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Due to the vulnerability of the elderly population and the specificity of the treatment environment, geriatric hospitals face more serious fire safety issues than ordinary medical buildings. Existing conclusions are mostly one-sided as researchers have mainly ignored the diversity of geriatric patients and the types of functional rooms in the buildings. To make the findings in this field completer and more adequate, a geriatric hospital high-rise was employed as a case study and simulated in Pathfinder software. This model evaluated the efficacy of hierarchical organization of evacuating crowds, modification of vertical functional zoning, and specific congestion mitigation measures. The synthesized outcomes from these evaluations informed the development of an integrated evacuation strategy. Output parameters were used in place of control variables to verify repeatability. Crowd prioritization improve evacuation efficiency by optimizing the evacuation sequence and reducing the crossing of people; vertical functional zoning modification avoid congestion by locating high-risk departments near the bottom, for example; and blockage point evacuation enhance evacuation speed by adjusting the location of exits and improving the design of staircases. This comprehensive strategy successfully reduces evacuation time by 28.8 % and can be used as a guideline for a generic evacuation optimization system for similar buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elements related to cuteness are widely used in virtual spokesperson strategies. However, few studies have explored the effect of virtual pet cuteness. Shared reality theory indicates that humans are strongly motivated to share their inner states about the world with one another, which could be used to predict individuals' prosocial behaviours. By integrating parasocial interaction theory with shared reality theory, this research aimed to extend shared reality theory to the context of virtual pets. Specifically, we explore the sequences mediating parasocial interaction and generalized shared reality between virtual pet cuteness and users' internet helping behaviours through three scenario experiments. The results show that virtual pet cuteness has a significant positive influence on individual internet helping behaviour; parasocial interaction and generalized shared reality have a sequences mediation effect on the relationship between virtual pet cuteness and internet helping behaviour; and independent self-construal moderates the relationship between virtual pet cuteness and internet helping behaviour. Accordingly, this study's results provide useful implications for the use of virtual pets to enhance online mutual assistance. • This study explored the relationship between virtual pet cuteness and users' internet helping behaviour. • Virtual pet cuteness has a significant positive influence on individual internet helping behaviour. • Parasocial interaction partially mediates the relationship between virtual pet cuteness and internet helping behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk of compounds/drugs, including aristolochic acid-induced nephrotoxicity remains high and is a significant public health concern. Therefore, it is particularly important to select reasonable animal models for rapid screening and evaluation of different samples with complex chemical systems. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been used to study chemical-induced renal toxicity. However, most of the published literature was performed on individual components or drugs, and the key evidence confirming the applicability of zebrafish larvae for the evaluation of aristolochic acid-related nephrotoxicity in complex chemical systems, such as in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), was insufficient. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the content of aristolochic acid (AA) in herbs and Chinese patent medicines. The zebrafish larvae at 4 days post-fertilization (dpf) were used to evaluate the nephrotoxicity of various samples, respectively, based on the phenotype of the kidney and histological, and biochemical. Transcriptome technology was used to investigate the related signaling pathways and potential mechanisms after treatment with AA, which was verified by RT-PCR technology. The results showed that the total amounts of AAI, AAII, and ALI ranged from 0.0004 to 0.1858 g·g-1(%) from different samples, including Aristolochia debilis, Fibraurea recisa, Asarum , Wantongjingu tablets, Jiuweiqianghuo granules, and Xiaoqinglong granules in descending order. Moreover, compared with the negative/blank control, substantial changes in phenotype, histomorphology and biochemical parameters of renal function were observed in the groups challenged with the sublethal concentration of drugs. The transcriptomics results showed the upregulation of most genes in PERK/ATF4/CHOP, ATM/Chk2/p53, Caspase/Bax/Bcl-2a, TGF/Smad/ERK, PI3K/Akt , induced by aristolochic acid analogues, which were essentially consistent with those of the q-RT-PCR experiments, highlighting the similar toxicity response to the previously published article with the other traditional evaluation model. The stability, accuracy and feasibility of the zebrafish larval model in screening and evaluating the nephrotoxicity of TCM were validated for the first time on the AAs-related drugs in a unified manner, confirming and promoting the applicability of zebrafish in assessing nephrotoxicity of samples with complex chemical character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A 20 years hindcast, from 1996 to 2015, was performed to simulate the wave field in the China adjacent seas, including the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, as well as the northern South China Sea. Forced by CCMP V2.0 wind fields, the simulation was implemented on an unstructured SWAN model with refined spatial resolution in the continental shelf. Comparisons of significant wave height between simulations and JASON-2 altimetry measurements over the entire region and at fixed stations both show good agreement. The spatial distribution of wave energy flux was analysed on annual and monthly scales by its average values and the exploitable occurrences, the temporal variability of wave energy flux was quantified by the monthly variability index. Afterwards, taking jointly the geography restrictions on water depth and distance to shore into consideration, 12 hotspots were determined in the regions more eligible for wave energy harvesting in China. At these key locations, further sophisticated researches were conducted to investigate and compare the local wave energy and climate characteristics by means of the analysis on the storage of wave energy resource, operational, high and extreme wave conditions, the combined scatter and energy diagrams, as well as the wave energy roses. Highlights • An unstructured SWAN model was implemented in the China adjacent Seas. • Numerical Hs results were validated against the JASON-2 measurements. • 12 hotspots were determined by the wave energy, water depth and distance to shore. • Both local wave energy and climate characteristics were investigated and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A trivariate model is set up for significant wave height, period and direction. • The Vine copula theory is applied to decompose the trivariate distribution. • A special bivariate copula function of linear and circular variables is derived. • The seasonal and directional variability of wave energy resource is analyzed. • A theoretical guide is provided for WEC array optimal design and its operation. Based on the Vine copula theory, a trivariate statistical model of significant wave height, characterized wave period and mean wave direction was constructed. To maintain the properties of the different types of variables, a special copula function was derived from the model developed by Johnson and Wehrly based on the maximum entropy principle. It was then combined with the Archimedean copulas to construct the proposed model. An effective algorithm for generating corresponding joint pseudo-random numbers was also developed. Statistical analysis of hindcast data for the significant wave height, mean wave period, and direction, which were collected from an observation point in the North Atlantic every three hours from 1997 to 2001, was performed. The marginal distributions of the significant wave height and mean wave period were fitted by a modified maximum entropy distribution, and the mean wave direction was fitted by a mixture of von Mises distributions. It was shown that the proposed model is a good fit for the data. The seasonal wave energy resources in the target area were assessed using the model estimates. Histograms of the directional wave energy, wave energy roses, and scatter and energy diagrams were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring food security and sustainable development in China has been threatened by the dilemma of the rapidly growing consumption of the country’s land resources. Research on the linkage between land-use changes and land policies in the process of industrialization and urbanization has received increased attention in recent years. The present study was conducted to analyze the undergoing dynamics for Chinese land policies and land-use changes based on reliable land-use data and to develop a thorough understanding of the historical drivers and pathways of land-use changes and China’s deep-seated land issues, as well as the social, political and economic factors involved. The results showed that land-use changes were linked closely to shifts in government land policies and socio-economic development in China. The evolution of land policies in China was the result of a path-dependent process, which included the reform of land use system, the economic development environment as well as a policy-making process that responded to short-term land development. The results also indicated that there have been considerable achievements regarding the land use system and land management in China. However, Chinese economic growth overly depended on investments as well as land finance, which were uncoordinated and unsustainable. The changes in land use were also the outcomes of the land policy failure. There is still a pressing need to reform land policies for more efficient and effective utilization of limited land resources; develop a trade-off and synergy among urban development, agricultural production and ecosystem preservation; differentiate land-use policies; allocate market-oriented land resource; and establish a national macro-control mechanism in collaboration with a coordinated land-use policy and basic legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inherent characteristics of resin composite can lead to micro-leakage after polymerization shrinkage. The bacteria invasion through edge micro-leakage and attachment onto the material surface can cause secondary caries, reducing the service life of resin composites. In this study, magnesium oxide nanoparticles (nMgO) as an inorganic antimicrobial agent and bioactive glass (BAG) as a remineralization agent were simultaneously incorporated into the resin composite. With the addition of both nMgO and BAG, the resin composite showed an excellent antimicrobial effect compared to the resin composite with nMgO or BAG only. The remineralization capacity of demineralized dentin increased with the increasing content of BAG. Vickers hardness, compressive strength, and flexural strength of the resin composite with nMgO-BAG were not significantly affected compared to the ones with the same total filler amount but with BAG only. The depth of cure and water sorption values of the resin composite showed an increasing trend with the increasing total amount of nMgO and BAG fillers. This developed multifunctional resin composite is expected to reduce bacterial invasion and promote remineralization of early caries damage. [Display omitted] • The new dental composite exhibits synergistic antibacterial and remineralization properties. • The combination of nMgO and BAG as functional fillers shows remarkably enhanced bioactivities. • The mechanical properties are not compromised by the addition of new functional fillers. • The new dental composite has translational potential to reduce the formation of secondary caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Our objective was to compare the craniofacial hard and soft tissue characteristics between children with operated unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) and children with noncleft lip and palate (non-CLP) with a Class III skeletal relationship.Methods: The study sample consisted of 30 subjects (18 boys, 12 girls; mean age, 10.21 years) affected by UCLP and 30 non-CLP subjects (17 boys, 13 girls; mean age, 10.19 years) as the control group. All subjects were in the mixed dentition with a Class III skeletal relationship. Cone-beam computed tomography-synthesized cephalograms were traced and evaluated, and craniofacial hard and soft tissue morphologies were compared between the UCLP and non-CLP groups.Results: Maxillary length and gonial angle were 2.66 mm shorter and 3.67° greater, respectively, in the UCLP group than those in the non-CLP group. The SNA and SNB angles describing the sagittal positions of the maxilla and mandible, respectively, relative to the cranial base were significantly smaller in the UCLP group (P <0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). However, the 2 groups had similar sagittal intermaxillary relationships with similar ANB angles (P = 0.669). In the vertical dimension, the mandibular plane angle and the growth direction vector were significantly greater in the UCLP group (P = 0.007 and P <0.001, respectively). Lastly, the UCLP group had a more concave soft tissue profile, manifested by a reduced facial convexity angle, as well as an acute nasolabial angle and a more protruded lower lip.Conclusions: Although the 2 groups had similar sagittal intermaxillary relationships, patients in the UCLP group had more retrusive maxillary and mandibular positions relative to the cranial base and more severe vertical discrepancies. Additionally, the soft tissue profiles of patients affected by UCLP were more concave, and the compensatory adaptation was less satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Fe 2 O 3 with oxygen vacancies (OVs) introduced by Ti doping is partially wrapped by reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and then grown directly on carbon cloth (CC) to obtain a self-supported electrode with hierarchical structures (Ti-Fe 2 O 3 @rGO/CC). Compared with Fe 2 O 3 nanosheets, Ti-doped Fe 2 O 3 nanosheets show better lithium storage performance because the existence of OVs can not only promote faster charge transfer kinetics but also help to maintain the integrity of electrode structure and improve the electrochemical activity. Especially, the rGO sheets are partially wrapped on Ti-Fe 2 O 3 , inhibiting the agglomeration of components and shortening the diffusion distance of Li+, to obtain better cycle stability. Moreover, it can also provide a buffer to alleviate the volume expansion, avoid the excessive growth of SEI film, and ensure that OVs can maximize their advantages under deep discharge conditions. The Ti-Fe 2 O 3 @rGO/CC electrode delivers a high capacity of 1193 mAh g−1 (3.245 mAh cm−2) at 200 mA g−1, showing great potential as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. [Display omitted] • Fe 2 O 3 with oxygen vacancies was partially wrapped by rGO and loaded on carbon cloth as self-supported electrode. • The OVs promote fast charge transfer, maintain the electrode integrity and improve the electrochemical activity. • The rGO inhibits excessive growth of SEI film and ensures the OVs to maximize their advantage under deep discharge. • The electrode delivers high Coulomb efficiency and high reversible capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purposes of this study were to assess the effects of maxillary protraction therapy on the pharyngeal airways in patients with repaired unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) 3 dimensionally.Methods: Eighteen patients with repaired UCLP and anterior crossbite (ages, 10.4 ± 1.3 years) were enrolled in the study group. Hyrax appliances and reverse headgears were used. Cone-beam computed tomography volume scans were taken before and immediately after treatment. Fourteen patients (ages, 9.6 ± 1.7 years) with UCLP who did not receive orthopedic treatment served as the control group. The volumes of the pharyngeal airways, cross-sectional areas, sagittal diameters, and transversal diameters of 3 levels of airway cross-section were measured.Results: After protraction, the volumes of the pharyngeal airway increased significantly. Cross-sectional area, sagittal diameter, and transversal diameter of the upper and lower pharyngeal airways also had significant increases. These changes were significant when compared with the untreated subjects except for the transversal diameter of the lower pharyngeal airway. Dimensions of the middle pharyngeal airway remained unchanged.Conclusions: Maxillary protraction therapy significantly affects airway dimensions in patients with repaired UCLP 3 dimensionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waves simulated by a high-resolution calibrated SWAN model of China adjacent seas over a long-term period (from 1996 to 2020) are utilized to investigate the characteristics of offshore wind power construction efficiency. The model is forced by validated ERA5 wind data, which shows better agreement with ICOADS observations than CCMPv2 and CFSR&CFSv2. During the calibration process, we focused on wind input, whitecapping, and bottom friction terms and on whitecapping dissipation and bottom friction coefficients. Statistical error analysis of the calibration results demonstrates that the underestimation of significant wave height simulated with default settings has been corrected and the model performance has been improved in the study area. The assessment results revealed that construction efficiency has significant spatial and temporal variation characteristics. Annual and monthly averaged workloads of pile foundation construction and wind turbine installation are distinctly different since their specific weather restrictions and durations. Generally speaking, weather conditions from May to August are more favourable for offshore construction. In winter, offshore construction is strongly suggested to be stopped especially for sea areas of Fujian and Guangdong. For selected projects, the key environmental factors affecting offshore operation are different, which should be considered to improve construction efficiency and further decrease cost. • ERA5 wind field provides higher accuracy than CCMPv2 and CFSR&CFSv2. • The calibration of SWAN model improves its accuracy in China adjacent seas. • Offshore construction efficiency has significant temporal and spatial variation. • Key environmental factor affecting construction efficiency changes with location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal flat, is a critical natural resource for coastal ecosystem and plays a tremendous role in coastal sustainable development. However, most tidal flats in the world are facing serious challenges from both natural change and anthropogenic activities. Based on the multi-year monitoring records of tidal flats in the Changjiang (Yangtze) Estuary, the temporal-spatial changes of tidal flats and possible driving factors were statistically examined. The results indicate that the increased rate of the majority of tidal flats in the Changjiang Estuary has become slow since 2000s. Tidal flats of both Hengsha and Jiuduan Shoal showed minor enlarged trends from 2004 to 2009. However, Tidal flat areas of Nanhui Shoal above 0 m had greatly decreased by 80.8% from 1958 to 2012. Even though estuarine hydraulic engineering structures can mitigate tidal flats decreased trends, the tidal flats of the Changjiang Estuary will still suffer significant losses due to the decreasing sediment flux from upstream, ground subsidence, sea level rise and recent intensive reclamation. Thereafter, the adaptive management strategies for sustainable tidal flat resources of the Changjiang Estuary are as follows: (1) Proceeding comprehensive adjustment involving watershed and estuary; (2) keeping balance between reclamation and rebirth of tidal flats; (3) coping with sea level rise; (4) scientifically promoting aggradation of tidal flats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of agricultural production. With the existing of water resources shortage and climate change, it is of great importance to explore the variation of crop irrigation water requirement (IWR) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Based on 1974–2017 meteorological dataset from 96 stations, we analyzed the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of meteorological factors and crop IWR during the growing seasons of four main crops including spring wheat, winter wheat, spring maize and summer maize, respectively. Furthermore, we explored the dominant meteorological factors of the crop IWR variation. The results indicated that daily mean temperature (T) had a significant upward trend, while the effective precipitation (P eff) did not change significantly during the growing season of each crop in the past 44 years. Crop IWR had increasing trend with 9.9 mm/decade, 4.3 mm/decade, 6.4 mm/decade for spring wheat, winter wheat, spring maize respectively, while a slight decreasing trend with − 1.7 mm/decade for summer maize. It is noted that extremely significant increase in crop IWR were mostly located in Ningxia, southern Gansu and eastern Qinghai. Moreover, P eff , net radiation (R n) and relative humidity (RH) were identified as the dominant meteorological factors influencing variations of IWR for all crops. In the context of significant increase in T and uncertain future precipitation patterns, IWR for spring wheat, winter wheat and spring maize in the YRB has shown an upward trend which is not favorable to the sustainable development of water resources. It is urgent to take effective water-saving measures to hedge the adverse impact of climate change on agriculture. These findings can provide scientific basis for rational allocation of agricultural water resources in the YRB. • Irrigation water requirements of main crops in the Yellow River Basin were quantitatively evaluated. • The spatio-temporal variation of meteorological factors during the crop growing seasons was investigated. • The spatial distribution and changing trend of crop irrigation water requirements were characterized. • The dominant meteorological factors of crop irrigation water requirements variation were found out. • It is urgent to take effective water-saving measures to hedge the adverse impact of climate change on agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tungsten trioxide hydrate was partially wrapped by rGO and loaded on CNT-modified carbon cloth (CC) as self-supported electrode. • The thin water layer in WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O offers abundant internal and surface ionic channels. • The presence of inter-valence charge transfer in WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O leads to increased conductivity. • The thin CNT coating on CC helps to regulate the loading morphology and thickness of tungsten trioxide hydrate. In this study, tungsten trioxide hydrate (WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O) was partially wrapped by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets to form flower-like structures, which was then directly loaded as a whole on carbon nanotube-modified carbon cloth (CNT-CC) to obtain a self-supported electrode with hierarchical structures. The orthorhombic WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O contains a thin water layer in its crystal structure to offer abundant internal and surface channels for lithium ions. Also, the synthesized WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O is proved to be partially reduced with mixed W5+/W6+ valence, which induces inter-valence charge transfer to bring increased conductivity. Additionally, by forming WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O@rGO combining flowers, interpenetrating conductive network and interior mesoporosity are created, which shortens the electronic/ionic diffusion length and promotes charge transfer for WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O. Specially, the rGO sheets are partially wrapped on WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O, which ensures high Coulombic efficiency values by enabling active lithium-ion exchange between electrolyte and the electrode. Moreover, the thin CNT coating on the surface of the CNT-CC substrate helps to regulate the loading of WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O@rGO by offering rich surface defects and regular attaching points, leading to the anchoring of WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O@rGO layer with uniform morphology and thickness. Direct charge transfer is also demonstrated between WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O@rGO and the flexible current collector of CNT-CC, thus inhibiting the use of binders causing side reactions during cycling. Moreover, the three-dimensional self-assembly structure can effectively alleviate the huge volume change of WO 3 ⋅0.33H 2 O upon Li+ intercalation/extraction and ensures high structural stability. As an anode for lithium-ion batteries, the WG/CNT-CC electrode delivered high initial Coulomb efficiency of 81%, a high capacity of 1260.8 mAh g −1 after 200 cycles at 200 mA g −1, and a high capacity of 1087 mAh g −1 after 400 cycles at 1000 mA g −1, showing great potential as anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Tungsten trioxide hydrate was partially wrapped by rGO and loaded on CNT-modified carbon cloth as self-supported lithium-ion battery electrode. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The rollout of 5G still faces challenges in constructing cellular networks. • We coupled heuristic algorithm with GIS to maximize the service coverage of 5G base stations. • A service coverage model is designed to spatially explicit simulate the propagation of 5G signals. • The developed model can facilitate the rollout of 5G technology. Due to the high propagation loss and blockage-sensitive characteristics of millimeter waves (mmWaves), constructing fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks involves deploying ultra-dense base stations (BSs) to achieve satisfactory communication service coverage. However, ultra-densely deployed BSs are associated with extremely high construction and operation costs for 5G cellular networks. Reducing the construction cost and decreasing the energy consumption of BSs under the premise of ensuring the quality and coverage of services have become major challenges for the rollout of 5G technology. Essentially, the location optimization of 5G BSs can be regarded as a type of maximum coverage location problem (MCLP). Hence, this study coupled geographic information system (GIS) and a heuristic optimization algorithm to spatially explicit simulate the propagation of 5G signals and to optimize the service coverage of 5G BSs. The developed model was applied to search for the optimal solutions in 5G cellular network planning for an urban outdoor area in Wuhan, China. The optimal solutions and comparative experiments demonstrate that the proposed model can provide reasonable and robust results to support 5G cellular network planning. Therefore, this approach can help address the cost and energy consumption challenges faced in constructing 5G infrastructures and facilitate the rollout of 5G technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While land-use models have often been used to determine the spatial distribution of air pollutant concentrations at urban spatial scales, the effects of land use on PM 2.5 concentrations and removal are rarely investigated at regional spatial scales. We studied these effects in Jiangsu Province, which is part of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration. Results showed that forest lands and industrial lands had greater effects on the PM 2.5 concentration than did other land-use types. In addition, industrial lands and built-up lands had greater effects on the PM 2.5 concentrations in winter than in summer. The spatiotemporal change in the PM 2.5 concentration was mainly impacted by industrial distribution and development, while the spatiotemporal change in PM 2.5 removal was mainly impacted by forest land distribution and change. Therefore, PM 2.5 removal was generally higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The spatial PM 2.5 concentration slowly increased with net primary productivity (NPP) first and then decreased with NPP, with an inflection point at 19 g C m−2 a−1 NPP. However, the spatial PM 2.5 removal per unit area exponentially increased with NPP. The average removal rate of PM 2.5 by forests was about 0.03% in Jiangsu Province, while the absolute removed amount of PM 2.5 was about 3013 tons in 2015. It was concluded that the impact of forests on air quality in terms of PM 2.5 is significant at regional spatial scales. Therefore, scientific trade-offs and decision-making are necessary to maintain forest ecosystem services in order to improve air quality and human health. Unlabelled Image • Spatiotemporal changes in PM 2.5 were considered at a regional scale via land use. • Industrial lands led spatial changes while forests and gardens impacted removal. • The removal rate and amount in 2015 were ~0.03% and 3000 tons, respectively. • PM 2.5 concentrations increased and then decreased with net primary productivity (NPP). • Spatial PM 2.5 removal per unit area exponentially increased with NPP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocean waves are a natural combination of wind sea and swell. Considering this physical process, by comparing the magnitudes of splitting wind sea and swell energy, long-term wave climate can be classified into four basic components: pure wind sea, pure swell and two classes of combined seas, wind sea stronger and swell stronger. From one position in the North Atlantic Ocean, across seasonal analysis on the 44-year (1958–2001) hindcast wave data calculated by WAM in the HIPOCAS project, it was found that the four wave components behave distinctly. Hence, in this study, we propose using a mixture of distributions to perform the copula-based statistical modelling of significant wave height and mean zero-crossing wave period. A case study was dedicated to testify the univariate and bivariate capacity of fitting, the results demonstrate that: 1) compared to straightforward fitting a distribution to data, estimating the marginal distribution of the sea state parameter as a mixture of the four components can improve goodness-of-fit; 2) the proposed copula mixture model can provide an outstanding fit to the bivariate wave data, outperforming those constructed by copulas belonging to Symmetric, Khoudraji-Liebscher and Product families, as well as the classical Conditional Modelling Approach. • A copula mixture is constructed for joint significant wave height and mean zero-crossing period. • Wave data are classified by the relative magnitudes of splitting wind sea and swell energy. • The seasonal 44-year HIPOCAS data from one position in the North Atlantic Ocean are analysed. • New model outperforms those of the asymmetric copulas and the conditional modelling approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• VOCs components on the surface of large landfills were identified. • The NMHC of surrounding area was most affected by landfill in summer. • P + m-xylene was the key component that contributes to O 3 generation. • Ethylbenzenethe was the key component that contributes to SOA generation. Landfill disposal is a major approach of disposing municipal solid waste (MSW) in China. In order to explore the impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated by landfill on the air quality of regional environment, Jiangcungou landfill in Xi'an and its surrounding area were taken as a research object to analyze the spatial distribution and seasonal variation patterns of non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) and VOCs components through seasonal sampling of regional NMHC concentration and VOCs concentration (116 species). CALPUFF model was adopted to analyze the regional dispersion characteristics of NMHC on landfill. In addition, propylene equivalent concentration (PEC) and maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) methods were used to estimate O 3 formation potential of the landfill, while fraction aerosol coefficient (FAC) and SOA potential (SOAP) methods were used to estimate SOA formation potential of the landfill. It was indicated that, the component with the highest concentration of VOCs on the working surface and the surrounding area of landfill was p + m-xylene (41.0 μg/m3) and halohydrocarbon (111.2 μg/m3–156.3 μg/m3), respectively. The component with the greatest impact on the surrounding air was acetone, which accounts for 75 %–87 % of the corresponding substance concentration on the landfill. In summer, the surrounding area was affected most by NMHC from landfill, whose emissions contributed 9.5 mg/m3 to the surrounding area. The component making the largest contribution to O 3 formation was p + m-xylene (8 %–24 %), while ethylbenzene was the component making the largest contribution to SOA formation (20 %–24 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A facile and selective access to substituted 2-aminoimidazole derivatives. • A regio-controllable synthesis of 2-aminoimidazoles based on the conditions. • The reactions proceeded smoothly under very mild conditions. • The products could be further derived conveniently. A convenient single-step strategy for the regioselective assembly of 2-aminoimidazole derivatives is herein described. Through a transition metal-free domino addition/cyclization process, the reactions of unsymmetrical carbodiimides with propargylic amines mediated by Cs 2 CO 3 selectively afforded the corresponding polysubstituted 2-aminoimidazoles in moderate to good yields under very mild conditions. The regioselectivity was reversed in the presence of TEA at a higher temperature. The obtained 2-(o -iodoaryl)amino imidazoles could be easily converted to 2-(2-biphenyl)amino imidazole, 2-(o -alkynylphenyl)amino imidazole, benzoimidazo[1,2- a ]imidazole and N -(imidazol-2-yl)indole derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Human activities and regional land development have caused intense interference to ecosystems. With rapid development of economy and urgent needs of life quality improvements in China, sustainable ecosystem management is crucial for national ecological civilization construction. However, few studies have focused on supply-demand patterns of ecosystem services on a national scale in China. The aim of this study was to analyze the spatial-temporal patterns and changes in the supply-demand of ecosystem services and to explore their interactive relationship in the context of economic development and urbanization drivers. The ecosystem services provision index (ESPI) and land development index (LDI) were proposed to indicate the supply and demand for ecosystem services. The results indicated that the Low supply-High demand (L-H) pattern accounted for 3.27% of the total land area in China and was mainly concentrated in developed regions and some capital cities, where 28.95% of the total population and 51.93% of the country's GDP was generated in 2015. The spatial imbalance in the supply-demand of ecosystem services was obvious. From 2000 to 2015, the imbalance was shrinking, and regions with negative changes in supply-demand patterns were declining. During 2000–2008, there was an obvious transformation from Low supply-Low demand (L-L) to High supply-Low demand (H-L), which accounted for 12.44% of the total land area due to Grain for Green and other ecological protection policies. The proportion of ecological land to total land area, vegetation cover and elevation were significantly correlated with the supply of ecosystem services. In the meantime, ESPI was negatively correlated with LDI in most regions in China. There were also regional differences in their relationships. The rapid economic growth and the intensive land development resulted in a more significant decrease in ESPI in the developed regions than that in the undeveloped North and Northeast China. The results of this study could contribute to sustainable ecosystem management and decision-making for Chinese ecological civilization construction. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • ESPI and LDI were proposed to study changes in supply-demand of ecosystem services. • The spatial imbalance in supply-demand of ecosystem services was obvious. • The spatial imbalance was shrinking. • The ESPI was negatively correlated to the LDI in most regions in China. • There were significant regional differences in relationships between ESPI and LDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researches on land changes and ecosystem services from the perspective of global and regional ecosystems have received a worldwide attention in recent years. Land space refers to a cluster of adjacent land-use units with similar functions and uses and disturbance characteristics at various scales. However, few studies has focused on synthesizing ecological, agricultural, and urban land space changes and their socio-economic driving factors at national scale using partial least square regression ( PLSR ) analysis method based on accurate and reliable data from national land surveys. The paper analyzed the spatial-temporal changes and regional differentiation of ecological, agricultural, and urban land space in China and discussed the impacts of land policies on these changes and identified the key regional socio-economic driving factors with variable importance in projection ( VIP ) value. Results indicated that ecological and agricultural land space decreased by 0.85% and 0.68% from 1984 to 2012, respectively; while urban land space increased by 1.53%. The changes in land space were characterized with spatial-temporal differentiation, mainly driven by economic level and land policies implementation. Chinese last 30 years’ economic development mode has not been sustainable for rapidly consumption of ecological and agricultural land space. From 1984 to 2005, the area of ecological land space decreased in some regions and periods but increased in other regions and periods. However, from 2005 to 2012, the area of ecological land space decreased in all regions, with high rates in Jiangsu-Zhejing-Shanghai (JZS) and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) regions. From 1984 to 2012, the area of agricultural land space generally decreased in all regions but Qinghai-Tibet (QT) region, while the area of urban land space increased in all regions. Change rates of three types of land space were generally high in the 1984–1996, 2000–2005, and 2009–2012 periods and especially in JZS region. On one hand, national and regional land policies resulted in the temporal-spatial differentiation of these changes. Regional difference of socio-economic variables was one important character of changes in ecological, agricultural and urban land space. Fixed asset investment, economic density, and per capita GDP had important effects on the changes in ecological, agricultural and urban land space. On the other hand, there were some problems and deviations for some land policies. It is necessary to optimize land spatial pattern in different regions from ecological perspective. A zoning control system and differentiated land policies and natural ecosystem protection must be implemented in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ni-based metal–organic framework (Ni-MOF) was used as precursor and self-template, and a series of N-doped Ni-Co bimetallic sulfides (N-Ni x Co y -S) were synthesized using oil bath plus solvothermal method. The as-prepared N-Ni x Co y -S displayed hollow sphere structure with a diameter of 300–500 nm. By optimizing the Ni/Co ratio, the precisely tailored N-Ni 1 Co 4 -S material delivered superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performances with a small overpotential of 286.2±2.4 mV at 10 mA cm−2. Such the catalyst can further exhibit a long-term catalytic stability with almost no decay during 36h in KOH electrolyte. [Display omitted] • A series of N-doped Ni-Co bimetallic sulfides (N-Ni x Co y -S) were synthesized. • The N-Ni x Co y -S displayed hollow sphere structure with a diameter of 300–500 nm. • The Ni/Co ratio presented a significant impact on electrocatalytic performances. • The N-Ni 1 Co 4 -S showed good catalytic activity with a low overpotential of 286.2 mV. • The N-Ni 1 Co 4 -S exhibited a long-term catalytic stability of 36 h in KOH electrolyte. The development of noble-metal free electrocatalysts with high activity for water splitting is crucial to address the severe energy issue, while the poor conductivity and catalytic stability hinder their commercialization. Traditional heteroatom doping and structural design is still unsatisfactory due to the high cost. Herein, the Ni-based metal–organic framework (Ni-MOF) was used as precursor and self-template, and a series of N-doped Ni-Co bimetallic sulfides (N-Ni x Co y -S) were synthesized using oil bath plus solvothermal method. The as-prepared sulfide displayed hollow sphere structure with a diameter of 300–500 nm. The electrocatalytic activity was investigated using a typical three-electrode system (Hg/HgO and carbon rod as reference electrode and counter electrode, respectively). By optimizing the Ni/Co ratio, the precisely tailored N-Ni 1 Co 4 -S material delivered superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performances with a low overpotential of 286.2 ± 2.4 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH solution (pH = 13.5). Such the catalyst can further exhibit a long-term catalytic stability with almost no decay during 36 h in KOH electrolyte. It demonstrates that this work develops an effective strategy to obtain high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalyst for the water splitting application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A mutation angle of the flame was found at different inclination angles. • Combined with PIV, the effects of flame structure on fire plume were studied. • The heat flux distribution and control mode downstream of the flame were analyzed. The flame attachment behaviors over an inclined surface were investigated by a gas burner, and its effects on the temperature, heat flux, and the velocity distribution were explored by the heat flux meter, infrared thermography and particle image velocimetry (PIV) systems. The results showed that a sudden increase in flame attachment length occurred when the inclination angle of the surface increased from 15 to 20o, which caused the sharp increase of the temperature, the heat flux as well as the flame spread parameter ψ. Combined with PIV, it was found that a large velocity difference appeared between the upstream and downstream of the flame when the inclination angle increased from 15 to 20o. The vortexes induced by the velocity difference moved upward periodically along the edge of the flame, increased the turbulence intensity and accelerated flame attachment greatly. By introducing the local Richardson number (Ri x) and the dimensionless local total heat flux, it was found that the plume was dominated by the momentum near the burner while dominated by the buoyancy in the distance. The turning point of the two regimes occurred at the ratio between the flame length to the burner hydraulic diameter of 0.5 and Ri x ≈10, and the local heat flux distribution of downstream fire was further obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational fluid mechanics (CFD) is considered as an efficient approach for studying aerodynamic characteristics of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). Currently, 2D Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Naviere Stokes (URANS) is widely applied, although previous researches revealed its limit accuracy in the aerodynamic analysis. This paper investigates the accuracy and feasibility of various CFD modeling techniques, namely 2D URANS, 2.5D URANS, 2.5D large eddy simulations (LES), 3D URANS and 3D LES, in the aerodynamic study of VAWTs through a comparison with the wind tunnel results. Compared with the URANS method, the LES approach can provide more accurate prediction on the aerodynamic performance for VAWTs operating at the dynamic stall. The significant improved simulation results by 2.5D LES imply that the neglect of tip vortices may not be the major mechanism causing the over prediction in 2D and 2.5D URANS. 2.5D LES can be regarded as a promising and efficient approach to investigate the aerodynamic behaviors of VAWTs, considering the compromise between the accuracy and computational cost among 2.5D LES, 3D LES and 3D URANS. Furthermore, considering the huge amount of time consumed by CFD simulations, a hybrid meta-model is therefore proposed to predict the power coefficient of VAWTs. The prediction results show that the accuracy of the hybrid meta-model satisfies the requirements, and the calculation time is also reduced. • CFD modeling technique of varying complexity for aerodynamic analysis of VAWTs was researched. • 2.5D LES can be regarded as a promising and efficient approach to investigate the aerodynamic behaviors of VAWTs. • The hybrid meta-model can perform the predictions well, and the simulation time is also reduced obviously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to the onshore or fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines, floating wind turbines experience larger loads and displacements under combined effects of wind and waves. Therefore, it is necessary to control the structural vibration of floating wind turbines. First, a flexible multi-body dynamics model of a spar-type floating wind turbine is established in SIMPACK. Second, to perform the TMD parameter optimization, a simplified model of the wind turbine is constructed, and unknown parameters in the model are estimated using the Levenberg–Marquardt method. Third, the global optimization ability of the artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA) is improved to optimize TMD parameters. Fourth, in order to examine the vibration suppression performance of the designed TMD, a new aero-hydro-elastic-servo model of the wind turbine is built to perform simulations. The simulation results show that the optimized TMD system obtained by the improved AFSA has significant vibration control performance for the floating wind turbine. • The multi-body dynamics model of a spar-type floating wind turbine is built. • A 5-DOF simplified mathematical model of the wind turbine is constructed. • Differential evolution algorithm is used to improve the AFSA. • A new aero-hydro-servo-elastic coupled model of the wind turbine is built. • The wind turbine vibration is greatly suppressed by the optimum TMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, the vibration control of floating wind turbines (FWTs) and the influence of the tuned mass damper (TMD) location on the displacements and loads of key parts of an FWT are investigated. First, a complete wind turbine model is built and the drivetrain model is validated. Second, a six-degrees-of-freedom dynamic model is established for FWTs according to the Lagrange equation by considering the combined effect of the tower, platform, and TMD motions. The dynamic model is used to optimize the TMD parameters. Third, the unknown parameters of the proposed model are estimated using the Levenberg–Marquardt method. Fourth, by taking the minimum standard deviation of the fore–aft displacement at the top of the tower as the control objective, the mass, damping, and stiffness coefficients of the TMD are optimized using the artificial fish swarm algorithm. Finally, cosimulation is performed for five load cases. The results suggest that the TMD location and load case affect the mitigation effect for the evaluation indices. Highlights • A multibody dynamics model of the wind turbine is built. • A mathematical model with 6-DOF of the wind turbine is constructed. • The mass, stiffness and damping coefficients of TMD are optimized simultaneously. • Different installation locations of TMD are investigated. • The vibration suppression effects of TMD are evaluated comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A MWCNTs/SiO 2 /PDMS/PVDF superhydrophobic photothermal composite coating has been prepared by a simple scraping method. The coating can be scraped on different substrates and exhibit excellent superhydrophobic photothermal performance. The obtained superhydrophobic photothermal coating not only has excellent light absorption, acid and alkali resistance, weather resistance and simple preparation process, etc., but also has strong abrasion resistance, adhesion ability and weak light ice-melting performance. The coating still can keep a good superhydrophobic performance after about 80 and 30 abrasion cycles (~40 and 15 m) with about 3.3 and 8.2 kPa pressure on a 360-mesh sandpaper, respectively. Based on the method of Paints and Varnishes-Cross-Cut Test, the adhesion level of the coating can be classified as grade 1. Under 11.5 °C ambient temperature, the coating surface can reach a saturation temperature of around 30 °C with only 0.2 sun irradiation within 5 min. At −15 °C and no light irradiation, compared with the bare aluminum substrates, the coating can delay the freezing time more than twice. At −15 °C, the 0.2 sun irradiation intensity is enough for the coating to prevent 100 μL water droplets from freezing. In contrast, without the coating, the 100 μL water droplet started to freeze after 93 s with 0.2 sun irradiation and it was completely frozen after 285 s. Besides, the ice pellet began to melt after 271 s through the photothermal effect of the coating with low irradiation intensity of 0.2 sun at −15 °C. However, for the same ice pellet, the ice melting cannot occur without photothermal coating under the same conditions. The superhydrophobic photothermal coating shows good application potential in practical engineering. [Display omitted] • A MWCNTs/SiO 2 /PDMS/PVDF superhydrophobic photothermal coating material was prepared. • The coating can withstand 40 or 15 m abrasion with about 3.3 or 8.2 kPa pressure. • The superhydrophobic coating has excellent photothermal conversion performance. • The 0.2 sun intensity can prevent 100 μL water droplets from freezing at −15 °C. • The 0.2 sun intensity can make ice pellet melt at −15 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indirubin, an active ingredient of a traditional Chinese medicine prescription named Danggui Longhui Wan, has been reported to exhibit abroad anti-cancer and anti-inflammation activities. However, the effect of indirubin on ulcerative colitis (UC) has not been addressed. Here, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of indirubin on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC in mice and explored its underlying mechanisms. UC model was induced in BALB/c mice by administrating with 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. Subsequently, indirubin treatment (10 mg/kg) for 7 days obviously inhibited the loss of body weight, reversed the elevation of disease activity index (DAI), alleviated crypt distortion and mucosal injury, and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in the colon mucosa, thereby ameliorating DSS-induced UC. Mechanically, the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2 as well as myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in colon tissues were decreased significantly, while the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were increased remarkably by indirubin treatment. Moreover, indirubin administration effectively suppressed CD4 + T cell infiltration in the colon of DSS-induced UC mice and promoted the generation of Foxp3-expressing regulatory T cells. Additionally, further studies showed that indirubin obviously inhibited DSS-induced activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling. These results reveal that the significant anti-UC effect of indirubin may be attributable to its inhibition of inflammatory responses and promotion of Foxp3 + T cells. Our studies provide the first evidence for the anti-UC effect of indirubin as well as the related molecular mechanisms and suggest a promising candidate drug for UC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Fufangkushen colon-coated capsule (FCC) was a newly developed herbal drug for treating ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pattern of damp-heat accumulating in the interior. Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of FCC in the treatment of active UC compared with Huidi (HD, mesalazine enteric-coated tablets) were evaluated in a double-blinded and randomized clinical trial. Materials and Methods: In the double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter, randomized and controlled study, 320 active UC patients with TCM pattern of damp-heat accumulating in the interior were assigned to two groups: 240 treated with FCC plus HD placebo treatment, 80 with HD plus FCC placebo. The drugs and their corresponding placebos were administrated at advised dosage for 8 weeks. The primary endpoint was a positive clinical response at week 8, and Mayo scoring system was employed for assessment of UC activity. Results: At the 8th week, 72.50% of patients in FCC group (170 of 234) and 65.00% of patients in HD group (52 of 80) had achieved a clinical response. There was no statistically significance between the 2 groups (P >0.05). The proportions of patients who had a clinical remission was similar in 2 groups (41.50% in FCC group, 41.25% in HD group, P >0.05), mucosal healing rate at week 8 in the two groups were also without significant difference (55.13% in FCC group, 55.00% in HD group, P >0.05). Mayo scores at week 8 showed no statistically difference in the two groups. No significant differences were observed between the safety profiles of the 2 groups (P >0.05). No severe AEs were reported in either group. The latent class analysis indicated that FCC was superior applicable for the left hemicolon involved patients than HD. Conclusions: Compared with HD, a mesalamine enteric-coated tablet, FCC is similarly effective and safe in the treatment of active UC with TCM pattern of damp-heat accumulation interior pattern. In addition, FCC indicates superior effect in the treatment of UC with inflamed area of the left hemicolon than HD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]