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Electrode selection and its effects are extremely crucial to characterize the electrical properties and understand the colossal permittivity response of CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 (CCTO) ceramics. However, the specifical correlation between metal electrode and electrical performances of CCTO ceramics are not clear so far. In this study, we have systematically investigated the effects of metal electrodes (Ag, Au and Pt) on the colossal permittivity response, dielectric loss, nonlinear characteristics and dielectric relaxation behavior of CCTO ceramics prepared via solid-state reaction means. Moreover, the related physical mechanisms of electrode effect on the electrical properties of CCTO ceramics have been analyzed. As a result, it is found that the metal electrode plays a minimal effect on the dielectric constant of CCTO ceramics in low and intermediate frequencies (102–105 Hz), but the Pt-CCTO ceramic presents a reduced dielectric constant in a frequency range of 104–105 Hz due to the relatively weaker grain boundary responses and the lower Schottky barriers between Pt electrode and sample surface. Meanwhile, the dielectric constant of Pt-CCTO ceramics sharply decreases at the high frequencies, which may be attributed to the greater dipole-dominated dielectric relaxation behaviors induced by the Pt electrode. Furthermore, the influence of electrode on dielectric loss is relatively significant, especially at the intermediate and high frequencies under high temperatures. Whereas, the influences of electrode effect on the breakdown electric field strength and nonlinear coefficient of CCTO ceramics are relatively little, as revealed by nonlinear characteristics. Consequently, it is comprehensively considered that the Ag electrode is more suitable to characterize the electrical performances of CCTO ceramics. Our results may provide a guidance to select electrodes and further understand the colossal dielectric mechanism for all the dielectric ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a widely used anticonvulsant drug that has been detected in aquatic environments. This study investigated the toxicity of its by-products (CBZ-BPs), which may surpass CBZ. Unlike the previous studies, this study offered a more systematic approach to identifying toxic BPs and inferring degradation pathways. Furthermore, quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to analyze CBZ-BP structures and degradation pathways. Evaluation of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) mineralization rates, revealed carbon (C) greater susceptibility to mineralization compared with nitrogen (N). Furthermore, three rules were established for CBZ decarbonization and N removal during degradation, observing the transformation of aromatic compounds into aliphatic hydrocarbons and stable N-containing organic matter over time. Five potentially highly toxic BPs were screened from 14 identified BPs, with toxicity predictions guiding the selection of commercial standards for quantification and true toxicity testing. Additionally, BP207 emerged as the most toxic, supported by the predictive toxicity accumulation model (PTAM). Notably, highly toxic BPs feature an acridine structure, indicating its significant contribution to toxicity. These findings offered valuable insights into the degradation mechanisms of emerging contaminants and the biosafety of aquatic environments during deep oxidation. [Display omitted] • The rules of CBZ decarbonization and nitrogen removal during UV/H 2 O 2 were deduced. • Key by-products were quantified on concentration and toxicity. • Acridine structure was the main toxic contributor. • Carbon was more likely to be mineralized than nitrogen during degradation. • The degradation pathways were obtained by combing N-transformation and DFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon-nylon hybrid fibers were employed to modify the silica sol shell for investment casting, and these shells were sintered in vacuum. An optimized mixing process was applied to improve the dispersion of hybrid fibers in slurry, then resulting in the excellent slurry uniformity. The modified shell fabricated by slurry with 4 g/L hybrid fiber displays a higher sintered strength of 5.46 MPa, which is derived from the increased crack propagation path and the dissipated more loading energy through interfacial debonding and friction of the remained carbon fiber pull-out. In addition, the permeabilities of silica sol shells are obviously improved due to the existence of holes in matrix resulted from the melting of nylon fibers during the sintering process. Also importantly, the hybrid fibers modified shell exhibit a good heat transfer efficiency, which is related to the formed heat transfer channels caused by the remained carbon fibers in sintered shell. • An effective mixing process was applied to achieve the uniform distribution of hybrid fibers. • The carbon-nylon hybrid fibers modified ceramic shells were sintered in vacuum. • The 4 g/L hybrid fibers modified shell exhibits an enhanced green strength of 4.2 MPa and sintered strength of 5.46 MPa. • The shell showed a strengthening heat transfer with the addition of hybrid fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A notable discrepancy in tensile ductility was observed between two 2205 duplex stainless steels (DSS) containing layered and island-like austenite microstructures. The deformation behavior of both DSS 2205 was compared through in-situ Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) techniques. The results indicated that the microscopic deformation mechanism for both DSS 2205 was governed by dislocation slip. The observed tensile ductility disparity was attributed to differences in dislocation slip behavior. In DSS 2205 with island austenite, slip transfer and blocking across grain boundaries occurred simultaneously, which was determined by the geometrical compatibility factor (m') calculations of adjacent ferrite and austenite grains. This intensified plastic inhomogeneities and promoted non-Schmid dislocation slip behavior. While in layered austenite of DSS 2205, the activation of slip system strictly adhered to the principle of maximizing the Schmid factor. Multiple slip systems in the ferrite on {110} and {112} planes were activated, inducing cross-slip, which enhanced ductility. The better ductility of DSS 2205 featuring layered austenite compared to the counterpart was further explained by quantitative analysis of geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) distribution in both phases and kernel average misorientation (KAM) values during deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge Distillation (KD) has shown great promise in improving the performance of tiny neural networks. Most existing KD methods have the large teacher–student discrepancy, thus, students hardly learn useful knowledge and may not achieve effective distillation. In this paper, we focus on the construction and training of homogeneous teachers and propose the novel Buffer Knowledge Distillation (BKD), which reduces the teacher–student discrepancy in terms of network architecture and distilled knowledge. Particularly, we first construct a series of homogeneous networks with larger capacity based on the student. A width-by-width fine-tuning mechanism is developed to reduce training costs of homogeneous networks, and the one with the highest accuracy is selected as the teacher. Furthermore, we propose BKD to reduce the learning difficulty, in which teacher and student features are fused into buffer features by our new multi-scale feature fusion module. Extensive experiments for image classification have been conducted to verify the homogeneous teacher based BKD, which consistently outperforms many existing KD methods. The results show that our method achieves up to 4.75% accuracy improvement on CIFAR-100, and the width-by-width fine-tuning mechanism incurs 33.58% and 36.08% less training time on CIFAR-100 and CIFAR-10, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Triassic sedimentary successions in the Sichuan Basin contain records about the transition from marine to continental environments. In this study, we focused on the field profile of the Xujiahe Formation to analyze its sedimentary distribution and provenance by using petrological, sedimentary facies, geochemistry, and provenance analyses. The results have shown that the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation in the Guangyuan area consists of marine and continental clastic materials. The potential source areas for these sediments include the Qinling orogenic belt, Longmen Mountain structural belt, and Motianling ancient land. The tectonic setting of the Sichuan Basin during this period could be attributed to an active continental margin. • The Late Triassic in the Sichuan Basin transformed from marine to continental sedimentary environment. • The source areas of the Upper Triassic include the Qinling orogenic belt, Longmen Mountain, and Motianling ancient land. • The tectonic setting of the Sichuan basin during the Late Triassic could be attributed to an active continental margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The oral and gut microbiota were significantly altered in PD patients. • No significant difference in nasal microbiota between PD and control groups. • Altered microbiota are significantly correlated with the clinical characteristics. • Several sub-networks with differential microbiota were found in oral cavity or gut. Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most frequently diagnosed neurodegenerative disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between microbiota composition in important mucosal interfaces (oral, nasal, and intestinal) and PD. Sequencing was undertaken of the V4–V5 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of the microbiome from the oral cavity, nasal cavity, and gut of 91 PD patients and 91 healthy controls. Significant differences were found in microbiota composition in the oral cavity and gut, but not the nasal cavity, between PD patients and healthy controls after adjusting for age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). More genera in the oral cavity were significantly positively correlated with clinical characteristics, such as the HAMA and HAMD rating scales. The taxa c_ Clostridia , o_ Clostridiales , and f_ Ruminococcaceae in the gut microbiota were associated with weight and MMSE score. Furthermore, as a result of dysbiosis, there was an enrichment of ion channel-, oxidative phosphorylation-, and carbohydrate metabolism-related pathways in the oral cavity and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis- and propanoate metabolism-related pathways in the intestine. Changes in these pathways can influence metabolism and inflammation, thereby contributing to PD pathogenesis. In addition, several subnetworks containing differentially abundant microbiota in the oral cavity and gut samples from PD patients may regulate microbial composition and function in PD. Overall, our results indicate that oral and gut dysbiosis may affect PD progression and provide a basis for understanding the pathogenesis of PD and identifying potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• C sf reinforced silica-based ceramic cores were prepared by injection molding method. • C sf reinforced silica-based ceramic cores were sintered in air and N 2 atmosphere. • A significantly enhanced flexural strength of 16.2 MPa is achieved in the ceramic core with 1.5 vol% C sf. • The improved overall performances are attributed to the composite coating on the surface of C sf. Short carbon fiber (C sf) reinforced silica-based ceramic cores for investment casting were prepared by an injection molding approach and sintered in air and N 2 atmospheres, respectively. SEM and XRD results present that there are some in-situ formed silicon carbides (SiC) in sintered samples. Moreover, as for the ceramic cores sintered in N 2 atmosphere, the peaks in XRD patterns related to the cristobalite increase with an increment in C sf content, which may be attributed to the adhesion interface provided by the C sf and the decreased crystallization free energy. Interestingly, the sample sintered in N 2 exhibits a higher flexural strength about 16.2 MPa, which is 155 % times than that of the samples sintered in air. This is originated from an obvious composite coating consisting of fused silica, SiC and cristobalite on the C sf. In addition, the sintering necks can further enhance the interfacial bonding strength between the fibers and ceramic cores matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SCAPS-1D simulation has been conducted to achieve high performance thin film infrared detectors (TFID). • The responsivity and detectivity Cu 2 Cd x Zn 1-x SnSe 4 (CCZTSe) with has been achived. • CCZTSe TFID with the highest responsivity of 0.81A/W has been achieved. • Intermediate layers between the p-type CCZTSe and Mo back contact are utilized. Infrared photodetectors have been used widely in various applications. Significant efforts have been made to improve the performance of the commercial infrared photodetectors including HgCdTe and InGaAs for lowering the fabrication cost, simplifying the fabrication processes and increasing the production yield. Cu 2 Cd x Zn 1-x SnSe 4 (CCZTSe) kesterite material is a good candidate for infrared photodetectors application due to its low cost, abundant raw materials on the earth, tunable band gap. The detection rate is an important performance index for infrared detectors, which is inversely proportional to the square root of the dark current, so reducing the dark current is an effective way to improve the detection rate. In order to minimize the dark current and achieve high responsivity and detectivity for CCZTSe thin film infrared detectors (TFID), intermediate layers (between the CCZTSe and back contact) including MoO 3 , MoSe 2 and MoS 2 are adpoted and their effect on the performance of the detector are studied via SCAPS-1D (a Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator) software. SCAPS simulation shows that the high-functional MoO 3 interfacial layer can reduce the back barrier and dark current of the detector more effectively than the other two. In addition, we find that the carrier concentration of the CCZTSe layer plays a great role on the dark current of the device. The dark current can be reduced significantly to the lowest value when the carrier concentration is 1017 cm−3. Finally, we further predict that the dark current can be reduced to ~ pA/cm2 level, by reducing the back surface recombination and Schottky barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of dissolved organic matters (DOM) in the matrix of water on the degradation of refractory pharmaceutical has aroused broad concerns. However, The effect of alpha-hydroxy acids as vulnerable aliphatic acids in the water on the degradation of Carbamazepine (CBZ) has been lack of research. The decomposition kinetics and transformation products (TPs) of CBZ by UV/H2O2 process were studied in the existence of glycolic acid (GA) and lactic acid (LA) and the degradation pathways were proposed. Both GA and LA had significantly negative effects on the decomposition kinetics and mineralization of CBZ by UV/H 2 O 2 process. The declination of steady-state OH concentration in the presence of GA and LA justified the negative effects. GA was demonstrated to be stronger at scavenging and competing OH with CBZ, compared with LA, with the rate constant of slightly less than the common OH scavenger methanol. One-step dosing mode of H 2 O 2 was better than multi-step dosing mode for CBZ decomposition, especially in the presence of GA and LA. The identification of TP253a, TP253b, TP271a, TP271b, TP226, and TP180 in the absence and presence of GA and LA were performed by HPLC-MS/MS and two main degradation pathways were presented. Except for TP271a and TP271b, GA and LA retarded the abundance peaks of other four TPs, of which the formation kinetics rates and decay kinetics rates were negatively affected. Tailing peaks of all TPs caused by GA and LA inevitably resulted in the toxicity of the treated effluent of UV/H 2 O 2 process even when CBZ was decomposed completely. Therefore, alpha-hydroxy acids play important roles in determining the fate and transformation of refractory pharmaceuticals in AOPs treatment. Unlabelled Image • Effect of alpha-hydroxy acids, GA and LA on UV/H 2 O 2 degradation of CBZ was assessed. • Both GA and LA had significantly negative effects on the decomposition kinetics and mineralization of CBZ by UV/H 2 O 2 process. • One-step dosing of H 2 O 2 was better than multi-step dosing for CBZ decomposition, especially in the presence of GA and LA. • Six TPs in the absence and presence of GA and LA were identified by HPLC/MS/MS and two main pathways were proposed. • GA and LA negatively affected formation and decay of the TPs and led to the toxicity of the effluent after UV/H 2 O 2 process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hydroiodic acid additive triggers extreme sensitivity of grain sizes to CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 precursor stoichiometry. • Precursor stoichiometry engineering enables CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 film with average grain size of ∼1.75 μm. • Large-grained CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 film realizes the perovskite solar cell with efficiency of 19.29%. We demonstrate that the sensitivity of grain sizes to precursor CH 3 NH 3 I/PbI 2 molar ratio can be promoted by hydroiodic acid additive for one-step spin-coated CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 film. Thus, the full-coverage, high-crystallinity CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 film with average grain size of ∼1.75 μm can be obtained by simply adjusting precursor molar ratio. Planar perovskite solar cell (PSC) with this desired film yields the optimized efficiency of 19.29%. Hence, our work suggests a facile precursor stoichiometry engineering through the assistance of hydroiodic acid to obtain efficient CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Hunnivirus , which has been identified in sheep, cattle, and rats, was first proposed in the family Picornaviridae by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses in 2013. In this study, a hunnivirus was detected in fecal samples collected from a diarrheic cat in Southern China in 2017. Genome sequencing and analysis indicated that the novel hunnivirus has the same genome organization as reported for other hunniviruses, 5′UTR-L-P1(VP4-VP2-VP3-VP1)-P2(2A-2B-2C)-P3(3A-3B-3Cpro-3Dpol)-3′UTR, but is genetically divergent. This hunnivirus is proposed as a novel genotype of the species Hunnivirus A and provisionally designated feline hunnivirus. Our study expands the host range of hunnivirus and enriches knowledge on picornaviruses. • A novel picornavirus was identified in cat. • Genome sequencing and analysis indicated it was classified in the species Hunnivirus. • This virus was only identified in diarrheic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A hollow graphitized carbon nanosphere/mixed-valence manganese oxide composite (HMO) was successfully synthesized via a SiO 2 template and impregnation-reduction method. The chemical valence and content of manganese species were controlled by the reaction time of impregnation-reduction process. The HMO composite obtained by impregnation-reduction for 6 h (HMO-6) shows a large specific capacitance (292.5 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1), excellent cycling stability (96.8% after 5000 cycles at 1 A g−1) and rate performance (155.3 F g−1 at 10 A g−1). The interior graphitized carbon shell, hollow porous structure, higher surface area, and appropriate percentage of Mn2+, Mn3+ and Mn4+ species are responsible for the superior electrochemical performance. The asymmetric supercapacitor composed of HMO-6 and hollow graphitized carbon nanosphere (HCS) also shows a superior electrochemical performance in all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor. The design and synthesis strategy of electrode materials offers a promising approach to develop high-performance manganese oxide supercapacitors. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A new strategy for designing hollow graphitized carbon nanosphere/mixed-valence manganese oxide composites • The electrodes exhibited high specific capacitance, excellent cycle stability and rate capability. • The aqueous and all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors deliver high energy and power density. • This multistage design and valence modulation strategy could be extended to other electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract An efficient and scalable method to improve the capacitive properties of MnO 2 is reported by inducing graphene (rGO) and oxygen vacancies via a thermal treatment in air, in which graphene oxide (GO) is in situ reduced and graphene/MnO x (rGO/MnO x) composite without oxygen vacancies-induced phase transformation is formed. RGO/MnO x composite exhibits a large specific capacitance (274 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1), excellent cycling stability (98.8% after 5000 cycles at 1 A g−1) and rate performance (171 F g−1 at 10 A g−1). The performance improvement of rGO/MnO x sample is mainly attributed to the moderate concentration of oxygen vacancies, rGO and special 3D porous architecture, which facilitate the rapid ionic and electronic transport and promote a facile redox reaction and surface double-layer capacitance. The asymmetric supercapacitor composed of rGO/MnO x //Kochen Black (KB) also shows an outstanding cyclic stability (89% after 5000 cycles) in all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor. The design and synthesis method of rGO/MnO x sample offers a promising approach to broaden MnO 2 -based electrode materials for a new-generation energy storage device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three different Butterfly-Gauss beams are proposed by introducing higher order Butterfly catastrophe to the field of optics, where an autofocusing Butterfly-Gauss beam with a special profile is emphatically studied and it can be regarded as the sum of two Half-Butterfly-Gauss beams. Based on the Collins integral formula, the autofocusing behavior, Poynting vector and angular momentum density of the corresponding Butterfly-Gauss beams during propagation in free space, focus system and chiral medium are investigated, respectively. The results show that the Butterfly-Gauss beam not only exhibits autofocusing behavior similar to the Pearcey beams or circular Airy beams, but also presents rotation in analogy with the Swallowtail beam during propagation in free space. In the focus system, the tail directions of special patterns in the focal plane can be controlled by scaling lengths. In the chiral medium, the greater chirality parameters correspond to the increasing of phase velocity of beam, which results in the fact that the distance of autofocusing plane becomes smaller, and it is easier to autofocus the beam. The proposed Butterfly-Gauss beams have the application possibility in the field of manipulating microparticles along intensity channels due to their special spatial structures in focal plane, where the Poynting vectors flow from center spot to the controlled tail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As important companion animals, dogs may serve as intermediate hosts for transmitting influenza virus to humans. However, knowledge regarding H3N2 canine influenza virus (CIV) pathogenicity is not comprehensive, which directly affects the animal models of pathogenicity in H3N2 CIV vaccine research. Here, to assess H3N2 CIV pathogenicity, we utilized 30 ten-week-old purpose-bred beagles intratracheally or intranasally inoculated with 10 6 50% egg-infectious dose. Intratracheal inoculation was more virulent to dogs than intranasal inoculation as shown by lung pathology score, histopathological changes, clinical symptoms, and body temperature. More intense virus replication was observed in the upper and lower respiratory tracts by intratracheal than intranasal inoculation according to nasal swabs, various organ virus titers, and antigen expression. These results may enhance the H3N2 CIV infection model, providing a more complete experimental basis for studying intrinsic H3N2 CIV pathogenic mechanism, and also serving a reference role for CIV prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-gap series connection is an effective way to improve the insulation capacity of laser-triggered vacuum switch. In this paper, a triple-gap laser-triggered vacuum switch (TLTVS) is built using a detachable vacuum chamber. The TLTVS consists of a laser-triggered gap and two self-breakdown gaps. The trigger characteristics of the TLTVS are obtained under different laser energy and operating voltages through experiments. Then a simplified model for the trigger delay time is established to reveal the effect mechanism of laser energy and operating voltage. The experimental results show that the trigger delay time and the jitter time can be reduced by increasing laser energy and operating voltage, but their influence mechanisms are different. The laser energy directly affects the trigger characteristics and the discharge channel impedance of the laser-triggered gap. The latter can link the trigger process of the laser-triggered gap and that of self-breakdown gaps. The laser energy indirectly affects the trigger characteristics of self-breakdown gaps through its effect on the discharge channel impedance of the laser-triggered gap. The operating voltage mainly impacts the field current density flowing through the self-breakdown gap, which in turn affects the trigger characteristics. • A simplified model for the trigger delay time is established. • The laser energy directly affects the trigger characteristics of laser-triggered gap. • The operating voltage mainly affects the trigger process of self-breakdown gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analytical expressions for the degree of paraxiality for fully coherent and partially coherent Airy vortex beams are obtained, respectively, and used to investigate the change of optical vortex on the degree of paraxiality. The results show that the paraxiality decreases when the optical vortex is nested in the Airy beam, while the noncanonical strength of optical vortex contributes nothing to the change of the paraxiality. A larger truncation factor leads to a higher paraxiality, and the effect of topological charge on the paraxiality gradually emerges with the increasing of the truncation factor. For a partially coherent Airy vortex beam, the paraxiality increases with an increase of transverse scale or truncation factor. While it is also shown that there exists critical value of w 0c or a c , where a lower coherence length has an advantage in acquiring a higher paraxiality for w 0  <  w 0c or a  <  a c . Whereas for w 0  >  w 0c and a  >  a c , a higher coherence length contributes the partially coherent Airy vortex beam to be more paraxial. In addition, the changes between the paraxiality of the partially coherent Airy beams and partially coherent Airy vortex beams become small as the increasing of transverse scale or truncation factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flower-like MnO 2 nanocomposite embedded in nitrogen-doped graphene (NG-MnO 2 ) is fabricated by a hydrothermal method. It is a mesoporous nanomaterial with a pore size of approximately 0.765 cm 3 g −1 and specific surface area of 201.8 m 2 g −1 . NG-MnO 2 exhibits a superior average specific capacitance of 220 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 and a preferable capacitance of 189.1 F g −1 , even at 10 A g −1 . After 1000 cycles, over 98.3% of the original specific capacitance retention of the NG-MnO 2 electrode is maintained, and it can even activate a red light emitting diode (LED) after being charged, which indicates that it has excellent cycling stability as an electrode material. This prominent electrochemical performance is primarily attributed to the nitrogen doping and mesoporous structures of NG-MnO 2 , which can be attributed to its numerous electroactive sites as well as faster ion and electron transfer for redox reactions than general graphene-MnO 2 nanocomposites (G-MnO 2 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longitudinal and transverse energy flux density (EFD) and angular momentum density (AMD) of the radial Pearcey-Gauss vortex array beams are studied by using the vector angular spectrum representation and stationary phase method, where the influence of topological charge, initial phase index, noncanonical strength and the number of beamlet on far-field vectorial structures of the corresponding beam is emphasized. The results show that the topological charge of center optical vortex is always equal to initial phase index for different noncanonical strength. The longitudinal EFDs exhibit different structures by varying initial phase index and the number of beamlet. For an odd- N , the topological charge of center optical vortex can be determined by distinguishing the longitudinal EFD, however for an even- N the topological charge cannot be identified due to the equivalence of longitudinal EFD in the case of positive and negative initial phase index m . The AMD tends to split more branches from the positive and negative direction with increasing the absolute value of topological charge l , The inner structures of AMD are also affected by different beamlets while the zero value of AMD is always retained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infections with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii , which are common around the world, can lead to congenital infections in humans. T. gondii surface antigen protein 5B (SAG5B) and SAG5C are potential stimulators of humoral and cellular immune responses. In this study, a multi-antigenic DNA vaccine constructed to express T. gondii SAG5B and SAG5C proteins simultaneously was used to immunize BALB/c mice to evaluate the protective efficacy of the vaccine. IgG antibody and gamma interferon (IFN-γ) cytokine production in the pSAG5B/SAG5C DNA vaccine group were significantly higher (0.853 ± 0.103 and 915.2 ± 106.9, respectively) than in the single DNA vaccine groups (pSAG5B, 0.667 ± 0.109 and 598.3 ± 74.9, respectively; pSAG5C, 0.696 ± 0.092 and 623.7 ± 95.5, respectively). After a lethal challenge with 1 × 10 4 RH strain tachyzoites, the survival time of the mice (17 days) immunized with pSAG5B/SAG5C was longer than that of the single-gene-immunized mice (12 days) or the control mice (6 days). Moreover, after intragastric infection with 20 T. gondii PRU (low virulence) strain cysts, the number of brain cysts in the pSAG5B/SAG5C-vaccinated mice was only 25% of the number for the PBS-injected mice. Our findings indicate that, in comparison with the other mouse groups, the multi-antigenic DNA vaccine (pSAG5B/SAG5C) significantly induced immune responses and improved the protection against challenge with T. gondii in the host animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combustion systems need to be operated under a range of different conditions to meet fluctuating energy demands. Reliable monitoring of the combustion process is crucial for combustion control and optimisation under such variable conditions. In this paper, a monitoring method for variable combustion conditions is proposed by combining digital imaging, PCA-RWN (Principal Component Analysis and Random Weight Network) techniques. Based on flame images acquired using a digital imaging system, the mean intensity values of RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) image components and texture descriptors computed based on the grey-level co-occurrence matrix are used as the colour and texture features of flame images. These features are treated as the input variables of the proposed PCA-RWN model for multi-mode process monitoring. In the proposed model, the PCA is used to extract the principal component features of input vectors. By establishing the RWN model for an appropriate principal component subspace, the computing load of recognising combustion operation conditions is significantly reduced. In addition, Hotelling’s T 2 and SPE (Squared Prediction Error) statistics of the corresponding operation conditions are calculated to identify the abnormalities of the combustion. The proposed approach is evaluated using flame image datasets obtained on the PACT 250 kW Air/Oxy-fuel Combustion Test Facility (PACT 250 kW Air/Oxy-fuel CTF). Variable operation conditions were achieved by changing the primary air and SA/TA (Secondary Air to Territory Air) splits. The results demonstrate that, for the operation conditions examined, the condition recognition success rate of the proposed PCA-RWN model is over 91%, which outperforms other machine learning classifiers with a reduced training time. The results also show that the abnormal conditions exhibit different oscillation frequencies from the normal conditions, and the T 2 and SPE statistics are capable of detecting such abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a finite-energy Swallowtail-Gauss (SG) beam, which can be considered as the sum of two Half-Swallowtail-Gauss beams (i.e. HSG − and HSG + beams). The SG, HSG − and HSG + beams can all be generated by encoding the amplitude and phase of their Fourier spectrums onto a spatial light modulator. Based on the Collins integral formula, the Poynting vectors and angular momentum densities of the SG, HSG − and HSG + beams passing through free space, focus system and chiral medium are numerically investigated, respectively. The results show that the SG, HSG − and HSG + beam evolve into the intensity patterns with curved tails in the focal plane, and the direction of curved tails can be controlled by varying the transverse scaling lengths. This makes it possible to push or pull micro-particles along the intensity channels due to the flowage of Poynting vector in different directions. In the chiral medium, the evolution of left circular polarized (LCP) beam with tails is earlier than that of right circular polarized (RCP) beam, which is attributed to the faster phase velocities of LCP beam. The SG, HSG − and HSG + beams are expected to act as alternative beams in term of guiding or manipulating micro-particles, which are useful for pushing or pulling micro-particles along controlled intensity channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane concentrates (MCs) are generated when membranes are used to concentrate landfill leachate. It contains high concentrations of inorganic and organic environmental pollutants, which are highly toxic and carcinogenic. In this paper, the proliferation effect (PE) from MC before and after treatment with the UV-Fenton process was assessed using the human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7. The highest value of 116% was found at 5% (v/v) concentration after a 10 min reaction. Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) play an important role in the MC estrogenicity. Estrogen simulation solutions (ESS) of PAEs were prepared to simulate the changes in estrogenic active substances during the UV-Fenton process. The ESS degradation conformed to the first-order kinetics model. The estrogenicity decreased after an initial increase until it acted in a non-estrogenic manner. Convincingly, the intermediates were determined by GC/MS, and the estrogenicity was assessed during the degradation process. The estrogenicity was highly related to the generation of intermediates and the PAE concentration. The results provide guidance for UV-Fenton application in MC estrogenicity reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental investigations into the combustion behaviors of single pulverized coal particles are carried out based on high-speed imaging and image processing techniques. A high-speed video camera is employed to acquire the images of coal particles during their residence time in a visual drop tube furnace. Computer algorithms are developed to determine the characteristic parameters of the particles from the images extracted from the videos obtained. The parameters are used to quantify the combustion behaviors of the burning particle in terms of its size, shape, surface roughness, rotation frequency and luminosity. Two sets of samples of the same coal with different particle sizes are studied using the techniques developed. Experimental results show that the coal with different particle sizes exhibits distinctly different combustion behaviors. In particular, for the large coal particle (150–212 μm), the combustion of volatiles and char takes place sequentially with clear fragmentation at the early stage of the char combustion. For the small coal particle (106–150 μm), however, the combustion of volatiles and char occurs simultaneously with no clear fragmentation. The size of the two burning particles shows a decreasing trend with periodic variation attributed to the rapid rotations of the particles. The small particle rotates at a frequency of around 30 Hz, in comparison to 20 Hz for the large particle due to a greater combustion rate. The luminous intensity of the large particle shows two peaks, which is attributed to the sequential combustion of volatiles and char. The luminous intensity of the small particle illustrates a monotonously decreasing trend, suggesting again a simultaneous devolatilization/volatile and char combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-voltage pentacene-based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) have been fabricated using the high- κ organometallic lanthanide complex, Tb(tta) 3 L 2NR (tta = 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate, L 2NR = (−)-4, 5-pinene bipyridine) as the gate dielectric material. The optimized gate insulator exhibits a low leakage current density of < 10 − 7 A cm − 2 under bias voltage of − 5 V, a smooth surface with RMS of about 0.40 nm, a high capacitance of 43 nF cm − 2 and an equivalent κ value of 7. The obtained OTFTs show high electric performance with carrier mobility of 0.20 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 , on/off ratio of 4 × 10 5 , threshold voltage of − 0.6 V, and subthreshold slope of 0.7 V dec − 1 when operated at − 5 V. The results demonstrate the organometallic lanthanide complex is a promising candidate as gate insulator for low-voltage OTFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Late Triassic was a key period for the evolution of the western Sichuan Basin from marine to continental sedimentation. However, the provenance of the earliest terrigenous sediments during this period remains debated, hindering our understanding of the tectonic events that ruled the evolution of the basin at that time. Herein, samples of fine sandstone from the Upper Triassic Ma'antang and Xiaotangzi formations in the western Sichuan Basin were collected for petrology, heavy mineral analysis, bulk rock geochemistry, and detrital U–Pb dating. In addition, corresponding data from potential source areas were collected for comparison. The sedimentological, geochronological, and geochemical characteristics of terrigenous sediments suggest that the clastic materials were mainly sourced from the Qinling orogenic belt and Yangtze Craton (including the northern and western margin). The Longmen Shan thrust belt likely provided clastics since the Early Norian. Siliciclastic deposits of the Late Triassic sedimentary succession of the western Sichuan Basin (Ma'antang and Xiaotangzi formations) yielded young zircon U–Pb ages of 214–245 Ma, suggesting that these zircons were likely sourced from the magmatic activities in the South Qinling orogenic belt or Yidun Island Arc. Combined with previous research, this study predates the transformation of the western Sichuan Basin from marine to continental sedimentation in the Late Carnian/Early Norian period. • The terrigenous clastics of the western Sichuan Basin first appeared in the Ma'antang during the Late Carian period. • The terrigenous clastics possibly derived from the Qinling Orogenic Belts, Yangtze Craton and its marginal blocks. • Since the deposition of the Xiaotangzi Fm., the Longmenshan thrust belt provided clastics for the Western Sichuan Basin. • The young volcanic zircons (214∼245Ma) were probably sourced from the South Qinling orogenic belt or Yidun Island Arc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transform coding plays a very important role in image and video compression. Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) is used as standard scheme (i.e. JPEG) in lossy image compression. Consequently, integer Discrete Cosine Transform (iDCT) is presented to achieve lossless compression for the compatibility of JPEG. Presently, with the investigation of new and well performed image transform techniques, there is an undeniable need for novel transform coding technologies to improve the compression rates and reduce computational complexity in the field of transform based lossless image compression. Discrete Tchebichef Transform (DTT) is a potentially unexploited orthogonal transform, and has shown a number of valuable properties like energy compaction and recursive computation. It has been preliminarily introduced in lossy image compression and shown the superiority in the compression rates. However, the DTT has not been investigated in lossless image compression. In this paper, we study DTT and matrix factorization theory firstly, and then factorize the N × N DTT matrix into N+1 single-row elementary reversible matrices (SERMs) with minimum rounding errors. On this base, we introduce a novel algorithm, named integer DTT (iDTT), to achieve integer to integer mapping for efficient lossless image compression. A series of experiments are carried out and results show that the proposed iDTT algorithm not only has higher compression ratio than iDCT method, but also is compatible with the widely used JPEG standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plasma characteristics of laser‐triggered vacuum switch (LTVS) have significant effects on the output characteristics of a pulsed power system during closing process. The plasma impedance can link the microscopic properties of plasma and the macroscopic electrical parameters effectively. In this paper, the mathematic representations of plasma impedance are calculated theoretically with the equivalent circuit. External circuit inductance and resistance are calculated by means of ANSYS software and discharge time constant, respectively. Furthermore, the current and voltage experimental waveforms during closing process are analyzed by fitting piecewise linear functions in MATLAB. The plasma impedance can be calculated based on the above conditions. The calculation results show that the plasma resistance reduces with time exponentially, which is caused by an exponential increase in electron density during closing process. In addition, the plasma inductance shows an overall trend of decreasing over time, but there are fluctuations. • The plasma resistance reduces with time exponentially during LTVS closing process. • During LTVS closing process, the plasma inductance shows an overall trend of decreasing over time. • Operating voltage affects the plasma impedance during LTVS closing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane concentrates of landfill leachates contain organic and inorganic contaminants that could be highly toxic and carcinogenic. In this paper, the genotoxicity of membrane concentrates before and after Fenton and UV-Fenton reagent was assessed. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity was determined by using the methods of methyltetrazolium (MTT), cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) and comet assay in human hepatoma cells. MTT assay showed a cytotoxicity of 75% after 24 h of exposure to the highest tested concentration of untreated concentrates, and no cytotoxocity for UV-Fenton and Fenton treated concentrates. Both CBMN and comet assays showed increased levels of genotoxicity in cells exposed to untreated concentrates, compared to those occurred in cells exposed to UV-Fenton and Fenton reagent treated concentrates. There was no significant difference between negative control and UV-Fenton treated concentrates for micronucleus and comet assay parameters. UV-Fenton and Fenton treatment, especially the former, were effective methods for degradation of bisphenol A and nonylphenol in concentrates. These findings showed UV-Fenton and Fenton reaction were effective methods for treatment of such complex concentrates, UV-Fenton reagent provided toxicological safety of the treated effluent, and the genotoxicity assays were found to be feasible tools for assessment of toxicity risks of complex concentrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel benzofuranone fluorescent probe, BFO-SFT , for monitoring sulfite in living cells and mice is described which operates over a wide pH range and exhibits a red-shifted emission maximum. The response of the probe BFO-SFT was relatively rapid (within 20 min) and exhibited a good linear correlation of 0–10 Eq (100 μM) with reliable accuracy (R2 = 0.9934). The probe also showed high sensitivity (Limit of detection = 152 nM) and selectivity. With low cytotoxicity, BFO-SFT was successfully applied into the biological imaging of sulfite in living MCF-7 cells and in BALB/C Nude mice. [Display omitted] • A benzofuranone-based fluorescent probe, BFO-SFT , was developed for monitoring sulfite. • The benzofuranone backbone achieved the purposes of introducing red-shift and wide pH window (7.0–10.0). • Reliable linear range, high sensitivity and high selectivity towards sulfite. • Applied into the biological imaging of sulfite in living MCF-7 cells and in BALB/C Nude mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioinformatics approaches were used to identify B-cell epitopes and T-cell epitopes on SAG5A protein. Compared to SAG1, SAG5A with good B-cell epitopes and T-cell epitopes had a potentiality to become a more successful vaccine against Toxoplasma gondii. Thereafter, SAG5A DNA vaccine was constructed successfully and was injected into mice with peptide to evaluate the immunoprotection. Compared to the control groups, the vaccine (DNA/peptide) could induce more effective cellular and humoral immune responses in immunized mice. Furthermore, a significant reduction of brain cyst was detected in the mice vaccinated with peptide (732 ± 160), pSAG5A (815 ± 197), or pSAG5A/peptide (436 ± 174) compared by the mice injected by PBS (1260 ± 241) or pEGFP-C1 (1350 ± 268). The number of cysts in brains was 35% reduced in the mice immunized with DNA/peptide than in the control mice treated by PBS. The results indicated that the DNA vaccine encoding SAG5A significantly induced immune responses and enhanced protection against cysts of PRU strain, especially with the help of peptide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oncoproteins and tumor suppressors antagonistically converge on critical nodes governing neoplastic growth, invasion, and metastasis. We discovered that phosphorylation of the ETS1 and ETS2 transcriptional oncoproteins at specific serine or threonine residues creates binding sites for the COP1 tumor suppressor protein, which is an ubiquitin ligase component, leading to their destruction. In the case of ETS1, however, phosphorylation of a neighboring tyrosine residue by Src family kinases disrupts COP1 binding, thereby stabilizing ETS1. Src-dependent accumulation of ETS1 in breast cancer cells promotes anchorage-independent growth in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. These findings expand the list of potential COP1 substrates to include proteins whose COP1-binding sites are subject to regulatory phosphorylation and provide insights into transformation by Src family kinases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The molecular-gated unidirectional actuator is driven by temperature and humidity. • This actuator protects customers from environmental stress as well as early warning. • LBL self-assembly realizes functionalization and engineering of protective devices. • The credible tolerance of actuators depend on the outstanding self-healing capacity. More attention has paid to health events caused by the epidemic and harmful interferences where personal protective equipment (PPE) become of vital importance. Traditional protection can only provide limited defenses. Thus, comprehensive PPE tailored with more practical performances and more facile routines gets highly desirable. However, functional integrations and engineering implementations of such PPE remain challenging. Herein, a dual ambiences-driven molecular gating-based unidirectional actuator for multi-mode personal protection is designed. To fabricate this Janus actuating film, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) were deposited as a thermal-sensitive side while alginate, 2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol and poly-dopamine nanoparticles were overlaid onto the other for humidity response via layer-by-layer self-assembling. As a result, p leasurable humidity/temperarure management (55%/33 ℃ against adverse conditions), r espiratory detection (responsive signal to exhaled air), o il repellent for anti-bacterial-adhesion (antibacterial rate > 92.2%), t ransparent visual-monitoring hazardous compounds (opaque to transparency: 0 ∼ 85.3%), e lectromagnetic shielding (>15 dB), c redible- t olerance of damage (self-healing efficiency > 91.7%) were integrated into a single actuator (PROTECT actuator). Our PROTECT actuator could protect customers from environmental stress as well as early warning. This strategy opens a new era of novel custom-tailorable and easy-to-obtain protection devices, especially noncontact-perception systems and all-round defensive setups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Model of collision of a cratonic basin region and an orogenic region. [•] Systematic comparison of correlation coefficients and variance of topography. [•] Explain seismic observation beneath the intracontinental orogen in South China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The evolutions of electronic structure and optical properties of SnO2 under hydrostatic pressure are studied theoretically using first-principle calculations. The calculation results show that the energy band gap of SnO2 expands with increasing pressure, and the relationship between them can be fitted well by a second order polynomial expression. The complex dielectric functions are calculated and it is found that its imaginary part moves to higher photon energy levels with increasing pressure; meanwhile the static dielectric function constant decreases correspondingly. The dependences of other optical properties, such as the reflectivity spectra and loss function, on the hydrostatic pressure are also calculated and obtained, and the relationships between the optical properties and hydrostatic pressure are discussed and analyzed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Considering the electric field of incident light along four particular directions [100], [110], [011], and [010], the optical properties of monoclinic MnWO4 were investigated by the first-principle methods. The calculated electronic structures show that the O 2p states and Mn 3d states dominate the top of the valence bands, while the W 5d and Mn 3d states play a key role in the bottom of the conduction bands. The dielectric function and other optical properties, including absorption coefficient, reflectivity spectra, and energy-loss spectra, were calculated and analyzed. The results predicted the maximum static dielectric function when the electric field of incident light was along the [100] direction; meanwhile the absorption edge was calculated to be consistent with the energy band gap and the values and positions of peaks in absorption coefficient are related with the electric field of light. Otherwise, it is found that the appearance of peaks in the energy-loss spectra is also dependent on the electric field and simultaneously corresponds to the edge of absorption spectra and the peaks'' position of reflectivity spectra. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) can contribute to wound healing after skin injury. However, the role of BM-MSCs on repairing skin appendages in renewal tissues is incompletely explored. Moreover, most preclinical studies suggest that the therapeutic effects afforded by BM-MSCs transplantation are short-lived and relatively unstable. Objective: To assess whether engrafted bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells via a delivery system can participate in cutaneous wound healing and sweat-gland repair in mice. Methods: For safe and effective delivery of BM-MSCs to wounds, epidermal growth factor (EGF) microspheres were firstly developed to both support cells and maintain appropriate stimuli, then cell-seeded microspheres were incorporated with biomimetic scaffolds and thus fabricated an engineered skin construct with epithelial differentiation and proliferative potential. The applied efficacy was examined by implanting them into excisional wounds on both back and paws of hind legs in mice. Results: After 3 weeks, BM-MSC-engineered skin (EGF loaded) treated wounds exhibited accelerated healing with increased re-epithelialization rates and less skin contraction. Furthermore, histological and immunofluorescence staining analysis revealed sweat glands-like structures became more apparent in BM-MSC-engineered skin (EGF loaded) treated wounds but the number of implanted BM-MSCs were decreased gradually in later phases of healing progression. Conclusions: Our study suggests that BM-MSCs delivered by this EGF microspheres-based engineered skin model may be a promising strategy to repair sweat glands and improve cutaneous wound healing after injury and success in this study might provide a potential benefit for BM-MSCs administration clinically. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Galectin-3 is a mammalian β-galactoside-binding protein that is expressed by various types of human cells. Changes in galectin-3 expression and subcellular and intercellular localizations are commonly seen in cancer and pre-cancerous conditions. It is increasingly recognized that galectin-3 is an important regulator of a broad range of cancer cell activities and plays important roles in cancer cell growth, transformation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, adhesion, invasion and metastasis. Such a divergent influence of galectin-3 on cancer cell activities derives from its multiple inter- and sub-cellular localizations where it interacts with a range of different binding partners. This mini-review summaries the diverse influences of galectin-3 on cancer cell behaviours with particular emphasis on its role in tumorigenesis and metastasis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we define the following additive set-valued functional equations for some real numbers with , and prove the Hyers–Ulam stability of the above additive set-valued functional equations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara, is an economically important aquaculture species in Southeast Asia. It is also classified as endangered in the Red List of Threatened Species. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite marine species, and the asynchronization of gamete production from both sexes has restricted mass seed production in artificial propagation. Cryopreservation can resolve these problems by storing sperm when they are abundant and to be used later for fertilization without any time constraint, yet sperm cryopreservation has not been explored in red spotted groupers. This study was intended to develop an optimal sperm cryopreservation protocol for this species. Specifically, we compared various activation solutions and found that maximum activation in red spotted grouper sperm can be achieved with glucose at 1100mOsm/kg. Previous protocols used for the dusky grouper with 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) plus 10mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA) also yielded high post-thaw motility (70±4%) for red spotted grouper in this study. Further optimization of cooling rate suggested a more rapid cooling of 61°C/min or higher to be optimal for red spotted grouper. Addition of cholesterol in combination with 10% DMSO not only yielded high post-thaw motility (77±5%) comparable to fresh sperm (87±1%), but also prolonged motility duration to twice that of cryopreserved with the dusky grouper protocol (21 vs. 9min). Sperm lipid measurement of fresh and thawed samples revealed a high retention of sphingomyelin (SM) content in samples that had high post-thaw motility. Future studies are necessary to further explore the role of SM in sperm cryopreservation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cratons are cold regions of continents that have remained stable since at least the Precambrian. The longevity of cratons is often attributed to chemical buoyancy and/or high viscosity of cratonic root material. Yet examples of destructed cratons (such as the North China Craton) suggest that there are conditions under which chemical buoyancy and/or high viscosity are insufficient to keep cratons stable. The formation of continental rifts, as weak zones that reduce the total stresses of cratons, may be a mechanism that increases the longevity of cratonic lithosphere. Since continental rifts result from localized deformation, understanding the mechanism of shear localization is thus important for understanding the stability or breakup of cratons. Here, we perform 2-D numerical models for a cratonic lithosphere under extension to understand the initiation of shear localization, for visco-elasto-plastic rheologies. Results reveal that three modes of deformation exist: no localization, symmetric localization and asymmetric localization. To further understand the underlying physics, we develop a 1-D semi-analytical method that predicts the onset of localization as well as whether rifting will be symmetric or asymmetric. Applications of the semi-analytical method to geological settings show that fast deformation, cold thermal state or strong mantle rheology may result in localized deformation and stabilize the remaining adjacent cratons. Our results successfully interpret the major features of the North China Craton. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Human PUMILIO1 (PUM1) and PUMILIO2 (PUM2) are members of the PUMILIO/FBF (PUF) family that regulate specific target mRNAs posttranscriptionally. Recent studies have identified mRNA targets associated with human PUM1 and PUM2. Here, we explore the structural basis of natural target RNA recognition by human PUF proteins through crystal structures of the RNA-binding domains of PUM1 and PUM2 in complex with four cognate RNA sequences, including sequences from p38α and erk2 MAP kinase mRNAs. We observe three distinct modes of RNA binding around the fifth RNA base, two of which are different from the prototypical 1 repeat:1 RNA base binding mode previously identified with model RNA sequences. RNA-binding affinities of PUM1 and PUM2 are not affected dramatically by the different binding modes in vitro. However, these modes of binding create structurally variable recognition surfaces that suggest a mechanism in vivo for recruitment of downstream effector proteins defined by the PUF:RNA complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The shear behavior of fresh mortar is investigated using a force balance approach. In this approach, fresh mortar is considered as a two-phase material containing a matrix of cement paste and a group of rigid, spherical, non-cohesive aggregate particles. The shear resistance of a micro unit mortar is first assessed based on the friction between two contacted particles and the shear force carried by the cement paste of the micro unit mortar. The shear force of a macro-unit mortar is then calculated based on the number of the contacted aggregate particles in the mortar and the shear force carried by the rest of the cement paste. Forty-seven fresh mortar mixtures made with aggregate and paste having different characteristics and mix proportions are tested using a direct shear apparatus. The study indicates that the shear behavior of mortar follows the Mohr–Coulomb equation. The newly developed model can well predict the shear behavior of mortar materials and explain the direct shear test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel thin-film apparatus with quartz optical fibers for UV-light delivery was tested for its potential to inactivate bacteria in beer. Its suitability for application could be shown in experiments with Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus brevis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and naturally contaminating microorganisms as test microorganisms. We have optimized the optical-fiber distribution density (ODD) and thin-film thickness for treating beer. The apparatus could reduce counts of inoculated E. coli and L. brevis in beer from approximately 106 CFU/ml to below 1×101 CFU/ml and from approximately 104 CFU/ml to non-detectable limits at UV doses of 16.1 and 9.7mJ/cm2 by the thin-film apparatus respectively. The reduction of S. cerevisiae was not so efficient. Naturally contaminating lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae in draft beer could be effectively inactivated. Furthermore, the beneficial yeasts in the draft beer were scarcely inactivated. These results implicate that application of this novel apparatus provides a promising approach to improving microbial safety and extending shelf-life of draft beer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most juices are opaque to ultraviolet (UV) due to the high-suspended solids in them and therefore the conventional UV treatment, generally used for water treatment, cannot be used for treating juices. In order to achieve a high germicidal efficiency of UV processing, an optical device with silica optical fibers for UV light delivery was designed. Its suitability for application could be shown in experiments with Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus brevis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and naturally contaminating microorganisms as test microorganisms. The thin-film thickness for treating apple juice was optimized. At 2.0-mm film thickness, E. coli and L. brevis were reduced by up to 6 log orders with the UV dose of 23.7mJ/cm2 and the optical-fiber distribution density of 15fibers/cm2, while only about 4-log reduction of S. cerevisiae was achieved under the same condition. Naturally contaminating lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and yeasts and moulds in freshly extracted apple juice were reduced to below 10CFU/ml. These results indicate that this optical device could be used to improve microbial safety and extend shelf-life of apple juice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents investigations into the impact of oxy-fuel combustion on flame characteristics through the application of digital imaging and image processing techniques. The characteristic parameters of the flame are derived from flame images that are captured using a vision-based flame monitoring system. Experiments were carried out on a 0.5MWth coal combustion test facility. Different flue gas recycle ratios and furnace oxygen levels were created for two different coals. The characteristics of the flame and the correlation between the measured flame parameters and corresponding combustion conditions are described and discussed. The results show that the flame temperature decreases with the recycle ratio for both test coals, suggesting that the flame temperature is effectively controlled by the flue gas recycle ratio. The presence of high levels of CO2 at high flue gas recycle ratios may result in delayed combustion and thus has a detrimental effect on the flame stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Co-firing of biomass with pulverised coal at existing coal power stations remains a practical option available to power plant operators and is being widely adopted as one of the main technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, there is a range of technological problems that are not well understood. This paper presents experimental investigations into the co-firing of pulverised coal directly co-milled with 5–20% biomass on a 3MWth Combustion Test Facility. A number of combustion parameters, including flame temperature and oscillation frequency and particle size distribution, were measured under a range of co-firing conditions. The gas species within the flame and fly ash in flue gas were also sampled and analysed. The experimental data collected are used to study the impact of biomass additions to pulverised coal on the combustion characteristics of the co-firing process. The relationships between the flame characteristics, gas species and ash deposition of the furnace are investigated. The results suggest that, due to the varying physical and chemical properties of the biomass fuels, the biomass additions have impact on the combustion characteristics in a very complicated way. It has been found that the biomass addition to coal would improve the combustion efficiency because of the lower CO concentrations and higher char burnout level in co-firing. In addition, NO x emission has been found closely linked to the flame stability, and SO x emission reduced in general for all co-firing cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

PUF proteins are RNA-binding proteins named for founding members PUMILIO and fem-3 binding factor (FBF). Together these proteins represent the range of known RNA recognition properties. PUMILIO is a prototypical PUF protein whose RNA sequence specificity is simple, elegant, and predictable. FBF displays differences in RNA recognition that represent divergence from the prototype. Here we review recent studies that examine the engineering of sequence specificity of PUF proteins and its applications as well as studies that increase our understanding of the natural diversity of RNA recognition by this family of proteins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]