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Spinel materials are attractive to photocatalytic degradation of contaminants. In this study, strontium (Sr) doped spinel cobalt chromite (CoCr 2 O 4) was synthesized by solution combustion method and characterized using techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). 30 -50 nm-cubic CoCr 2 O 4 nanocrystals were obtained, and phase transitions of CoO 6 →CoO 4 and CrO 4 →CrO 6 occurred as the Sr doping content increased until 0.6 % Sr doped sample displayed an inverse spinel phase. The modifications in composition and structure induced the co-existence of multivalent states for Co and Cr, which in turn changed the optical, complex impedance, and magnetic spin state of CoCr 2 O 4. The 0.6 % Sr-doped sample showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency of 93 % due to enhanced optical absorption, reduced energy band gap, oxygen vacancies formation, and a high spin state of Co. The XRD structure and photocatalytic activity remained stable even after five cycles without any leakage of metal elements. The degradation pathway and Mott-Schottky curves were employed to elucidate the mechanism behind this enhancement. The strategy employed in this study proved effective, and the synthesized materials show promise for the photocatalytic degradation of contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify self-esteem in patients with Hirayama disease (HD) and investigate the impact of this psychosocial factor on surgical outcomes in HD. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was measured in 58 patients with HD before anterior cervical fusion. These patients further underwent motor unit number estimation, handgrip strength, disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Index (BDI) before and 18 months after operation. Furthermore, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was administered to all patients at postoperative 18-month assessments. Compared with the general population, patients with HD showed a relatively lower RSES, and RSES was negatively associated with both postoperative DASH (r = −0.431, P < 0.05) and preoperative to postoperative changes (r = −0.295, P < 0.05) and positively associated with IPAQ (r = 0.472, P < 0.05). Similar to the difference in postoperative DASH scores, more patients with low self-esteem felt postoperative aggravated motor dysfunction than those with high/normal self-esteem (P < 0.05). Postoperative BDI exerted a partial mediating effect on the relationship between RSES and DASH scores (B = −0.30, P < 0.05), and postoperative BAI played a partial mediating effect on the relationship between RSES and IPAQ scores (B = 0.30, P < 0.05). The self-esteem of HD patients may be below the population norms. Importantly, relatively low self-esteem in HD patients may cause/worsen postoperative depression and anxiety, thereby resulting in poor self-reported surgical prognosis and an inactive lifestyle after operation. Therefore, perioperative treatment and rehabilitation efforts in HD patients, especially those with low self-esteem, should account for both physiological and psychological symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• IL-33/ST2 signaling participate in the acute and chronic pain. • IL-33/ST2 signaling play a role in the chronic itch. • IL-33/ST2 signaling modulate the pathogenesis of pain and pruritus at both peripheral and central levels. Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is an inflammatory factor with an extensive range of biological effects and pleiotropic roles in diseases. Evidence suggests that IL-33 and its receptor ST2 play a pivotal role in chronic pain and itch at the level of primary sensory neurons, the spinal cord, and the brain. In this review, we outline an evolving understanding of the roles and mechanisms of IL-33 in chronic pathological pain, including inflammatory, neuropathic, and cancer, and chronic pruritus, such as allergic contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and dry skin. Understanding the key roles of IL-33/ST2 signaling may provide exciting insights into the mechanisms of chronic pain and itch and lead to new clues for therapeutic approaches to the resolution of chronic pain and itch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) have been widely studied in cerebrovascular disease, but little is known about their role in moyamoya disease (MMD). The objective of this study was to assess the value of spontaneous LFOs in MMD based on wavelet analysis of near-infrared spectroscopy signals. Sixty-four consecutive idiopathic adult patients were prospectively enrolled. The regional tissue oxygenation index (TOI) obtained from continuous near-infrared spectroscopy signals. Five frequency intervals of spontaneous LFOs (I, 0.0095–0.02 Hz; II, 0.02–0.06 Hz; III, 0.06–0.15 Hz; IV, 0.15–0.40 Hz; and V, 0.40–2.00 Hz) were extracted based on wavelet analysis. The data were compared between the patients and healthy control groups. Clinical features, cognitive function, and disease progression of MMD were analyzed using TOI and frequency interval data. Compared with the healthy control group, patients with MMD had a higher cerebral TOI in both hemispheres. Based on wavelet analysis, the spontaneous LFO of TOI was found to be significantly lower for patients with MMD in frequency intervals II to IV than that for the controls. The spontaneous LFO of TOI is also related to the Suzuki stages in intervals II to IV, stroke in interval III, and cognitive impairment in intervals III to Ⅳ. There were significant differences in spontaneous LFO between patients with MMD and healthy controls. The change in spontaneous LFO in MMD is related to Suzuki stage, cerebral infarction, and cognitive impairment. This might be an effective method for evaluating the severity and monitoring the progression of MMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An innovative technology for resources of electroplating sludge was developed. • The volatilization ratio of zinc reached 78.10 %. • Copper-nickel mixed concentrates containing copper 2.377 % and nickel 10.28 % were obtained. • Recoveries of copper and nickel reached 83.73 % and 85.00 %, respectively. • Iron concentrate with iron grade and recovery of 73.77 % and 12.41 % was obtained. Electroplating sludge is a product of the purification of the electroplating wastewater by neutralization or flocculation precipitation, which belongs to dangerous solid waste. In the study, copper, nickel, zinc and iron from electroplating sludge were recovered by an innovative sulfidation roasting-flotation-magnetic separation technology. The effects of the crucial parameters on the sulfidation ratio of copper and nickel and the volatilization ratio of zinc during the sulfidation roasting were investigated. Under the optimal condition of the sulfidation roasting, the volatilization ratio of zinc reached 78.10 % and the sulfidation ratios of copper and nickel were 88.55 % and 97.86 %, respectively. The migration rule of valuable metals in the roasting process were illustrated by XRD and SEM-EDS. By the flotation treatment for the roasting products, copper-nickel mixed concentrates containing copper 2.377 % and nickel 10.28 % were obtained, and the recoveries of copper and nickel reached 83.73 % and 85.00 %, respectively. After treatment by the flotation, magnetic separation was carried out to obtain iron concentrate with iron grade and recovery of 73.77 % and 12.41 %. Finally, the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure was employed to prove the excellent stability of the heavy metals in the tailing. The study realized the efficient, comprehensive recovery of copper, nickel, zinc and iron from electroplating sludge, and provided a new idea for the harmless and resource utilization of electroplating sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to research the effects of enzyme and ultrasound combined modification on the structure and gel properties of soy protein isolate (SPI). Different modified protein samples were obtained by hydrolyzing soy isolate with alkaline protease and pepsin at 0%, 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0% of hydrolysis by ultrasound treatment (400 W, 20 min). The results showed that the SPI particle size, which modified by combined enzyme and ultrasound treatment (co-modified), was significantly lower (P < 0.05) and the particle size was more evenly distributed compared with those of the single modified samples. The best improvement in solubility and turbidity was observed for the co-modified SPI. The Fourier transform–infrared spectroscopy showed the most significant changes in the secondary structure content of the co-modified SPI. The protein structure was unfolded, and the contents of free sulfhydryl and H 0 were improved. Additionally, the co-modified SPI gel had a uniform and compact gel network and higher water-holding capacity (WHC) and gel strength. After frozen storage, the combined enzyme and ultrasound treatment showed better frozen storage stability than single treatment: the WHC of the gel decreased slightly, the gel strength increased slowly, and the gel network was less damaged. In conclusion, combined enzyme and ultrasound treatment could be effective in improving the SPI structure and gel properties. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vision Transformer (ViT) has performed remarkably in various computer vision tasks. Nonetheless, affected by the massive amount of parameters, ViT usually suffers from serious overfitting problems with a relatively limited number of training samples. In addition, ViT generally demands heavy computing resources, which limit its deployment on resource-constrained devices. As a type of model-compression method, model binarization is potentially a good choice to solve the above problems. Compared with the full-precision one, the model with the binarization method replaces complex tensor multiplication with simple bit-wise binary operations and represents full-precision model parameters and activations with only 1-bit ones, which potentially solves the problem of model size and computational complexity, respectively. In this paper, we investigate a binarized ViT model. Empirically, we observe that the existing binarization technology designed for Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) cannot migrate well to a ViT's binarization task. We also find that the decline of the accuracy of the binary ViT model is mainly due to the information loss of the Attention module and the Value vector. Therefore, we propose a novel model binarization technique, called G roup S uperposition B inarization (GSB), to deal with these issues. Furthermore, in order to further improve the performance of the binarization model, we have investigated the gradient calculation procedure in the binarization process and derived more proper gradient calculation equations for GSB to reduce the influence of gradient mismatch. Then, the knowledge distillation technique is introduced to alleviate the performance degradation caused by model binarization. Analytically, model binarization can limit the parameter's search space during parameter updates while training a model. Therefore, the binarization process can actually play an implicit regularization role and help solve the problem of overfitting in the case of insufficient training data. Experiments on three datasets with limited numbers of training samples demonstrate that the proposed GSB model achieves state-of-the-art performance among the binary quantization schemes and exceeds its full-precision counterpart on some indicators. Code and models are available at: https://github.com/IMRL/GSB-Vision-Transformer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic nanoparticles with increasing superparamagnetism and magnetic targeting have found widespread application in fields such as food and medicine. In this study, polycarboxylated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @CS-COOH) were prepared by surface functionalizing iron tetraoxide (Fe 3 O 4) nanoparticles with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a modifier. The appropriate degree of functionalization modification was obtained by adjusting the EDTA concentration and the ratio of cross-linking agents. The prepared magnetic nanoparticles were analyzed with structural and property characterization. The results showed that the Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @CS-COOH magnetic nanoparticles prepared with 4 % EDTA and cross-linking agents at a molar ratio of 3:4 were uniform in particle size, with an average size of roughly 7 nm, and possessed an abundant carboxylate content (310.8064 μmol/g) and a high magnetization intensity (35.05 emu/g). As a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was immobilized on the surface of magnetic particles. The largest amount of immobilized protein was 500.4376 mg BSA/g at pH 4.0 and no extra salt ions. According to molecular docking simulations, its immobilization was due to the interaction of amino and carboxyl groups at the Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @CS-COOH/BSA interface. Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 @CS-COOH possesses a large number of carboxyl groups, strong protein immobilization, and magnetic responsiveness, which may have potential applications in biomedical and food fields. [Display omitted] • Polycarboxylated magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by core-shell modification. • Magnetic nanoparticles modified with polycarboxylates effectively immobilized BSA. • The interfacial interaction of -COOH and -NH 2 promoted the immobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The PTCR effect is an important application phenomenon in the ferroelectric BaTiO 3 electronic ceramic materials. In this work, the PTCR effect is also found in high pressure (HP) hot quenched Ca 1-x Y x Cu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (CYCTO) ceramics. Compared with the pure CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (CCTO) ceramic synthesized under ordinary pressure (OP), the low temperature resistivity of HP CYCTO samples is about 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of untreated CCTO samples, showing an obvious PTCR effect. The transition temperature is close to 178 K for x = 0.2 sample. The analysis of crystal and magnetic structures shows that the crystal and magnetic structures of HP CYCTO samples do not change before and after the resistance transition. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the concentration of oxygen vacancy defects in HP CYCTO is higher than CCTO. By analyzing the conduction behaviors of HP CYCTO samples, it suggests that oxygen vacancies and Y3+ ions may be the important donors for the decrease of low temperature resistivity of HP CYCTO samples. The results in this work have important reference value for the application of the electrical conduction behaviors in CCTO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how random pitting corrosion affects the ultimate eccentric load-carrying capacity of corroded CFST columns at various corrosion levels. The research examines how the load-carrying capacity of circular steel tube concrete columns changes under eccentric loading conditions due to variations in the quality loss rate of the external steel tube caused by corrosion. The established finite element model is validated using existing experimental data, showing a high degree of accuracy. Additionally, the study investigates influencing factors, including corrosion thickness (t c /t), both constant and random corrosion (t c /t), eccentricity (e), corrosion pit diameter (D c), material strength, and component dimensions. The findings reveal how these parameters affect the reduction of eccentric compressive load-carrying capacity. To visually illustrate this effect, the concepts of load reduction factors R c s ′ and R c ′ are introduced, representing the ratio of load-carrying capacity before and after corrosion. Based on extensive random finite element analyses, we propose a load-carrying capacity calculation formula for the eccentric load reduction factor applicable to corroded circular CFST columns. The study also demonstrates that axial compression can be considered a special case of eccentric loading with an eccentricity of 0. Consequently, by incorporating stability and eccentricity reduction factors, adjustments are made to existing axial load-carrying capacity prediction formulas, resulting in the calculation formula for the reduction factor R c ′. By measuring the local quality loss rate of the external steel tube of corroded circular CFST columns, it is possible to predict both axial and eccentric load-carrying capacities. • The eccentric bearing capacity of the corroded CFST column was studied. • The prediction formula of eccentric bearing capacity is derived. • The formula of the reduction coefficient is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A multitask network for recognizing location, repair, and shape of fatigue cracks. • Task similarity analysis was proposed to optimize parameter sharing design. • Anti-attention mechanism was designed to enhance the interaction of task knowledge. • Multitask joint optimization was dynamically balanced based on learning difficulty. For fatigue cracks in steel box girder bridges, comprehensive perception is urgent and practical since it provides diverse damage information. Multitask learning networks, which learn multiple tasks jointly, could realize various detection tasks simultaneously. However, multitask networks are hard to avoid task conflicts, thus limiting recognition performance. In this study, the representational similarity analysis method was introduced to quantify task similarity, which helps decouple the parameters of unrelated tasks. Considering task correlation, a multitask network called CrackFormer was developed to recognize the initiation location, repair scene, and region morphology of fatigue cracks. From the perspective of learning difficulty, multiple tasks were trained and coordinated dynamically. Finally, the trained model was evaluated by comparative tests. Results showed that task similarity analysis was verified to be reasonable by transfer learning test. Compared with isolated tasks, CrackFormer demonstrated superior accuracy, efficiency, and robustness by mutual complementation of task knowledge. After optimizing the parameter sharing design, detection performance was further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2), which belongs to the AMP-activated protein kinase family, modulates various biological functions including fatty acid oxidation. However, the role of SIK2 in glucose metabolism reprogramming remains unclear in ovarian cancer (OC) cells. Here, we found that SIK2 significantly enhanced the Warburg effect of OC cells mainly through two mechanisms. On the one hand, SIK2 upregulated the expression of HIF-1α by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which directly upregulated the transcription of major glycolytic genes to promote glycolysis. On the other hand, SIK2 promoted mitochondrial fission through phosphorylation of Drp1 at Ser616 site, which inhibited the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, SIK2 promoted growth and metastasis of OC cells by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting cell apoptosis, as well as enhancing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Moreover, the SIK2-mediated reprogramming of glucose metabolism played a critical role in growth and metastasis of OC cells. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that SIK2 is a crucial regulator of glucose metabolism in OC cells through activation of PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α pathway and Drp1 phosphorylation-mediated mitochondrial fission, which plays a critical oncogenic role in OC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Vitamin B 12 promoted the structural change and hydrophobic groups exposure of LP. • Vitamin B 12 binded to the hydrophobic pocket on the surface of LP. • LP increased the UV stability of vitamin B 12. • LP-vitamin B 12 complex exhibited higher pH stability. • LP-vitamin B 12 complex exhibited excellent digestion properties. This study aimed to explore the interaction mechanism between soybean lipophilic protein (LP) and vitamin B 12 and the potential of LP as a vitamin B 12 carrier. The results of spectroscopy indicated that the interaction between vitamin B 12 and LP changed the conformation of LP and exposed hydrophobic groups largely. The results of molecular docking revealed that vitamin B 12 interacted with LP through a hydrophobic pocket embedded on the surface of LP. With the enhancement of the interaction between LP and vitamin B 12 , the particle size of the LP–vitamin B 12 complex gradually decreased to 588.31 nm and the absolute value of zeta potential gradually increased to 26.82 mV. Meanwhile, the LP–vitamin B 12 complex showed excellent physicochemical properties and digestive characteristics. The present work enriched the means of vitamin B 12 protection and provided a theoretical basis for applying the LP–vitamin B 12 complex in food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer stem cells play critical roles in cancer progression, cancer invasion and metastasis, and cancer recurrence. CD44 is known as a specific surface marker of cancer stem cells, which has been well-studied in cancer invasion and metastasis. Herein, we successfully selected the DNA aptamers for recognizing CD44+ cells using Cell-SELEX strategy, in which the engineered CD44 overexpression cells were used as target cells for selection. The optimized aptamer candidate C24S showed high binding affinity with the K d value of 14.54 nM and good specificity. Then, the aptamer C24S was employed to prepare the functional aptamer-magnetic nanoparticles (C24S-MNPs) for CTC capture. To investigate the capture efficiency and sensitivity of C24S-MNPs, series of cell capture tests were performed using artificial samples with 10–200 of HeLa cells spiked into 1 mL PBS or PBMCs isolated from 1 mL peripheral blood, obtaining an efficiency of 95% and 90%, respectively. More importantly, we finally explored the facility of C24S-MNPs for CTC detection in blood samples from clinical cancer patients, indicating a potential and feasible strategy for cancer diagnostic technology in clinical applications. [Display omitted] • The Cell-SELEX approach was employed to select CD44-specific aptamers using engineered CD44 overexpressing CHO–K1 cells. • The truncated sequence C24S showed higher affinity with K d value of 14.54 ± 1.78 nM. • The C24S-MNPs exhibited an excellent capture efficiency and sensitivity in artificial samples. • The C24S-MNPs showed great potential for CTC detection in clinical cancer patients' blood samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Membrane fouling caused by the attachment of contaminants can seriously impair the performance of separation membranes. MOFs often show the characteristics of good compatibility with polymers, abundant functional groups, and high catalytic activity. By coupling MOFs with photocatalytic activity to separation membranes, which can effectively catalyze the degradation of organic pollutants, thereby realizing the self-cleaning function of the membrane. In this review, the influence of the structure of MOFs on the catalytic performance and the means to improve the catalytic performance are discussed. The preparation methods of MOFs-based self-cleaning membranes and the effects of loading methods on membrane performance are summarized. The catalytic mechanisms of the coupled membrane system are analyzed. As a final point, the main challenges and future research directions for self-cleaning membranes are raised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luteolin, a natural flavonoid, can attenuate hepatic lipid accumulation and insulin resistance in obese mice. Therefore, we hypothesized that luteolin may also improve the abnormal glucolipid metabolism of hypertrophic myocardial cells. This study aimed to investigate the effect and possible molecular mechanisms of luteolin. Hypertrophic H9c2 cells were induced by angiotensin II/hypoxia and simultaneously treated with 2 to 8 μg/mL luteolin for 24 h. Luteolin might dose-dependently decrease intracellular total protein, atrial natriuretic peptide, and free fatty acid levels, and increase supernatant glucose levels. Western blot assay showed that luteolin could inhibit the expressions of intracellular hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4) proteins, and increase the expressions of intracellular peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1A (CPT-1A), and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 (PDK-4) proteins. These findings demonstrate that luteolin can improve abnormal glucolipid metabolism in angiotensin II/hypoxia-induced hypertrophic H9c2 cells, and its mechanisms are related to the inhibition of HIF-1α expression and subsequent modulation of PPARα-mediated target genes, including CPT-1A, PDK-4, and GLUT-4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract T–lymphokine-activated killer cell–originated protein kinase (TOPK) is a serine-threonine mitogen-activated protein kinase that is highly expressed in many types of human cancer. Due to its important role in cancer progression, TOPK is becoming an attractive target in chemotherapeutic drug design. In this study, a series of 1-phenyl phenanthridin-6(5 H)-one derivatives have been identified as a novel chemical class of TOPK inhibitors. Some of them displayed very potent anti-cancer activity with IC 50 s less than 100 nM, superior than reference compound OTS964. The most potent compound, 9g suppressed the growth of cancer cells by apoptosis and specifically inhibited the activities of TOPK. Oral administration of 9g effectively suppressed tumor growth with TGI >79.7% in colorectal cancer xenograft models, demonstrating superior efficacy compared to OTS964. Pharmacokinetic studies reveal its good oral bioavailability. Our findings therefore show that 9g is a specific inhibitor of TOPK both in vitro and in vivo that may be further developed as a potential therapeutic agent against colorectal cancer. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • 1-Phenyl Phenanthridin-6(5 H)-ones have been discovered as new TOPK inhibitors. • 9g markedly inhibited proliferation of colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro. • 9g suppressed tumor growth in vivo and exhibited good pharmacokinetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Protein kinase C (PKC) has critical roles in regulating lipid anabolism and catabolism. PKCζ, a member of atypical PKC family, has been reported to mediate glucose metabolism. However, whether and how PKCζ regulates tumor cells fatty acid β-oxidation are unknown. Here, we report that the phosphorylation of SIRT6 is significantly increased after palmitic acid (PA) treatment in colon cancer cells. PKCζ can physically interact with SIRT6 in vitro and in vivo , and this interaction enhances following PA treatment. Further experiments show that PKCζ is the phosphorylase of SIRT6 and phosphorylates SIRT6 at threonine 294 residue to promote SIRT6 enrichment on chromatin. In the functional study, we find that the expression of ACSL1 , CPT1 , CACT , and HADHB , the genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation, increases after PA stimulation. We further confirm that PKCζ mediates the binding of SIRT6 specifically to the promoters of fatty acid β-oxidation–related genes and elicits the expression of these genes through SIRT6 phosphorylation. Our findings demonstrate the mechanism of PKCζ as a new phosphorylase of SIRT6 on maintaining tumor fatty acid β-oxidation and define the new role of PKCζ in lipid homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 cathode materials synthesized via conventional one-step and two-step calcination strategies suffer from high contents of surface impurities and structural defects (i.e., Ni2+/Li+ cation mixing and oxygen vacancy), resulting in suboptimal electrochemical performance. In the present study, the formation of Li 2 O during calcination is found to be detrimental and responsible for the low quality of LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2. Thus, a three-step calcination strategy is devised to significantly reduce surface impurities and structural defects through strategically suppressing Li 2 O formation. The calcination strategy involves first melting of Li precursor, then reaction and conversion of Li precursor with Ni 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 (OH) 2 to form LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 without Li 2 O generation, and finally formation of a layered structure. The as-prepared LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 possesses smooth morphology, much reduced surface impurities, Ni2+/Li+ cation mixing, and oxygen vacancy. The corresponding Ni2+ occupancy at Li sites and oxygen vacancy are only 2.2% and 1.7%, respectively. The as-prepared LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2 also exhibits high capacity (178.8 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C), good cycle performance (83.4% capacity retention at 100th cycle), and excellent rate capability (97.4 mAh g−1 at 5 C). This calcination strategy is applicable to LiOH·H 2 O, LiNO 3 and Li 2 CO 3 as Li precursors. The underlying mechanism of this three-step calcination strategy is elucidated. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Three-step calcination is devised to synthesize high-performance LiNi 0.5 Mn 0.3 Co 0.2 O 2. • Surface impurities, Ni2+/Li+ cation mixing, and oxygen vacancy are reduced by suppressing Li 2 O formation during calcination. • Typical Li precursors – LiOH·H 2 O, LiNO 3 and Li 2 CO 3 – can take advantage of this calcination strategy. • The underlying mechanism has been elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the difficulty in determining damage tolerance, orthotropic steel decks (OSD) lack a uniform failure judgment criterion, leading to various fatigue damage evaluation results. One fatigue damage tolerance determination method was proposed based on critical crack length (CCL), which is calculated by log-linear unary functions. Both fatigue tests and numerical simulations were conducted to verify this method. The results indicate stress intensity factor at critical cracks is mainly controlled by the crack length. CCL is affected by stress magnitude and boundary size with a quantitative conversion relationship, and the conversion formulae were established with errors within 15%. The proposed method could reasonably predict CCL with an average error of around 10%. Compared with IIW, this method showed superior applicability in the failure judgment of OSD welded joints. [Display omitted] • Rapidly determine critical crack length without complicated finite element analysis. • Calculate the SIF of the critical crack by log-linear unary functions. • Proposed damage tolerance determination method showed tiny errors. • Assess the applicability of common failure criteria to orthotropic steel decks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Feasibility proof of EVs participating in emergency power supply for important loads. • A novel pricing and scheduling strategy for EVs in emergency power supply. • An adaptive two-stage discharge pricing strategy between grid and EVs based on Q-learning. • Verifications on both effectiveness and economy of the strategy in different cases. In order to reduce the negative impact of blackout accidents caused by extreme disasters, and take the advantages of the distributed energy storage features of electric vehicles (EVs), a scheduling strategy for EVs to participate in emergency power supply for important loads is proposed. Firstly, the scheduling model of EVs participating in post-disaster emergency power supply for important loads is established considering blackout loss, EVs discharge compensation and duration of continuous power supply for important loads as the optimization objectives and the travel demand of EVs as the constraints. Secondly, based on the idea of cost pricing, the bidding ranges of both two participants as the grid and EVs are determined according to the calculation of their own scheduling cost and the estimation of the other's. Finally, the bidding function is established based on Q-learning, and the one-to-many two-stage discharge pricing strategy of the grid and EVs is proposed considering the transaction possibility and the learning relationship among participants. By case analysis of EVs participating in emergency power supply for important loads under different working conditions, it is proved that this strategy can reduce the peak-valley price difference, make the transaction price more reasonable, maximize the continuous power supply duration of important loads, and ensure the discharge income of EV users while reducing disaster loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects on substitution of Ge by In on structural and magnetic properties are studied in MnCoGe 1- x In x compounds. A small amount of In (2% and 5%) dopant can shift the martensite transformation temperature to room temperature and make it overlap with Curie temperature window, which results in a spin-lattice coupling and a large conventional magnetocaloric effect. Giant values of magnetic entropy change ( △S M ) are obtained in both magnetizing and demagnetizing processes in the vicinity of the magnetostructural transition. The maximum values of | △S M | for MnCoGe 0.95 In 0.05 reach 21.4 and 25.4 J/kg K for a small magnetic field change △H  = 2–0 and 0–2 T, respectively, which make it promising for room temperature magnetic refrigeration applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop a simple, facile, and cost-effective light-up biosensor with high specificity for Pb(II), a modified affinity chromatography SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) method based on target-induced release of strands was used to isolate aptamers of Pb(II). After 14 rounds positive selection and 4 rounds negative selection, two aptamers with high binding affinity and good specificity were obtained, which have the dissociation constant K d values of 1.60 ± 0.16 μM and 0.76 ± 0.18 μM, respectively. Then we designed a biosensor for Pb(II), which is based on the Pb(II)-induced release of fluorescence-labeled aptamer from complex with a quencher-labeled short complementary sequence. The biosensor showed a Pb(II) concentration-dependent increase of fluorescence intensity in the low micromolar range and a detecting linear range from 100 to 1000 nM, and great specificity even in the existence of various interfering metal ions. Moreover, this simple and reliable biosensor obtained satisfying results for the detection of Pb(II) in lake water and serum samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a unified speech enhancement framework to jointly handle both background noise and interfering speech in a speaker-dependent scenario based on deep neural networks (DNNs). We first explore speaker-dependent speech enhancement that can significantly improve system performance over speaker-independent systems. Next, we consider interfering speech as one noise type, thus a speaker-dependent DNN system can be adopted for both speech enhancement and separation. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed unified system can achieve comparable performances to specific systems where only noise or speech interference is present. Furthermore, much better results can be obtained over individual enhancement or separation systems in mixed background noise and interfering speech scenarios. The training data for the two specific tasks are also found to be complementary. Finally, an ensemble learning-based framework is employed to further improve the system performance in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environments. A voice activity detection (VAD) DNN and an ideal ratio mask (IRM) DNN are investigated to provide prior information to integrate two sub-modules at frame level and time-frequency level, respectively. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the ensemble method in low SNR environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-supported carbon nanofiber paper (CNFP)/sulfur composite is investigated as the anode of Li-ion batteries instead of the cathode of lithium-sulfur batteries. Relative to the total mass of all the electrode components, the CNFP/sulfur anode exhibits a reversible capacity of ∼310 mAh g −1 . Moreover, the CNFP/sulfur anode maintains 95% of capacity after 1000 cycles and exhibits considerably better high-power capability than the graphite anode. Different from the conventional lithium-sulfur batteries that are based on the conversion reaction of sulfur to Li 2 S in the potential range of 3.0–1.5 V vs. Li/Li + , it is assumed that the reversible Li-ion storage ability of sulfur below 1.5 V vs. Li/Li + in the CNFP matrix can be attributed to the rapid adsorption/desorption of Li-ions on the surface of sulfur. The average working voltage of 3.0 V for a full cell consisting of CNFP/sulfur anode and LiFePO 4 cathode demonstrates the successful application of carbon/sulfur anode in Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timber production is the purpose for managing plantation forests, and its spatial and quantitative information is critical for advising management strategies. Previous studies have focused on growing stock volume (GSV), which represents the current potential of timber production, yet few studies have investigated historical process-harvested timber. This resulted in a gap in a synthetical ecosystem service assessment of timber production. In this paper, we established a Management Process–based Timber production (MPT) framework to integrate the current GSV and the harvested timber derived from historical logging regimes, trying to synthetically assess timber production for a historical period. In the MPT framework, age-class and current GSV determine the times of historical thinning and the corresponding harvested timber, by using a “space-for-time” substitution. The total timber production can be estimated by the historical harvested timber in each thinning and the current GSV. To test this MPT framework, an empirical study on a larch plantation (LP) with area of 43,946 ha was conducted in North China for a period from 1962 to 2010. Field-based inventory data was integrated with ALOS PALSAR (Advanced Land-Observing Satellite Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar) and Landsat-8 OLI (Operational Land Imager) data for estimating the age-class and current GSV of LP. The random forest model with PALSAR backscatter intensity channels and OLI bands as input predictive variables yielded an accuracy of 67.9% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.59 for age-class classification. The regression model using PALSAR data produced a root mean square error (RMSE) of 36.5 m 3 ha −1 . The total timber production of LP was estimated to be 7.27 × 10 6 m 3 , with 4.87 × 10 6 m 3 in current GSV and 2.40 × 10 6 m 3 in harvested timber through historical thinning. The historical process-harvested timber accounts to 33.0% of the total timber production, which component has been neglected in the assessments for current status of plantation forests. Synthetically considering the RMSE for predictive GSV and misclassification of age-class, the error in timber production were supposed to range from −55.2 to 56.3 m 3 ha −1 . The MPT framework can be used to assess timber production of other tree species at a larger spatial scale, providing crucial information for a better understanding of forest ecosystem service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nanocomposites of MoS 2 nanosheets and microporous nitrogen-doped carbon dodecahedron (MNCD) are prepared through the pyrolysis of metal-organic framework (MOF) and subsequent growth of MoS 2 . The porous and active surface of MNCDs enables uniform growth of ultrathin MoS 2 nanosheets. When the MNCD@MoS 2 composite is used as the anode material of Li-ion batteries, a reversible capacity of 915 mAh g −1 can be obtained even at the extremely high current density of 10 A g −1 . The ultrafast charge/discharge ability of MNCD@MoS 2 can be attributed to its unique core-shell structure with the inner MNCDs serving as the reservoir of Li-ions and transport media of electrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid-term electricity demand forecasting plays an important role in ensuring the operational safety of the power system and the economic efficiency of grid companies. Most studies have focused on deterministic forecasting of electricity demand, while ignoring uncertainty analysis of electricity demand. To bridge this research gap, a point-interval mid-term electricity demand forecasting model is proposed. Firstly, based on Pearson correlation coefficient, feature dimensionality reduction is carried out to filter out key features that greatly affect electricity demand, such as socio-economic factors and meteorological factors, to enhance forecasting efficiency. Secondly, improved variational mode decomposition (IVMD) optimized by sparrow search algorithm (SSA) is proposed to decompose electricity demand series into several subsequences. By combining SSA, extreme learning machine (ELM) and adaptive boosting algorithm (Adaboost), IELM-Adaboost is constructed to forecast each subsequence, and the point forecasting results are obtained by superimposing each subsequence forecasting result. Finally, electricity demand forecasting intervals will be obtained by the application of the kernel density estimation (KDE) of point forecasting error. Three Chinese provinces are applied for empirical analysis in this paper. Compared with ELM, the MAPE of the proposed model in the three datasets are reduced by 87.90%, 66.05% and 75.97% respectively, showing promising point forecasting performance. The empirical results prove that IVMD-IELM-Adaboost performs well in both point forecasting and interval forecasting. • A hybrid point-interval forecasting method for electricity demand is proposed. • Sparrow search optimized VMD model is used for decomposing original data. • Improved extreme learning machine with adaptive boosting is constructed. • KDE is applied to obtain interval forecasting based on point forecasting error. • Data from three regions are used to validate the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The D-H parameters method for establishing pose coupling equations of serial mechanisms is proposed. • The terminal pose coupling equations of two serial mechanisms are established in closed form. • The feasible positions and orientations of the end-effector for serial mechanisms are determined. The inverse kinematics of lower mobility serial mechanisms is an important problem, but it has not been well solved actually. The feasible six dimension pose of the end-effector can not be reasonably given, which leads to the defect of the inverse solution model of this kind of mechanisms. In this paper, this problem is solved based on establishing the pose coupling equations using D -H(Denavit–Hartenberg) parameters method. The complete inverse kinematics of two 5-DOF(Degree of freedom) serial mechanisms considering pose coupling equations are established to illustrate the improved inverse kinematic modeling process. The results show that the serial mechanisms always have highly coupled nonlinear pose coupling equations which can be effectively used in determining the feasible pose of the end-effector. The proposed inverse kinematics producer is applicable for other serial mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• (Mn 2 Sb) 1- x Bi x single crystals were batch-grown by an improved Bridgeman method. • Substitution of Sb by Bi leads to a shrinkage of cell volume and occurrence of the first-order transition. • Effects of chemical doping and hydrostatic pressure application were compared for the crystal with x = 0.12. • Large magnetoresistance and magnetostrain with good reversibility were attained at 120 K under 30 kOe for x = 0.12. We investigate the effects of Bi substitution on the structure, magnetization, magnetoresistance, and magnetostrain in single crystals of (Mn 2 Sb) 1- x Bi x (x = 0.06, 0.08, 0.1, and 0.12). It is found that the element Bi can be partially substituted for Sb in the tetragonal Mn 2 Sb main phase, and partially forms the MnBi and Bi-rich secondary phases. The introduction of Bi causes the simultaneous lattice shrinkages in a and c for the main phase, and also enhances the transition temperature of the first-order magnetoelastic ferrimagnetic-antiferromagnetic transition. Such an enhancement in transition temperature due to contraction of the unit-cell volume contraction is also experimentally proven based on the thermomagnetic curves under hydrostatic pressure for a crystal with × = 0.12. The volume contraction rate due to hydrostatic pressure is deduced to be −0.0386 Å3/GPa. Moreover, the highest values of in-plane magnetoresistance (∼-30%) and magnetostrain (∼−1448 ppm) with good reversibility are attained at 120 K under 30 kOe, which was proven to be the optimal magnetic field. Our experimental results show that Mn 2 Sb-based intermetallic compounds can be considered promising candidates for low-cost, multifunctional magnetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the self-assembly growth of metal organic frameworks (ZIF-67) dodecahedrons on graphene oxides (GO) nanosheets. Ultrafine Co 3 O 4 nanocrystallites with size of less than 10 nm are uniformly spread on graphene nanosheets through pyrolysis of GO/ZIF-67. The relative mass ratio of graphene to Co 3 O 4 is controlled by adjusting the repeated numbers of GO in precursor solutions. For application as anode material of Li-ion batteries, graphene/Co 3 O 4 manifests good high rate behavior (877 mAh g −1 at the current density of 5000 mA g −1 ) and long-term cycling stability (714 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a growing number of forest biodiversity indicators being applied in forest policy documents and even more being suggested by the scientific community, there is a need to evaluate, review and critically assess the strength of evidence for individual indicators, their interrelationships and potential overlaps and gaps. Biodiversity indicators proposed for forest ecosystems in Europe were reviewed with the overarching aim of providing advice on strategic selection and combination of indictors. The objectives were to (1) establish interrelationships between indicators and their indicandum (i.e. the indicated aspect of biodiversity); (2) assess the strength of scientific evidence for individual indicators; and (3) identify a set of indicators with confirmed validity for further scientific testing and inclusion in long-term reporting and decision-making regarding forest biodiversity. Ten indicator groups and 83 individual indicators were identified with application from stand scale up to landscape scale in 142 eligible scientific papers. In 62 of the 142 studies no statistical correlations between indicator(s) and indicandum were performed and 42 (out of the 62) did not even present a clear indicandum. In the remaining 80 studies, 412 correlations between indicator and indicandum were identified. However, only six correlations were assessed as being supported by strong evidence, i.e. three or more studies found statistical correlation between the indicator and indicandum, and no studies reported contradictory results. For the species richness relationships, there was strong evidence for positive correlations between deadwood volume and wood-living fungal species richness; deadwood volume and saproxylic beetle species richness; deadwood diversity and saproxylic beetle species richness; age of canopy trees and epiphytic lichen species richness. There was strong evidence for a negative correlation between tree canopy cover and spider species richness. Concerning species composition-related correlation, there was strong evidence that the species composition of epiphytic lichens changed with the age of canopy trees. These results imply that the validity of most indicators on which monitoring and conservation planning are based are weakly scientifically supported and that further validation of current biodiversity indicators for forest ecosystems is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new geranylated flavanones, named as paucatalinone A ( 1 ), B ( 2 ), and isopaucatalinone B ( 3 ), were isolated from the fruits of Paulownia catalpifolia Gong Tong (Scrophulariaceae). Their structures were well determined by means of IR, MS, 1D and 2D NMR, and CD techniques. Paucatalinone A ( 1 ) is the first sample as a dimeric geranylated flavanone derivative isolated from natural products. Paucatalinone A ( 1 ) displayed good antiproliferative effects on human lung cancer cells A549 and resulted in a clear increase of the percentage of cells in G1 phase and a decrease in the percentage of cells in S and G2/M phases in comparison with control cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two reinforcing schemes for randomly corroded WHSJs are proposed. • The efficiency of proposed schemes is verified through experiment. • The influence of geometrical size is systematically analyzed. The welded hollow spherical joint (WHSJ) is one of the most commonly adopted joint types for spatial grid structures. It belongs to thin-walled structures, which are sensitive to corrosion. Actual projects indicate that aged grid structures are often deteriorated by corrosion. An efficient reinforcing scheme for WHSJs is of shortage for actual engineering application. On the basis of this research background, two reinforcing schemes for randomly corroded WHSJs are proposed in this study. The operational way is also suggested. The reinforcing efficiency is summarized. The presented work is mainly conducted based on a numerical analysis. The reliability of the established FE model is verified through experimental results. The influence of geometrical size on the reinforcement efficiency is then systematically analyzed. The work presented in this study can provide a possible way for the efficient reinforcement of grid structures connected by WHSJs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the growth of single-crystal ErFeMnO 4 and its magnetization, resistivity, and dielectric dispersion behaviors for varying temperature and electric field. A clear bifurcation between the in-plane and out-of-plane M (T) curves is observed due to a paramagnetic-ferrimagnetic transition with a transition temperature of ∼301 K, which is higher than for other R Fe 2 O 4 or substituted compounds. Over a similar temperature range, sudden changes in both the relative permittivity and resistivity were also observed, indicating a strong connection between the magnetization, resistivity and dielectric properties. It can be concluded that the electron transfer between the Fe-site ions plays an important role in these behaviors. Finally, a large relative tunability of 75.9% for relative permittivity ε r and a net polarization P of about ∼408.7 μC/m2 were attained for a DC biased electric field E = 25 kV/m at 390 K, which are promising for the application of tunable ferroelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Hg0 removal by CuCl 2 -MF technology was applied to large coal-fired units. • The mercury removal performance of CuCl 2 -MF with different conditions were studied. • The optimal magnetosphere injection parameters were assured by the results of tests. • CuCl 2 -MF showed superior Hg0 removal ability and mercury recovery performance. CuCl 2 –MF was a cost–efficient and highly efficient sorbent for Hg removal from flue gas in coal-fired units. In this study, the Hg0 adsorption and oxidation performance of CuCl 2 –MF with different conditions were studied at a 1000 MW commercial scaled coal-fired power plant. Under the optimal conditions, the total removal efficiency of Hg and the Hg recovery rate reached 98.72% and 52.76% using CuCl 2 –MF injection combined with the existing pollutant control device. The magnetosphere particle size of 45 μm–75 μm exhibited the highest mercury removal capacity. Additionally, the final mercury emission concentration was 0.334 μg/m3 and the corresponding relative mercury removal efficiency was 89.81%. The results of this study proved that elemental mercury removal by CuCl 2 –MF was also suitable for large-scale coal-fired units with a high Hg removal efficiency even in the low concentrations of mercury, which provided a reference for the practical application of this technology in other units in the future and supplied valuable experience for other mercury removal technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A free-standing SnO2/reduced graphene oxide (re-G) hybrid paper has been successfully fabricated by a facile vacuum filtration approach through a uniformly dispersed SnO2 nanoparticle and graphene oxide mixed solution. As potential anode material for high power and energy applications, the hybrid nanostructures were directly evaluated as anode for rechargeable lithium ion batteries without adding any polymer binder, conductive additives or current collectors. And the composite exhibits a greatly enhanced synergic effect with extremely high energy storage stability of 700mAhg−1 after 100 cycles benefiting from the advanced structural features. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • DGEL was synthesized via one-step method from the sustainable luteolin. • Bio-based epoxy resin was prepared via curing reaction of DGEL and DDS. • DGEL/DDS showed outstanding heat resistance and mechanical properties. • DGEL/DDS presented excellent flame retardant performance. Recently, tremendous attentions have been paid to the fabrication of bio-based intrinsic fire-retarded epoxy resins with outstanding thermal and mechanical properties from renewable resources. Herein, the bio-based epoxy monomer of diglycidyl ether luteolin (DGEL) was synthesized via one-step method from sustainable luteolin. The biocompatible epoxy resin was manufactured via the curing reaction between DGEL and 4, 4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS). DGEL/DDS showed higher glass transition temperature (T g) (314.4 °C) than diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA)/DDS (217.4 °C), demonstrating the distinguished heat resistance. Tensile testing results exhibited that DGEL/DDS possessed superior tensile strength (69.2 MPa) compared to DGEBA/DDS (57.2 MPa). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) illustrated that the char yield of DGEL/DDS was 44.0 wt%, much higher than that of DGEBA/DDS (11.6 wt%). In addition, DGEL/DDS passed the V-0 rating in UL-94 tests with a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) (32.5%) as well as extremely low peak heat release rate (107.5 W/g) indicating the excellent flame retardant properties. Smoke density testing results showed that the peak density of smoke for DGEL/DDS was 304.7, much lower than that for DGEBA/DDS (660.7), indicating the remarkable reduction of toxicity hazards. This work provides a facile approach for the preparation of bio-based epoxy resins with outstanding overall properties that show promising applications in high heat resistance and flame retardant fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese poetry has been a favorite literary genre for thousands of years. Chinese ancient poetry is still being read and practiced, and many famous ancient Chinese poets are honored and adorned. Recently, deep learning has been widely adopted for poetry generation. In this paper, we present a new context-aware Chinese poetry generation method based on sequence-to-sequence framework. We generate a new concept called keyword team, which is a combination of all the keywords to capture the context of the Chinese poetry. Then we use the keyword, the keyword team and the previously generated lines to generate the present line in the poetry. We find that, by including keyword teams into the generation of the poetry, it can additionally perceive the keywords of preceding and succeeding lines to generate the present line, which can effectively improve the adhesion among the overall lines. The comprehensive evaluation results show that our proposed model outperforms many of the state-of-the-art poetry generation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We studied the magnetic property, heat capacity, and magnetocaloric effect of TmGa and HoGa single crystals. The observed magnetizations at three principal crystallographic axes display clear magnetic anisotropy, indicating an easy magnetic direction at the a-axis for TmGa and c-axis for HoGa. The measured specific heat of TmGa revealed the Curie temperature of 15K and spin-reorientation temperatures at about 12.5 and 3.0K respectively. Both samples exhibit giant reversible anisotropic magnetocaloric effect based on a second-order phase transition. Along the easy axis, the maximum value of magnetic entropy change for a magnetic field change of 0–5T reaches 26.1Jkg−1 K−1 at 15K and 14.9Jkg−1 K−1 at 65K for TmGa and HoGa, respectively. The corresponding relative cooling powers are achieved to be 468 and 924Jkg−1. These values suggest the possibility of using these materials in magnetic refrigeration applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This research program evaluated the flexural capacity of a metal building wall system with rigid board foam insulation sandwiched between C- and Z-section girts and through-fastened steel panels. Vacuum box tests were conducted to simulate wind suction on the wall system, and distinct failure modes were observed. The metal panel pulled over the screw heads for wall systems without insulation, however when rigid board insulation was added, the insulation acted as a washer and girt failure or screw fracture was observed. Screw bending and fracture were common in the specimens with the thickest rigid board insulation and for locally stocky cross-sections because a concentrated moment could be developed in the fastener. In these cases wall system capacity was decreased by the presence of rigid board insulation. For wall system specimens with locally slender girts, rigid board insulation did not influence girt capacity because girt deformation under load was primarily in the cross-section and not at the through-fastened connections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper introduces mechanics-based expressions for predicting the rotational restraint provided by through-fastened metal panels to Z- and C-section girts or purlins. The analytical prediction equations include the effect of local panel deformation at a screw, and girt or purlin flange bending at a through-fastened connection. Finite element parameter studies are performed to quantify the local fastener pull-out stiffness for a common panel profile, and flange bending stiffness is determined with a cantilever beam model. Rotational restraint experiments are conducted to validate the prediction equations. The through-fastened connection stiffness is simulated in a finite strip elastic buckling analysis with a rotational spring to demonstrate how system effects can be included in design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect of C15 Laves phase TbMn1.8Fe0.2 were studied by magnetization and heat capacity measurements. The compound undergoes a second-order magnetic Tb–Tb sublattice ordering transition at its Curie temperature T C ∼80K, and a Fe–Fe ordering transition at ∼230K. A large magnetocaloric effect was observed around Tb–Tb ordering temperature with no obvious thermal and magnetic hysteresis loss. The maximum value of magnetic entropy change reaches 9.48Jkg−1 K−1 for a magnetic field change ΔH =5T. The corresponding maximum adiabatic temperature change is evaluated to be 3.5K with a wide effective temperature range. The obtained relative cooling power reaches 235, 607, and 869Jkg−1 for ΔH =2, 5 and 7T, respectively. These values indicate that TbMn1.8Fe0.2 could be a promising candidate for magnetic refrigeration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Systematic study on the magnetic properties has been performed for the Cr-doped Pr0.5Ca0.5Mn1− x Cr x O3 (x=0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.10) system. For the samples with x=0.01 and 0.10, spin glass behavior is observed, which is resulted from different magnetic ground states. The present experiment establishes that the compound with x=0.01 shows a spin glass behavior in the background of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) matrix, while the spin glass behavior appears in the background of a ferromagnetic (FM) host phase for x=0.10. It is believed that the spin glass state accompanied by multiple magnetic transitions is resulted from the competing interaction between AFM matrix and FM phase induced by Cr-doping. The magnetic ground state in the manganites is strongly associated and very sensitive to Cr dopant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To improve the accuracy of handwritten Chinese character recognition (HCCR), we propose linear discriminant analysis (LDA)-based compound distances for discriminating similar characters. The LDA-based method is an extension of previous compound Mahalanobis function (CMF), which calculates a complementary distance on a one-dimensional subspace (discriminant vector) for discriminating two classes and combines this complementary distance with a baseline quadratic classifier. We use LDA to estimate the discriminant vector for better discriminability and show that under restrictive assumptions, the CMF is a special case of our LDA-based method. Further improvements can be obtained when the discriminant vector is estimated from higher-dimensional feature spaces. We evaluated the methods in experiments on the ETL9B and CASIA databases using the modified quadratic discriminant function (MQDF) as baseline classifier. The results demonstrate the superiority of LDA-based method over the CMF and the superiority of discriminant vector learning from high-dimensional feature spaces. Compared to the MQDF, the proposed method reduces the error rates by factors of over 26%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]