed significantly prolonged operation time (392 ± 144 vs. 269 ± 130 min, P = 0.007), time to oral intake (3.8 ± 1.3 vs. 2.8 ± 0.9 days, P = 0.017), and hospital stay (19.6 ± 5.1 vs. 15.4 ± 4.1 days, P = 0.008) as well as increased hospital expenses (10.1 ± 6.2 vs. 6.6 ± 1.5 WanRMB, P = 0.023). However, no significant differences were observed in conversion rate (0/16 vs. 0/34), blood loss (154 ± 93 vs. 211 ± 170 mL, P = 0.224), postoperative white blood cell count (10.3 ± 2.7 vs. 11.1 ± 3.1, P = 0.432), first random blood glucose level after operation (8.2 ± 2.1 vs. 8.6 ± 2.6 mmol/L, P = 0.696), and ascites amylase level on day 3 after operation (5212 [3110–14,176] vs. 3142 [604–13,761] U/L, P = 0.167) between the two groups. Moreover, no significant differences were noted in the incidence of postoperative diabetes (1/16 vs. 5/34) between the two groups. However, LCP was associated with significantly higher incidences of pancreatic fistula grades B and C (P = 0.005) and postoperative hemorrhage (P = 0.031). Conclusion: Compared with the LCP, LDP is a useful and safer technique for benign or low-grade malignant tumors in the pancreatic neck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) and laparoscopic central pancreatectomy (LCP) are two surgical methods that can remove pancreatic neck lesions. However, their benefits remain controversial. We aimed to compare the benefits and limitations of LDP and LCP. Methods: In total, 50 patients who underwent LDP (n = 34) or LCP (n =16) between January 2014 and November 2019 were retrospectively reviewed using our database. We analyzed their preoperative characteristics, operative data, pathological features, and postoperative outcomes. Results: The baseline features of patients did not differ significantly between the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the LDP group, the LCP group showed significantly prolonged operation time (392 ± 144 vs. 269 ± 130 min, P = 0.007), time to oral intake (3.8 ± 1.3 vs. 2.8 ± 0.9 days, P = 0.017), and hospital stay (19.6 ± 5.1 vs. 15.4 ± 4.1 days, P = 0.008) as well as increased hospital expenses (10.1 ± 6.2 vs. 6.6 ± 1.5 WanRMB, P = 0.023). However, no significant differences were observed in conversion rate (0/16 vs. 0/34), blood loss (154 ± 93 vs. 211 ± 170 mL, P = 0.224), postoperative white blood cell count (10.3 ± 2.7 vs. 11.1 ± 3.1, P = 0.432), first random blood glucose level after operation (8.2 ± 2.1 vs. 8.6 ± 2.6 mmol/L, P = 0.696), and ascites amylase level on day 3 after operation (5212 [3110–14,176] vs. 3142 [604–13,761] U/L, P = 0.167) between the two groups. Moreover, no significant differences were noted in the incidence of postoperative diabetes (1/16 vs. 5/34) between the two groups. However, LCP was associated with significantly higher incidences of pancreatic fistula grades B and C (P = 0.005) and postoperative hemorrhage (P = 0.031). Conclusion: Compared with the LCP, LDP is a useful and safer technique for benign or low-grade malignant tumors in the pancreatic neck. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neogene is an important period for studying the onset of subduction, with numerous subduction zones forming in the western Pacific, including the Ryukyu, Manila, Philippine, North Sulawesi, Halmahera, New Britain, Solomon, and New Hebrides subduction zones. However, studies on these subduction zones are relatively independent, so it is important to conduct systematic comparative studies. In this paper, we review the initiation models of Neogene subduction in the western Pacific, with the three typical types of subduction initiation models including polarity-reversal, induced subduction re-initiation, and non-inherited subduction initiation to form new ruptures. In addition, the parameters of different subduction zones are collated to form five categories: basic features, subducting plate features, upper plate features, kinematic features, and subsequent activity. The regularity of the subduction processes, the specificity of the different subduction cases, and the possible constraints between the subduction initiation types and the characteristics of the subduction zone parameters are discussed and analyzed. The compiled dataset of the subduction zone parameters can provide data support for related studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online education brings more possibilities for personalized learning, in which identifying the cognitive state of learners is conducive to better providing learning services. Cognitive diagnosis is an effective measurement to assess the cognitive state of students through response data of answering the problems(e.g., right or wrong). Generally, the cognitive diagnosis framework includes the mastery of skills required by a specified problem and the aggregation of skills. The current multi-skill aggregation methods are mainly divided into conjunctive and compensatory methods and generally considered that each skill has the same effect on the correct response. However, in practical learning situations, there may be more complex interactions between skills, in which each skill has different weight impacting the final result. To this end, this paper proposes a generalized multi-skill aggregation method based on the Sugeno integral (SI-GAM) and introduces fuzzy measures to characterize the complex interactions between skills. We also provide a new idea for modeling multi-strategy problems. The cognitive diagnosis process is implemented by a more general and interpretable aggregation method. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the model are verified on synthetic and real-world datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25 V steel has been widely used to manufacture hydro-processing equipment operating under harsh environments for its good creep performance. Warm bending, a common fabricating process of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25 V steel ring shells, inevitably changes the creep property of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25 V steel, but its detailed effect still remains obscure. In this work, we experimentally investigated the impact of warm bending on the microstructure and creep behavior of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25 V steel. First, a series of creep rupture tests were carried out at 482 °C and 350 MPa, in which test materials were extracted from an actually fabricated ring shell and its raw plate. Thereafter, the microstructures of test materials were semi-quantitatively analyzed by various characterization techniques, such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and three-dimensional high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (3D μ-XCT). Finally, warm forming induced microstructural degradation as well as their implication for creep was discussed in detail. Creep rupture tests showed that warm bending leads to a significant decrease in creep lifetime at the surface region of virgin plate but a slight decline at the central region of virgin plate. An inhomogeneous creep resistance distribution was thereby revealed along the thickness direction of the ring shell, which could not be completely eliminated by subsequent tempering at 705 °C for 8 h. Moreover, microstructural observations demonstrated that warm deformation leads to multiple microstructural deterioration, including carbide coarsening, ferrite matrix softening, void defect increasing, etc. Their combined action appears to accelerate the creep fracture behavior of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25 V steel. This work will contribute to the long-term safety and integrity assessment of 2.25Cr-1Mo-0.25 V steel structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a mild, environmentally friendly, and versatile oxidizer. The current main production process, the anthraquinone method, has high energy consumption and pollution. However, the photocatalytic production of H2O2 is considered to be a green and sustainable process. In this paper, the research progress of photocatalytic production of H2O2 was reviewed. Firstly, the basic principle of photocatalytic production of H2O2 and the three production pathways, namely, oxygen reduction, water oxidation, and dual-channel were introduced. Then, advanced photocatalysts for H2O2 production were introduced with emphasis. From the reactants and products, several new reaction systems and improvement strategies were introduced, including the construction of a spontaneous system without a sacrifice agent, a gas–liquid–solid three-phase system, and inhibition of H2O2 decomposition. The in-situ applications of photocatalytic H2O2 production in the environmental field, including in-situ disinfection and in-situ degradation of pollutants are discussed. Finally, the research progress and future research directions in this field are summarized and prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal heat flow, as a parameter characterizing the Earth's thermal state, records deep thermodynamic processes. However, measurements of heat flow (HF) in the oceanic crust are relatively sparse and susceptible to surface activity such as hydrothermal circulation. We propose a machine learning approach to predict marine HF (MHF). We apply the random forest (RF) regression algorithm to train predictors capable of mapping multiple geological and geophysical features to MHF, thus enabling HF prediction in the global oceanic crust. We generate three data sets with different qualities of HF measurements for training. The best predictor has an accuracy of ~ 0.13 (normalized root mean squared error) or ~ 0.07 (normalized mean absolute error), and the predicted global oceanic crust HF map reflects the basic pattern of the MHF distribution. We find by comparison that the quality of HF measurement affects the prediction results. Then, we use a cross-prediction scheme to screen out the "underestimated" measured HF cases, which are mostly located in tectonic environments such as mid-ocean ridges and back-arc basins and show high spatial correlation with hydrothermal circulation. Furthermore, we conduct experimental calculations for the extent and proportion of underestimated cases in the oceanic part of a new global heat flow (NGHF) database; for example, the proportion of records with the degree of underestimation greater than 50% is approximately 30.8%. These calculations can provide reference information for the selection and application of MHF records in the NGHF database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Nasal irrigation is an effective method for alleviating several nasal symptoms and regular seawater-based nasal irrigation is useful for maintaining nasal hygiene which is essential for appropriate functioning of the nose and for preventing airborne particles including some pollutants, pathogens, and allergens from moving further in the respiratory system. However, safety studies on seawater-based nasal irrigation are scarce. In this study, the safety and efficacy of a diluted isotonic seawater solution (Stérimar Nasal Hygiene, SNH) in maintaining nasal homeostasis were evaluated in vitro. Methods: Safety was assessed by measuring tissue integrity via transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). Efficacy was measured by mucociliary clearance (MCC), mucin secretion, and tissue re-epithelization (wound repair) assays. All assays were performed using a 3D reconstituted human nasal epithelium model. Results: In SNH-treated tissues, TEER values were statistically significantly lower than the untreated tissues; however, the values were above the tissue integrity limit. SNH treatment significantly increased MCC (88 vs. 36 µm/s, p < 0.001) and mucin secretion (1717 vs. 1280 µg/ml, p < 0.001) as compared to untreated cultures. Faster wound closure profile was noted upon pre-SNH treatment as compared to classical isotonic saline solution pre-treatment (90.5 vs. 50.7% wound closure 22 h after wound generation). Conclusion: SNH did not compromise the integrity of the nasal epithelium in vitro. Furthermore, SNH was effective for removal of foreign particles through MCC increase and for enhancing wound repair on nasal mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AZ61 magnesium alloy metal matrix composites (MMCs) with different weight percentages (0, 1 and 2) of micro-silicon carbide particles (SiCp) were fabricated using stir casting method. Effects of SiCp on the microstructural distributions, mechanical and fatigue properties, and fracture surfaces have been investigated. The microstructural observations of as-cast MMCs unveil the existence of primary α-Mg phase and the presence of large amount of β-Mg17Al12 secondary phase at grain boundary. The specimens are subjected to homogenization heat treatment at 410 °C for 24 h; the β-Mg17Al12 phases are significantly dissolved in the matrix grain boundaries which enhance the ductility and decrease the hardness compared with the as-cast materials. The addition of SiCp reinforcement led to improved yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of AZ61/SiCp composite compared to the unreinforced alloy. The maximum values of YS and UTS have been attained at AZ61/1wt%SiCp composites. The enhancement of YS and UTS was due to the presence of a uniformly distributed reinforced SiCp, which depends on grain refinement of the matrix and strong interfacial bonding between the matrix and reinforcement. In the case of fatigue test results, the addition of SiCp reduced the fatigue life and strength of AZ61 alloy composite. However, addition of 1wt%SiCp showed good mechanical and fatigue properties compared to pure AZ61 magnesium alloy and AZ61/2wt%SiCp composite. Furthermore, the effects of addition of SiCp on the mechanical and fatigue properties of the composite were confirmed by using the scanning electron microscope observation of fracture surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of redundant driving system, vehicles' maneuverability and stability have great optimized potential. In this research, an electric off-road vehicle is served as controlled objective and a dynamic direct yaw-moment controller is proposed to realize the smooth accommodation of vehicle longitudinal-lateral motion under various transport conditions via controlling In-wheel motor (IWM) drive system. A data fusion technology is employed to enhance the control accuracy and responsiveness via amending the metrical data of INS and GPS primarily, and the discrete measured information are transmitted to a unscented particle filter with fine resampling (UPF-FR) that estimates the sideslip angle and yaw rate synchronously. Then, a feedforward-feedback control system is constructed to improves the controlled vehicle's maneuverability and stability based on the calculated active yaw moment. It is noteworthy that a nonlinear finite time feedback control system is utilized to acquire minimum error between the actual vehicle status and the desired vehicle status. After that, the IWM drive system execute the active yaw moment through modulating every motor's alternate current independently. In the end, some specific simulation and real tests are conducted to verify the performance of hierarchical control system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers a retailer's optimal endogenous demand information acquisition format decision in a dual-channel supply chain setting. Two information acquisition formats are examined, depending on whether the outcome of information acquisition is observable to the manufacturer. We explicitly characterize the manufacturer's optimal contract provision under each acquisition format, and derive the retailer's optimal endogenous information acquisition format choice. Two underlying driving forces for the retailer's preference for the observable acquisition are derived. On one hand, observable acquisition makes the retailer lose some informational advantage, which is detrimental to the retailer. On the other hand, observable acquisition may alleviate the ordering quantity distortions, which is beneficial to the retailer. In equilibrium, we show that the retailer with an inferior acquisition capability might be pleased to choose observable acquisition when the market dispersion is in the middle range. Although the manufacturer consistently obtains more profit under observable acquisition, the supply chain may still prefer unobservable acquisition because the observability of information acquisition may aggravate double marginalization under certain conditions. Moreover, the introduction of the direct sales channel may dampen the retailer's incentive to choose the observable acquisition format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators for a variety of biological processes. Chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a crucial stage in chondrogenesis while chondrocyte hypertrophy is related to endochondral ossification and osteoarthritis. However, the effects of lncRNAs on chondrogenic and hypertrophic differentiation of mouse MSCs are unclear. To explore the potential mechanisms of lncRNAs during chondrogenesis and chondrocyte hypertrophy, microarray was performed to investigate the expression profiles of lncRNA and mRNA in MSCs, pre-chondrocytes, and hypertrophic chondrocytes. Then, we validated microarray data by RT-PCR and screened three lncRNAs from upregulating groups during chondrogenesis and chondrocyte hypertrophy respectively. After downregulating any of the above lncRNAs, we found that the expression of chondrogenesis-related genes such as Sox9 and Col2a1 and hypertrophy-related genes including Runx2 and Col10a1 was inhibited, respectively. Furthermore, the target genes of above lncRNAs were predicted by bioinformatics approaches. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genome biological pathway analysis were also made to speculate the functions of above lncRNAs. In conclusion, the study first revealed the expression profile of lncRNAs in chondrogenic and hypertrophic differentiations of mouse MSCs and presented a new prospect for the underlying mechanisms of chondrogenesis and endochondral ossification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new anthraquinone, 7-( γ, γ)-dimethylallyloxymacrosporin ( 1), along with five known analogues, macrosporin ( 2), 7-methoxymacrosporin ( 3), tetrahydroaltersolanol B ( 4), altersolanol L ( 5), and ampelanol ( 6), were isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus Phoma sp. L28. All of them were first found in Phoma sp. Their structures were established by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison with the published data. These compounds displayed in vitro antifungal activities against Colletotrichum musae (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) Arx., Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz) Sacc., Fusarium graminearum Schw., Penicillium italicum Wehme, Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. f. sp. lycopersici (Sacc.) W.C. Snyder et H. N. Hansen, and Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn at different levels. Notably, compound 2 exhibited potent antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum Schw. as compared with the positive control carbendazim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convergence stagnation is the chief difficulty to solve hard optimization problems for most particle swarm optimization variants. To address this issue, a novel particle swarm optimization using multi-information characteristics of all personal-best information is developed in our research. In the modified algorithm, two positions are defined by personal-best positions and an improved cognition term with three positions of all personal-best information is used in velocity update equation to enhance the search capability. This strategy could make particles fly to a better direction by discovering useful information from all the personal-best positions. The validity of the proposed algorithm is assessed on twenty benchmark problems including unimodal, multimodal, rotated and shifted functions, and the results are compared with that obtained by some published variants of particle swarm optimization in the literature. Computational results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm finds several global optimum and high-quality solutions in most case with a fast convergence speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking resource allocation into account, flexible job shop problem (FJSP) is a class of complex scheduling problem in manufacturing system. In order to utilize the machine resources rationally, multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) integrating with variable neighborhood search is introduced to address FJSP efficiently. Firstly, the assignment rules (AL) and dispatching rules (DR) are provided to initialize the population. And then special discrete operators are designed to produce new individuals and earliest completion machine (ECM) is adopted in the disturbance operator to escape the optima. Secondly, personal-best archives (cognitive memories) and global-best archive (social memory), which are updated by the predefined non-dominated archive update strategy, are simultaneously designed to preserve non-dominated individuals and select personal-best positions and the global-best position. Finally, three neighborhoods are provided to search the neighborhoods of global-best archive for enhancing local search ability. The proposed algorithm is evaluated by using Kacem instances and Brdata instances, and a comparison with other approaches shows the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for FJSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necroptosis has been extensively studied recently, and the receptor-interacting kinase 3 (RIP3 or RIPK3) and its substrate, the pseudokinase mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein, have been discovered to be core components of this process. Classical necroptosis requires RIP1 (or RIPK1) for the activation of RIP3 through the induction of RIP1/RIP3 necrosomes. Increasing evidence from genetic and pharmacological studies has been expanding the view that necroptosis plays important roles in the etiology and/or progression of many human diseases, such as pancreatitis, ischemic injury, and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. Ongoing progress in translational research about necroptosis has highlighted the increasingly important need for the identification of biomarkers for use in disease diagnosis, monitoring, and drug development. This review presents a discussion of the current status of biomarkers that can be used to detect necroptosis both in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat-induced inactivation of viable cells restricts a wide range of application of spray drying in producing dried lactic acid bacteria (LAB) products. In the present study, an effective method to enhance the stability of LAB under heat stress has been identified. This was done by enhancing the heat stability of skim milk as the carrier. Here, skim milk was supplemented with 10 mM CaCl and heated to 90 °C for 10 min to induce protein aggregation. Using this Ca-aggregated skim milk as carrier, the survival of five LAB strains tested was found two orders of magnitudes higher than that of an untreated milk after the heating at a rising temperature from about 25 to 70 °C within 45 s. Possible mechanisms of the protection were explored by comparing the residual viability, microstructure of the cell-contained milk, and changes of suspension particle sizes caused by heat treatment of the four carriers, i.e., untreated milk, Ca-added milk, heat-treated milk, and Ca-aggregated milk. Ca-aggregated milk induced the highest microbial heat stability among them, providing a thick and compact encapsulation around LAB cells before the heat treatment for inactivation. The viable cells could stay in a comparatively more stable extracellular environment. This work reveals potentially a new option for using milk protein aggregates as a protectant of microorganisms. A series of calcium-enriched probiotic products may be developed based on the described principles of the finding of the Ca-aggregated milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manufacturing technique known as investment casting has found extensive application in producing metal components featuring intricate geometries. The production efficiency of the wax patterns is an essential issue in the investment casting industry, especially for the mass production of wax patterns. A conformal cooling channel (CCC) performs the rapid uniform cooling process for injection molding. However, the significant pressure drop along the cooling channels is a distinct disadvantage of CCC. In this study, an innovative waterfall cooling channel (WCC) was proposed and implemented. The WCC cools the injected products by surface contact, replacing the conventional line contact to cool the injected products. The WCC was optimized using Moldex3D simulation software. Rapid tools with two kinds of cooling channels were designed and implemented. The cooling time of the molded part was investigated using a low-pressure wax injection molding machine. Considering a water cup characterized by a mouth diameter of 70 mm, a height of 60 mm, and a thickness of 2 mm, the experimental results confirmed that the use of WCC can save the cooling time of the product by about 265 s compared with the CCC. This result shows that the WCC can increase cooling efficiency by approximately 17.47% compared with conventional CCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study involves the investigation of the mechanical properties of the extruded tube products with reinforced silicon carbide particulates (SiCp). Finite element analyses are firstly conducted to analyze the plastic flow of the magnesium alloy AZ61 within the die and to investigate the effects of initial billet temperatures on the extrusion loads and final product temperatures. AZ61/SiCp composite ingots reinforced with different weight fractions of SiCp are fabricated by a melt stirring technique. A specially designed die set is used in the extrusion experiments to obtain tubes with uniform thickness distribution in the circumferential direction. The extruded tubes are also heat treated to obtain even better mechanical properties. Finally, tensile tests, Vickers microhardness, tests and microstructure observation are performed on the billets and extruded tubes of AZ61 monolithic alloys and AZ61/SiCp composites. A much smaller grain size and higher tensile strength and hardness are achieved for the extruded AZ61/SiCp composite tubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In practical application, continuous drive friction welding (CDFW) has low-energy consumption in the welding field. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a high-performance engineering thermoplastic that belongs to the polyaryletherketone family. PEEK is known for its exceptional mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties, making it suitable for a wide range of applications in various industries. However, many pores were found in the weld interface, showing the mechanical properties of PEEK welded samples are limited. To solve this problem, this study proposed an innovative progressively increased welding area (PIWA) method to reduce pores inside the weld interface. The experimental results showed that the bending strength of the PEEK welded samples using optimal process parameters can be increased by approximately 66% compared with the maximum bending strength of 180 MPa using the conventional method with a cone angle of 180°. The proposed PIWA method has industrial applicability and practical value because this technique can enhance the mechanical properties of PEEK welded samples under low environmental pollution and energy consumption. Two distinct welding mechanisms of PEEK biomedical material were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermophilic enzymes are in high demand for various applications due to their prolonged lifetimes and high reaction rates at elevated temperatures. In this work, an open reading frame TM0295, which encodes a putative transaldolase (TAL) from a hyper-thermophilic microorganism, Thermotoga maritima, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The enzyme activity of transaldolase at high temperatures (e.g., at 80 °C) was reported here for the first time. The recombinant T. maritima transaldolase was extremely thermostable, with a half-life time of 198 and 13.0 h at 60 °C and 80 °C, respectively. The estimated total turn-over number was 1.5 × 10 mol of product per mol of enzyme at 80 °C. This enzyme also exhibited high activities within a broad pH range of 6.0-9.0. This ultra-thermostable TAL with high activity shows great potential for use in such applications as the production of enzymatic biofuels production and the synthesis of high-value carbohydrates by cell-free synthetic pathway biotransformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetization is the key to inspection of a tank floor via the magnetic-flux-leakage (MFL) technique. In order to optimize the magnetic circuit of the MFL detector and obtain the best detection effects, the influences of the magnet size on the floor magnetization condition, the gap magnetic flux density, and the magnetic force were studied with the help of the finite element method (FEM) and the effects of some other parameters, such as the magnet pole spacing and pole-piece thickness, on the signal-to-noise ratio were analyzed. The simulation results indicate that variation of the magnet width affects the magnetization much more than variation of the magnet thickness and that the detector can reach a trade-off between the magnetization effects and the driving force when the magnet is about 30 mm thick and 40 mm wide. On condition that the floor has reached its magnetizing saturation, an increase in the magnet-pole spacing and the pole-piece thickness can improve the testing sensitivity and the signal-to-noise ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product disassembly is a basic period of life cycle design. This paper first introduces the modelling method and basic concepts of the disassembly activity logic network, then establishes the optimal model of the minimum disassembly cost. According to the characteristics of the model, the solution for the single disassembly object is acquired by constructing the orthogonal list storage structure and the reverse search algorithm which follows the depth-first policy. A complete example is illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium (Ti)-based alloys are eye-catching biomaterials extensively utilized in human implants due to their outstanding ability to facilitate cell growth. This research aims to propose a new approach to explore the ultrafast laser processing on alloy surfaces for achieving and regulating the proliferation of biological cells. The study is to directly use the polarization of ultrafast laser irradiation on the surface of chromium-titanium nitride (CrTiN) thin film to fabricate the periodic structures, which can promote cell proliferation. This improvement is accomplished by employing surface patterning and creating nanocrystalline structures. The nanocrystalline layer is treated with laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS), forming subwavelength ripples directly on the surface. The ripples are preferentially formed perpendicular to the direction of laser polarization by controlling the fluence. Through the straightforward technique of ultrafast laser treatment, the wettability transition is contributed to by the combination of LIPSS and modified surface chemistry. It is indicated by the findings that the laser-irradiated CrTiN alloy film exhibits surface ripples and a nanocrystalline phase. This work has the potential to enhance cell proliferation for biomedical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new coumarin, 7-( γ,γ-dimethylallyloxy)-6-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin ( 1), was isolated from the mixed fermentation broth of two mangrove fungi (strain No. K38 and E33) isolated from the South China Sea coast. The structure of 1 was determined by comprehensive spectroscopic methods, especially 2D NMR techniques. Primary bioassays showed that compound 1 at 0.25 mM has no inhibitory activity against Fusarium graminearum, Gloeosporium musae, Rhizoctonia solani, and Phytophthora sojae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wideband dissipative soliton is generated in a passively mode-locked cavity by optimizing the distribution of chromatic dispersion and gain filtering in cavity. The maximal 3 dB bandwidth of 61.1 nm is obtained. The corresponding pulse width is compressed to 222 fs with chirp, which could be further compressed to 42 fs according to the Fourier transform limitation. The signal-to-noise ratio is 80.3 dB. The single pulse energy is 0.18 nJ. The dynamics process is investigated by dispersive Fourier transformation during the building-up. The simulation investigation on dissipative soliton formation is provided according to the modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which are relatively consistent with the experiment. The results demonstrate that a weak normal net dispersion close to zero and efficient gain bandwidth are critical to the formation of wideband dissipative soliton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is an additive manufacturing process that uses a continuous filament of a thermoplastic material. The FFF is able to fabricate physical models with sophisticated geometries. Unfortunately, the mechanical property of the fabricated physical models is limited. Therefore, this drawback will limit the application of the fabricated physical models made by FFF. To improve this drawback, this work demonstrates a simple method to increase the tensile strength of printed parts. This method combines filament preheating and ultraviolet (UV) resin reinforcement methods. The tensile strength of the printed tensile test piece with a filling density of 100% was soaked in UV resin and then cured with a wavelength of 405 nm for 30 min. The tensile strength was increased from 35.08 to 37.5 MPa with an improvement rate of about 6.9%. The tensile strength was increased from 35.08 to 43.97 MPa when the filling density was 100% and the filament was preheated at 50 °C with an improvement rate of about 25.34%. Combining filament preheating and UV resin reinforcement methods, the tensile strength was increased from 35.08 to 46.75 MPa. The improvement rate in tensile strength is up to 33.26%. The failure mechanism of the tensile test sample made by combining UV resin reinforcement and filament preheating method is also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In practice, the fused deposition modeling technique is widely used for producing various plastic functional components in the research and development stage. In particular, adhesive bonding is capable of bonding dissimilar materials quickly. However, the bonding strength is affected by human factors. In addition, bolts are also used to bond small 3D printed parts for making a large 3D physical model. However, this locking method is not resistant to vibration. The feature of fusion bonding of thermoplastic materials is known for its weldability. Rotary friction welding (RFRW) has low energy consumption in the welding field. In general, the weld quality is affected by the process parameters of RFRW significantly. The Taguchi method was used to optimize the process parameters of RFRW of dissimilar polymeric rods to reduce random efforts by the trial-and-error method. The most critical control factor is the weld time. The contribution percentage for the weld time, feed rate, rotational speed, and preheating temperature is 35.21%, 27.85%, 24.84%, and 12.10%, respectively. The optimal process parameters of the frictionally welded parts with better bending strength are the feed rate of 0.05 mm/s, preheating temperature of 50 ℃, rotational speed of 950 rpm, and weld time of 20 s. The bending strength of the frictionally welded parts can be enhanced by about 1.29 to 1.538 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many respiratory viruses cocirculate in the population and multiple infections are commonly reported. The clinical impact of coinfection is unclear and may vary depending on the viral couples involved. Using three-dimensional reconstituted human airway epithelia and clinical viral strains, we investigated the interaction between influenza virus (Flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinovirus (RV). We showed that Flu and RSV interfere with RV replication, whereas RV does not interfere with either of these viruses. We then experimentally demonstrated that, when present, the interference is not related to a block of viral entry but rather to type I and type III interferon (IFN), the front-line antiviral defense of the respiratory mucosa. Consistent with this observation, we highlighted the differential sensitivity of each virus to IFNs, with RV being the only virus significantly inhibited by IFN-λ and the most sensitive to IFN-α. Finally, as type III IFN is of therapeutic interest due to its low proinflammatory profile, we also assessed and confirmed an inhibitory effect of IFN-λ in the context of persistent RV infections. The present work provides mechanistic clues concerning innate immunity involvement during respiratory virus interactions and confirms that IFN-λ is a promising candidate in the treatment of RV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the detailed analysis of a pneumatic clutch actuator with an artificial intelligence control algorithm. The low cost of pneumatic actuator makes it an advantage in automotive applications, but fast and precise control is difficult on account of its time-varying and nonlinear character. In order to achieve good performance and save cost, the development of a fast, accurate, and inexpensive automatic pneumatic actuator clutch system for a single-axle parallel hybrid electrical is important. Targeted for the working principle of electric-drive automated mechanical transmission parallel hybrid system for shifting and clutch dynamic control during operation mode switch course, the design adopts single neuron-adaptive PID-based clutch operation process, proposed the clutch actuator piston non-contact cylinder lock control method to overcome time-varying and nonlinear characteristics' impact present in the pneumatic actuator closed-loop control, and through the effective control of segment displacement self-diagnosis during the clutch operation process, performs variable clutch control and improve the actuator fault tolerance. Experiments show that the proposed control algorithm is feasible, which has effectively reduced the torque shock and clutch friction work during clutch engaging process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fruit intake is beneficial to several chronic diseases, but controversial in diabetes. We aimed to investigate prospectively the associations of whole fresh fruit intake with risk of incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) in subjects with different glucose regulation capacities. Methods: The present study included 79,922 non-diabetic participants aged ≥ 40 years from an ongoing nationwide prospective cohort in China. Baseline fruit intake information was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Plasma HbA1c, fasting and 2 h post-loading glucose levels were measured at both baseline and follow-up examinations. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident diabetes among participants with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and prediabetes, after adjusted for multiple confounders. Restricted cubic spline analysis was applied for dose–response relation. Results: During a median 3.8-year follow-up, 5886 (7.36%) participants developed diabetes. Overall, we identified a linear and dose-dependent inverse association between dietary whole fresh fruit intake and risk of incident T2D. Each 100 g/d higher fruit intake was associated with 2.8% lower risk of diabetes (HR 0.972, 95%CI [0.949–0.996], P = 0.0217), majorly benefiting NGT subjects with 15.2% lower risk (HR 0.848, 95%CI [0.766–0.940], P = 0.0017), while not significant in prediabetes (HR 0.981, 95%CI 0.957–4.005, P = 0.1268). Similarly, the inverse association was present in normoglycemia individuals with a 48.6% lower risk of diabetes when consuming fruits > 7 times/week comparing to those < 1 time/week (HR 0.514, 95% CI [0.368–0.948]), but not in prediabetes (HR 0.883, 95% CI [0.762–1.023]). Conclusion: These findings suggest that higher frequency and amount of fresh fruit intake may protect against incident T2D, especially in NGT, but not in prediabetes, highlighting the dietary recommendation of higher fresh fruit consumption to prevent T2D in normoglycemia population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenza makes millions of people ill every year, placing a large burden on the healthcare system and the economy. To develop a treatment against influenza, we combined virucidal sialylated cyclodextrins with interferon lambda and demonstrated, in human airway epithelia, that the two compounds inhibit the replication of a clinical H1N1 strain more efficiently when administered together rather than alone. We investigated the mechanism of action of the combined treatment by single cell RNA-sequencing analysis and found that both the single and combined treatments impair viral replication to different extents across distinct epithelial cell types. We showed that each cell type comprises multiple sub-types, whose proportions are altered by H1N1 infection, and assessed the ability of the treatments to restore them. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study investigating the effectiveness of an antiviral therapy against influenza virus by single cell transcriptomic studies. When combined with interferon lambda, virucidal sialylated cyclodextrins inhibit the replication of a clinical H1N1 influenza strain in ex vivo human airway epithelia more efficiently than when delivered alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether underdilated transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) could reduce the risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and ameliorate impaired hepatic function in patients with a history of splenectomy. Methods: A retrospective case–control study was conducted with 96 patients who had prior splenectomy and TIPS placement from August 2016 to May 2022. All patients were divided into two groups based on the diameter of expansion balloon catheters, the underdilated group (6-mm balloon catheter, n = 60) and a control group (8-mm balloon catheter, n = 36). Following the 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM), 33 patients in the underdilated group and 33 patients in the control group were included. Results: During a median follow-up of 36 months, a quicker recovery in liver function after TIPS placement was showed in the underdilated group. The mean TBIL content (16.562 ± 6.549 μmol/L vs 23.871 ± 11.609 μmol/L, P = 0.019) and the mean CLIF-C AD score (41.108 ± 5.223 vs 45.100 ± 4.429, P = 0.033) in the underdilated group were significantly lower than those in the control group during 6 to 12 months after the procedure. In line with the control group, the ability to reduce portal pressure gradient (PPG) and achieve a significantly clinical remission of PVT and ascites severity was showed in the underdilated group 3 months after TIPS creation (P < 0.001). The Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated that no statistically significant differences were found in the cumulative incidence of no overt HE (OHE) (log-rank P = 0.383), cumulative incidence without shunt dysfunction (log-rank P = 0.283), cumulative incidence of no variceal rebleeding (log-rank P = 0.696), and survival (log-rank P = 0.341) (log-rank P = 0.341) between the two groups during the follow-up period. Conclusion: For patients with prior splenectomy, it is safe to employ underdilated TIPS, as the stents will eventually self-expand to 8 mm. The present study has shown some degree of liver function preservation in the underdilated group, which may be related to slower progressive changes in the portal hemodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the subsurface fatigue crack propagation under rolling contact fatigue (RCF), a subsurface fatigue crack is firstly observed in a ball bearing race. Then, a three-dimensional model of a bearing ring containing a subsurface crack is used to evaluate fatigue crack propagation based on stress intensity factor (SIF) calculations. Several parameters, such as the crack shape, depth and size, are varied to investigate their effects on RCF in the bearing ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel bacterium, WQ 047T, was isolated from the faeces of Rhinopithecus bieti, a highly endangered primate endemic to China. The cells were aerobic, oval/rod-shaped, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, catalase positive, and produced yellow pigmented colonies on Columbia Agar. The taxonomic position of WQ 047T was clarified by applying a polyphasic study based on 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogenetic analysis, extensive biological typing, and whole genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that stain WQ 047T belonged to the genus Sphingobacterium and its 16S rRNA gene sequence exhibited 96.47% pairwise similarity with that of the closest relatives Sphingobacterium nematocida M-SX103T. The calculated whole genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) value between strain WQ 047T and strain M-SX103 was 72.3%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization value of strain WQ 047T and M-SX103T was 15.73%, which was obtained by calculating the genome-to-genome distance. The major fatty acids were C15:0 iso, C17:0 iso 3-OH, Summed Feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c) and Summed feature 9 (iso-C17:1ω9c and/or 10-methyl C16:0). The predominant polar lipids were PE, PL and APL. MK-7 was the predominant menaquinone. The G + C content of WQ 047T was 34.89 mol% according to genome analysis. All these characteristics were consistent with those of the genus of Sphingobacterium. Therefore, based on these results, we propose a novel species for which the name Sphingobacterium rhinopitheci sp. Nov. is proposed, with the type strain WQ 047T (= CCTCC AA 2020026T = KCTC82393T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitochondrial genome complete sequence of Achalinus meiguensis was reported for the first time in the present study. The complete mitochondrial genome of A. meiguensis is 17239 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNA, and 2 non-coding regions (Control regions). On the basis of comparison with the other complete mitochondrial sequences reported, we explored the characteristic of structure and evolution. For example, duplication control regions independently occurred in the evolutionary history of reptiles; the pseudo-tRNA of snakes occurred in the Caenophidia; snake is shorter than other vertebrates in the length of tRNA because of the truncations of TψC arm (less than 5 bp) and "DHU" arm. The phylogenic analysis by MP and BI analysis showed that the phylogenetic position of A. meiguensis was placed in Caenophidia as a sister group to other advanced snakes with the exclusion of Acrochordus granulatus which was rooted in the Caenophidia. Therefore we suggested that the subfamily Xenodermatinae, which contains A. meiguensis, should be raised to a family rank or higher rank. At the same time, based on the phylogenic statistic test, the tree of Bayesian was used for estimating the divergence time. The results showed that the divergence time between Henophidia and Caenophidia was 109.50 Mya; 106.18 Mya for divergence between Acrochordus granulatus and the other snakes of the Caenophidia; the divergence time of A. meiguensis was 103 Mya, and Viperidae diverged from the unilateral of Elapidae and Colubridae was 96.06 Mya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible and free-standing thin films were fabricated and employed directly as working electrodes for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 in 0.5 N KHCO3 at 25 °C, in which, various sizes of Cu2O nanocubes (~ 27 ± 2, 37 ± 3, 62 ± 4 and 207 ± 3 nm) with different extent of surface oxidation (13, 20, 66, and 64% of Cu(II)) were reinforced on to polyvinyl alcohol/reduced graphene oxide matrix (PVA/rGO/(Cu2O/CuO_X, where, X = without halide, Cl, Br and I). The size of Cu2O nanocubes and their surface oxidation were systematically altered by the addition of 1 mL of 10 mM sodium halides (NaCl, NaBr, and NaI) during the synthesis. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping displayed the specific adsorption of Cl− ions over the Cu2O surface, whereas Br− and I− ions did not show such behaviour. PVA/rGO/(Cu2O/CuO_Cl) thin film exhibited a low overpotential of 20 mV for CO2 reduction reaction and, ~ 60 and ~ 7 times higher current density at − 0.80 V vs. RHE compared to that of the PVA/rGO/(Cu2O/CuO), PVA/rGO/(Cu2O/CuO_Br) ≈ PVA/rGO/(Cu2O/CuO_I), respectively. Gas chromatography and 1H-NMR analyses confirmed methanol as the single liquid product, with a faradaic efficiency of 63% at − 0.75 V vs. RHE on PVA/rGO/(Cu2O/CuO_Cl) thin film. Graphic abstrat: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research established half of the finite element model to investigate the thermal and stress field evolution of single track cladding deposited by the wide-beam laser. The proposed FE model is validated by the molten pool temperature measured by a pyrometer. And the characteristic of the cladding shows good agreement with the temperature profile. Based on the temperature data, the molten pool length, width, and depth are calculated. Meanwhile, the effect of process parameters including laser power and scanning speed on the molten pool dimensions, temperature gradient G, cooling rate ε, solidification rate R, and G/R are discussed. Three experiments under different process parameters are conducted to verify the simulation results. Furthermore, the thermal stress distribution of the cladding in different direction and different path are discussed. The results indicate that laser power and scanning speed have a significant influence on the thermal and stress field evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the temperature field evolution of the single track clad in wide-beam laser cladding. By using the birth and death element technique, a 3D transient finite element (FE) model was established to study the temperature field evolution, temperature gradient (G), cooling rate (ε), and solidifying rate (R) of the molten pool. The temperature field results of the molten pool were also validated by the temperature measurement and characteristics of the clad. Meanwhile, the effect of main parameters namely as laser power, scanning speed, laser absorptivity, laser power efficiency, and preheat temperature on the peak temperature of the molten pool and temperature variation rate were discussed in detail. Then, the effect of laser power and scanning speed on G, ε, R, and G/R were also investigated and the corresponding microstructure was analyzed. The results show that from the top surface of the clad to the interface between the clad and substrate, G/R decreases slightly at first and then increases sharply while the cooling rate continues to decrease. Moreover, the peak temperature of the molten pool increases with an increase of laser power, laser absorptivity, laser power efficiency, and preheat temperature, while with the increasing of scanning speed, the peak temperature decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve the restoration of the sprocket, it is significant to repair or modify the damaged sprocket by using an advanced surface treatment technique, such as the laser cladding process. In this paper, the Taguchi method was applied to conduct the experiment to optimize the process parameters for repairing a sprocket in the laser cladding process. The dilution was chosen to evaluate the quality of the cladding layer and the effect of the process parameters, such as the laser power, scanning speed, and powder feeding rate, with respect to the cladding layer geometry, and the dilution was investigated systematically. Then, using the optimized parameters, the sprocket was remanufactured and its surface profile characteristics, microstructure, and microhardness of the repaired sprocket were analyzed. The results show that the optimal process parameters (1000 W, 2.81 g/min, 1200 mm/min) obtained by the Taguchi method could realize the lower dilution. With the optimal parameters, the repair accuracy of the sprocket could reach 2.973 mm, which offers the machining allowance for machining of the sprocket. A white bright band observed at the interface shows that the metallurgical bonding was realized between the cladding zone and base metal. The microhardness of the cladding zone is higher than that of the heat-affected zone and base metal. Furthermore, the results reveal that the Taguchi method can effectively acquire the optimal combination of process parameters, and the laser cladding process exhibits good feasibility and effectiveness for repairing the machinery components with complex shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is an important insect biological control agent commercialized for use worldwide. Fungal infection is percutaneous, and rapid germination and growth has been linked to virulence. Using a simple in vitro growth screen to isolate mutants with increased virulence, M. anisopliae SM04 conidia were exposed to UV radiation for 20, 40, and 60 min, and mutants were subsequently screened for more rapid growth on standard potato dextrose agar. From a screen of >6,000 colonies, mutants were selected based on larger colony diameters as compared to the wild-type parent. Insect bioassays using the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, revealed one mutant, designated as MaUV-40.1 as displaying both more rapid growth and increased virulence. The mean lethal time to kill (LT using 10 conidia/ml) was 57.6 and 115.4 h for the MaUV-40.1 mutant and wild-type strains, respectively. Total conidial production, UV and thermal tolerances of the MaUV-40.1 strain were increased, but a reduced secretome was seen for the mutant compared to wild type. Analyses of culture supernatants indicated significant shifts in secondary metabolite production in the mutant. The insecticidal activity of EthOAc extracts derived from MaUV-40.1 mutant cell-free culture supernatants were ~20 times more potent that wild-type extracts. These data indicate that mutagenesis coupled to a growth screen can be a simple approach to isolate strains with greater stress resistance and virulence and that cell-free extracts may hold promise as an alternative to the living organism for insect control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Intussusception is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal emergencies in infants and preschool children. Loss of intestine viability is the most serious complication of intussusception. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for loss of intestine viability in pediatric intussusception cases among children. Methods: Data were collected for operative pediatric intussusception cases ( N = 316) from medical records of 5,537 hospitalized children due to intussusception between June 2009 and May 2014 in a pediatric surgery department of an academic teaching hospital in China. Seventy-six patients (24.1 %) of the operated intussusception cases had complication of loss intestine viability. Results: Pediatric intussusception cases with loss of intestine viability and without loss of intestine viability were similar in terms of their age, malformation and season of admission. The median time of the duration from onset of symptoms to operative treatment was 23 h (range 3-90 h). The loss of intestine viability group of the intussusception cases was significantly associated with longer length of history ( P = 0.000). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for length of history showed that the optimal ratio of sensitivity (0.70) and specificity (0.73) was calculated for the length of history longer than 27.5 h regarding loss of intestine viability of intussusception. In addition, the risk of loss of intestine viability was higher for female (31 %) than for male (20.8 %) ( P = 0.049). The loss of intestine viability rate was also significantly higher in ileo-ileal intussusception cases than that of the other types ( P = 0.033). However, there is no difference among the other groups. Conclusion: The result of our risk factor analysis for loss of intestine viability in pediatric intussusception cases may help develop a predictability index to prevent the complication to happen. Further prospective studies are required to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconductivity involving topological Dirac electrons has recently been proposed as a platform between concepts in high-energy and condensed-matter physics. It has been predicted that supersymmetry and Majorana fermions, both of which remain elusive in particle physics, may be realized through emergent particles in these particular superconducting systems. Using artificially fabricated topological-insulator-superconductor heterostructures, we present direct spectroscopic evidence for the existence of Cooper pairing in a weakly interacting half Dirac gas. Our studies reveal that two dimensional topological superconductivity in a helical Dirac gas is distinctly different from that in an ordinary two-dimensional superconductor in terms of the spin degrees of freedom of electrons. We further show that the pairing of Dirac electrons can be suppressed by time-reversal symmetry-breaking impurities, thereby removing the distinction. Our demonstration and momentum-space imaging of Cooper pairing in a half-Dirac-gas two-dimensional topological superconductor serve as a critically important platform for future testing of fundamental physics predictions such as emergent supersymmetry and topological quantum criticality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling contact fatigue in a ball bearing is studied using the experimental method. Fatigue pits and spallings on the rolling surface are investigated, and the strain-hardening beneath the contact surface is studied using the microhardness profile. Moreover, surface and subsurface crack layouts and the effect of inclusions on crack nucleation are studied by optical and electron microscopy. Additionally, a simulated model is used to study the influences of the crack inclined angle and the inclusion's hardness on fatigue damage in bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orphan nuclear receptor SHP (small heterodimer partner) is a transcriptional corepressor that regulates hepatic metabolic pathways. Here we identified a role for SHP as an intrinsic negative regulator of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-triggered inflammatory responses. SHP-deficient mice were more susceptible to endotoxin-induced sepsis. SHP had dual regulatory functions in a canonical transcription factor NF-?B signaling pathway, acting as both a repressor of transactivation of the NF-?B subunit p65 and an inhibitor of polyubiquitination of the adaptor TRAF6. SHP-mediated inhibition of signaling via the TLR was mimicked by macrophage-stimulating protein (MSP), a strong inducer of SHP expression, via an AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent signaling pathway. Our data identify a previously unrecognized role for SHP in the regulation of TLR signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]