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We developed a quantitative single-virus tracking approach for spatiotemporal quantification of fusion events based on highly efficient dual-color labeled viruses and bulk trajectory analysis. This approach allows us to comprehensively probe viral fusion mechanisms at single-virus level and to precisely elucidate how associated biomolecules synergistically regulate the fusion process. [Display omitted] Viral envelope fusion with the host plasma membrane (PM) for genome release is a hallmark step in the life cycle of many enveloped viruses. This process is regulated by a complex network of biomolecules on the PM, but robust tools to precisely elucidate the dynamic mechanisms of virus-PM fusion events are still lacking. Here, we developed a quantitative single-virus tracking approach based on highly efficient dual-color labelling of viruses and batch trajectory analysis to achieve the spatiotemporal quantification of fusion events. This approach allows us to comprehensively analyze the membrane fusion mechanism utilized by pseudotyped severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at the single-virus level and precisely elucidate how the relevant biomolecules synergistically regulate the fusion process. Our results revealed that SARS-CoV-2 may promote the formation of supersaturated clusters of cholesterol to facilitate the initiation of the membrane fusion process and accelerate the viral genome release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, dense Yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramic was printed by vat photopolymerization. We first formulated a slurry with good ceramic particle dispersion and modified the sintering process of the printed part. We improved the dispersion of the yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) particles by mixing with dispersant before preparing the slurry. After printing with the slurry, the printed part was sintered under a pressure of 20 KPa. No pores could be observed in the cross-section view indicating we successfully fabricated ultra-dense YSZ ceramic by vat polymerization and high-pressure sintering process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (NRF2) is important for the expression of genes associated with oxidative stress. The levels of NRF2 are controlled by Kelch-like ECHassociated protein 1 (KEAP1)-dependent degradation. Although oxidative stress is known to suppress KEAP1 activity to stabilize the levels of NRF2, the mechanism for this control is unclear. Here, we identify that KEAP1 is modified by SUMO1 at the lysine residue position 39 (K39). Arginine replacement of this lysine (K39R) in KEAP1 did not affect its stability, subcellular localization, or dimerization but promoted the formation of the Cullin 3 ubiquitin ligase and increased NRF2 ubiquitination. This was accompanied by decreased NRF2 expression. Gene reporter assays showed that the transcription of antioxidant response elements was heightened in KEAP1-WT cells compared to cells expressing the KEAP1-K39R SUMO1 substrate mutant. Consistent with this, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed higher NRF2 binding to the promoter regions of antioxidant genes in cells expressing the KEAP1-WT compared to the KEAP1-K39R mutant protein in H1299 lung cancer cell. The significance of this suppression of KEAP1 activity by its SUMOylation was tested in a subcutaneous tumor model of H1299 lung cancer cell lines that differentially expressed the WT and K39R KEAP1 constructs. This model showed that mutating the SUMOylation site on KEAP1 altered the production of reactive oxygen species and suppressed tumor growth. Taken together, our study recognizes that NRF2-dependent redox control is regulated by the SUMOylation of KEAP1. These findings identify a potential new therapeutic option to counteract oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway is a promising approach for anti-cancer immunotherapy by bridging innate and adaptive immunity. Recent evidence suggests that chemotherapy-induced DNA damage can directly induce dendritic cell (DC) maturation and recruitment, which synergizes with STING activation to enhance anti-tumor effects. As an immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducer, oxaliplatin generates massive double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) crosslinks, release of tumor-associated antigens and promoting the "eat me" signal. STING activation improves antigen immunogenicity, which can promote T cell activation and infiltration. In this study, we developed liposomes encapsulating oxaliplatin and combine this formulation with a STING agonist (ADU-S100) for treating colorectal cancer. The liposomes efficiently inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells while induced ICD in CT26 colorectal cancer cells, which enhanced dendritic cell maturation and phagocytosis in vitro. The liposome-based immunochemotherapy exhibited the strongest efficacy, resulting in complete remission upon tumor inoculation. Mechanistic studies showed this potent anti-cancer effect was related to the significant recruitment of infiltrating CD8 and CD4 T cells, reduction of suppressive Treg cells, and a shift in the phenotype of tumor-associated suppressive macrophages that promote cancer to immune stimulating macrophages. Thus, our study demonstrated the potential of combining oxaliplatin-loaded liposomes with a STING agonist to reduce tumor growth by regulating the immunosuppressive state in the tumor. [Display omitted] • First combination of oxaliplatin and ADU-S100 for cancer treatment • Enhanced anti-tumor efficiency by regulate tumor microenvironment • Orchestrated immune response on both innate and adaptive immunity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The uncertainties of atmospheric density, position and velocity are combined to jointly participate in the orbital error propagation. • MC Dropout neural networks are introduced to correct the density model and to quantify the model uncertainty and input uncertainty. • GMM-UT method is used to approximate the orbital error propagation considering atmospheric density uncertainty. Due to the influence of various errors, the orbital uncertainty propagation of artificial celestial objects while orbit prediction is required, especially in some applications such as conjunction analysis. In the orbital error propagation of artificial celestial objects in low Earth orbits (LEOs), atmospheric density uncertainty is one of the important factors that require special attention. In this paper, on the basis of considering the uncertainties of position and velocity, the atmospheric density uncertainty is also taken into account to further investigate the orbital error propagation of artificial celestial objects in LEOs. Artificial intelligence algorithms are introduced, the MC Dropout neural network and the heteroscedastic loss function are used to realize the correction of the empirical atmospheric density model, as well as to provide the quantification of model uncertainty and input uncertainty for the corrected atmospheric densities. It is shown that the neural network we built achieves good results in atmospheric density correction, and the uncertainty quantization obtained from the neural network is also reasonable. Moreover, using the Gaussian mixture model - unscented transform (GMM-UT) method, the atmospheric density uncertainty is taken into account in the orbital uncertainty propagation, by adding a sampled random term to the corrected atmospheric density when calculating atmospheric density. The feasibility of the GMM-UT method considering atmospheric density uncertainty is proved by the further comparison of abundant sampling points and GMM-UT results (with and without considering atmospheric density uncertainty). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A multiphasic FE model of the lumbar intervertebral disc was developed. • The disc nutrient response was evaluated under different axial forces. • Sustained weight-bearing activities could deteriorate disc nutrient environment. • Tensile force might have a nonnegligible role in improving nutrient levels. Understanding the role of mechanical force on tissue nutrient transport is essential, as sustained force may affect nutrient levels within the disc and initiate disc degeneration. This study aims to evaluate the time-dependent effects of different compressive force amplitudes as well as tensile force on glucose concentration and cell viability within the disc. Based on the mechano-electrochemical mixture theory, a multiphasic finite element model of the lumbar intervertebral disc was developed. The minimum glucose concentration and minimum cell density in both normal and degenerated discs were predicted for different compressive force amplitudes, tensile force, and corresponding creep time. Under high compressive force, the minimum glucose concentration exhibited an increasing and then decreasing trend with creep time in the normal disc, whereas that of the degenerated disc increased, then decreased, and finally increased again. At steady state, a higher compressive force was accompanied by a lower glucose concentration distribution. In the degenerated disc, the minimum cell density was negatively correlated with creep time, with a greater range of affected tissue under a higher compressive force. For tensile force, the minimum glucose concentration of the degenerated disc raised over time. This study highlighted the importance of creep time, force magnitude, and force type in affecting nutrient concentration and cell viability. Sustained weight-bearing activities could deteriorate the nutrient environment of the degenerated disc, while tensile force might have a nonnegligible role in effectively improving nutrient levels within the degenerated disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibiting α-glucosidase activity is important in controlling postprandial hyperglycemia and, thus, helping to manage type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In the present study, we purified a hypothetical protein of carrots called DCHP (Daucus Carrot hypoglycemic peptide), and their inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase, as well as related mechanisms, were investigated. The recombinant DCHP protein with a molecular weight of 8 kDa showed strong inhibitory activity against α-glycosidase and maintained good stability in solution. DCHP exhibited no inhibitory activity but was tolerant to trypsin and chymotrypsin. Cellular experiments demonstrated that glucose consumption and lactic acid production increased rapidly when treated with DCHP in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. DCHP crystal was generated, and the crystal structure, which was similar to that of rBTI and consisted of a central α-helix and a two-stranded β-sheet with a unique loop region. The interaction between DCHP and α-glycosidase was investigated by molecular docking and site-directed mutation, which revealed that Glu43, Pro46, Thr47 Thr48 and Gln49 are the key residues in DCHP that inhibit α-glycosidase activity. This work provides potential bioactive peptides as functional foods or nutraceutical supplements in preventing and managing T2DM. • The recombinant Daucus Carrot hypoglycemic peptide (DCHP) exhibits the inhibitory activity for α-glycosidase. • DCHP exhibits physicochemical stability and high tolerance to trypsin and chymotrypsin. • DCHP can promote the accumulation of lactic acid and increase glucose consumption in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. • DCHP contains the key residues including Glu43, Pro46, Thr47 Thr48 and Gln49 that initiate α-glycosidase inhibitory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has severely affected human lives around the world as well as the global economy. Therefore, effective treatments against COVID-19 are urgently needed. Here, we screened a library containing Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds to identify drugs that could target the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), which is indispensable for viral protein maturation and regard as an important therapeutic target. We identified antimalarial drug tafenoquine (TFQ), which is approved for radical cure of Plasmodium vivax and malaria prophylaxis, as a top candidate to inhibit Mpro protease activity. The crystal structure of SARSCoV-2 Mpro in complex with TFQ revealed that TFQ noncovalently bound to and reshaped the substrate-binding pocket of Mpro by altering the loop region (residues 139-144) near the catalytic Cys145, which could block the catalysis of its peptide substrates. We also found that TFQ inhibited human transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2). Furthermore, one TFQ derivative, compound 7, showed a better therapeutic index than TFQ on TMPRSS2 and may therefore inhibit the infectibility of SARS-CoV-2, including that of several mutant variants. These results suggest new potential strategies to block infection of SARS-CoV-2 and rising variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A strengthened chain of survival benefits patient outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).2 Over the past decade, the Taipei Fire Department (TFD) has continuously implemented system-wide initiatives on this issue.We hypothesised that for adult, non-trauma OHCA patients, the bundle of these system-wide initiatives are associated with better outcomes.Methods: We conducted a registry-based, retrospective study to examine the association between consecutive system-level initiatives and OHCA survival on a two-yearly basis using trend analysis and multivariable logistic regression. The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge (STHD) and favourable neurological status.Results: We analysed 18,076 cases from 2008 to 2017. The numbers of two-yearly cases of OHCA with resuscitation attempts from 2008 to 2017 were 3,576, 3,456, 3,822, 3,811, and 3,411. There was a significant trend of improved STHD (Two-fold) and favourable neurological outcome (Six-fold) over the past decade. Similar trends were observed in the shockable and non-shockable groups. Considering the first 2 years as baseline, the odds of STHD and favourable neurological status in the end of the initiatives increased significantly after adjusting for universally recognised predictors for OHCA survival.Conclusion: For non-trauma adult OHCA in Taipei, continuous, multifaceted system-wide initiatives on the community chain of survival were associated with improved odds of STHD and favourable neurologic outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The model offers a unified and explicit expression across all working regions of the MO TFTs. • The model takes into account the non-reciprocity of capacitance, ensuring charge conservation at all ports. • Based on the fabricated IZO TFTs, comprehensive and sufficient experimental data on capacitance was tested in the article. A unified and complete capacitance model of metal oxide thin-film transistors (MO TFTs) based on three-terminal charges is proposed in this paper. The analytical expression of the three-terminal charges is obtained with the effective charge density approach and the Ward-Dutton charge partitioning approach. By considering the non-reciprocal capacitance between any two terminals, the complete capacitance model of the MO TFTs is proposed with an accurate description. The proposed model has a uniform and analytical capacitance expression over the full working regions with a specific physical meaning based on the surface potential solution. Furthermore, the sufficient capacitance experimental data of the fabricated IZO-TFT are presented to verify the proposed model. It is shown that there is a good agreement between the experimental data and the proposed model in a wide range of working regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Patients with NPC are facing alarming disturbances of anxiety and depression, tailored strategies should be considered for high-risk patients. • Coexisting anxiety and depression commonly occurred and should be attached great importance to. • Central symptoms (sad mood, lack of energy, and trouble relaxing) and bridge symptoms (insomnia) may be potential interventional targets in future clinical practice. To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to identify central symptoms and bridge symptoms among psychiatric disorders. This cross-sectional study recruited patients with NPC in Guangzhou, China from May 2022, to October 2022. The General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used for screening anxiety and depression, respectively. Network analysis was conducted to evaluate the centrality and connectivity of the symptoms of anxiety, depression, quality of life (QoL) and insomnia. A total of 2806 respondents with complete GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores out of 3828 were enrolled. The incidence of anxiety in the whole population was 26.5% (depression, 28.5%; either anxiety or depression, 34.8%). Anxiety was highest at caner diagnosis (34.2%), while depression reached a peak at late-stage radiotherapy (48.5%). Both moderate and severe anxiety and depression were exacerbated during radiotherapy. Coexisting anxiety and depression occurred in 58.3% of those with either anxiety or depression. The generated network showed that anxiety and depression symptoms were closely connected; insomnia was strongly connected with QoL. "Sad mood", "Lack of energy", and "Trouble relaxing" were the most important items in the network. Insomnia was the most significant bridge item that connected symptom groups. Patients with NPC are facing alarming disturbances of psychiatric disorders; tailored strategies should be implemented for high-risk patients. Besides, central symptoms (sad mood, lack of energy, and trouble relaxing) and bridge symptoms (insomnia) may be potential interventional targets in future clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The long-lived fission products are one of the major impediments to the development of nuclear energy; • Long-lived fission products transmute more efficiently in thermal neutron fields compared to fast neutrons; • Metal hydrides are effective neutron moderators in reactor systems; • Transmutation efficiency of LLFPs can be effectively enhanced by appropriate moderator loading strategy in Pb-based fast reactors. The long-lived fission products (LLFPs) are one of the major impediments to the development of nuclear energy due to their longevity and toxicity. The fast neutron reactor, with its high neutron flux and excessed neutron, is a strong candidate for transmuting LLFPs. In this investigation, 79Se, 99Tc and 129I were selected as the representative nuclide of LLFPs, and then neutron moderators were loaded into the LLFPs assembly with LLFPs to evaluate the effect of different loading approaches on transmutation efficiency by the transmutation performance of LLFPs. The results show that the optimal loading strategy of moderator could increase the TR and SR with 2.35 (1.01) and 284.80 (151.11), 0.36 (0.28) and 8.06 (7.88), 1.69 (0.69) and 11.45 (7.80), respectively. It is suggested that it can transmute an additional 4500 g, 1000 g and 6600 g of these three LLFPs per year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reactive spark plasma sintering was successfully employed to densify continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites at lower temperatures. • Reactive precursors, carbon and ZrSi 2 powders, were homogenously introduced into Cf preform by a combined injection and impregnation. • Thin ceramic layers could be formed in-situ on the upper and lower surfaces of the Cf/ZrC-SiC composites after SPS. • The mechanical properties of as-obtained Cf/ZrC-SiC composite depends on the starting carbon to ZrSi 2 molar ratio. In this work, a novel approach to rapidly densify ceramic matrix composite was developed by combining ceramic and composite processing. Cf preform, which was injected and impregnated with slurries containing ZrSi 2 and phenolic resin, was consolidated by spark plasma sintering at 1550 °C/50 MPa for 5 min. During densification, ZrSi 2 and resin carbon converted to ZrC and SiC, newly formed particles were incorporated in the preform preferentially in the fiber randomly orientated layer. Although all the composites exhibit non-brittle fracture manner, their flexural strength and toughness only reach maximum in the sample with a carbon to ZrSi 2 molar ratio of 3:1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous Rotating Detonation (CRD) is a promising combustion mode for aerospace propulsion, with high heat release rate and thermodynamic efficiency, but it exhibits realization difficulty for fuels with low chemical activity. To settle this issue, a cavity-based annular combustor scheme has been proposed in our previous study, and its feasibility has been well demonstrated. A series of ethylene-air tests under different cavity configurations have been carried out in this paper, and the effects of cavity depth are revealed. For CRD mode, traditional isobaric combustion also exists at the contact surface between the high temperature burnt products and combustible mixture. Increasing the cavity depth can improve its isobaric combustion holding ability, but excessive isobaric combustion could destroy the foundation of CRD. For fuels with low chemical activity, appropriately improving the isobaric combustion can help the CRD realization. This paper reveals the cavity depth effects on the competitive relationship between isobaric combustion and CRD, and it can be used as a guideline for the CRD combustor design. • Ethylene/air CRD tests under different cavity configurations have been conducted. • Increasing the cavity depth can improve its isobaric combustion holding ability. • Excessive isobaric combustion could destroy the foundation of CRD. • Cavity depth impacts on the competitive relationship between deflagration and CRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane-air Continuous Rotating Detonation (CRD) has been firstly achieved in this paper in the hollow chamber with a Laval nozzle, and the diameter of the chamber is just 100 mm. The contraction ratio of the Laval nozzle is a key factor for the CRD realization. CRD can only be obtained when the contraction ratio is no less than 4, but its ER operating range decreases in the increase of contraction ratio from 4 to 10. For all the success cases, the average propagation frequency and velocity are in the ranges of 5.32–5.65 kHz and 1670.48–1774.10 m/s, respectively, and the velocity deficits are less than 10%. Based on the high-speed photography images, the approach of chemiluminescence intensity integral is proposed in this paper, and the propagation characteristics of the flame are analyzed quantitatively. The propagation velocities of the flame and shock wave are agreed well with each other, indicating that the typical feature of detonation wave, i.e., the coupling of the flame and the shock wave, is verified quantitatively. • Methane-air CRD is firstly achieved without additional oxygen and hydrogen. • Realization is in the small hollow chamber with the diameter of 100 mm. • The average velocity of success cases is in the range of 1670.48–1774.10 m/s. • Chemiluminescence intensity integral is proposed as a new image processing method. • The velocity coupling of flame and shock wave is verified quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of non-starch polysaccharide multi-enzyme (NME) in early laying phase of hens on production performance, egg quality, nutrient digestibility, and excreta noxious gas emission. In total, 432 Hy-line brown laying hens at 18 wk of age were used in a 10-wk feeding trail. Hens were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments with 24 replication and 6 hens per replication (1 hen per cage). Dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-DDGS-based diets supplemented with 0 (based diet, CON), 0.05% (NME1), and 0.1% (NME2) of NME. No significant (P > 0.05) response to increasing NME supplementation was observed for damaged egg rate shown throughout the experiment. Significant (P < 0.05) linear increase was observed for egg production at week 4, 6, and 8; moreover, egg production at week 8 also showed quadratic (P = 0.0344) increase. No significant effects were found on yolk color, eggshell strength, and eggshell thickness during the experiment (P > 0.05) with the increase in NME supplemental levels. Albumin height, haugh unit, and egg color values were linearly (P < 0.05) increased at week 2 and 6 following the increasing NME supplementation, respectively. Additionally, quadratic (P = 0.0013) effect was observed on egg weight at week 6 with the increasing level of NME. Moreover, apparent total tract digestibility of nitrogen and excreta ammonia emission was linearly (P < 0.05) affected increasing NME supplementation. In summary, inclusion of NME containing xylanase, β-glucanase, galactosidase, and galactomannanase activities in corn-soybean meal-DDGS-based diets increased nitrogen digestibility, decreased excreta ammonia emission, and had no negative effects on production performance and egg quality parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The blend of glycerol polyethylene glycol ricinoleate and lysophospholipids (GLB) could be a kind of emulsifier feed additive use in growing pigs. • GLB improved growth performance and digestibility of dry matter and crude fat in growing pigs fed low energy diet. • GLB improved blood HDL-C concentration and fecal Lactobacillus population in growing pigs fed low energy diet. Energy is one of the major cost components in swine diets. Improving lipid digestibility is related with saving cost. Exogenous emulsifiers could help emulsification processing in gastrointestinal tract, thereby enhancing the digestion of lipids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of an emulsifier [10.21% of glycerol polyethylene glycol ricinoleate (GPGR) and 2.2% of lysophospholipids (LPL) blend (GLB)] on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood lipid profiles, and fecal microbial in growing pigs fed a relatively low energy diet. In total, 135 female and castrated male crossbred growing pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an average initial body weight (BW) of 20.07 ± 1.76 kg were used in a 6-wk experiment. Pigs were blocked based on BW and sex and randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments with 9 replication pens per treatment: CON, basal diet; RET, reduced energy treatment (50 kcal/kg); RET5, RET + 0.05% GLB. Overall, no significant result (P > 0.05) was observed between CON groups and RET groups on performance parameters, nutrient digestibility, blood lipid profiles of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and cholesterol concentrations, and fecal microbial counts. At the end of the experiment, pigs fed RET5 diet had significantly (P < 0.05) increased BW, average daily gain (ADG), dry matter (DM) and crude fat (CF) digestibility, serum HDL-C and triglyceride concentrations, and fecal Lactobacillus counts compared with those fed RET diet. Moreover, pigs in RET5 group also showed significant (P < 0.05) increase in DM and serum triglyceride concentration compared with CON groups. These results indicated that supplementation with the GPGR and LPL blended emulsifier could improve the growth performance and nutrient digestion and absorption of growing pigs fed lower energy diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hypersingular heat flux interface integral equation is derived. • Interface fluxes are calculated for multi-medium heat transfer analysis using IIBEM. • IIBEM is a promising BEM for solving complicated practical engineering problems. In this paper, based on a direct method for evaluating hypersingular integrals, a heat flux interface integral equation is presented to calculate the hypersingular interface heat fluxes in multi-medium heat transfer analysis by using the interface integral boundary element method (IIBEM). The recently proposed IIBEM has a significant advantage of a single integral equation method for solving multi-medium problems, which makes up for the lack of boundary integral equations to solve multi-medium problems. Compared with conventional multi-domain boundary element method (MDBEM), the IIBEM is more efficient in input data preparation, program coding and computational time. However, a big issue encountered is the determination of interface heat fluxes in multi-medium heat transfer analysis through using IIBEM, since the derived flux interface integral equation involves hypersingular integrals on the interface, and no additional information can be utilized to recover the heat fluxes by using the in-direct "traction-recovery" methods. In this paper, based on a new efficient direct method for numerical evaluation of high order singular curved boundary integrals, the hypersingularities in flux interface integral equation are precisely evaluated, and based on the successful implementation of flux hypersingular integral equation, the interface heat fluxes are firstly calculated in the multi-medium heat transfer analysis by using IIBEM. Several two- and three-dimensional numerical examples are given to validate the correctness of the presented method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doping potassium ions (K+) in Sr 2 Fe 1.5 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ (SFMO) double perovskite is shown to improve the electrocatalytic activity on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). The K+ dopant replaces the A-site strontium ion (Sr2+) in Sr 2 Fe 1.5 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ and causes charge imbalance that induced the formation of positively charged defects within Sr 2 Fe 1.5 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ and facilitates electrochemical processes in steam electrolysis. The enhanced processes include charge transfer, rate-determining oxide transport and surface hydrogen migration, and steam-dependent water adsorption reactions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results evidently show: (1) Improvement in water adsorption reaction in K 0.15 Sr 1.85 Fe 1.5 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ (K 0.15 SFMO) due to increase oxygen vacancy concentration for steam electrolysis.(2) The polarization resistance of the cell using K 0.15 Sr 1.85 Fe 1.5 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ decreased by 50% compares to the cell using the Sr 2 Fe 1.5 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ electrode. DRT of K 0.15 SFMO revealed the oxide transport and surface hydrogen migration as the rate-determining step for steam electrolysis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effect of Fe 3 O 4 /GO-COOH adsorption of UDMH was investigated. • A green preparation method of Fe 3 O 4 /GO-COOH was explored. • The inhibition effect of Fe 3 O 4 /GO-COOH on UDMH escape was verified. Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) is a common liquid propellant. In order to reduce the losses caused by propellant leakage accidents, water spraying devices have been widely applied in UDMH storage sites. However, the UDMH pools are formed in the storage facilities due to this emergency measure, resulting in the generation of toxic UDMH gas. To solve this practical problem, a magnetically recoverable sorbent for UDMH leakage is designed and prepared in this work. The microstructure characteristics of the green recoverable inhibitor which meet the theoretical design requirements are verified, so environmental protection and recyclability can be achieved. The dynamic spray experiments under different leakage conditions show that the treatment of UDMH leakage accidents with this green recoverable agent helps reduce the maximum leakage of UDMH gas, saving valuable time for subsequent emergency rescue. Additionally, the environmental pollution caused by leakage accidents can be greatly reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The composite with 40 wt% of SDC shows the maximum electronic defects and oxygen vacancy. • The 20 vol% humidified hydrogen shows the best performance in SOFC and OCV modes. • Water desorption reaction is the rate-determining step in SOFC and OCV mode. • Surface chemical diffusion/oxide transport process is the rate-determining in SOEC mode. Sr 2 Fe 1.5 Mo 0.5 O 6-δ -Sm 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 2-δ (SFMO-SDC) composites are high-efficiency fuel electrode materials for reversible solid oxide cells (rSOCs). Systematic variation in the SFMO-SDC composite shows that the composite with 40 wt% of SDC gives rise to the highest amount of oxygen vacancy and the highest number of electronic defects due to multiple electronic activation effects. Polarization resistance changes over the steam content show the parabolic trend with the optimal humidity at 20 vol% at open circuit voltage and in fuel cell mode, while in electrolyzer mode, highly humidified hydrogen is favored. Electrochemical studies and distributions of relaxation times analysis illustrate that the rate-determining step in fuel cell mode is the water desorption reaction whereas that in electrolyzer and at open circuit voltage (OCV) is surface chemical diffusion/oxide transport processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The realization and stable operating of Continuous Rotating Detonation (CRD) Engine fueled by hydrocarbon and air is still a problem deserving to be settled. In order to optimize the detonation combustion organization in the annular combustor, an especial cavity structure in the inner cylinder is firstly proposed in this paper. Series of experiments have been conducted for investigating the effect of cavity structure. The results show that ethylene-air CRD has been realized in the annular combustor with cavity. CRD waves propagate steadily with higher pressure and propagation velocity in the larger operating range. The cavity contributes to the propagation mode transformation from two-waves in hetero-rotating mode to two-waves in homo-rotating mode. In the cavity combustor, the propagation velocity is 1228.68 m/s on stoichiometric equivalence ratio (ER) accounting for 67.4% of the corresponding CJ velocity. The permanent flame stabilized in re-circulation zone works as the pilot flame, which has been verified by high-speed photograph images. • In annular combustor, the cavity structure in inner cylinder is firstly proposed. • The pilot flame stabilized in re-circulation zone in the cavity is verified. • The cavity structure can change the ethylene-air CRD propagation mode. • Ethylene-air CRD waves propagate steadily with higher pressure and velocity. • The highest velocity is 1228.68 m/s, occupying 67.4% of corresponding CJ velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Mimicking the mechanical properties of native tissue is an important requirement for tissue engineering scaffolds. Blood vessels are subject to repetitive dilation and contraction and possess a special nonlinear mechanical property due to their triple-layered structure. Fabrication of vascular grafts consisting of bioresorbable materials with biomimetic mechanical properties is an urgent demand, as well as a critical challenge. Inspired by the configuration and function of collagen and elastin in native blood vessels, a new type of triple-layered vascular graft (TLVG) was developed in this study. The TLVGs were composed of braided silk as the inner layer, polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel as the middle layer, and electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the outer layer. The woven-structured silk fibers were able to mimic the properties of the loosely distributed collagen fibers, while the highly elastic PAM hydrogel and TPU nanofibers mimicked the elasticity of elastin in the blood vessel. With this specially designed microstructure and combination of rigid and elastic materials, the TLVGs successfully mimicked the nonlinear mechanical property of native blood vessels. Moreover, TLVGs possess sufficient suture retention strength for surgical implantation. The introduction of a PAM hydrogel layer effectively solved the leaking issue for conventional porous vascular grafts and greatly enhanced the burst pressure. In addition, all materials used have high biocompatibility to human endothelial cells, which indicates that the developed TLVGs have high potential to be used as readily available vascular grafts. Highlights • Triple-layered vascular grafts with biomimetic mechanical properties were prepared. • The grafts consist of braided silk fiber inner layer, PAM hydrogel middle layer and TPU outer layer. • Woven silk fibers result to non-linear physical property which resembles blood vessel. • The hydrogel layer prevents blood leaking and greatly enhanced burst pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The overpotentials generated in an electrochemical hydrogen pump (EHP) are experimentally separated using a hydrogen reference electrode. An intentionally thick polymer electrolyte membrane and a low-Pt-catalyst-loaded layer are embedded in the EHP cell for high accuracy in separation. The results show that the non-ohmic overpotential of the cathode is larger than that of the anode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is employed to analyze the non-ohmic overpotential in detail, and different features are observed in the Nyquist plots for the anode and the cathode, where the cathode spectra exhibits charge transfer rate-limiting features and the anode spectra displays mass transfer rate-limiting features. These different characteristics are theoretically clarified by the classical Volmer–Heyrovsky–Tafel mechanism. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in the cathode is dominated by the Volmer–Heyrovsky route, and the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in the anode is dominated by the Volmer–Tafel route. Due to the slow reaction rate imposed by the Volmer–Heyrovsky route, the cathode HER displays high non-ohmic overpotential. With increasing cathode pressure, the rate of HER is increased due to the increasing coverage of the hydrogen adsorbed on the surface of the catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The TSI was used simultaneously as an ion source and reaction vessel. • The TSI could achieve the acceleration of reaction with harsh reaction conditions. • The TSI featuring supersonic spray could capture short-lived intermediates. Abstract Thermospray ionization (TSI) technique was used for online monitoring of Borsche–Drechsel reaction, Diels-Alder reaction, and Combes reaction. The TSI was able to provide abundant thermal energy for the reactions solution and the droplets of reaction solution formed by thermospray online in very short time, therefore reaction acceleration effects in TSI condition could be observed, especially for the reaction with normally the need of high temperature in bulk-phase condition. Moreover, some short-lived intermediates could be captured by the TSI due to supersonic spray and the informative mass spectra were obtained to elucidate the reaction mechanism. In contrast to TSI, some reaction products were hard to obtain by electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometric analysis. Subsequently, the TSI was further improved by the introduction of a corona probe (i.e. corona-assisted TSI) to promote further reaction and enhance ionization efficiency. The TSI and corona-assisted TSI as flexible and versatile techniques may be potentially useful in reaction monitoring especially the reaction of high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel colorimetric and ratiometric fluorescent probe CHa based on Ag + -induced hydrolysis of hydrazone was designed and synthesized. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the ratiometric sensing of Ag + based on a chemical reaction has been accomplished. When Ag + was added to a solution of CHa , a visible color change from yellow to colorless and a fluorescence color change from yellow to blue were observed. Probe CHa displayed a 203-fold enhancement of the fluorescence intensity ratio (I 450nm /I 520nm ) toward Ag + with outstanding sensitivity, high selectivity and a low detection limit (LOD 61 nM). Moreover, CHa was successfully applied to the ratiometric imaging of Ag + in HepG2 and HeLa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mimicking the mechanical properties of native tissues is a critical criterion for an ideal tissue engineering scaffold. However, most biodegradable synthetic materials, including polyester-based polyurethanes (PUs), consist of rigid polyester chains and have high crystallinity. They typically lack the elasticity of most human tissues. In this study, a new type of biodegradable PU with excellent elasticity was synthesized based on the controlled crosslinking of poly(ester ether) triblock copolymer diols and polycaprolactone (PCL) triols using urethane linkages. Three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds with a defined geometry, tunable microstructures, and adjustable mechanical properties were synthesized in situ using an isocyanate-ended copolymer, a tri-armed PCL, and a chain extender. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds can be easily tuned by changing the ratio of reactants, varying the solution concentration, or using a porogen. Notably, all of these scaffolds, although mostly made of rigid PCL chains, showed remarkable elasticity and cyclical properties. With an optimized molecular design, a maximum recovery rate of 99.8% was achieved. This was because the copolymer provided molecular flexibility while the long chain crosslinking of PCL triol hindered crystallization, thus making the PU behave like an amorphous elastic material. Moreover, the in vitro cell culture of 3T3 fibroblasts and MG63 osteoblast-like cells confirmed the biocompatibility of these PU scaffolds and revealed that scaffolds with different stiffnesses can stimulate the proliferation of different types of cells. All of these attributes make PU scaffolds extremely suitable for the regeneration of tissues that experience dynamic loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocompatible and self-healing hydrogels that mimic the functions of human skin have attracted much attention for skin-like electronics and human motion detection. Integrating high stretchability and improving sensing sensitivity are current challenges. In this study, a nanocomposite hydrogel comprised of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) prepared via mussel-inspired chemistry integrates high stretchability (higher than 600%), strong mechanical strength (as high as 400 kPa), excellent self-healing properties, and superior sensing abilities. The outstanding performance of this autonomous self-healing hydrogel originates from its dual-crosslinked networks, which include both physically crosslinked networks and chemically crosslinked networks. The physical crosslinking formed by the ionic interactions between the carboxylic groups of polyacrylic acid and the ferric ions provide reversible self-healing properties for the hydrogel, whereas the covalent bonds provide a stable and strong chemical network for the hydrogel. Due to the effective electric pathways provided via rGO, the hydrogel exhibited strain sensitivity and was able to detect multiple human motions. Moreover, HEF1 fibroblasts differentiated from human embryonic stem cells showed a flourishing living state on the biocompatible hydrogel. The preparation method is simple, easily scaled-up, which will allow for the low cost fabrication of electronic skins and bio-sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Morphologies of hydrate formation in the CH 4 + THF + CP system are characterized. • The mechanism of hydrate layer rupture is determined in this study. • The kinetics of hydrate formation in the CH 4 + THF + CP system are studied. • Three stages of hydrate formation are obtained from the CH 4 + THF + CP system. The morphologies of methane (CH 4) hydrate formation in the system containing different mole ratios of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and cyclopentane (CP) at two different temperatures are systematically studied in this work. The results showed that for all cases conducted at 274.2 K, a hydrate film quickly covers the entire interface between the oil (CP) and the THF solution phase after gas loading, and then a hydrate layer forms, thereby significantly decreasing the following gas-liquids mass transfer efficiency. Raman spectrum shows this hydrate layer is caused mainly by pure THF hydrate. Interestingly, as the temperature increase to 278.2 K, the hydrate layer breaks. This is because, after hydrate layer formation, hydrate still grows at the contact interface of the metal, gas, and liquid phase, and then moves upward. In this process, liquids are gradually transported to the reaction front to form hydrate by capillary force and the hydrate layer's downward curvature gradually increases as the consumption of liquid until rupture. Besides, typical reaction kinetics shows that there are three stages of hydrate formation in the THF + CP + CH 4 system at 278.2 K. (1) hydrate layer formation (pure THF hydrate formation); (2) CP-CH 4 hydrate formation; (3) large amount of THF-CH 4 hydrate formation (after hydrate layer rupture). Further, this work also confirmed that after the hydrate layer rupture, the CH 4 occupancy in 512 cages of sII at the same temperature and promoter's mole fractions is independent of the type of promoters (CP, THF, and CP + THF) used in the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of a total knee replacement implant needs to take account the complex surfaces of the knee which it is replacing. Ensuring design performance of the implant requires in vitro testing of the implant. A considerable amount of time is required to produce components and evaluate them inside an experimental setting. Numerous adjustments in the design of an implant and testing each individual design can be time consuming and expensive. Our solution is to use the OpenSim simulation software to rapidly test multiple design configurations of implants. This study modeled a testing rig which characterized the motion and laxity of knee implants. Three different knee implant designs were used to test and validate the accuracy of the simulation: symmetrical, asymmetric, and anatomic. Kinematics were described as distances measured from the center of each femoral condyle to a plane intersecting the most posterior points of the tibial condyles between 0 and 135° of flexion with 15° increments. Excluding the initial flexion measurement (∼0°) results, the absolute differences between all experimental and simulation results (neutral path, anterior-posterior shear, internal-external torque) for the symmetric, asymmetric, and anatomical designs were 1.98 mm ± 1.15, 1.17 mm ± 0.89, and 1.24 mm ± 0.97, respectively. Considering all designs, the accuracy of the simulation across all tests was 1.46 mm ± 1.07. It was concluded that the results of the simulation were an acceptable representation of the testing rig and hence applicable as a design tool for new total knees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low density aerogels are promising materials for oil absorption, but they typically suffer from low compressibility and elasticity. Herein, three-dimensional (3D) highly compressible, elastic, anisotropic, cellulose/graphene aerogels (CGAs) were prepared by bidirectional freeze drying. After the grafting of long carbon chains through chemical vapor deposition, the modified cellulose/graphene aerogels (MCGA) gained superhydrophobicity. The synergistic effects of flexible cellulose, stiff graphene, and the special bidirectionally aligned porous structure gave MCGA outstanding compression and recoverability properties. MCGA was able to recover 99.8% and 96.3% when compressed to 60% and 90% strain, respectively. Due to its ultra lightweight (bulk density of 5.9 mg/cm 3 ) and high surface area (47.3 m 2 /g), MCGA possesses a remarkable absorption capacity of 80–197 times its weight, which surpasses all hydrophobic cellulose aerogels and most carbon-based aerogels. Furthermore, the high elasticity of MCGA facilitates fast and efficient recovery of the absorbed oil by simple mechanical squeezing, and ensures excellent performance stability over repeated use. The high compressibility and high oil recovery ability though mechanical squeezing has never been achieved by other aerogels. Hence, MCGA can serve as a promising super absorbent material for selective oil absorption and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional superhydrophobic/superoleophilic materials (3D-HOMs) with remote controllability are highly desirable for water remediation. Herein, a new monolithic silica sponge decorated with hierarchical cobalt (Co) nanoparticles that fulfils almost all major requirements and applications for water remediation was fabricated by self-assembly electrospinning, controlled particle precipitation, and subsequent surface coating. Attributing to the continuous silica fibers and the hierarchical Co microstructures, the modified silica sponge (MSS) possesses excellent superhydrophobicity and oil selectivity, low bulk density (49 mg/cm 3 ), high surface area (8.7 m 2 /g) and absorption capacity (45–91-fold weight gain), ultrahigh thermal resistance (tolerance to liquid nitrogen and combustion), flexibility, deformability, durability, and remote controllability through magnetic field manipulation. Moreover, simply compacting MSS can easily enhance its separation efficiency by bringing the interior structures to the contacting interfaces, which solves the performance deterioration issue over time for most 3D-HOMs. With all of these satisfactory properties, MSSs can be used as both durable magnetic superabsorbers and efficient oil/water separation filters with a long life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of highly porous, three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with biomimicking microstructures for tissue engineering has received extensive attention lately. Although several studies have used silica as a filler material in various polymeric scaffold matrices for tissue engineering, there are no reports of 3D scaffolds fabricated solely with silica. In this study, we developed a method to fabricate fibrous silica sponges using a tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution via self- assembly electrospinning and subsequent calcination. We then evaluated its potential application in tissue engineering. A detailed mechanism study revealed that appropriate crosslinking between hydrolyzed TEOS and PVA was the key to inducing 3D fiber stacking. The prepared silica sponges had a bulk density of 16 mg/cm 3 , a surface area of 6.45 m 2 /g, and a porosity of 98%, which endowed them with super-high absorbability. Cell culture results with 3T3 fibroblasts confirmed that the cells interacted strongly with the 3D silica fibers, showing a higher viability and proliferation rate than on 2D silica membranes, and that the cells migrated into the inner area of the sponge rapidly, indicating these silica sponges have potential to be used for 3D tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultimate goal in the preparation of composite materials, which is difficult to achieve, is the uniform dispersion of fillers within a polymer matrix to form an interconnected network. Herein, we prepared novel polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composites loaded with three-dimensional (3D) continuous silica fibers (i.e., silica sponge). In the composites, silica fibers maintained continuous fibrous structure, achieved uniform distribution, and showed strong interfacial adhesion with PDMS, which together contributed to a dramatic improvement in mechanical properties compared with pure PDMS and PDMS loaded with glass fibers. With a loading level of only 1 wt%, the tensile modulus, strength, strain-at-break, and tear strength of the composites improved by 140%, 94%, 18%, and 95%, respectively, compared to PDMS. In addition, these composites retained good transparency. More importantly, this silica fiber filler system is widely applicable and can be used to prepare various high performance polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogels currently used in electroactive tissues (cardiac tissues, skeletal muscles, and nerves) have certain shortcomings such as a lack of electrical conductivity and adhesiveness, both of which play a key role in the success of hydrogels in biomedical applications. In this study, chitosan (CS)/graphene oxide (GO) composite hydrogels with self-adhesive and self-healing properties, as well as electrical conductivity, were prepared by the incorporation of the mussel-inspired protein polydopamine (PDA). During the oxidizing process of dopamine (DA), graphene oxide was reduced by PDA and dispersed into the hydrogel network to form electric pathways. The covalent bonds, supramolecular interactions, hydrogen bonding, and π-π stacking gave the CS/GO composite hydrogels high stability, strong mechanical behaviors, good adhesiveness, self-healing properties, and a fast recovery ability. The electrical conductivity of the CS/GO reached 1.22 mS/cm and the adhesive strength of the composite hydrogel increased by 300% compared to CS-DA hydrogels. Cell culture results demonstrated that the conductive CS/GO hydrogels enhanced the cell viability and proliferation of human embryonic stem cell-derived fibroblasts (HEF1) and cardiomyocytes (CMs) compared to CS-DA hydrogels. Moreover, CMs showed a faster spontaneous beating rate than those in the control groups. Our work demonstrates a simple approach to fabricating polydopamine-based, adhesive, conductive, self-healing, and fast-recovering hydrogels that have great potential in electroactive tissue engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Producing three-dimensional (3D) fibers in electrospinning has been a challenge and has greatly limited the application of electrospun fibers in 3D. In this study, we propose a new method of fabricating 3D silica fiber stacks through self-assembly electrospinning. Three-dimensional fibers were instantly collected as the spinning started by simply placing conductive tips on the flat collector, without the addition of a additives or extra environmental controls. The 3D fiber deposition and growth behavior was studied specifically to reveal the underlying mechanism. It was found that electrostatic repulsion among fibers caused a loose pack of fibers, and the rapid solidification of the fibers contributed to the maintaining of the 3D structure. Moreover, the 3D silica fibers possessed low bulk densities (16 mg/cm 3 ) and high surface areas (6.5 m 2 /g), which made them favorable for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) with tuneable properties are of great interest in various applications. In this study, two kinds of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-based biodegradable TPUs were synthesized using either dl -dithiothreitol (DTE) or glycerol as chain extenders. The reactive side groups on the chain extenders provide uniformly spaced post-crosslinking sites that can be bridged by thiol oxidation for DTE and by diisocyanate grafting for glycerol, thus leading to lightly crosslinked TPUs that can still be easily processed. The chemical structure, thermal properties, mechanical performance, and degradation behaviour of these TPUs were studied comprehensively. Their chemical structures were verified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The post-crosslinking hindered the crystallization of the PCL region and significantly enhanced the thermal decomposition temperature. Post-crosslinked TPUs achieved significant improvements in modulus, ultimate strength, flexibility, and tear resistance compared to their neat counterparts. The degradation rate was found to correlate with material wettability, and the formation of chemical crosslinks reduced the hydrolytic degradation rate of TPUs. In summary, by introducing functional groups via chain extenders and post-crosslinking, biodegradable TPUs with improved and tuneable properties and suitable for various applications could be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-phase voltage-source inverters fed induction motor with space-vector controlled scheme are widely used in industrial applications. The suffered failures will degrade the system performance with output torque ripple and harmonic currents. In this paper, a novel diagnosis method is proposed to detect and locate the insulated gate bipolar translator open-circuit fault. Discrete wavelet transform is used as a pre-treatment technique for three-phase output currents, the approximate coefficients are applied to obtain energy vectors. Euclidean distance between every two of the energy vectors are calculated for measuring the current similarity to diagnose fault. When IGBTs occur open-circuit fault, the values of Euclidean distance will be smaller than that under normal conditions, then faults can be detected. Faults can also be located according to extracted features. Simulation and experimental results show high efficiency and merits of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Different from existing results in [34,35,36], in which only the state feedback control is considered, we study the switched state observer-based adaptive output feedback control issue of switched systems in this paper. Moreover, under the framework of ADT and the backstepping technique, a novel adaptive finite-time controller is established for switched nonlinear systems to guarantee that the closed-loop system is stable in finite time. • To lessen the conservatism produced by the CLF, which is employed in all subsystems [37,38], a more flexible and efficient ADT method is proposed to guarantee the tracking performance of the switched systems. In addition, different adaptive output feedback controllers and different update laws are designed for different subsystems. • This paper is the first time to realize the finite-time stability with the ISD-ADT method for switched systems. Compared with the finite-time control results in [39,40,41,42,43], a singularity-free adaptive fuzzy finite time tracking controller is designed by employing a smooth switched function, and the singularity problem can be avoided completely. This article is devoted to the initial state-dependent average dwell time (ISD-ADT) based output feedback control issue for switched systems. First, a switched observer is given to estimate the unmeasurable states. Based on the ISD-ADT method and backstepping technique, a novel switching law is established. Second, based on the smooth switch function (SSF), a novel fuzzy adaptive finite-time control algorithm is recursively fabricated, which availably surmounted the singularity hindrance derived from the differentiating virtual control law. Furthermore, the proposed output feedback control approach can steer the tracking error into an arbitrarily small residual set in a finite time. In addition, different switched filters and controllers are introduced to reduce the conservatism and restriction caused by employing the common filter and controller for different subsystems. Ultimately, the theoretical findings are validated through two simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rule reduction is one of the research objectives in numerous successful rule-based systems. In some analyses, too many useless rules may be a concern in a rule-based system. Although rule reduction has already attracted wide attention to optimise the performance of the rule-based system, the extended belief-rule-based system (EBRBS), which is an advanced rule-based system developed from the belief-rule-based system (BRBS) recently, still lacks methods to reduce rules. This study focuses on the rule reduction of EBRBS and introduces data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the efficiency of each rule in an extended belief-rule-based (EBRB). However, two challenges must be addressed. First, a measure of the extended belief rule's efficiency value must be given because it is the foundation of rule reduction. Second, a novel decision-making-unit (DMU) must be constructed using the efficiency value of the extended belief rules to build a bridge for EBRBS and DEA. Therefore, the concepts of contribution degree and the extended belief rule-based DMU are introduced in the present study for the first time to propose a DEA-based rule reduction method. Moreover, the classic CCR model, which is identification engine of the rule reduction method, is applied to calculate the efficiency value of the extended belief rule and finally achieve the compact structure of an EBRB. Two case studies on regression and classification problems are performed to illustrate how efficiency of the DEA-based rule reduction method in promoting the performance of EBRBS. Comparison results demonstrate that the proposed rule reduction can downsize the EBRB and improve the accuracy of EBRBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A data-based Monte Carlo simulation algorithm, Geant4-GENBOD, was developed by coupling the n-body Monte-Carlo event generator to the Geant4 toolkit, aiming at accurate simulations of specific photonuclear reactions for diverse photonuclear physics studies. Good comparisons of Geant4-GENBOD calculations with reported measurements of photo-neutron production cross-sections and yields, and with reported energy spectra of the 6 Li(n,α) t reaction were performed. Good agreements between the calculations and experimental data were found and the validation of the developed program was verified consequently. Furthermore, simulations for the 92 Mo(γ,p) reaction of astrophysics relevance and photo-neutron production of 99 Mo/ 99m Tc and 225 Ra/ 225 Ac radioisotopes were investigated, which demonstrate the applicability of this program. We conclude that the Geant4-GENBOD is a reliable tool for study of the emerging experiment programs at high-intensity γ-beam laboratories, such as the Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics facility and the High Intensity Gamma-Ray Source at Duke University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, three-dimensional poly(caprolactone) (PCL) tissue engineering scaffolds were prepared by co-extrusion and gas foaming. Biocompatible hydroxyapatite (HA) and halloysite nanotubes (HNT) were added to the polymer matrix to enhance the mechanical properties and bioactivity of the composite scaffolds. The effects of HA and HNT on the rheological behavior, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the composite scaffolds were systematically compared. It was found that the HNT improved viscosity more significantly than HA, and reduced the pore size of scaffolds, while the mechanical performance of PCL/HNT scaffolds was higher than PCL/HA scaffolds with the same filler content. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were used as the cell model to compare the biological properties of two composite scaffolds. The results demonstrated that cells could survive on all scaffolds, and showed a more flourishing living state on the composite scaffolds. The cell differentiation for 5% HA and 1% HNT scaffolds were significantly higher than other scaffolds, while the differentiation of 5% HNT scaffolds was lower than that of 1% HNT scaffolds mainly because of the reduced pore size and pore interconnectivity. Therefore, this study suggested that, with proper filler content and control of microstructure through processing, HNT could be a suitable substitute for HA for bone tissue engineering to reduce the cost and improve mechanical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an integrated study of LA-ICP-MS U–Pb age, Hf isotopes, and trace element geochemistry of zircons from the Himalayan eclogites (mafic rocks) and their host gneisses (felsic rocks) from the Kaghan Valley in Pakistan in order to understand the source and mode of their magmatic protoliths and the effect of metamorphism. Zircons from the so-called Group I (high-pressure) eclogites yielded U–Pb mean ages of 259 ± 10 Ma (MSWD = 0.74), whereas those of Group II (ultrahigh-pressure) eclogites yielded 48 ± 3 Ma (MSWD = 0.71). In felsic gneisses the central or core domains of zircons yielded ages similar to those from Group I eclogites but zircon overgrowth domains yielded 47 ± 1 Ma (MSWD = 1.9). Trace element data suggest a magmatic origin for Group I-derived (having Th/U ratios: > 0.5) and metamorphic origin for Group II-derived (Th/U < 0.07) zircons, respectively. Zircon Hf isotope data, obtained from the same dated spots, show positive initial 176 Hf/ 177 Hf isotopic ratios referred to as “Ɛ Hf (t)” of around + 10 in Group I eclogites; + 7 in Group II eclogites; and + 8 in felsic gneisses zircons, respectively, thus indicate a juvenile mantle source for the protolith rocks (Panjal Traps) with almost no contribution from the ancient crustal material. The similar Ɛ Hf (t) values, identical protolith ages and trace element compositions of zircons in felsic (granites or rhyolites) and mafic (basalt and dolerite) rocks attest to a bimodal magmatism accounting for the Panjal Traps during the Permian. Later, during India–Asia collision in Eocene times, both the felsic and mafic lithologies were subducted to mantle-depths (> 90 km: coesite-stable) and experienced ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism before their final exhumation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethyleneimine (PEI), playing roles as a templating agent, has been successfully applied to prepare blue-green-emitting copper nanoclusters (Cu NCs@PEI) on the basis of a rapid chemical reduction synthesis method. Some characterization methods, such as fluorescence spectrophotometer, UV spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared instrument (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and fluorescence lifetime, were used for the analysis of physical, chemical and optical properties of Cu NCs@PEI. The Cu NCs@PEI displayed a blue-green emission wavelength at 485 nm and the corresponding quantum yield (QY) was 2.24%. Subsequently, the as-synthesized Cu NCs@PEI were applied for the trace analysis of oxytetracycline on the basis of the inner filter effect (IFE) and static quenching, which caused the fluorescence to be effectively quenched. Additionally, this proposed platform based on the Cu NCs@PEI for oxytetracycline sensing possessed an excellent linear range from 0.5 to 300 μM with a lower detection limit of 0.032 μM (S/N = 3) and correlation coefficient R2 of 0.9972. Surprisingly, as the temperature increased, the fluorescence intensities of Cu NCs@PEI decreased gradually. Thence, the Cu NCs@PEI could be applied for the sensing of temperature. Finally, the practicability of the detection method have been successfully verified by analyzing oxytetracycline in real samples, enlarging its applicable fields for oxytetracycline sensing. [Display omitted] • In this paper, the polyethyleneimine-capped copper nanoclusters was first developed to detect oxytetracycline. • The nanosensor exhibited a wide linear range and a lower detection limit. • Quenching mechanisms were inner filter effect and static quenching. • This method has been applied successfully for the quantitative detection of oxytetracycline in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effect of different oxygen-functional groups of GO on the adsorption of UDMH was investigated. • A green preparation method of carboxy-rich GO was explored. • The inhibition effect of carboxy-rich GO on UDMH escape was verified. Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) is a widely used liquid propellant in the aerospace field but possesses a high leakage risk. Therefore, water spray device has been extensively used in all limited spaces of UDMH storage. However, once it is triggered, it will in turn create a large pool of liquid UDMH inside the storage facility and continue to produce toxic UDMH gas, hindering leak remediation and rescue activities. To address this practical problem, the present study first explores the graphene oxide structure based on the first principles study and then designs the most promising exogenous additive structure. Subsequently, carboxyl-rich graphene oxide materials are synthesized employing a modified Hummers method, which meets the requirement of the exogenous additive structure and environmental friendliness. Finally, the experimental results show that the use of graphene oxide with carboxyl-rich structure for UDMH leakage decreases the maximum UDMH escape amount and procure valuable time for subsequent emergency operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]