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Intelligent abnormal condition diagnosis is key to the safe and stable operation of the fused magnesia smelting process (FMSP). Existing studies have applied the Bayesian network (BN) to the FMSP with sufficient data. However, learning an accurate BN model for a new FMSP using small data isn't easy. Furthermore, the unreasonable diagnosis may seriously affect product quality and security threats. To this end, we present a novel BN transfer learning (BNTL) method to resolve this abnormal condition diagnosis problem using small data. The abnormal condition diagnosis model is established offline based on the proposed BNTL method, and the occurrence or extent of abnormal conditions is identified online based on the diagnosis model and real-time process information. The BNTL involves structure and parameter transfer learning. Among them, structure transfer learning is based on score and search. A new scoring function is proposed to evaluate the local structure of the candidate target domain by weighted integration of source and target domain data based on similarity. The search process is based on the genetic algorithm with other constraints that remove loops and control the number of parent nodes. After learning the structure, parameter transfer learning is done according to a new similarity evaluation and fusion algorithm. The public network is first used to evaluate the BNTL method. Then, it is utilized to build the abnormal condition diagnosis model of the FMSP using small data. Experimental results show that the recognition accuracy is significantly improved compared with other advanced methods in a limited data environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipes conveying fluid have non-linearizable dynamics when the flow velocity is large enough. Developing analytical models that accurately capture these highly nonlinear and complex dynamics is challenging. Efficient analysis and predictions of these nonlinear dynamics are essential in the design and control of pipe systems in engineering applications. To address these challenges, here we construct low-dimensional reduced-order models in a data-driven setting. In particular, we perform model reduction on spectral submanifolds (SSMs) via SSMLearn. This open-source package automates the identification of low-dimensional SSMs and their associated reduced-order models (ROMs). Our reduction via SSMs treats pipes with various boundary conditions and flow velocities in a unified way. It achieves a significant reduction because the ROMs are two-dimensional, which enables efficient and even analytical predictions on the nonlinear vibration of the pipes, paving the way for real-time prediction of the non-linearizable dynamics. In addition, our SSM-based reduction shows remarkable extrapolation capability because it is built on invariant manifolds and normal form theory. We demonstrate that the ROMs trained on unforced responses can be directly extrapolated to make reliable predictions on forced vibrations under various excitation frequencies and amplitudes, including periodic and quasi-periodic orbits and their bifurcations. [Display omitted] • A unified data-driven model reduction framework is proposed for pipes conveying fluid. • A significant dimension reduction is obtained via two-dimensional spectral submanifolds. • Reduced-order models enable analytical and efficient predictions. • Reduced-order models show remarkable extrapolation capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Adamantyl end-capped groups have potential to boost blue MR-TADF OLEDs' stability. • Adamantyl stabilize excited states by reducing vibronic relaxation in backbones. • Solution-processed deep-blue OLEDs achieved CIE y < 0.08 with a high LT 95 of 55.7 h. Stable solution-processable emitters, particularly deep-blue emitters, are critical for cost-effective and energy-efficient organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In this study, three new multiple resonance (MR) type deep blue emitters with through dual-introduction of methyl and adamantyl as end-capped groups are designed for highly efficient and stable blue fluorescent OLEDs, contributing to doubled device lifetime. Through end-capped modification, the excited states are stabilized via reducing vibronic couplings. Stable deep blue device based on m-DABNA-AdCz are achieved with high current efficiency (CE) of 6.0 cd/A in solution process fluorescent OLEDs and device lifetime up to 95 % of the initial luminance (LT 95) of 55.7 h at 1000 cd m−2, along with the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.133, 0.076). This lifetime is the best yet among solution-processed OLEDs of CIE y < 0.08 according to literature to our best knowledge. This work presents a viable strategy for the development of high-performance solution process deep blue fluorescent OLEDs with high color purity and long device lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Additive of Bismuth (III) triflate is used to strengthen the PEO based SPEs. • Enhancement of ionic conductivity (∼8 times higher than the baseline). • LiF-based integral cathode/SPE and Li/SPE interfaces are generated. • Lithium plating/stripping lasts 2800 h in Li/Bi-SPE/Li symmetric cell. • The NMC811/Li all-solid-state performs stable cycle at 45℃(800, 72%). The interfacial instability of the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based electrolytes hinders the long-term cycling of the high voltage LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 /Li all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) and further application. In this work, we have demonstrated an effective additive bismuth (III) triflate (BiOTF) benefiting to the exceptional performance of the PEO-based electrolytes. Attributed to the intensive mediation of the BiOTF to the polymer matrix and anions, the coordination of the Li+-EO has been weaken and the bondage of anion has been improved, resulting to the improvement of the Li+ conductivity and the electrochemical stability. The reduced Bi 'seeds' on the surface of the lithium anode could effectively alloy with lithium to suppress the lithium dendrite growth. Importantly, the BiOTF mediates the formation of LiF in the both interfaces, which contributes to the interfacial stability (especially at high voltage) and protection of the electrodes, enabling the long-term cycling of the ASSBs under high voltage. Therefore, the Li/Li symmetric cell can undergo long-term lithium plating/stripping for over 2800 h. And the steady cycling of 4.4 V NMC811/Li ASSB with the optimized electrolyte for 800 times can be achieved, with an impress capacity retention of 72.4 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consecutive interpreting involves a demanding language task where mental workload (MWL) is crucial for assessing interpreters' performance. An elevated cognitive load in interpreters may lead to the interpretation failures. The widely used NASA-TLX questionnaire effectively measures MWL. However, a global score was employed in previous interpretation studies, overlooking the distinct contributions of MWL components to the interpreters' performance. Accordingly, we recruited twenty novice interpreters who were postgraduate students specializing in interpreting to complete the consecutive interpreting task. Throughout the process, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor the hemodynamic response in participants' brains. The NASA-TLX was used to measure the MWL during interpreting with six components, including mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration. Five interpretation experts were invited to assess the interpretation quality. The Bayes factor approach was employed to explore the components that contributes the most to the interpretation quality. It indicated that mental demand strongly contributed to the interpretation quality. Moreover, the mediation analysis revealed a positive correlation between mental demand and brain activation in three brain areas, which, in turn, was negatively correlated with interpretation quality, indicating the predictive role of mental demand in interpretation quality through the mediating of brain activation. The functions of the mediating brain areas, including the inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and inferior temporal gyrus, aligned with the three efforts proposed by Gile's effort model, which emphasizes the significance of three fundamental efforts in achieving successful interpreting. These findings have implications for interpreter learning and training. • Mental demand strongly contributed to the quality of consecutive interpretation. • The advancing mental demand was associated with increasing brain activation, which negatively affected the performance. • Mental demand played a predictive role of interpretation quality, mediated through its impact on brain activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the industrial flotation process, the operational adjustment is still manual, which mainly relies on the operator's observation of the flotation froth. Due to limited experience or operation lag, technical indexes such as concentrate grade are difficult to control within the qualified range. In the era of big data, case-based reasoning (CBR) and Bayesian network (BN) are two advanced technologies that can realize intelligent operational adjustment. Although CBR is highly reliable, it is rough and has poor generalization performance. Besides, BN is challenging in responding to multi-working conditions and strong nonlinearities. Inspired by the advantages of the integrated models, a two-step meticulous operational adjustment approach for the flotation process combining CBR and BN is proposed in this article. A case library is constructed in the offline stage, consisting of cases whose technical index has been improved by an operational adjustment in history. After introducing a new case, the rough operational adjustment solution is first determined by CBR. Based on this, a new incremental database is constructed and used for online training of the BN model. After receiving the evidence of the new case's problem attribute, the precise operational adjustment can be determined by BN reasoning. The final case solution to be performed is the sum of the rough and precise operational adjustment received in the two steps. Experiments in a real-world copper flotation process verify the performance and merit of the proposed hybrid approach. The results show that intelligent operational adjustment can significantly improve the copper concentrate grade index. • A hybrid approach integrating case-based reasoning and Bayesian network is proposed. • Proposed approach is applied to the operational adjustment of industrial flotation process. • Proposed integrated approach owns better performance compared with single CBR and BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-object tracking has made good progress in recent years. Most mainstream methods use the fusion method of detection and Re-ID to complete the multi-target tracking technology. However, the current multi-tracking algorithm is slow and cannot meet the real-time requirements, which makes it difficult to implement in actual scenarios. In addition, the current mainstream multi-target tracking technology often has the problem of identity information jumping. Such frequent identity information hopping can lead to serious problems in some demanding practical applications, resulting in poor tracking performance. To solve these problems, we propose a simple framework CSCMOT. A non-parametric attention mechanism is adopted to focus on some feature points of the target without increasing the amount of computation, so as to reduce the amount of computation and improve the real-time performance of the algorithm. In addition, the jumping problem of identity information can be reduced by random simulation occlusion to improve tracking performance. Experiments show that the real-time performance of the proposed CSCMOT framework reaches 32.5 FPS, which exceeds most of the mainstream methods. In addition, the ID-switch was reduced to 2493 on the MOT17 dataset. Made a great breakthrough, better to solve the problem of identity information jump. The tracking accuracy is also 71.5, a competitive result that exceeds most of the mainstream methods. Effective data show that the framework improves the real-time performance of the algorithm, solves the problem of identity jump between targets, and is more conducive to experiment landing, which is easy to combine with the mobile robot platform. • Channel spatial co-attention is introduced into MOT to solve the real-time problem. • Among different attention mechanisms, our attention mechanism works best. • Random mask processing of data set solves the occlusion problem effectively. • For the first time, MOT and speed adaptive algorithm are combined. • A new multi-target tracking framework for quadruped robot platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiOC coating was electrodeposited on TiAl alloy to improve the high temperature oxidation resistance. The mass gain of the compact SiOC coating is 0.06 ± 0.026 mg cm-2, which is one order of magnitude lower than that of TiAl alloy. The SiOC coating exhibits good thermal stability and partial amorphous SiOC transforms into crystal SiO 2 or SiC. After oxidation, no obvious pore can be found in the coating. Moreover, an Al 2 O 3 layer is generated due to the enrichment of Al and the low oxygen partial pressure at the coating/substrate interface, therefore improving the barrier property of the oxide scale. [Display omitted] • SiOC coating is prepared on TiAl alloy by electrodeposition. • The high temperature oxidation resistance of the TiAl alloy with the SiOC coating is dramatically improved. • Thermal exposure results in partial amorphous SiOC transforms into crystal SiO 2 or SiC. • The outward diffused Al can strengthen the network structure of the SiOC coating and establish an Al 2 O 3 intermediate layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Film cooling represents a pivotal technology for the cooling of turbine blades. However, accurately predicting engine results at high temperatures and pressures based on laboratory results at room temperature and pressure is a challenging task. In the prediction process, matching the density ratio between the mainstream and coolant is the parameter of most interest to researchers. Despite this, the matching of the viscosity ratio is often overlooked, which may introduce bias and hinder the accurate prediction of film cooling effectiveness (η). In this study, four coolants were meticulously selected for experimentation in order to evaluate the effect of viscosity and density on η at various locations on the blade surface, which exhibit different curvatures and streamwise pressure gradients. Numerical simulation was employed to predict the mixing flow field of various viscosity coolants with the mainstream at different curvatures and streamwise pressure gradients. The results demonstrate that the increase of the density ratio increases η near the hole outlet and accelerates the decay of η along the flow direction. The effect of the viscosity ratio on η is not as obvious as that of the density ratio. When the viscosity ratio of the coolant increases from 0.5 to 1.5, η decreases by 0.05. The effect of viscosity on η is slightly affected by the change of the streamwise pressure gradient. However, the effect of viscosity on η is obviously different under different curvature conditions. The convex surface almost eliminates the effect of viscosity on η , while the concave surface enlarges the effect. On the blade, except for the gill area of the suction surface with a large convex curvature, the η of Ar with a larger viscosity is slightly lower than that of CO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerodynamic performance of three-dimensional (3D) corner separation flow in a highly loaded compressor cascade has been investigated using Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) based on SST k – ω turbulence model. Turbulence anisotropy of the 3D corner separation has been studied and the relationship between turbulence anisotropy and turbulence kinetic energy budget has been discussed. The Reynolds stress state has been studied, with particular attention in the corner separation region using the Anisotropy Invariant Map (AIM) theory. The analysis revealed that the turbulence anisotropy is high near the wall region initially and then decays gradually as the distance from the wall increases. The shape of Reynolds stress within the corner separation region tends to be rod-like. The anisotropy characteristics of various scale turbulence vortex structures are discussed through Reynolds stress anisotropy tensors (a i j) and dissipation rate tensors (d i j). Both the large and small scale turbulence vortex structures have shown a return-to-isotropy tendency far from the wall. It is found that the turbulence anisotropy is positively related to the turbulence kinetic energy budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masonry infill walls serve as building partitions and are generally considered non-structural components. Their weights are considered in progressive collapse analysis, but the resistance of the infill walls is normally ignored in design standards. Based on the reasonable selection of constitutive models, a refined finite element (FE) model for the collapse resistance of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) composite frame with infill walls was established by ABAQUS/Explicit. Cohesive elements were inserted between different masonry blocks to simulate the mortar joints. The collapse resistance contribution and reinforcement methods analysis of the CFST frame with infill walls were carried out based on the validated FE models. Results show that the infill walls significantly contribute to resisting vertical load in the initial loading stage, with a maximum contribution of 55.3%. The infill walls, which are treated as the equivalent compressive struts, change the load-resisting path and effectively improve the load redistribution ability of the frame. The V-type oblique arrangement of tie rebars has better tie effect and collapse resistance of the frame than other arrangements. After pasting the CFRP sheet and spraying the ECC material to reinforce infill walls, the peak load can be increased by 25.1% and 22.9% respectively, and the ultimate load can be increased by 96.2% and 74.5% respectively. X-type pasting the CFRP sheet reinforcement has a better collapse resistance than others. Furthermore, based on the simplification of the infill walls as the diagonal struts, the simplified calculation formulas of anti-collapse capacity of CFST frame with infill walls were studied. • Numerical models are established for the collapse of CFST frame with infill walls. • Infill walls change the load-resisting path and improve the load redistribution. • The reinforcement methods of the CFST frame with infill walls are investigated. • Simplified prediction method for the anti-collapse capacity is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing an intelligent operational adjustment model is significant for optimizing flotation performance and realizing the stable control of the flotation process. When sufficient historical data is available, the Bayesian network (BN) has been used to achieve this goal due to its powerful uncertainty modeling and reasoning capabilities. However, for a new flotation process in the early stage with scarce data, an accurate BN model can hardly be established to make reliable decisions. In this scenario, it is an effective way to transfer data or knowledge from other similar flotation processes to the new flotation process to help complete the target BN modeling task. Therefore, the operational adjustment modeling problem is transformed into the BN transfer learning problem. Moreover, this article proposes a new BN transfer learning approach, including structure and parameters transfer learning techniques. For structure transfer learning, a majority voting mechanism is proposed to get an integrated result of conditional independence tests and generates the network structure based on them. For parameters transfer learning, the sources are judged whether to be used to learn the parameters first, and then the suitable sources are used to learn the network parameters based on the weight determined by the similarity. The Asia network first assesses the proposed approach and then applies it to real-world flotation operational adjustment decisions. Experimental results on the Asia network show that the proposed approach can learn more accurate structure and parameters according to F1 score, Hamming distance, and KL divergence indicators compared to existing advanced methods. Furthermore, the experimental results of the flotation process show that the inference accuracy is improved from 57.1% to 85.7% compared with the traditional modeling method. • An operational adjustment method for the flotation process under scarce data is proposed. • The operational adjustment modeling problem is transformed into a BN transfer learning problem. • A new BN transfer learning method is proposed, including structure and parameters transfer learning method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, poly (l-lactide) (PLLA) was penetrated by poly (d-lactide) (PDLA) in multi-melt multi-injection molding (M3IM) system, and a stable stereocomplex crystal (SC) band was obtained at the interface between the penetrated layer (PLLA) and the penetrating layer (PDLA). The relationship between the width of SC band and the injection velocity was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), polarized optical microscopy (POM) and 2D-WAXD. It was found that a lower injection velocity leads to a wider and more stable SC band owing to the unique and the complex coupling action of external fields (shear field and temperature field, etc.) in M3IM system. The stable SC band endows the M3IM penetrated samples with enhanced mechanical performance compared to the conventional injection molding (CIM) sample, which shed a light into potential reinforcement of production in PLA manufacturing and application in barrier and unidirectional heat conduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest human malignancies with poor patient outcomes often resulting from delayed diagnosis. Therefore, early diagnosis can lead to a better prognosis and improved outcomes. In this study, we have developed a novel conjugate complex of plectin/integrin-targeted bispecific molecular probe, termed Gd-Cy7-PTP/RGD, to be used for magnetic resonance/near-infrared imaging (MRI/NIRF) of pancreatic cancer in vivo. This bispecific molecular probe comprises four parts: Gd(III) for MRI, cyanine 7 (Cy7) for NIRF, the peptide PTP for binding to plectin-1 specifically overexpressed on the surface of PDAC cells, and the peptide RGD for targeting integrin widely expressed on pancreatic duct epithelial cells and angiogenesis. Remarkably, the combination of PTP and RGD greatly increased the targeting efficiency in vitro and in vivo compared to that of either single peptide. Moreover, such bispecific molecular probes target pancreatic neoplasms and angiogenesis simultaneously, producing a “multi-level” targeting effect confirmed by immunofluorescence testing in vitro and in vivo. Under the guidance of MRI/NIRF dual-modality imaging, NIRF-guided delineation of surgical margins during operations was successfully achieved in orthotopic pancreatic cancer. This study promotes further exploration of bispecific molecular probes for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the mechanical properties of CoCrFeNi system high entropy alloys (HEAs) could be enhanced with the increase of Al content, it is inevitable to produce a gradual transformation of multiphase microstructure with chemical segregations. It will lead to the change of work function and the appearance of localized corrosion. The present work investigates the correlation between the corrosion behavior and the microstructure of Al x (CoCrFeNi) 100−x (x = 0–20) HEAs in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solution by immersion test, electrochemical measurement, SKPFM and SEM. The microstructure of CoCrFeNi system HEAs with increasing the content of Al has been transformed from single FCC phase to mixture of FCC and BCC duplex phases, and then to BCC phase. The detected value of work function gradually decreases with Al addition. The addition of a little amount of Al which retains the single FCC phase structure is beneficial to improve the corrosion resistance of Al-containing CoCrFeNi system HEAs, and the addition of excessive Al elements which promotes the formation and growth of BCC phase weakens the corrosion resistance of Al-containing CoCrFeNi system HEAs. • The relationship between the microstructure and corrosion resistance of Al x (CoCrFeNi) 100−x was systematically studied. • The microstructure of Al x (CoCrFeNi) 100−x changes from single FCC phase to FCC + BCC, and then to BCC phase. • Little Al addition without phase change improves the corrosion resistance, while excessive Al addition weakens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The miniaturized supersonic rocket or missile is an innovative concept most notably characterized by its small caliber, short length, and high flight speed. Tightly coupled design parameters and constrained objectives bring high complexity to launch safety assessments. The commonly used heuristic algorithm NSGA-II cannot address this complexity with its original density estimation strategy. In this paper, a multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) based on a multidisciplinary feasible (MDF) architecture is established and simplified according to specific design requirements. The design system includes one coupled numerical model, two drivers, and six disciplines. As an optimizer for an MDO problem, multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) with heuristic features are very conducive to exploring the performance of complex rocket systems. The coupling relationship between the design variables of a small dual-chamber rocket is complex, and its optimal design is challenging to obtain empirically by traditional methods. Optimizing its propulsion performance and launch safety is imperative. For engineering designs, the convergence process of algorithms is often passive with a high degree of randomness, and the diversity of the final results is difficult to guarantee. This paper improves the Pareto front's diversity in designing a miniaturized supersonic rocket by using a self-adaptive local diversity-preserving NSGA-II (SLDNSGA-II) in an MDO framework with an active control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-luminescent photodynamic therapy (PDT) has gained attention owing to its potential to enable effective phototherapy without the bottleneck of shallow light penetration into tissues. However, the biosafety concerns and low cytotoxic effect of self-luminescent reagents in vivo have been problems. Here, we demonstrate efficacious bioluminescence (BL)-PDT by using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) conjugates of a clinically approved photosensitizer, Chlorin e6, and a luciferase, Renilla reniformis ; both derived from biocompatible, natural molecules. With over 80% biophoton utilization efficiency and membrane-fusion liposome-assisted intracellular delivery, these conjugates produce effective, targeted cancer cell killing. Specifically, in an orthotopic mouse model of 4T1 triple-negative breast cancer, BL-PDT showed strong therapeutic effects on large primary tumors and a neoadjuvant outcome in invasive tumors. Furthermore, BL-PDT resulted in complete tumor remission and prevention of metastasis for early-stage tumors. Our results demonstrate the promise of molecularly-activated, clinically viable, depth-unlimited phototherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corner separation flow in a highly loaded prescribed velocity distribution (PVD) cascade has been studied by using DDES method based on SST k – ω model (DDES-SST). The numerical simulation results of DDES and RANS have been compared with experiment. The DDES-SST method could provide accurate predictions on corner separation region and RANS-SST method overestimate the corner separation flow in the cascade. The development and structure of vortices in the corner separation flow have been carefully studied. The velocity histogram of the monitor points in mainstream and corner region are collected and the velocity “bimodal” distribution in corner separation region, which was once found in the experiment, has been approved with numerical result by DDES method. Turbulence anisotropy has been discussed with Lumley anisotropy invariant map (AIM) theory and the high anisotropy region is found corresponding to high shear stress region. Other turbulence characteristics, like turbulence energy spectra, turbulence helicity density and velocity skewness have also been discussed and analyzed carefully to help understand the different aspects of turbulence behaviors of the three-dimensional (3D) corner separation flow in the cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TFC membranes with various morphologies of fully aromatic polyamide (PA) separation layer were prepared by just changing the monomer concentrations in a wide range. The morphologies of PA top surface, cross-section and back surface were systematically studied by using SEM and TEM. The PA layer thickness and its chemical structure were also characterized by using FTIR and XPS. A corresponding relationship of PA layer morphology was found, i.e. if there are obvious pores on the back surface of PA layer, there must be void structure on the PA cross-section and rough leaf-like structure on the PA top surface. The relationship between PA layer morphology and membrane separation performance, especially water flux, was elucidated. The porous structure on the back surface of PA layer is a necessary condition for TFC membranes to achieve high separation performance. For PA layer with back surface pores and single-layer void structure, its effective thickness is only the thickness of the top surface of PA layer. A three-stage formation mechanism of PA layer was proposed, which can explain the variation of pore size of PA back surface with the change of monomer concentration very well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To increase the reliability of motor drive system, many fault diagnosis approaches have been reported with regard to three-phase Pulse Width Modulation Voltage Source Inverter (PWM-VSI). Based on feature engineering and deep neural network, this paper proposes a fault diagnosis approach for the VSI in three-phase Permanent-magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) drive. The three-phase current signals are used for the fault diagnosis of VSI. 10 typical signal features are extracted from the three-phase current signals and used as the input of deep neural network. To improve the diagnostic performance, the network structure of the presented deep neural network is designed like a pyramid. Experimental results show that the presented method can detect not only the single open-circuit faults but also the double open-circuit faults in power switches, with high diagnostic accuracy (more than 95%). Besides, comparison results show that the presented method has strong generalization performance. This paper provides theoretical guidance for the fault diagnosis of VSI in PMSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activated carbon treated at different temperatures was performed as a catalyst for the oxidation of glycerol to glycolic acid. Heat treatment at suitable temperature could promote the enrichment of ester and carboxyl functional groups with strong electronegativity, which serves as the efficient active site for the glycerol oxidation. Therefore, the optimal AC-400 catalyst with more ester and carboxyl groups shows excellent catalytic activity (0.0039 mol/g Cat /h) and GLYOA selectivity (53.2%). [Display omitted] • The efficient oxidation of glycerol to glycolic acid was realized over heat treated activated carbon. • Heat treatment tuned the composition and electronic structure of oxygen-containing functional groups. • The ester and carboxyl functional groups with strong electronegativity enhanced the adsorption and activation of glycerol. Exploring efficient and cheap catalyst for the selective oxidation of glycerol to valuable carboxylic acids is a critical and complicated challenge. Herein, we innovatively realized the efficient oxidation of glycerol to glycolic acid over metal-free catalyst under mild conditions via carbon material defect engineering. Multiple characterizations revealed that the stepwise functionalization of active carbon caused by simple high temperature control is adopted to fine-tune the composition and electronic structure of oxygen-containing functional groups. Specifically, the abundant ester and carboxyl functional groups exhibit stronger electronegativity than the hydroxyl group, and this enhanced electronic coupling effect strengthens the adsorption of glycerol, thus improving the catalytic activity. Kinetic analysis and density functional theory calculations demonstrated that the oxygen-containing functional groups (mainly ester and carboxyl) could promote the C–H bond activation of RCH 2 O* intermediate and once C–C bond cleavage of glyceric acid, ensuring the high selectivity of glycolic acid (53.2% over AC-400 catalyst). We anticipate that this work could sheds some light on the application and design of more new type of carbon-based metal-free catalysts in the aqueous phase oxidation of various polyols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Constructing more interfacial Auδ--O V -Zr3+ active sites by tuning the crystal structure of ZrO 2 supports. • Interfacial Auδ--O V -Zr3+ structure exhibits strong electrons transfer from tetragonal-ZrO 2 to Au atom. • The O V -Zr3+ could facilitate the adsorption of methacrolein substrate. • The electron-rich Auδ- species could promote the C H bond activation of the negatively charged intermediate. Constructing abundant metal-support interfacial active sites is an effective strategy to boost catalytic performance toward interfacial electronic structure-sensitive reactions, such as oxidative esterification of oxygenates. Herein, we successfully promote the generation of the interfacial active sites via tuning the crystal phases of Au/ZrO 2 catalysts. Multi-characterizations (such as in-situ FT-IR spectra and reaction kinetics) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrated that the interfacial Auδ--O V -Zr3+ structure with the synergistic effect exhibits strong electrons transfer from tetragonal-ZrO 2 to Au atom. Specifically, the O V -Zr3+ could facilitate the adsorption of methacrolein substrate, and the electron-rich Auδ- species could promote the C H bond activation of the CH 2 C(CH 3)CHOOCH 3 intermediate. Therefore, the interface-rich Au/t-ZrO 2 catalyst achieved nearly 90 % yield of MMA and excellent catalyst stability without the incorporation of second promoter. The outcome of this work could provide some insights into developing an efficient Au-based catalyst in the oxidative esterification system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs) show prospects in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries. However, they suffer from low ionic conductivity at room temperature and interfacial instability with high voltage cathodes for long-term cycling. In this work, top-down fluorinated PEOs (F-PEOs) for the all-solid-state electrolytes, which are scalable and cost-effective, are developed to improve the battery performance. We demonstrate, that by enhancing the disordering of the F-PEO matrix, the SPE achieves a maximum Li+ conductivity of 1.1 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 40 °C, which is 20 times higher than the baseline. By forming robust cathode/SPE and Li/SPE interfaces, the F-PEO-based SPEs demonstrate stable cycling in the LiFePO 4 /Li and LiNi 0 · 8 Mn 0 · 1 Co 0 · 1 O 2 /Li (3–4.4 V, 500 cycles, capacity retention of 91.6%) based all-solid-state batteries at 40 °C. Furthermore, our work highlights the significance of "disordering engineering" for energy storage materials. • Top-down direct fluorinated PEOs(F-PEOs)are developed as the matrix for SPEs. • The regularity of the polymer and the degree of crystallinity are reduced. • Enhancement of ionic conductivity (∼20 times higher than the baseline). • Robust cathode/SPE and Li/SPE interfaces are formed. • The NMC811/Li all-solid-state cells can cycle stably at 40 °C for 500 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, 4,4-bipyridine covalently-linked graphene monolith was prepared in a hydrothermal process. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic behavior of the as-prepared graphene monolith was explored in light-driven H 2 evolution from water. The results indicate that the graphene monolith obtained consists of single or few-layered graphene nanosheets covalently-linked with 4,4-bipyridine and possesses a 3D framework. Moreover, the graphene monolith is a promising photocatalyst for the photocatalytic H 2 evolution which is suitable for a continuous flow system. The rate of H 2 evolution is up to 1.07 mmol g − 1 h − 1 under optimal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SrTiO 3 -reduced graphene oxide (SrTiO 3 -RGO) composites were synthesized via a facile one pot hydrothermal process. This was achieved by decorating graphene oxide (GO) layers with Ti(OBu) 4 and Sr(NO 3 ) 2 as starting materials followed by hydrothermal synthesis, which converts the SrTiO 3 particles with a diameter of 87–200 nm on the RGO surface, without using strong reducing agents. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), photoluminescence spectra (PL), electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), and photocurrent analysis. SrTiO 3 particles were shown to be grown homogeneously on the RGO sheets with close interfacial contacts. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activities of the SrTiO 3 and SrTiO 3 -RGO composites were contrasted. Compared to SrTiO 3 , SrTiO 3 -RGO composites showed much higher photocatalytic hydrogen production activity under UV light irradiation. The SrTiO 3 -0.8%RGO composite showed the highest photocatalytic H 2 evolution activity. PL, EIS and photocurrent analysis were used to elucidate the mechanism that the enhancement of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity over the SrTiO 3 -RGO composites is attributed to the reduction of the photogenerated electron-hole recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Parikh–Wilczek tunneling framework, we calculate the tunneling rate from a Schwarzschild black hole under the third order WKB approximation, and then obtain the expressions for emission spectrum and black hole entropy to the third order correction. The entropy contains four terms including the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy, the logarithmic term, the inverse area term, and the square of inverse area term. In addition, we analyse the correlation between sequential emissions under this approximation. It is shown that the entropy is conserved during the process of black hole evaporation, which consists with the request of quantum mechanics and implies the information is conserved during this process. We also compare the above result with that of pure thermal spectrum case, and find that the non-thermal correction played an important role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prepared a series of highly dispersed tetrahedrally coordinated tungsten catalysts with different Si/Al ratios by a simple "top-down" method for catalytic cracking of 1-hexene to propene. High 1-hexene conversion (>97%) and propene selectivity (>40%) could be maintained at 575°C over the W-ZSM-5(60) catalyst. [Display omitted] • Stability of the Si-O-Al structure in the W-ZSM-5 framework was enhanced. • Active tetrahedrally coordinated W (VI) species were highly dispersed on ZSM-5 catalysts. • Superior propene selectivity was achieved over W-ZSM-5 (60) catalysts. • The mechanism of W-ZSM-5 on the 1-hexene cracking reaction path were clarified. Reasonable regulation of the acidity of ZSM-5 could fundamentally improve the catalytic performance for the cracking of low-carbon olefins to propene. Herein, a series of ZSM-5 catalysts with highly dispersed tetrahedrally coordinated W(VI) species were prepared for the catalytic cracking of 1-hexene to propene by a simple "top-down" method. Multi-characterizations revealed that the introduction of W enhanced the stability of the Si-O-Al structure in W-ZSM-5 by eliminating the non-skeleton aluminum and excessive Brønsted acid sites, leading to a superb resistance to carbon/coke deposition. Moreover, the Lewis acid sites originated from the active tetrahedrally coordinated W (VI) species improved the propene selectivity via inhibiting the polymerization of products. In addition, through the optimization of various parameters (such as Si/Al ratio, temperature and weight hourly space velocity), high 1-hexene conversion (>97%) and propene selectivity (>40%) could be maintained at 575 °C over the W-ZSM-5(60) catalyst during 30 h long period reaction. This work may provide some new insights for the effect of W-based catalysts on acid composition in the cracking of light olefins to propene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a group of malignant tumors with high rates of malignancy and metastasis. OS most commonly affects adolescents and young individuals. However, owing to the lack of effective targeted treatments, the 5-year survival rate for OS is still around 20%. Thus, it is essential to develop effective drugs with low toxicity for OS treatment. In the present study, we investigated the antitumor effect and underlying mechanism of cyy260 in OS via suppressing PDGFR-β and its downstream pathway. We demonstrated that cyy260 inhibits OS cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis via inducing DNA damage and causing cell cycle arrest. More importantly, cyy260 also significantly inhibits tumor migration. Further analysis of molecular mechanisms confirmed that PDGFR-β and its downstream AKT, STAT3, and ERK were involved in the cyy260-mediated antitumor effect. Analysis of subcutaneously transplanted tumors in mice showed that cyy260 suppressed tumor cell growth and exhibited low toxicity in vivo. Collectively, these findings proved that cyy260 could serve as a promising PDGFR-β inhibitor for the treatment of OS. cyy260 as a PDGFR-β inhibitor could inhibit the proliferation of MG63 and MNNG cells by suppressing the phosphorylation of PDGFR-β and its downstream ERK, AKT and STAT3. Additionally, cyy260 also exhibited significant in vivo antitumor potency in osteosarcoma cancer cell MNNG/HOS-derived xenograft models. [Display omitted] • cyy260 is a small molecule inhibitor with the ability to inhibit PDGFR-β activity. • cyy260 causes DNA damage and induces apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells. • cyy260 inhibits PDGFR-β expression and demonstrates the ability to inhibit tumor migration. • cyy260 exhibits excellent anti-osteosarcoma activity in vitro and in vivo. • cyy260 could be a potential PDGFR-β small molecule inhibitor for the treatment of osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculation and microkinetic analysis, metal single-atom-doped ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts for naphtha cracking are screened. The calculation results show that the strong electronic interaction between metal single atom and zeolite skeleton (especially Ag and Cu) could enhance structural stability. The volcanic diagram of turnover frequency shows that Ag and Cu doped ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst is at the top of the volcano, which is close to the best choice. [Display omitted] • Metal single-atom-doped ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst exhibits good structural stability. • The adsorption of naphtha hydrocarbon molecules and the activation of C–H bond are greatly promoted. • The binding energy of carbon and hydrogen can be used as a descriptor for the catalytic cracking of naphtha on M−ZSM−5. • Ag and Cu single-atom-doped ZSM-5 are predicted to exhibit excellent catalytic activity. • Mo and Pd single-atom-doped ZSM-5 display great potential in the enhancement of propylene selectivity. Metal doped ZSM-5 catalyst has attracted much attention due to its unique catalytic activity for C–H bond activation. In this work, based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations and microkinetic analysis, we prospectively explored the catalytic activity of 12 kinds of transition metals (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, W, Pt, Au) single-atom-doped ZSM-5 zeolite catalysts in the catalytic cracking of naphtha. The results show that there is a strong electronic interaction between metal atom and ZSM-5 skeleton. This induced stable structure could improve the adsorption ability of hydrocarbon, thus promoting the activation of C–H bond and the cracking of carbenium ion. Moreover, C and H binding energy were identified as descriptors in describing catalytic activity via good scaling relations. The turnover frequency volcano diagram shows that the Ag and Cu doped ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst is close to the best choice. In addition, Pd and Mo are potential metal choices with good selectivity through selectivity analysis. This work has important guiding significance for understanding the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) mechanism and designing high-efficiency cracking catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni nanoparticle incorporated SiO 2 coating was fabricated on Ti48Al2Nb2Cr alloy by electro-codeposition. Results showed that the Ni-SiO 2 composite coating exhibits good isothermal and cyclic oxidation resistance at 900 ºC. The incorporation of Ni particles can adjust the coating thermal stress. After oxidation, no crack or pore can be found in the Ni-SiO 2 composite coating. The consumption of the inward diffused oxygen could reduce the oxygen partial pressure at the coating/substrate interface, therefore promoting the selective oxidation of Ti48Al2Nb2Cr to form Al 2 O 3. Owing to the good compatibility with SiO 2 , the oxidation product of NiO could strengthen the structure of the coating. [Display omitted] • The Ni-SiO 2 composite coating exhibits good isothermal and cyclic oxidation resistance. • The incorporated Ni particles can adjust the coating thermal stress and prevent the generation of cracks. • The inward diffused oxygen is consumed by the Ni particles, promoting the selected oxidation of Ti48Al2Nb2Cr to form α-Al 2 O 3. • The structure of the oxide scale can be improved by the oxide product of NiO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and sensitive analytical methodology, based on enzyme-assisted extraction and nitrogen-blowing salt-induced solidified floating organic droplet microextraction (NS-SFODM), was developed and optimized for isolation and determination of clenbuterol (CLB) and ractopamine (RCT) in swine feeds. β-Gluocronidase/arylsulphatase (50 μL) was added into 2 g of powdery feed to eliminate interference and to improve extraction efficiency. In the NS-SFODM procedures, the down-layer salt and aqueous phase was discarded by opening the bottom cap, and the remaining solidified solvent was easily and relatively wholly collected by a medical spoon, resulting in a high extraction efficiency. The optimal parameters for NS-SFODM procedures and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) operations were as follows: 40 μL of 2-DC as extraction solvent, sample pH of 12.0, saturated (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 of 4.0 g, nitrogen-flowing time of 1.0 min, and 10.0 mM sodium tetraborate running buffer. Under optimized conditions, the limits of detection (at S/N = 3) were 1.1 μg/kg for RCT and 1.5 μg/kg for CLB, the mean enrichment factors reached more than 124-fold and the extraction recoveries were more than 74.1% for CLB and RCT. The newly developed procedure is proved to be an accurate, precise and reliable sample-pretreatment method that substantially reduces sample matrix interference and gives very good enrichment factors and low detection limits for analyzing trace amount of CLB and RCT in feed samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailoring the hydrodeoxygenation capacity via the regulation of the electronic structure of the active site is still a significant challenge for hydrogenation of oxygenated substrates. Herein, we report the highly efficient bimetallic CoNi/HAP catalysts to promote the catalytic transfer hydrodecarbonylation of methyl stearate to heptadecane. Multiple characterizations reveal that the CoNi alloy nanoparticles with fcc structure exhibit strong electron coupling effect and enhanced adsorption of methyl stearate, leading to the improvement of catalytic activity. Specifically, the introduction of Ni changes the reaction pathway from methyl stearate → octadecanol over the Co/HAP catalyst to methyl stearate → heptadecane over CoNi/HAP catalysts. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectra, reaction kinetics and density functional theory calculation show that the heptadecane is mainly generated through hydrodecarbonylation (-CO) rather than hydrodecarboxylation (-COO) because the C C bond cleavage of oxygenated intermediate (RCH 2 CO) is greatly facilitated over the Ni active site of electron reconstructed CoNi alloy nanoparticles. Finally, the Co 5 Ni 5 /HAP catalyst exhibits excellent conversion (99.4%), heptadecane selectivity (98.2%) and catalyst stability. These insights revealed here could pave the way for the rational development of catalyst with high catalytic performance in the catalytic transfer hydrogenation system of fatty acids/esters. The introduction of Ni strengthens the electron coupling effect of the CoNi alloy nanoparticles, and promotes the adsorption of MS/SA, resulting in the improvement of catalytic activity. During the hydrogenation process, Co metal active site promotes the formation of oxygen-containing intermediates before octadecanol, and the as-formed C C bond of the oxygenated intermediate (RCH 2 CO) tends to be activated on the Ni active site of CoNi alloy nanoparticles, leading to the high HP selectivity. Finally, the Co 5 Ni 5 /HAP catalyst exhibits excellent conversion (99.4%), heptadecane selectivity (98.2%) and catalyst stability. [Display omitted] • Bimetallic CoNi/HAP catalysts could promote the catalytic transfer hydrodecarbonylation of methyl stearate to heptadecane. • fcc -type CoNi alloy nanoparticles exhibit strong electron coupling effect and enhanced the adsorption of methyl stearate. • Reaction pathway of catalytic transfer hydrogenation of methyl stearate to heptadecane is greatly promoted. • C-C bond cleavage of RCH 2 CO intermediate is greatly facilitated over the surface of electron reconstructed CoNi alloy. • Excellent conversion and heptadecane selectivity were obtained on the Co 5 Ni 5 /HAP catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term isothermal oxidation and cyclic oxidation performance of the Ti48Al2Nb2Cr alloy anodized in NH 4 F containing electrolyte were investigated. After isothermal oxidation at 1000 °C and cyclic oxidation at 900 °C for 1000 h, the weight gains of the anodized Ti48Al2Nb2Cr alloys are 1.12 mg cm−2 and 0.48 mg cm−2, respectively. The excellent oxidation performance is ascribed to the fluorine effect. Raman and photo-stimulated luminescence spectra revealed that anodization impedes the formation of rutile and promotes the generation of α-Al 2 O 3 at high temperatures. The Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 formed during anodization act as crystal nucleus for the generation of α-Al 2 O 3 -based scale. Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 formed at the anodization process, together with the fluorine effect, promote the generation of protective α-Al 2 O 3 scale. [Display omitted] • A fluorine-enriched region can be found beneath the anodic film. • The anodized Ti48Al2Nb2Cr alloy exhibits excellent oxidation performance. • Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 formed during anodization promote the generation of α-Al 2 O 3 -based scale. • The improved oxidation resistance can be ascribed to the fluorine effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic/inorganic hybrid membranes for separation applications have been widely studied. However, achieving a uniform dispersion of inorganic fillers in the polymer matrix is a primary challenge in the advancement of mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs). In the present study, a method for in situ assembly enhanced by sonication was developed to prepare hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/nanoparticle hybrid membranes. Results from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrometry, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) suggest that through ultrasonic cavitation during assembly of the hybrid membrane, this method could effectively avoid nanoscale agglomeration and in turn uniformly disperse inorganic particles within the polymer matrix. This method thus enabled the preparation of an organophilic membrane with higher hydrophobicity and higher performance. For example, the contact angle (CA) of SiO 2 /PDMS hybrid membrane increased from 135.5° to 146.3°, and the separation factor for the pervaporation of 5% ethanol/water mixture increased from 7.3 to 12.5. Furthermore, the method was used to prepare a zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)-filled PDMS membrane. The ZIF-8/PDMS hybrid membrane showed high performance in the pervaporation of alcohol/water mixtures. These results further suggest that in situ assembly via sonication is a promising approach to improve the dispersion of inorganic fillers and thus the membrane performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript provides a new viscoelastic–viscoplastic deformation model for oxygen-assisted embrittlement and degradation of titanium structures subjected to combined loading and environments. The viscoelastic–viscoplastic formulation accounts for the creep/relaxation behavior at elevated temperatures within the coupled processes of oxygen transport and deformation. The viscoelastic behavior is modeled based on the Boltzmann integral and Prony series approximation of the time-dependent moduli. The concentration-dependent viscoplastic deformation response is idealized using a generalized Johnson–Cook plasticity model. The proposed deformation model is fully coupled with a transport model to describe the ingress of oxygen into the structure. The coupled transport-deformation model is implemented using a three-field formulation, in which concentration, displacement and pressure are evaluated as independent unknowns. The computational model was validated against experiments conducted in combined environments on the high temperature alloy Ti-6242S. A detailed investigation of the coupling mechanisms between the oxygen ingress induced embrittlement, relaxation and the inelastic deformation is provided, including partial validation of the interaction mechanisms based on experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate simulation of terrestrial gross primary production (GPP), the largest global carbon flux, benefits our understanding of carbon cycle and its source of variation. This paper presents a novel light use efficiency-based GPP model called the terrestrial ecosystem carbon flux model (TEC) driven by MODIS FPAR and climate data coupled with a precipitation-driven evapotranspiration (E) model ( Yan et al., 2012 ). TEC incorporated a new water stress factor, defined as the ratio of actual E to Priestley and Taylor (1972) potential evaporation (EPT). A maximum light use efficiency (ϵ*) of 1.8 gC MJ−1 and 2.76 gC MJ−1 was applied to C3 and C4 ecosystems, respectively. An evaluation at 18 eddy covariance flux towers representing various ecosystem types under various climates indicates that the TEC model predicted monthly average GPP for all sites with overall statistics of r = 0.85, RMSE = 2.20 gC m−2 day−1, and bias = −0.05 gC m−2 day−1. For comparison the MODIS GPP products (MOD17A2) had overall statistics of r = 0.73, RMSE = 2.82 gC m−2 day−1, and bias = −0.31 gC m−2 day−1 for this same set of data. In this case, the TEC model performed better than MOD17A2 products, especially for C4 plants. We obtained an estimate of global mean annual GPP flux at 128.2 ± 1.5 Pg C yr −1 from monthly MODIS FPAR and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA reanalysis data at a 1.0° spatial resolution over 11 year period from 2000 to 2010. This falls in the range of published land GPP estimates that consider the effect of C4 and C3 species. The TEC model with its new definition of water stress factor and its parameterization of C4 and C3 plants should help better understand the coupled climate-carbon cycle processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the porous structures of two commercial fully-aromatic polyamide (FAPA) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes as well as homemade RO membranes were thoroughly characterized and revealed by using SEM and TEM. With a designed “inverse” interfacial polymerization experiment, it was confirmed that pores always form on the surface of the FAPA film facing the aqueous phase. Based on the SEM observation on the cross-section of FAPA film and the TEM results, a new structure model of FAPA film in RO membrane was proposed. The dense layer of the flat area and the dense layer near the top surface of the protuberances and ridges connect together to form a complete dense discriminating layer as the key barrier layer of the RO membrane. Protuberances and ridges have irregular interconnecting cavities and tunnels, through which the dense layer and the pores on the back surface of the FAPA film are connected. All these findings proved the correctness of Cadotte׳s assumption about the pores׳ forming mechanism during interfacial polymerization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a three-field finite element formulation for the evaluation of coupled transport–deformation problems. A stabilized advection–diffusion–reaction model is employed to idealize the mass transport of an aggressive environmental agent within a solid medium, whereas the deformation response of the medium is formulated using the mixed finite element approach with pressure and displacement as unknown variables. The proposed model accurately captures the pressure and pressure gradient fields that characterize the reaction and advection terms of the mass transport model. The concentration-dependent viscoplastic deformation response is idealized using a generalized Johnson–Cook plasticity model. The accuracy characteristics of the proposed three-field formulation are assessed by numerical simulations, which indicate the significance of accurate estimation of pressure at high stress gradient zones for correct characterization of mass transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Jsc/Voc in terms of chemical doping and synthesis temperature was derived by Ohm’s law. [•] Novel chemical-photo-electricity diagrams were constructed based on the proposed model. [•] Both Jsc and Voc were enhanced in DSSC with a TiO2 (P-25)/Ni-doped TiO2 electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renal fibrosis is a failed wound-healing process of the kidney tissue after chronic, sustained injury, which is a common pathway and pathological marker of virtually every type of chronic kidney disease (CKD), regardless of cause. However, there is a lack of effective treatment specifically targeting against renal fibrosis per se to date. The main pathological feature of renal fibrosis is the massive activation and proliferation of renal fibroblasts and the excessive synthesis and secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) deposited in the renal interstitium, leading to structural damage, impairment of renal function, and eventually end-stage renal disease. In this review, we summarize recent advancements regarding the participation and interaction of many types of kidney residents and infiltrated cells during renal fibrosis, attempt to comprehensively discuss the mechanism of renal fibrosis from the cellular level and conclude by highlighting novel therapeutic targets and approaches for development of new treatments for patients with renal fibrosis. [Display omitted] • Nearly all resident and infiltrating cells involves in tubulointerstitial fibrosis formation. • Phenotypic alterations of almost resident and infiltration cells are discussed. • Potential molecules are defined by exploring the mechanism of renal fibrosis. • Therapeutic targets and strategies of renal fibrosis are extensively revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The liver performs a vital role in metabolic process, which makes it an attractive target organ for gene therapy. To improve the effects of gene therapy in disorders caused by metabolic disturbance, we quantitatively evaluated six promoters, CMV, EF1α, PGK, apoE, thyroxine binding globulin (TBG), and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) by measuring the expression of α1-antitrypsin, which is controlled by these promoters and introduced via a lentivirus-mediated delivery system in the liver. The results showed that the TBG promoter presents as highly active though in general it is slightly lower than the ubiquitous CMV and EF1α. The expression of exogenous genes driven by the TBG promoter demonstrates to be much higher than by PGK, apoE, and CYP2E1 promoters, and the fragment of −435bp to −26bp from transcription start site (TSS) in the TBG promoter region is identified as the optimum region to direct transgene expression at a higher level. In addition, we further confirmed that the TBG promoter confers transgene persistent and specific expression within the liver up to several months after integration. The data suggests that the TBG promoter is a valuable tool and will greatly facilitate the optimization of vector design in hepatic gene therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This manuscript investigates compression-after-impact failure in woven fiber-reinforced composites. Compression failure of composite structures previously damaged by an impact event is due to the propagation of impact-induced damage mechanisms such as interlaminar debonding, constituent (i.e., matrix and fiber) microcracking, sublaminate buckling, as well as the interactions between these mechanisms. The failure mechanisms within each ply are idealized based on a reduced order multiscale computational model, in which, the damage propagation in the matrix and fibers upon compression is explicitly modeled. Delamination along the ply interfaces is idealized using a cohesive surface model. The initial impact-induced damage within the microconstituents and interfaces are inferred from experimental observations. A suite of numerical simulations is conducted to understand the sublaminate buckling, propagation of delamination and constituent damage upon compression loading. The numerical investigations suggest extensive propagation of delamination with mode transition preceding sublaminate buckling. Initiation and propagation of matrix and fiber cracking, observed upon sublaminate buckling, is the cause of ultimate shear failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The life cycle of the SC-CO 2 fracturing was subdivided into two stages. • The influence of GSD, K, FFIR, and FFT on crack propagation was studied. • The crack propagation morphology was characterized separately for each stage. • The ratios of the length and width of cracks induced in each stage to the total values were obtained. The use of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2) for the fracturing of coal bodies has excellent development prospects and practicability. It alters the fissure structure of coal bodies and achieves CO 2 geological sequestration. This process, which involves the mutual interaction of coal, fissures, supercritical fluid, and gas, can be subdivided into fluid-induced and phase change-induced fracturing stages. Numerical simulation of the SC-CO 2 fracturing was carried out in a stagewise manner to characterize each stage's fracturing performance quantitatively. The effects exerted on the crack propagation behavior by such factors as the ground stress deviation, the permeability coefficient of coal bodies, fracturing fluid injection rate and temperature, was studied in detail for each stage. The crack morphology, length, and width of cracks induced in each stage in proportion to the total crack length and width values were determined and analyzed. The research results show that the crack length ratio of the SC-CO 2 fluid-induced fracturing stage to the total crack length was 80–90%, with the remaining 10–20% corresponding to the CO 2 phase change-induced fracturing stage. This indicates that cracks propagation primarily occurred at the former stage. Meanwhile, the crack width ratios were nearly the same: 40–55% for the former stage versus 45–60% for the latter stage. Thus, the crack width increased dramatically at both stages of the SC-CO 2 fracturing in the coal bodies. The research findings refined the insight into the SC-CO 2 fracturing mechanism in coal bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A glass-ceramic coating incorporated with YSZ and ZrB 2 was prepared. • An electrodeposited SiO 2 interlayer was introduced into the coating system. • The coating bulk and interfacial structures were both reinforced by the particles. • The coated TiAl alloy exhibited satisfactory oxidation resistance at 1000 ℃. With electrodeposited SiO 2 film as the interlayer, 8YSZ (8.0 wt.% Y 2 O 3 partially stabilized ZrO 2) and ZrB 2 particles co-incorporated glass-ceramic coating was fabricated on TiAl alloy. The oxidation performance and interfacial reaction behavior of this coating were studied. The compact glass-ceramic coating inhibited the inward diffusion of oxygen. The reaction between the SiO 2 interlayer and the potassium silicate coating benefited to improve the coating adhesion property and suppress the coating degradation at the coating/substrate interface. Due to the synergy of the incorporated particles and SiO 2 interlayer, both the oxidation performance and interfacial structure of the glass-ceramic coating were improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light halo dark matter (DM) particles upscattered by high-energy cosmic rays (CRs) can be energetic, and become detectable by conventional direct detection experiments. The current constraints derived from space-based direct CR measurements can reach O (10 − 31) cm 2 for a constant DM-nucleon scattering cross section. We show that if the CR energy spectrum follows a power law of type ∼ E − 3 , the derived constraints on the scattering cross section will be highly insensitive to DM particle mass. This suggests that ultrahigh-energy CRs (UHECRs) indirectly measured by ground-based detectors can be used to place constraints on ultralight DM particles, as E − 3 is a very good approximation of the UHECR energy spectrum up to energy ∼ 10 20 eV. Using the recent UHECR flux data, we show that the current constraints derived from space-based CR measurements can in principle be extended to ultralight DM particles far below eV scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerosol scattering properties were investigated at two continental sites in northern China in 2004. Aerosol light scattering coefficient (σ sp) at 525nm, PM10, and aerosol mass scattering efficiencies (α) at Dunhuang had a mean value of 165.1±148.8Mm−1, 157.6±270.0μgm−3, and 2.30±3.41m2 g−1, respectively, while these values at Dongsheng were, respectively, 180.2±151.9Mm−1, 119.0±112.9μgm−3, and 1.87±1.41m2 g−1. There existed a seasonal variability of aerosol scattering properties. In spring, at Dunhuang PM10, σ sp, and α were 184.1±211.548μgm−3, 126.3±89.6Mm−1, and 1.05±0.97m2 g−1, respectively, and these values at Dongsheng were 146.4±142.1μgm−3, 183.4±81.7Mm−1, and 1.98±1.52m2 g−1, respectively. However, in winter at Dunhuang PM10, σ sp, and α were 158.1±261.4μgm−3, 303.3±165.2Mm−1, and 3.17±1.93m2 g−1, respectively, and these values at Dongsheng were 155.7±170.1μgm−3, 304.4±158.1Mm−1, and 2.90±1.72m2 g−1, respectively. σ sp and α in winter were higher than that in spring at both the sites, which coincides with the characteristics of dust aerosol and pollution aerosol. Overall, the dominant aerosol types in spring and winter at both sites in northern China are dust aerosol and pollution aerosol, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A large number of supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing laboratory tests were carried out. • Three hybrid AI models were proposed for predicting the CIP of SCDF. • PSO was used to optimize the hyper-parameters of BPNN, ELM, and SVM. • The PSO-SVM intelligent model has better prediction ability for crack initiation pressure. The replacement of water by supercritical carbon dioxide in coal and rock mass fracturing has shown excellent development prospects. However, large-scale industrial implementation of supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing (SCDF) requires an accurate estimation of crack initiation pressure, while laboratory test methods are time-consuming and involve too complicated testing and sample preparation procedures. To better predict the SCDF crack initiation pressure, this study applied three hybrid artificial intelligence models, which alternatively combined the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) with the BP neural network (BPNN), extreme learning machine (ELM), and support vector machine (SVM). Their prediction results were compared with each other and with those of the conventional linear multivariate regression analyses (L-MRA). Data samples for the prediction models' training were experimentally obtained via the SCDF indoor tests with various influencing factors, including vertical principal stress, horizontal maximum principal stress, horizontal minimum principal stress, fracturing fluid injection rate, fracturing fluid temperature, coal and rock mass tensile strength, coal and rock mass elastic modulus, and coal and rock mass Poisson's ratio. The models' output variable was the SCDF crack initiation pressure. The correlation coefficient (R), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) were used to evaluate and compare the performance of the predictive models. Their prediction accuracy can be ranked in the decreasing order as PSO-SVM, PSO-ELM, PSO-BPNN, and L-MRA, with corresponding R values of 0.9339, 0.9135, 0.6971, and 0.6057, respectively. The PSO-SVM hybrid intelligent model was found to provide the most efficient SCDF crack initiation pressure prediction. The results obtained are quite instrumental in the promotion and application of SCDF technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We successfully realized the directional construction of Pt-Mn 2 O 3 interfacial sites (by the combination of in-situ doping and impregnation methods) to boost selective oxidation of ethylene glycol under mild conditions. It is found that the pre-distribution of Mn 2 O 3 inside support unexpectedly induced the formation of Pt-Mn 2 O 3 interfacial active sites with strong electron coupling effect, leading to an unprecedented glycolic acid oxidation activity (turnover frequency: 3196.9 h−1) and glycolic acid yield (86.4 %). • Enhanced catalytic performance of ethylene glycol oxidation was achieved. • Strong electron coupling effect was revealed in the Pt-Mn interface. • Quantitative analysis of the intrinsic active sites was performed. • The promotion role of Pt-Mn interfacial on reaction mechanism was correlated. Rational design of desirable active sites is still a grand challenge for the efficient conversion of polyols to value-added products. Herein, we successfully constructed the Pt-Mn 2 O 3 interfacial sites rather than Pt-MnO x solid solution to boost selective oxidation of ethylene glycol to glycolic acid under mild conditions. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscope revealed that the pre-distribution of Mn 2 O 3 inside support unexpectedly induced the formation of Pt-Mn 2 O 3 interfacial active sites with strong electron coupling effect, leading to an unprecedented catalytic activity (turnover frequency: 3196.9 h−1) and glycolic acid yield (86.4 %). In addition, quantitative analysis of the intrinsic active sites was performed, and a "volcano-shape" relationship was established between initial reaction rate and Pt/Mn ratio. Moreover, the structure-dependent reaction kinetics and density functional theory calculation revealed that the synergistic effect between the Mn 2 O 3 redox cycle and Pt promotes the adsorption of ethylene glycol and the activation of C H bond, resulting in the lower activation energy of ethylene glycol oxidation. The outcome of this work offers a promising avenue for the direct construction of efficient Pt-based catalysts with desired active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the unique nanoscale alkaline earth metals doped Pt/M−MCM−41 (70) (M = Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba) catalysts for the selective oxidation of glycerol in base-free medium. Strong basic sites generated by alkaline earth metal oxides (especially MgO and CaO) could induce the strong electronic transfer ability, the modified reduction properties of Pt and abundant surface oxygen vacancies. Reaction kinetics demonstrated that the addition of alkaline earth metal oxide (e.g. CaO) could promote the activation of primary hydroxyl group and C-H bond, resulting in the excellent catalytic performance. • Basic strength-dependent catalytic performance for glycerol oxidation was investigated. • Alkaline earth metals changed the structural properties of the Pt/MCM-41 catalyst. • The promotion role of alkaline earth metal on the reaction mechanism was elucidated. • Record TOF values for the base-free oxidation of glucose and xylose were obtained. Fundamental understanding of basic site of supported metal catalysts is highly desirable for aqueous phase oxidation of alcohols without adding extra alkali. Herein, nanoscale alkaline earth metals doped Pt/M−MCM−41 catalysts (M = Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba) were prepared for the aqueous phase oxidation of glycerol to glyceric acid in base-free medium. By establishing the correlation between basic active site and catalytic performance, it is found that catalytic activity increases almost linearly with the strength of basic sites, and excessively strong basic sites are not conducive to the improvement of glyceric acid selectivity. Multi-characterizations revealed that strong basic sites generated by alkaline earth metal oxides (especially MgO and CaO) could induce the enhanced electronic transfer ability, the modified reduction properties of Pt and abundant surface oxygen vacancies in the Pt/M−MCM−41 catalysts. Moreover, reaction kinetics demonstrated that the addition of alkaline earth metal oxides (e.g. CaO) could promote the activation of primary hydroxyl group and C-H bond, resulting in the excellent catalytic performance. In addition, as the representative of the optimal solid base catalysts, the Pt/Ca-MCM-41 (70) catalyst also exhibits record high turnover frequency (TOF) values for the oxidation of glucose (9623.0 h−1) and xylose (4561.0 h−1) to corresponding carboxylic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]