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Developed ceramic capacitors with excellent recoverable energy storage density (W rec) and efficiency (η) are greatly desired for next-generation pulsed power devices but challenge as well. Herein, outstanding W rec of 5.2 J/cm3 and η of 82% are achieved in the PbO-doped fine grain Bi 0.25 Na 0.25 Sr 0.5 TiO 3 (BNST-P) based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics. The corresponding mechanism is that A-site Pb-doping increases maximum polarization and breakdown strength, and suppresses remnant polarization simultaneously. Meanwhile, the energy storage property possesses excellent temperature and frequency stability, and the variation of W rec and η is less than 5% within the range of 25–100 °C and 2–100 Hz. Encouragingly, superior charge-discharge performance with fast discharge speed t 0.9 of 24 ns and high power density P D of 296 MW/cm3 is obtained. These striking comprehensive results suggest BNST-P ceramics possess potential prospects for applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the drag and heat flux reduction of hypersonic blunt body, a novel combinational spike-aerodisk and channel concept has been proposed. The high pressure air behind the bow shock flows into the channel at the head of the aerodisk, and then sprays out through the lateral jet in the middle of the spike. The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations coupled with the shear stress transport (SST) k - ω turbulence model have been employed to simulate the flow field. The numerical results reveal that compared with the spike-aerodisk, with the application of the channel, the lateral jet pushes the separated shock wave away from the spike. The range of the recirculation zone between the shear layer and the spike is increased, and the intensity of the reattached shock wave is significantly weakened, so the drag and heat flux reduction properties of the combinational configuration are significantly improved. The influences of the channel convergent half angle and lateral jet location on the flow field, drag and heat flux reduction properties are investigated thoroughly. When the channel convergent half angle is appropriate and the location of the lateral jet is close to the middle of the spike, the drag and heat flux reduction effect becomes better. Besides, with the increase of the Mach number and the decrease of the flying height, the drag and heat flux reduction performance become more significant. In the research range, the combinational configuration in which the convergent half angle is 60° and the lateral jet is located in the middle of the spike has a better overall effect of drag and heat flux reduction, and the effect reaches the best when the Mach number is 6 and the flying height is 20 km. Compared with the spike-aerodisk, the total drag coefficient of the configuration is reduced by 12.95%, and the peak value of Stanton number along the blunt body surface is reduced by 35.19%. • A novel combinational spike-aerodisk and channel concept was numerically investigated. • The combinational concept has better performance in both drag and heat flux reduction. • Effects of channel convergent half angle and lateral jet location on drag and heat flux reduction were studied. • Variation laws of drag and heat flux reduction under different Mach numbers and flight altitudes were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lunar soils evolution over time is mainly caused by space weathering that includes the impacts of varying-sized meteoroids and charged particles implantation of solar/cosmic winds as well. It has long been established that space weathering leads to the formation of outmost amorphous layers (50–200 nm in thickness) embedded nanophase iron (npFe0) around the mineral fragments, albeit the origin of the npFe0 remains controversial. The Chang'e-5 (CE-5) mission returned samples feature the youngest mare basalt and the highest latitude sampling site , providing an opportunity to seek the critical clues for understanding the evolution of soils under space weathering. Here, we report the surface microstructures of the major minerals including olivine, pyroxene, anorthite, and glassy beads in the lunar soil of CE-5. Unlike the previous observations, only olivine in all crystals is surrounded by a thinner outmost amorphous SiO 2 layer (∼10 nm thick) and embedded wüstite nanoparticles FeO (np-FeO, 3–12 nm in size) instead of npFe0. No foreign volatile elements deposition layer and solar flare tracks can be found on the surface or inside the olivine and other minerals. This unique rim structure has not been reported for any other lunar, terrestrial, Martian, or meteorite samples so far. The observation of wüstite FeO and the microstructures support the existence of an intermediate stage in space weathering for lunar minerals by thermal decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (FRRAC) is renowned for its excellent mechanical properties and environmental benefits, making it a popular choice in construction engineering. However, the impact damage mechanisms of FRRAC remain unclear. This study leverages advanced in-situ 4D CT technology to investigate the fiber-reinforcing mechanisms of High-Toughness Recycled Aggregate Concrete (HTRAC) using construction waste as a sustainable building material. Under high strain-rate conditions, the dynamic mechanical behaviors of both plain recycled aggregate concrete (PRAC) and HTRAC were examined using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) method. The experiments revealed significant strain rate sensitivities in both materials, with HTRAC showing superior fiber reinforcement that markedly enhances its toughness. Quantitative models for dynamic increasing factors of key mechanical parameters, including peak stress, peak strain, initial elastic modulus, ultimate strain, and toughness index, were developed. These findings offer critical design insights for using HTRAC in impact load conditions and other extreme environments, promoting its wider adoption in the construction industry. [Display omitted] • Explored HTRAC's microstructure and reinforcing mechanism via In-Situ 4D CT tests. • Proposed models assessing HTRAC's strength and strain under high strain rates. • Suggested a dynamic toughness index model for HTRAC under different strain rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel performance-enhancement strategy for SLGHP geothermal system is proposed. • It relies on arousing inter-layer groundwater crossflow in reservoirs of multi-aquifers. • A numerical model is developed to describe and study the enhanced SLGHP system. • Effects of related parameters are comprehensively studied. The super-long gravity heat pipe (SLGHP) is a novel down-hole heat exchanger (DHE), which is in fast-developing and extremely suitable for deep-earth geothermal energy exploitation. The SLGHP itself has very high heat transfer coefficient, making the poor heat transfer capability of the surrounding geothermal formulations become the bottleneck constraining the overall performance of the SLGHP geothermal system. Inspired by the enhancing effect of the flowing groundwater in the aquifers on the thermal performance of the traditional DHE system, the present work proposes a heat transfer enhancement strategy based on arousing inter-layer crossflow in wellbore-connected multi-aquifers for the SLGHP geothermal system. A detailed numerical study is conducted to examine the effects of key parameters like the permeability and thickness of aquifers, the distance and pressure difference between aquifers. It is found that: i) a larger aquifer permeability leads to larger heat extraction rate of the SLGHP, but the heat extraction rate increment decreases due to the marginal effect when the aquifer permeability is larger than 10−12 m2; ii) a larger pressure difference improves the heat extraction of the SLGHP, the groundwater flow pattern from the deep to the shallow aquifers rather than the reversed pattern is found to be more beneficial due to the geothermal gradient; iii) the distance between aquifers shows a composite impact on the heat extraction performance of the SLGHP. A larger distance not only enlarges the heat transfer area between the SLGHP and the groundwater, but also creates an impeding effect on the heat uptake of SLGHP from the geothermal formation owing to the presentence of temperature-lowered groundwater in the flow path ending-part in the wellbore. In addition, the aquifer's thickness is found to have great impacts on the SLGHP heat extraction rate, and the "cask" effect may be encountered when the thickness difference between the connected aquifers is considerably large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recycled solvent-based green synthesis strategy for 2D/3D zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) has been developed to produce functional nanoporous carbons (NPCs) with tuneable morphology, graphitization, N-doping and high porosity via direct pyrolysis. These tailored NPCs show superior supercapacitance performance over typical NPC derived from MOFs and chemical activation/template-directed methods. [Display omitted] • Two important aspects of green synthesis and improved supercapacitance are reported. • A green synthesis route for ZIF-8 via recycling mother liquors (RMLs) is developed. • Rod-/sheet-/polyhedral-like 2D/3D microstructures are produced with RMLs. • 2D/3D NPCs deliver excellent capacitance values and device-level performance. Carbonized metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)-based nanoporous carbon materials (NPCs) offer attractive activities in electrochemical energy conversion and storage (EECS) applications; however, there is the need for scalable MOFs production under reduced energy/environmental impact. This study reports a green synthesis route for model zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) materials via recycling methanol-based mother liquors (ZIF-RML x) under room temperature stirring and their carbonized materials (CZC-RML x) for high-performance supercapacitors. Series of ZIF-RML x samples produced in four recycles offer rod-/sheet-/polyhedral-like 2D/3D microstructures with tuneable internal and external framework and morphological features. Accordingly, CZC-RML x , obtained by direct pyrolysis, with high microporosity and surface area of 1500 m2 g−1 deliver excellent capacitance values of 200–340 F g−1, compared to typical MOFs-derived or chemically activated/templated NPCs, produced via extended chemical processing. Structure-relevant and comparative performance analysis reveal insights for improved charge storage and carbonization-dependent graphitization, nitrogen-doping and microporosity-controlled capacitance characteristics in the CZC-RML x over typical NPCs in literature. The device-level performance with a long-term durability over 21,000 cycles is demonstrated. The practical potential of CZC-RML x is further evaluated by fabricating solid-state cells and their parallel and series circuit combinations result in overall capacitance and voltage boost to 450 F g−1 and 2.4 V, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiC/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites are considered to be promising materials for high-temperature electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption due to their strong thermal stability and tunable dielectric properties. However, the EMW absorption performance of these composites is limited by poor impedance matching. This study proposes a novel multiscale structure synergistic regulation approach to enhance EMW absorption performance, which involves constructing a heterointerface structure and a triple periodic minimal surface (TPMS) meta-structure. The addition of a SiO 2 shell as an impedance layer to the SiC/MWCNT core to improve the intrinsic impedance. Meanwhile, the heterointerface between the core-shell structure leads to multiple interface polarization, significantly enhancing EMW energy dissipation. Consequently, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of SiO 2 –SiC/MWCNT composites increased from 0.88 to 4.56 GHz. Furthermore, a TPMS meta-structure, fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) printing and sol infiltration technology, is developed to further improve impedance matching with the equivalent electromagnetic effect. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the SiO 2 –SiC/MWCNT TPMS meta-structure exhibits broadband EMW absorption performance, with the EAB reaching 7.2 GHz. This improvement is attributed to the synergistic regulation of the heterointerface structure and TPMS meta-structure, which provides a good balance between the requirements of electromagnetic loss and impedance matching. Additionally, the composites exhibit excellent oxidation resistance, as their EAB remains almost unchanged after exposure to 1000 °C for 6 h. This research offers a new design paradigm for ultrabroadband design of the nonmagnetic high-temperature absorbing materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is thought to be one of the most important technologies to realize the deep carbon emission reduction. An integrated model that combines biomass inventory management and carbon capture and storage (CCS) construction is built to analyze the operation management of BECCS plants. Biomass supply level and structure, operation costs, warehousing scale, and application restrictions are considered in the inventory management. The operation costs, learning effects, investment path, and capture efficiency of CCS are considered in the process of CCS construction. These two processes are integrated to maximize the total profit for biomass power plants under inter-temporal conditions. Jiangsu Province is selected for numerical simulation. The results show that the supply level of biomass has a great influence on the results, and the corresponding CCS technology needs to fully consider this factor for expansion. In addition, under strict carbon emission constraints, to avoid the high cost of CCS, policymakers are more inclined to achieve emission reduction targets by reducing power generation levels. Therefore, appropriate policy subsidies are needed to ensure the development of BECCS at this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Integrated optimization model for biomass-based renewable hydrogen production systems is proposed. • We calculate and evaluate the biomass utilization potential of a certain area. • We made predictions through chemical reaction kinetics and thermodynamic models. • Inventory model is embedded in it to decide the optimal production and operation management. • The effectiveness of the model was tested through a mixed biomass project in Sichuan Province, China. In this study, we propose a novel optimization method for designing and operating various types of biomass-based renewable hydrogen production systems. To this end, we considered the coupling of multiple biomass hybrid utilization processes for hydrogen production. First, we calculated and evaluated the biomass utilization potential of a given area. Second, we predicted the biomass gasification products using chemical reaction kinetics and thermodynamic models. Finally, we determined the optimal annual total cost of the hydrogen production supply chain by optimizing the microscopic operation of the biomass gasification plant. Through the proposed method, it is possible to effectively conduct a comprehensive assessment of regional biomass material hydrogen production; moreover, the optimal design of the biomass hydrogen production supply chain can also be determined based on the availability of biomass and hydrogen demand. More precisely, the logistics operations under fluctuating demand conditions were realized, enabling strategic decision-making for planning a biomass hydrogen production system. To validate the model, a case study analysis of biomass hydrogen production, to be launched in Sichuan Province, China, is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An optimization model that incorporates all combinatorically feasible inter-plant collaboration networks is developed using P-graph. It has been theoretically proven that time-sliced-based energy planning optimization has positive impacts and is capable of achieving carbon emissions reduction goals and minimizing costs simultaneously. However, as the number of entities increased, an exponential growth in possible combinatorial feasible coalitions is anticipated. Therefore, an extension of the P-graph optimization tool that is capable of generating all possible outcomes in multi-period P2P energy trading – PEP (P-graph for energy planning) is developed. The PEP software can be effectively used in modelling complex process networks graphically and solving optimization problems with the combined advantages of combinatorial algorithms and mathematical programming. In this paper, a systematic framework for implementing P2P energy trading using PEP software is proposed and demonstrated using a real-life case study. [Display omitted] • An optimization tool – PEP software is developed to model P2P energy trading scheme. • The software is capable of generating all possible financial outcomes effectively. • Optimal coalition structure is chosen based on the highest cost savings. • Marginal contribution analysis is done to ensure fair profit distribution. • The sample case study showed that entities can reduce electricity bills by 6.75 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Adhesive forces of a single anisole on G-OH/Gr surface are got via AFM experiments. • Anisole exhibits two types of adhesive forces on G-OH surface. • Hydroxyl group has significant effect on the adhesive force of G-OH to anisole. • Conformational changes of anisole cause two peaks of its force-height curve to G-OH. Measuring and understanding interaction forces between hydroxylated graphene (G-OH) and aromatic compounds is significant for the applications of composites based on G-OH, such as 3D graphene derivatives preparation and wastewater treatment. In this research, the adsorption/separation mechanical behavior of anisole on graphene and G-OH surfaces was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The adsorption and separation curves of anisole on graphene and G-OH surfaces were obtained by experiments, and the adhesive forces of a single anisole were achieved by the Poisson statistics method. It is found that there are two types of adhesive forces between anisole and G-OH. For graphene and anisole, two extreme values are got by the adsorption and separation processes, and the adhesive force obtained by the separation process is approximately equal to one type of adhesive force between anisole and G-OH. Furthermore, MD simulation results reveal that the maximum adhesive force of anisole on the G-OH surface depends on its position relative to the hydroxyl group, and anisole has a greater affinity near the hydroxyl group. The position and planar angle of the anisole conformations cause the difference in adhesive forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of elevated temperatures on concrete's pore structure and moisture transfer mechanisms. Concrete samples exposed to temperatures of 200℃, 400℃, 600℃, and 800℃ were subjected to capillary water absorption (CWA) tests, and their properties were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques employing different sequences (CPMG and SE-SPI). The results reveal after high temperature four distinct categories of pores within the concrete: micropores, mesopores, capillary pores, and macropores. Mesopores are in the highest abundance, followed by capillary pores, macropores, and micropores. As temperature increases, hydration reactions lead to an upsurge in micropores and a decline in the proportion of other pores. With further temperature escalation, the cement slurry's volume alteration causes pore expansion, resulting in a rise in capillary pores and macropores and a decrease in micropores. Furthermore, NMR technology, employing CPMG sequences, identifies three stages in the concrete's CWA process: rapid moisture transfer, moisture transfer rate descent, and moisture transition stage. SE-SPI sequence-based NMR results show that, following high-temperature exposure, moisture transfer within concrete progresses as follows: initially, water rapidly permeates mesopores and capillary pores from the exterior. As CWA time increases, these pores tend to saturate, and water gradually infiltrates micropores and macropores. High temperatures significantly impact the CWA process, enlarging pore sizes and altering the type of pore filling during capillary water absorption in concrete. • The transfer mechanism of water in concrete pores was analyzed in two and three dimensions based on different sequences of NMR technique tests such as Carr-Purcell-Mebum-Gill (CPMG) and Spin Echo Single Point Imaging (SE-SPI). • Based on NMR and SEM techniques to explore the types and percentage of concrete pores after high temperature. • After high temperatures, the distribution of pores in concrete was in the order of mesopores > capillary pores > macropores > micropores in terms of quantity. • There are three different stages in the process of water absorption in concrete: rapid moisture transfer, moisture transfer rate descent, and moisture transition stage. • After high temperature, water initially penetrates into the mesopores and capillary pores and then saturates and enters the micropores and macropores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of high-speed rotating matter is a crucial research topic in physics due to the emergence of novel phenomena. In this letter, we combined cranking covariant density functional theory (CDFT) with a similarity renormalization group approach to decompose the Hamiltonian from the cranking CDFT into different Hermite components, including the non-relativistic term, the dynamical term, the spin-orbit coupling, and the Darwin term. Especially, we obtained the rotational term, the term relating to Zeeman-like effect, and the spin-rotation coupling due to consideration of rotation and spatial component of vector potential. By exploring these operators, we aim to identify novel phenomena that may occur in rotating nuclei. Signature splitting, Zeeman-like effect, and spin-rotation coupling are among the potential novelties that may arise in rotating nuclei. Additionally, we investigated the observability of these phenomena and their dependence on various factors such as nuclear deformation, rotational angular velocity, and magnetic field-like strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The risk dynamic evolution process of transportation hazardous chemicals on sea-crossing bridges is analyzed. • A novel method for risk analysis with a dynamic Bayesian network model incorporating vehicle dynamics is proposed. • Proposed method realizes short-term risk prediction and reveals the magnitude of the influence exerted by strong winds on transportation risks. • The risk assessment results and mitigation measures were obtained through a case. This study aims to analyze the risk of transporting hazardous chemicals on sea-crossing bridges using a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) model that incorporates vehicle dynamics. Firstly, the cause-consequence relationship analysis is constructed using the bow-tie (BT) model, which is then translated into a Bayesian network (BN) by mapping algorithms. Based on the dynamic model, the occurrence probabilities of rollover and sideslip under different wind speeds are calculated as conditional probabilities. Secondly, a DBN model that satisfies the Markov assumption and time invariance is established to realize short-term risk prediction. Finally, the proposed model is applied to a sea-crossing bridge in Zhejiang, and other node parameters are obtained by combining the monitoring data of the vehicle-bridge transportation system (VBTS) monitoring platform and expert experience. The results indicate that vehicle failure has the highest impact on VBTS, and unsafe driver behavior and road alignment are the most vulnerable root causes, which should receive more attention. Additionally, wind sensitivity to VBTS is significant and cannot be ignored. The proposed method can effectively address the risks and challenges posed by hazardous chemical transportation on sea-crossing bridges and provides valuable insights with practical application to enhance transportation safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive release of proinflammatory chemokines promotes cell proliferation and tumor growth in colorectal cancer. However, their regulatory functions and molecular pathogenesis have not been well elucidated. Here, we observed the upregulation of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13) in human colorectal cancers and mouse intestinal tumors. Both CXCL13 deficiency and blockade of CXCL13 signaling ameliorated disease progression. CXCL13 promoted intestinal tumorigenesis through the activation of the AKT signaling pathway in a C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CXCR5)-dependent manner. Intestinal microbiota translocation drove CXCL13 production in dendritic cells through the activation of NF-κB signaling. Inhibition of microbiota translocation decreased CXCL13 production and ameliorated intestinal tumorigenesis. Together, the results of this study identify a role for the CXCL13-CXCR5 axis is involved in the crosstalk between chemokines and cell growth during the development of intestinal tumorigenesis, which also provides a therapeutic strategy for targeting CXCL13/CXCR5 in the future clinical treatment of intestinal tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An easy-processing electron extraction layer (EEL) is developed in efficient organic solar cells. • Over 10% improvement is obtained in PTB7-Th:PC 71 BM-based cell after the application of modified EEL. • This EEL helps to polish interface contact, and improve light photons utilization. The performance of polymer solar cells is known to be critically dependent on the characters of the charge extraction layers. In this work, an efficient electron extraction layer (EEL) is developed by doping saccharin into precursor of ZnO. It shows that the introduction of saccharin helps to passivate defects in ZnO EEL and polish the interfacial contact, which lead to efficient charge transport and collection processes, suppressed charge recombination loss, and increased light photon utilization. In poly[4,8-bis(5-(2-ethylhexyl)thiophen-2-yl)benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl-alt-(4-(2-ethylhexyl)-3-fluorothieno[3,4-b]thiophene-)-2-carboxylate-2–6-diyl)]:[6,6]-phenyl C 71 -butyric acid methyl ester (PTB7-Th:PC 71 BM) based cells, over 10% enhancement of power conversion efficiency (PCE) is obtained compared to that of the reference cell with pristine ZnO as EEL. This work proves that the strategy of precursor additive has potential to prepare highly efficient EEL for polymer solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lane-changing control is a crucial task to regulate the traffic flow in the intelligent transportation system efficiently, and manipulating the lane-changing maneuvers for many vehicles optimally and simultaneously in a congested traffic environment is a challenge. This study formulates a lane-changing model where the traffic lanes are discretized into cells, considers both mandatory lane-changing and discretionary lane-changing maneuvers and proposes a novel approach based on a deep Q-network with a request–respond mechanism. The modeled lane-changing system is divided into isolated and symmetry groups, then independent Q-learning and the concept "central agent" are integrated to simplify the training process. In the proposed approach, these groups can be classified into two categories: request group and respond group. The request group and respond group are trained separately during the training process. Specifically, the request group trains agents with only considering the states of the group, while the respond group also evaluates the superimposing actions (i.e., the request message) from the request group besides the states of the group. The execution process is also treated the same decentralized way as the training process. Then, the baselines such as a rule-based method, a game theory-based decomposition algorithm and a simple deep Q-learning method are compared with the proposed approach. Results reveal that the proposed approach performs as well as the game theory-based decomposition algorithm and outperforms the other two in terms of lane-changing efficiency. However, the computational time of the proposed approach in the execution process is far less than the game theory-based decomposition algorithm, especially in a congested traffic environment. • A cellular lane-changing model is constructed mathematically. • A deep Q-learning method with the concept of "central agent" is implemented. • The "virtual agent" concept is introduced to train the group. • A novel deep Q-learning approach with a request and respond mechanism is proposed. • Baselines are compared and the proposed approach shows great potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By processing the vertical component data of OBS2019–2, a wide angle seismic line situated adjacent to the Liyuexi Trough in the Nansha Block of the South China Sea (SCS), we obtained a crustal model of P-wave velocity structure beneath the line and acquired information about the deep crustal structure in the Liyuexi Trough region. However, the lithology remains to be fully constrained. This paper presents the results of processing the horizontal component data of OBS2019–2 to obtain the S-wave velocity structure model and Vp/Vs ratios. The results show that the Vp/Vs ratios of sedimentary layer range from 1.90 to 4.60, while the corresponding S-wave velocities range from 0.4 to 1.8 km/s. As for the crust, the Vp/Vs ratios fall between 1.70 and 1.89, while the S-wave velocities range between 2.9 and 4.2 km/s. The lithological compositions of oceanic crust from top to bottom may consist of basalt, diabase, and gabbro. In contrast, the lithologies of continental crust transition from felsic to mafic downwards, including andesite, granodiorite, granite, greenschist, and anorthosite. The rock compositions of the Continent-Ocean Transition (COT) region are intermediate between the continental and oceanic crusts, exhibiting transitional features. The rock composition of the high-velocity layer (HVL) in the lower crust may consist of amphibolite, and the presence of magma intrusions and underplating in this region could be associated with the Zhongnan-Liyue Fault. Compared to the Dongsha Block, the lithologies of the Liyue Block and Zhongsha Block are more similar, indicating a higher possibility of conjugation between the Liyue Block and the Zhongsha Block. • S-wave and Vp/Vs profiles were developed near the Liyuexi Trough in the southern continental margin of the South China Sea. • The formation of the thin high-velocity layer composed primarily of amphibolite was related to the Zhongnan-Liyue Fault. • The Liyue Block is inferred to be conjugated more likely with the Zhongsha Block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In drug delivery systems, graphene materials are promising drug carriers. Drug molecules are loaded on graphene through π-π interaction between graphene and benzene ring structure, which is widely found in organic drug molecules. Then the drug molecules are released under different conditions, such as different environmental pH, at lesion site. In the application, the adsorption and desorption between benzene ring structure in drug molecules and graphene play a key role. Herein, an experimental method for measuring the adhesion force between a single phenyl and graphene is proposed, and the adsorption and desorption mechanical properties of a benzene ring structure on graphene surface at different environmental pH are firstly measured. The experimental results show that the adhesion force decreases with the increase of environmental pH. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations show that the influence of pH on adhesion force is mainly realized by changing the electrostatic potential distribution on graphene surface, and the interaction force between a single benzene and graphene changes from attractive to repulsive with the increase of environmental alkalinity. In addition, a molecular dynamics model for the dynamic adsorption and desorption capacities of benzene molecules on graphene surface at different quantity of ions is established. Benzene molecules can achieve full adsorption on the surface of graphene when there are 10 and 20 hydrogen ions. And benzene molecules can achieve full desorption on the surface of graphene when there are 10 and 20 hydroxide ions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable water in water (W/W) emulsions of guar rich droplets dispersed in an amylopectin rich continuous phase (G/A) and the inverse (A/G) can be achieved by adding gelatin and inducing microphase separation of the latter by cooling. In this research, the effect of gelatin on the emulsion stability was further studied by storing the emulsions at 10, 20 and 25 °C. The visual aspect, the microstructure, and the viscosity of the emulsions were investigated at different times during storage at different temperatures and pH. It was found that depending on the conditions, the gelatin phase wetted the interface or formed small discrete microdomains that adsorbed at the interface and dispersed in the bulk phases. The observed differences in morphology and stability are related to the interplay of the rates of aggregation, phase separation of gelatin, which itself depend on the gelatin concentration, temperature and pH. Emulsions could be prepared in this manner that were stable for at least one week and remained visually homogeneous. We believe that this is a promising method to stabilize W/W emulsions as long as the components of the emulsion are incompatible with aggregated gelatin. • Water in water (W/W) emulsions were stabilized by adding gelatin. • Microphase separation of gelatin in the W/W emulsions was induced by cooling. • Either a gelatin layer or discrete gelatin domains formed at the W/W interface. • The stability is related to the rates of gelatin aggregation and phase separation. • The stability could be tuned by gelatin concentration, temperature and pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnO 2 has a high specific capacity, low price, and a wide range of sources, but the anode material made from SnO 2 is extremely unstable due to volume expansion. In this work, SnO 2 nanoparticles were prepared using Sn-MOF as the precursor and compounded with sunflower seed shell porous carbon (SSSC) in a solvothermal manner to obtain a high-performance lithium-ion battery anode. The size of SnO 2 nanoparticles prepared using Sn-MOF as the precursor is uniform, only 10–20 nm, which can fully alleviate the volume expansion of SnO 2. On this basis, MOF-SnO 2 is anchored onto the porous carbon of the sunflower seed shell, which can provide more lithium insertion sites and further inhibit the volume expansion of SnO 2. The composite anode in this article has a stable specific capacity of 1050.8 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a magnification of 0.2C and a stable specific capacity of 512.9 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a magnification of 2C. [Display omitted] • SnO 2 nanoparticles were prepared by using tin-based metal organic framework as template. • SnO 2 nanoparticles composited with sunflower seed shell porous carbon were used as anode materials. • The composite material maintains 1050.2 mAh g–1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 C for LIB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing popularity of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics, no study has yet to systematically compare the performance of different data acquisition modes in the discovery of significantly altered metabolic features, which is an important task of untargeted metabolomics for identifying clinical biomarkers and elucidating disease mechanism in comparative samples. In this work, we performed a comprehensive comparison of three most commonly used data acquisition modes, including full-scan, data-dependent acquisition (DDA), and data-independent acquisition (DIA), using a metabolomics study of human plasma samples from leukemia patients before and after one-month chemotherapy. After optimization of data processing parameters, we extracted and compared statistically significant metabolic features from the results of each data acquisition mode. We found that most significant features can be consistently found in all three data acquisition modes with similar statistical performance as evaluated by Pearson correlation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Upon comparison, DDA mode consistently generated fewer uniquely found significant features than full-scan and DIA modes. We then manually inspected over 2000 uniquely discovered significant features in each data acquisition mode and showed that these features can be generally categorized into four major types. Many significant features were missed in DDA mode, primarily due to its low capability of detecting or extracting these features from raw LC-MS data. We thus proposed a bioinformatic solution to rescue these missing significant features from the raw DDA data with good reproducibility and accuracy. Overall, our work asserts that data acquisition modes can influence metabolomics results, suggesting room for improvement of data acquisition modes for untargeted metabolomics. Image 1 • Consistencies and discrepancies in significant features from full-scan, DDA, and DIA modes. • The consistently discovered significant features present similar statistical performance. • DDA is slightly weaker in significant metabolic feature discovery than full-scan and DIA modes. • Classification of uniquely significant features into three types of false positives and one type of true positive. • A novel bioinformatic solution to rescue the missing significant features in DDA mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mainstream of pyrolyzed transitional metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts for ORR still confront difficulty in PEMFC application. To pursue M-N-C structure from wet chemistry at ambient temperature, this paper prepares Fe x Co y -PANI/CNT porous structures composed of amorphous Fe and Co NPs into PANI layer on CNT surface, supported by the controlled molecular self-assembly mechanism (MS). For their ORR behaviors in acid medium, all Fe x Co y -PANI/CNT catalysts demonstrate similar features as Pt-based catalyst in low current density region, and 4e pathway and active sites in pore utilization in high current density region. Specifically, we disclosed nitrogen in PANI matrix dominates specific activity for ORR, and a little transitional metal attain mass activity at maximum. The active sites mounted into PANI matrix and 4e pathway help catalysts to achieve high durability. Thus, we extend a new type of platinum-free catalyst and develop a bottom-up approach for preparation-structure-activity, expecting to drive PEMFC remarkably. • To prepare bimetallic structure with controlled molecular self-assembly method. • To corroborate active site of M-N-C for ORR in acid medium. • The active sites mounted into PANI matrix help increase ORR durability. • Developing a bottom-up approach for preparation-structure-activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shock drag and aeroheating are major problems faced by hypersonic vehicles. This study proposes a novel three-dimensional model combining spike-aerodisk with a bleed air channel featuring multiple lateral nozzles for drag and aeroheating reduction. The high-temperature and high-pressure air at the stagnation point of the aerodisk is introduced into the channel and ejected laterally through multiple nozzles to modify the flow field structure and reduce drag and aeroheating. In contrast to previous research employing a two-dimensional axisymmetric assumption, our innovation considers the structure of the exit nozzles and the spacing between nozzles. Due to multiple lateral nozzles, the connection thickness between nozzles can lead to asymmetric flow phenomena. Three-dimensional flow field simulation has been employed with the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations coupled with the shear stress transport (SST) k-ω turbulence model. The effects of the convergence half-angle of the channel inlet, the divergent angle of the nozzle, and the nozzle position on modifying the characteristics of the flow field are studied. Increasing the convergence half-angle of the channel inlet can further push away the reattachment shock, but when it exceeds 60°, the drag reduction performance degrades. Reducing the divergent angle of the nozzle and increasing the number of nozzles can reduce the drag coefficient and the peak value of the Stanton number. However, when the divergent angle is reduced to 10°, the performance of reducing drag and aeroheating is weakened. In the range of research parameters, when the convergence half-angle is 60°, the divergent angle is 15°, and the nozzles are located in the middle of the spike, compared with the plain spike-aerodisk model, the drag coefficient and peak Stanton number of the combined model are further reduced by 17.8 % and 34.8 %, respectively. Our findings confirm that a multi-nozzle can effectively reduce drag and aeroheating while the channel structure is viable in practice. • A new model of lateral jet without gas source is studied by 3-D numerical simulation. • The gas for the lateral jet is coupled with the outside flow. • A distribution form of multiple lateral nozzles is proposed. • A realistic 3-D simulation is conducted, enhancing its practical applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

0.75BiFeO 3 -0.25BaTiO 3 (0.75BF-0.25BT) ceramics have been widely studied because of their high Curie temperature, good thermal stability and lead-free trait. The evolution of domain motion during electric poling and thermal depoling processes is closely related to the piezoelectric properties and thermal stability of ferroelectric ceramics. Herein, the non-180° domain reversals of 0.75BF-0.25BT ceramics in these two processes were investigated by an in situ XRD technique. The non-180° domain switching fraction during the poling and depoling processes was calculated quantitatively based on the (111) and (11 1 ‾) diffraction peaks. During the poling process, the non-180° domain reversal percentage N 111 and piezoelectric properties increase abruptly when the poling field exceeds 35 kV/cm and then saturate at the electric field of 50 kV/cm (N 111 reaches the maximum value of 59%). The domains switched under the poling electric field of 50 kV/cm are stable below 500 °C. The depoling temperature is sensitive to the domain switching fraction under different poling electric fields, and the ceramics under a strong poling field possess excellent thermal stability and high depolarization temperatures. This work revealed the relationship between the electric properties, domain switching, poling electric field, and depoling temperature in the 0.75BF-0.25BT ceramics, which may pave the way to enhancing the room temperature piezoelectric properties and their thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large transduction coefficient (d 33 × g 33) is difficult to obtain in piezoelectric ceramics because these two parameters show opposite trends with compositional modifications. Herein, the Pb(Zr 0.53 Ti 0.47)O 3 ceramic powders were calcinated under different temperatures (A:830 °C, B:860 °C, and C:890 °C), and then mixed together according to different weight ratios (1A:1B:1C, 1A:2B:1C, 1A:2B:3C and 3A:2B:1C) for ceramics preparation. Both d 33 and g 33 are improved successfully, and the transduction coefficient with the weight ratio of 1A:2B:3C reaches up to 17,500 × 10−15 m2/N, which is 60 % higher than that with the powders calcinated under 830 °C, and at least twice those of commercial PZT-4, PZT-5A and PZT-8 ceramics. The improved transduction coefficient is owing to the enhanced piezoelectric constant and spontaneous polarization resulted from the increased grain size, relative density and the fraction of tetragonal phase. These results indicate that this is a simple but effective way to tailor the transduction coefficient in piezoelectric ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of three-dimensional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations was performed to investigate the effect of temperature on the nanoscale deformation behaviour and mechanical properties of c -plane monocrystalline gallium nitride (GaN) under nanoindentation. Simulation results showed that the atomic displacement and strain increased with increasing temperature. Thus, the nucleation and propagation of dislocations in the main slip systems were promoted to intensify the plastic deformation of GaN crystal. Increasing the temperature also contributed to the increase in local phase transition from the wurtzite crystal structure (B4-GaN) to the zinc-blende crystal structure (B3-GaN) and a very evident amorphization of GaN in the indentation zone. Based on the analysis of the load-depth curves, it was found that both the hardness and Young's modulus decreased as the temperature increased. This work can enrich the atomic-level understanding of the effect of temperature on the mechanical response of monocrystalline GaN when subjected to the external loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial structure and potential antifatigue activity of polysaccharide fractions which was extracted from Inonotus obliquus. The first polysaccharide fractions of Inonotus obliquus (PIO-1) were obtained after hot-water extraction and purification by DEAE cellulose-52 chromatography. Results of the forced swimming test showed that the doses (50 mg/kg) of PIO-1 could increase the climbing duration and swimming time as well as reduced the immobility time in the PIO treated mice. The fatigue related metabolic parameters showed that PIO-1 decreased the level of blood lactic acid (BLA), urea nitrogen (BUN) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). Additionally, PIO-1 significantly decreased the 5-HT concentrations in the mice brain. The results of monosaccharide analysis showed that the molar ratio of mannose, glucose, galactose, xylose and arabinose with the molar ratio of 1.0:1.9:3.5:18.5:5.7. The molecular morphology of the PIO-1 observed under atomic force microscopy (AFM). There were many spherical and heterogeneous clumps existed in the images. Therefore, current study indicated polysaccharide PIO-1 not only has great potential to postpone physical fatigue but also shown potential to improve mental fatigue. • This researches indicated the information about the isolation, characterization and anti-fatigue activity of purified polysaccharides from Inonotus obliquus. • This researches indicated polysaccharide PIO-1 not only have great potential to postpone physical fatigue but also shown potential to improve mental fatigue. • The structural description of PIO-1 showed that the molar ratio of mannose, glucose, galactose, xylose and arabinose with the molar ratio of 1.0 : 1.9 : 3.5 : 18.5 : 5.7. The total sugar content was 73.2 %. The molecular morphology of the PIO-1 observed under atomic force microscopy (AFM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operational spacecraft are facing a risk of collision with space debris objects. The net capturing method has been proposed to mitigate this risk on spacecraft. The mass-spring model is usually applied for net modeling by discretizing a cable into one or several mass-spring-damper elements in simulation. The absolute nodal coordinates formulation (ANCF) has also been applied to model the net, and this model is able to describe the flexibility of a net using less elements. However, the influence on the net behavior in simulation by the flexibility modeling of a net is not well understood and barely discussed. In this paper, flexibility models of a net are established based on the mass-spring model and the ANCF model,respectively. The influence on the net behavior by the flexibility modeling is, for the first time, analyzed via simulations. Two case studies of capturing a ball and a cube shaped targets are performed. It is found that the flexibility modeling has little influence on the net dynamics in simulation. Finally, the characteristics and benefits of the ANCF model are described and analyzed. A drawback of the ANCF model was found to be its inferior computational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We simulate dynamical mechanical spectroscopy in a Cu 64 Zr 36 bulk metallic glass using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics. Applying several loading conditions (constant volume, longitudinal, uniaxial and isostatic), we find that different elastic moduli have very contrasted dynamical properties but satisfy the dynamic correspondence principle, which states that the relations between static moduli can be extended to dynamical moduli, both below and above the glass transition temperature. In particular, we determine the debated dynamic Poisson's ratio from three different but consistent expressions. Finally, we trace the origin of dissipation down to regions of low stability devoid of icosahedral clusters. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current investigation applied the invariant manifold technique to study the halo orbits around the libration points in circular restricted three-body problem. Two dominant (leading) directions were considered as dominant motions for the construction of spatial halo orbits, the third direction motion being the slave (following) motion. The dominant motions correspond to four-dimensional invariant manifolds in the phase space. The invariant nonlinear asymptotic relations (i.e. INARs) between the two dominant motions and the slave motion were established, enabling a transformation from the 3-DOF problem into a 2-DOF problem. Application of the INARs are also discussed. Such invariant nonlinear relations in polynomial expansion form could be used as: (I) approximate analytical solutions; (II) topological constraints to obtain more exact numerical solutions with differential correction. General findings in the current research revealed that the nonlinear asymptotic relations among the directions provided an alternative point of view to explore the overall dynamics of halo orbits around libration points with general rules. The effectiveness of the proposed method was also verified by numerical simulations. • Invariant nonlinear asymptotic relations (INARs) between dominant and slave motions are obtained. • The 3D system is reduced into a 2D system by INARs. • Analytical solutions for halo orbits are obtained by INARs. • INARs are used as topological constraints to obtain halo orbit with differential correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use a stochastic dynamic programming model to evaluate the impacts of uncertainties on the abatement planning process. By involving the endogenous emission path, we differentiate two types of uncertainties during the planning process, which come from the volatility of the abatement cost and the ambiguity of emission rate. Results suggest that the considered uncertainties influence the decision-making process in several aspects by shaping the abatement path as well as emission path. (1) The impacts vary with the expected value and the level of variance of the uncertainty effects. Uncertainties caused by abatement costs from 0.02 to 0.06 and emission factors from 0.01 to 0.03 increase the total abatement costs around 7% and 5% respectively. (2) Both of these uncertainties can generate precautionary abatement in short-term. Especially during the early stages, the abatement task will be increased by 1% around in each period due to the uncertainties. However such an action will be diminishing as the duration elapses. (3) Both of these uncertainties influence the long-term abatement performances, however, with different forms and mechanisms. With small volatility, the emission rate changes the priority sequence of abatement actions more substantially in the short-term than the emission rate does. (4) The combined uncertainties can behave in a compound way to improve the uncertainty performance in the model. The difference between the emission peaks of conservative and extreme cases is significant with the gap being about 5 million metric ton. These results have potentially important policy implications and can provide a rationale for abatement actions. • We use a stochastic dynamic programming model to evaluate the impacts of uncertainty on the abatement strategy. • We differentiate two types of uncertainties during the planning process. • For both types of the uncertainty precautionary abatement is required at early stage to hedge the future risk. • The level of synergy effect and the hedging effect between the uncertainties depends on how they are combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Super-hydrophilic aluminum surfaces were produced by a simple one step nanosecond laser treatment. • The effect of laser scanning interval, laser scanning pattern, and scanning speed have been studied. • Hydrophilic behavior was studied by measuring contact angle. • Wetting properties of laser treated surfaces are slightly changed when exposed in air, but still keep hydrophilic in 20 days. This paper reports a way of forming super-hydrophilic surface on the pure aluminum plate (99.999% aluminum) that the nanoarray structure is formed on the surface using a nanosecond pulsed laser. It is found that different micro/nano structure have certain influence on the hydrophilicity of aluminum plates. Two different laser scanning methods, single horizontal and grid pattern scanning, were selected in this study. It was found that the scanning marking method of the grid pattern can form a relatively regular dot sequence nanoarray structure on the surface of aluminum plate. This structure makes the aluminum surface super hydrophilic with a contact angle of almost 0°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The superb mechanical properties make graphene an ideal candidate material for impact protection. Combining molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical analyses, the deformation and failure modes, energy absorption of single-layer graphene under ballistic impact are investigated. According to numerical and theoretical results, the expression for residual velocity of projectile after impact is given. The dependence of deformation and failure modes, energy absorption mechanisms, specific penetration energy (SPE) on impact velocity is analyzed. The results show that during low-velocity impact, there are conical deformation region (CDR), star-like crack and monoatomic carbon chain in graphene. Energy absorption mechanisms of graphene are mainly local deformation and fracture. With increasing impact velocity, the size of CDR decreases. The star-like crack gradually transforms into circular hole. When impact velocity is high enough, carbon atoms within projectile projection area in graphene will be ejected in the form of debris. The kinetic energy (KE) loss of projectile is converted into KE of debris carbon atoms and fracture energy of carbon bonds. Besides, it is also found that SPE (dominant factors are deformation of conical region and KE increments) exhibits a decreasing–increasing trend with increasing impact velocity. When impact velocity is the same, SPE decreases with increasing projectile diameter. [Display omitted] • Energy absorption of graphene under ballistic impact is studied by MD simulations. • The expression for residual velocity of rigid projectile after impact is given. • The dependence of deformation and failure modes on impact velocity is discussed. • Energy absorption mechanism of graphene during impact process is analyzed. • The effect of impact velocity on specific penetration energy is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The models are applicable to various engineer fields. • The relationships between the UCS and other mechanical indices. • Generalized function for capturing the effect of curing time. Given the wide application of lime stabilized loess in road base and subbase, subgrade, building foundations and slopes, a set of generalized and accurate mechanical estimation models of lime stabilized loess is essential for quality control. In this research, three modified models were proposed to capture the effects of lime content and compactness on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), California bearing ratio (CBR), resilience modulus (M R), internal friction angle (φ), cohesion (c) and compression coefficient (a 1-2) of lime stabilized loess at both 7-day and 28-day curing periods. Compared with the logarithmic model, the hyperbolic model can more reasonably characterize the effect of the curing period on these mechanical indices. Taking those factors together, a set of three-factor estimation models based on both 7-day and 28-day references were developed and show high reliability. Moreover, the establishment of relationships between UCS and CBR , M R , φ and c provides a shortcut for the mechanical property estimation of lime stabilized loess. Finally, based on multiple sets of UCS data sourced from numerous papers, a hyperbolic model with a wider application range was established to link normalized UCS to curing time. The proposed estimation models can be adopted for design checking and quality evaluation of lime stabilized loess applied in various engineering fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal management of fuel cell vehicles is posing a constant challenge due to the growing installed power of the fuel cell stack and consequent heat-overloaded situations of the radiator. Based on the "time-dependent" idea that considers the fluctuated heat generation and the intermittent heat peak during the journey, a novel thermal management system that employs a heat-peak regulator is proposed in the present work. The heat-peak regulator is a thermal accumulator filled with phase-change material that separately exchanges heat with the fuel cell coolant and the air conditioner refrigerant. It temporarily receives the excess heat that cannot be released out by the radiator when the heat peak occurs; later on, when the heat peak is gone, the heat is transferred to the refrigerant to remove it from the condenser. The system simulations based on the developed thermal models demonstrate that, the thermal runaway of the fuel cell stack can be eliminated or effectively weakened by this novel thermal management system, relying on the amount of the phase-change material filling the heat-peak regulator. In the present study, the 135 s and 250 s thermal runaway durations can be shortened to 0 s and 105 s, respectively, in the standardized New European Driving Cycle and World-wide Harmonized Light Duty Test Cycle under 38 °C summer weather, and the maximum temperature for the latter can be reduced from 89 °C to 83 °C. This work can make a significant contribution towards the solution of thermal management problems of the fuel cell vehicles. • Proposing the "time-dependent" thermal management methodology. • The thermal management system contains a heat-peak regulator. • The heat-overload problem for the radiator of fuel cell stack is properly handled. • The proposed system is analyzed based on a self-developed thermal model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carteolol is a commonly-used topical medication for primary open-angle glaucoma. However, long-term and frequent ocular application of carteolol entails its residuals at low concentration in the aqueous humor for a long duration and may exert latent toxicity in the human corneal endothelial cells (HCEnCs). Here, we treated the HCEnCs in vitro with 0.0117% carteolol for 10 days. Thereafter, we removed the cartelolol and normally cultured the cells for 25 days to investigate the chronical toxicity of carteolol and the underlying mechanism. The results exhibited that 0.0117% carteolol induces senescent features in the HCEnCs, such as increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase positive rates, enlarged relative cell area and upregulated p16INK4A and senescence-associated secretory phenotypes, including IL-1α, TGF-β1, IL-10, TNF-α, CCL-27, IL-6 and IL-8, as well as decreased Lamin B1 expression and cell viability and proliferation. Thereby, further exploration demonstrated that the carteolol activates β-arrestin–ERK–NOX4 pathway to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production that imposes oxidative stress on energetic metabolism causing a vicious cycle between declining ATP and increasing ROS production and downregulation of NAD+ resulting in metabolic disturbance-mediated senescence of the HCEnCs. The excess ROS also impair DNA to activate the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway of ATM–p53–p21WAF1/CIP1 with diminished poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) 1, a NAD+-dependent enzyme for DNA damage repair, resulting in cell cycle arrest and subsequent DDR-mediated senescence. Taken together, carteolol induces excess ROS to trigger HCEnC senescence via metabolic disturbance and DDR pathway. [Display omitted] • 0.0117% carteolol induces senescence of human corneal endothelial cells (HCEnCs). • The carteolol activates β-arrestin–ERK–NOX4 axis to elevate ROS production. • The elevated ROS impair DNA and impose oxidative stress (OS) on energy metabolism. • The DNA damage elicits senescence of the HCEnCs via DNA damage response pathway. • The OS provokes metabolic disturbance resulting in senescence of the HCEnCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Theoretical models are established to analyze the interface mechanical behaviors when a droplet infiltrates the microstructures. • The physical mechanism of compressive stability and excellent wettability on the Salvinia surface is theoretically revealed. • The effects of surface geometry and microstructure characteristics parameters on the compressive stability and wettability of the biomimetic surface are discussed. • The geometric structure relationships for designing highly stable superhydrophobic surfaces are proposed. The surface of Salvinia had superhydrophobicity and kept good compressive stability, which was mainly attributed to the dense microscopic eggbeater structure villi on the surface. By means of force equilibrium, a theoretical model was established to analyze the interface mechanical behaviors when a droplet infiltrates the microstructures. Based on the minimum energy principle, a theoretical model was presented to analyze the process of a droplet spreading on the surface of Salvinia reaching a steady state. Combined with numerical simulations, it was found that the superhydrophobicity and compressive stability of the Salvinia were dependent on the morphological and geometric parameters of the microstructure (edge angle φ , number of branching n , width W and spacing D , etc.). By adjusting these geometrical parameters, the surface of the biomimetic structure can maintain a stable Cassie state at 0.63 kPa pressure, and the apparent contact angle is controllable in the range of 121°−169.8°. The research results provide a theoretical foundation for the structural design of superhydrophobic surfaces with high stability and tunable wettability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing number of satellites for specific space missions is hindering efficient control from the ground stations. In addition, the risk of failing or deteriorating elements in a multi-satellite system (MSS) leads to the uncertainty in its operating environment which challenges traditional centralized planning algorithms. Centralized algorithms depend on one coordinator to overview entire system, which is a single poitn of failure, so if it malfunctional, the MSS may go down. To overcome this problem, a distributed onboard mission planning algorithm based on the Hybrid Dynamic Mutation Genetic Algorithm (HDMGA) is proposed for such MSS. The satellites are considered as autonomous agents which can communicate and negotiate with other satellites. The mission objective is decomposed through the team negotiation procedures, and the local goals are dispatched to the participant satellite. The local planning procedure on each satellite is modeled as local search problems, while the planning problem for entire team is formulated as strongly-coupled distributed optimization problem. The verification shows that the proposed distributed approach can achieve the same results as the centralized approach. The simulation results illustrate that the proposed approach shows superior performance on both computation time and success rate, as compared with other two state-of-the-art distributed mission planning approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the present study was undertaken to isolate bioactive substances from microbial secondary metabolites of Streptomyces gilvosporeu AXY-25 and to determine their antiparasitic effect against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. A pure compound showing strong anti- I. multifiliis activity was isolated from a culture of S. gilvosporeu AXY-25 by using the method of bioassay-guided isolation. The chemical structure of the active compound was confirmed as natamycin (NAT) by spectral analysis (EI-MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR). An in vitro anti-parasitic assay demonstrated that 100% of theronts were killed with a concentration of 25.0 mg L−1 NAT for 4 h with an effective concentration (EC 50) (95% CI) at 10.9 (10.7–11.1) mg L−1. Similiary, all tomonts were killed by a dose of 25.0 mg L−1. An in vivo anti-parasitic assay showed that the number of I. multifiliis trophonts on the surface of hybrid Erythroculter ilishaeformis in the NAT-treated group were markedly lower when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Mortality in the 25.0 mg L−1 NAT-treated group was 36.7% at day 10. Mortality in the control group due to the I. multifiliis infection was 83.3% by day 10. In addition, the survival rate and reproduction of tomonts in the 25.0 mg L−1NAT treated group were markedly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The results of the acute toxicity of NAT indicated that NAT was safe to use on hybrid E. ilishaeformis , the median lethal concentration (LC 50) was 508.6 mg L−1. • An active compound against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis was isolated and was elucidated as natamycin. • In vitro and in vivo results showed that natamycin were effective against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. • The safety of natamycin was verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Contact dynamic models for active debris capturing using a net are presented and analyzed using numerical simulations. The contact dynamics are based on two methods: the penalty-based method and the impulse-based method. Both methods apply contact detection algorithms based on the Axis-Aligned Bounding Box. The impulse-based method is, for the first time, being used in a net capturing scenario. Strengths and weaknesses of both models are compared and discussed. Moreover, the results from numerical simulations of target capturing are presented and analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the contact dynamic models. It is found that the average difference of bullet trajectories obtained by two models can be restricted within 6% when it compares with the dimension of the net. Highlights • The impulse-based method is proposed for contact dynamics modeling of a net capturing scenario. • The impulse-based method is compared with the penalty-based method using numerical simulations. • The impulse-based method is found suitable by avoiding penetration and a stiff equation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • This is the first Method of characteristics code for pebble bed reactor. • Special geometry modeling is developed for pebble bed reactor. • Special algorithm for ray tracing is optimized pebble bed reactor. Abstract The method of characteristics which is an effective method for neutron transport calculation with high flexibility in complex geometry has been applied to high temperature gas-cooled pebble-bed reactor geometry. The MOCP (the M ethod o f C haracteristics for P ebble-bed high temperature gas-cooled reactor) code was developed in Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University to achieve this goal. The first stone standing ahead is the geometry modeling for pebble-bed district. In this work, a solid modeling method called constructive solid geometry (CSG) is introduced to model the pebble-bed district. A universal ray tracing technique is developed to arrange tracks in 3-D cylinder geometry. Furthermore, tree search method is implemented into MOCP to improve the ray tracing efficiency. Automatic meshing is implemented to improve the geometry modeling efficiency. A redundant tree was constructed to mesh the interspace among pebbles. The geometry modeling capability of MOCP is verified by fast converging single group benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study a reversibly fluorescence immunoassay was prepared through grafting, using hydrogen bonding, of an antibody-conjugated ZnS quantum dots (ZQD-antiHA) onto an electrospun poly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) fibrous mats (EPFM) with poly (n-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) grafts. The PPO was first electrospun into a fibrous mat, then brominated and reacted with NaN 3 to generate the azido-terminated EPFMs. A propargyl-terminated poly ( n -isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was synthesized and grafted onto the azido-terminated EPFMs. ZQDs were conjugated by antibodies (antiHA) to adsorb onto the PNIPAAm grafts of EPFMs with hydrogen bonding. Because of the stronger interaction between antigen (HA) and antibody (antiHA), the hydrogen bonding was blocked due to the introduction of the antigen which resulted in the desorption the ZQDs from the EPFMs. The blue fluorescence of the PNIPAAm-grafted EPFMs with antibody-conjugated ZQDs was disappeared while immersing in the solution of antigen. The 3.82 mg/m 2 of ZQDs on the PNIPAAm grafts EPFMs significantly reduced to 0.22 mg/m 2 after the immersion of the antigen solution which verified the transference of the ZQDs from EPFMs to the solution. The behavior of adsorption and desorption of the ZQDs was reversible up to five cycles. The revisable fluorescence immunoassay of EPFMs with PNIPAAm grafts experimentally exhibited a high potential in a simple setup for biosensing with its unique sensitivity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The current treatments used in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy have significant side effects. Thus, it is very necessary to position and release TNF-α siRNA in inflamed tissues. Here, we demonstrate that poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) can pack TNF-α siRNA efficiently into nanoparticles (NPs), and galactosylated chitosan (GC) can be grafted onto the NP surface, improving the RAW 264.7 macrophage-targeting kinetics of the NPs in vitro. Next, we orally administered GC-modified NPs loaded with TNF-α siRNA to C57BL/6 mice treated with 3% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to investigate their use in the treatment of colitis. When TNF-α siRNA loaded NPs were released into the colitis tissues of mice, GC-modified NPs (GPNs) alleviated the inflammation more efficiently than unmodified PGLA NPs (PNs). A series of colitis parameters (e.g., weight loss, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity) demonstrated that GPNs have better anti-inflammatory effects than PNs. As indicated by flow cytometry, grafting GC onto NPs increased the macrophage uptake capacity and improved the kinetics of endocytosis. Collectively, our findings indicate that GC- modified TNF-α siRNA loaded NPs are powerful and efficient nanoscale materials for the delivery of therapeutic molecules to colitis tissues. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to seek the suitable local objectives for each satellite to optimal the global mission allocation strategy with a global utility function. This paper uses a game-theoretical formulation for a multi-satellite system in which the satellites are viewed as a unique unit with their self-interests. To solve the problem, the first is to identify the utility functions for individual satellite, align them to form the global utility function which can represents the allocation requirements. The second is to design the suitable negotiation mechanisms that can be equipped on each satellite so they can pursue the optimization by their own interest. The Utility-based Regret play, the Smoke Signal play, and the Broadcast-based play are proposed as negotiation mechanisms for the team to cooperate under the distributed and decentralized system structure. The simulation results illustrate that using these mechanisms can help this multi-satellite system reaches a near-optimal allocation profile. The effectiveness of proposed mechanisms are demonstrated by comparing their simulation results with several existing mechanisms under different scale of participant number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In field of drug delivery, graphene is a potential material as drug carrier due to its large specific surface area and excellent chemical stability. Many kinds of drug molecules can be adsorbed on graphene surface through single or multiple benzene ring structures in drug molecules. Graphene loaded with drug molecules needs to be transported to the lesion site through blood. The content of water molecules in blood accounts for 92%. Therefore, the influence of water molecule on adsorption performance cannot be ignored. Here, the influence and mechanism of water molecule on the adsorption properties between benzene molecule and graphene is studied. The adsorption models of benzene molecule on graphene surface in vacuum and water environments are established, respectively. The adhesion energy, adhesion force and stable adsorption position of benzene molecule in two environments are analyzed by molecular dynamics simulation and potential function theory. Moreover, a model of preadsorption of a single water molecule on graphene surface is further presented, which explains the reason of the difference in adsorption performance in vacuum and water environment from the perspective of energy. The preadsorption of water molecule on graphene surface promotes the adsorption of benzene molecule. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to measure in-plane conductivity of Nafion membrane for fuel cell, but this target is generally inhibited by measuring system with heterogeneous interfaces and immature electrochemical measurements. This paper simply used water media to establish stable measuring system with metal electrode and Nafion membrane, representing system as equivalent circuit. Our equivalent circuit was validated by both cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, also clarified connection and difference in two measurements. This electrochemistry breakthrough helps realize measuring system completely and reliably even under successive temperature cycles, providing circuit elements for kinetic analysis in contact resistance, in-plane conductivity, inactive and active proton. We also clarified that the inactive and active proton shift can dictate low frequency inductance, which is an important sign for active and stable operation in fuel cell, secondary battery and materials. All these results can induce enormous progress in multi-disciplines, making our work have great significance and broad impact for future studies. • The equivalent circuit is key for measurements and analysis. • The equivalent circuit was validated by EIS and CV measurements. • The equivalent circuit has good in situ characterization for measuring system. • The circuit elements revealed kinetic relationship for measuring system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the morphology of void and compressive performances of CNTs-reinforced filament-wound risers under axial compressive loading. The porosity morphology and distribution induced by the filament winding process were measured and analyzed, revealing a transition from nearly circular to elongated voids with gradual growth in the size of the individual void as the winding angle increased. Failure modes of composite risers were comprehensively discussed to understand the progressive failure process and load-bearing capacity. The results indicated that failure mechanisms of composite risers mainly manifest as initial resin splitting at the end of the structure, cracks growing in the interwoven region and local buckling at the end of the structure, and local asymmetric buckling as winding angle increased. While the addition of CNTs enhances the brittleness of the substrate and leads to an increased probability of debonding and delamination. Furthermore, the experiment results demonstrate that the energy absorption capacity can be generally improved at larger winding angles for the composite riser with 3% and 5% of CNTs volume content. The maximum values of peak crushing load, mean crushing force, energy absorption, and specific energy absorption were observed in the circumferentially wound riser with 5% of CNTs volume content. • The shape of voids transitions with an increase in winding angle. • There is a slight sensitivity of the void content to the winding angle. • Failure mode is similar to the different composite risers with the same winding angle. • Large winding angles improve energy absorption for 1% and 5% of CNTs volume content. • Winding angle strongly affects the compressive performance but no nonlinear is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]