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[Display omitted] • Female parasitoid wasps (Microplitis mediator) are attracted by the sex pheromone of the turnip moth (Agrotis segetum). • The female-biased odorant receptor MmedOR49 tuned to the Z 5-10:Ac (the main sex pheromone component of the turnip moth) in vitro. • Z 5-10: Ac strongly binds to MmedOR49 by the formation of hydrogen bonds with the key residues (His 80, Ile 81, and Arg 84). • The behavioral response of female M. mediator to Z 5-10:Ac was strongly diminished when MmedOR49 was downregulated by RNAi. • MmedOR49 is involved in the locating of parasitic wasp host habitats using the perception of host sex pheromone. The parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator is an important natural enemy of the turnip moth Agrotis segetum and other Noctuidae pests. In our field observation, it was fortuitously discovered that sex pheromone traps used for A. segetum also attract female wasps, verified by a simulated field condition dual-choice laboratory assay. Therefore, it was hypothesized that olfactory recognition could be crucial in this process. In this regard, a female-biased odorant receptor of the wasp, MmedOR49, attracted our attention. To unravel the significance of the female-biased MmedOR49 regulating host pheromone recognition. Expression analysis (fluorescence in situ hybridization; quantitative realtime PCR), in vitro (two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings) and in vivo (RNAi combined with behavioral assessments) functional studies, and bioinformatics (structural modeling and molecular docking) were carried out to investigate the characteristics of MmedOR49. MmedOR49 expression was detected in the antennae of females by FISH. Quantification indicated that the expression level of MmedOR49 increased significantly after adult emergence. In vitro functional study revealed that MmedOR49 was specifically tuned to cis -5-decenyl acetate (Z5-10:Ac), the major sex pheromone component of A. segetum. Molecular docking showed that Z5-10:Ac strongly bound to the key amino acid residues His 80, Ile 81, and Arg 84 of MmedOR49 through hydrogen bonding. Behavioral assays indicated that female wasps were significantly attracted by Z5-10:Ac in a three-cage olfactometer. RNAi targeting further confirmed that MmedOR49 was necessary to recognize Z5-10:Ac, as female wasps lost their original behavioral responses to Z5-10:Ac after down-regulation of the MmedOR49 transcript. Although M. mediator is a larval endoparasitoid, female wasps have a behavioral preference for a sex pheromone component of lepidopteran hosts. In this behavior, for female M. mediator , MmedOR49 plays an important role in guiding the habitat of host insects. These data provide a potential target for enhancing natural enemy utilization and pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (100nm-5 mm) and nanoplastics (1–100 nm) are collectively referred to as micro(nano)plastics (MNPs), which are refractory to degradation, easy to migration, small in size, strong in adsorption, and can widely present in human living environment. A number of studies have confirmed that MNPs can be exposed to the human body through a variety of routes, and can penetrate various barriers to enter the reproductive system, suggesting that MNPs may pose potential harm to human reproductive health. Current studies most were limited to phenotypic studies and their subjects were basically lower marine organisms and mammals. Therefore, in order to provide theoretical base for further exploring the effects of MNPs on the human reproductive system, this paper searched the relevant literature at home and abroad, mainly analyzed rodent experiments, and concluded that the main exposure routes of MNPs are dietary intake, air inhalation, skin contact and medical plastics. After entering the reproductive system, MNPs produce reproductive toxicity mainly through oxidative stress, inflammation, metabolic disorders, cytotoxicity and other mechanisms. More work is required to comprehensively identify the exposure routes, improve the detection methods to evaluate the effective exposure and deeply study the specific mechanisms of toxic effects, withing the aim of conducting relevant studies at the population level in the next step. [Display omitted] • We review the toxic effects of micro(nano)plastics on mammalian reproductive system mainly rodents. • Exposure routes for micro(nano)plastics include dietary intake, air inhalation, skin contact and medical plastics. • In recent years, studies on the reproductive system of micro(nano)plastics have confirmed their reproductive toxicity. • Reproductive toxicity mechanisms of micro(nano)plastics are not very clear, and more in-depth studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 3.7 million trajectories data are adopted to develop an integrated method. • A geometry-based probability model is proposed for uncertainties of the issue. • A multi-scenario programming model is proposed for rebalancing operations. • A multi-sided sensitivity analysis is made for potential emissions reduction. As a representation of smart and sustainable city development, bicycle-sharing system is one of the hottest topics in the domains of transportation, public health, urban planning, and so on. In this paper, a model is proposed for analyzing the potential reduction in emissions associated with the adoption of a bicycle-sharing system. Methods are proposed for extracting human travel modes from mobile phone GPS trajectories, together with a geometry-based probability model, to support particle swarm optimization. A comparison study is implemented to analyze the model's computational efficiency. Based on the resulting optimal layout for the network of bicycle docking stations, and considering demand uncertainty, a multi-scenario integer linear programming model is proposed to optimize rebalancing procedures (i.e., moving bicycles between docking stations according to demand), to determine the detailed design-scale information required. Mobile phone GPS trajectories from approximately 3.7 million local mobilities are used to construct a case study for Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. The results show that, compared with the previous methods, the optimal layout solved by the proposed method could reduce emissions by a further 6.4% and 4.4%. With an increase from 30 to 90 bicycle stations, the adoption of bicycle-sharing can reduce CO 2 emissions by approximately 3.1–3.8 thousand tonnes. However, emission reduction will maximally decrease by 21.26% after offset by bicycles production and rebalancing-generated emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical accessibility is an important indicator for evaluating the effectiveness of public health services. However, the previous medical accessibility studies mainly focus on spatial accessibility without considering temporal variation in population distribution which is significant for evaluating access to emergency medical service (EMS). This paper proposes a model of spatio-temporal accessibility to EMS called ST-E2SFCA based on adapting the enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method. We apply our method to the greater Tokyo area for a large volume of GPS dataset with millions of users and compare the accessibility difference over space and time. To evaluate our model, we also analyze the distinction of our model over different weight sets and compare the performance of ST-E2SFCA with the traditional E2SFCA. The result shows that our method can illustrate the temporal difference and is suitable for measuring the spatio-temporal accessibility to EMS, thus can guide the hospital location selection and urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the pressing demand of climate change mitigation, the rapid technological development and market adoption of battery electric vehicles are imperative. However, the diverse consumption attitudes and their interactions, which are rarely considered, can significantly affect the adoption potential of battery electric vehicles. On the basis of three years of global positioning system data of 1.6 million people, we estimated the travel and adoption demands of battery electric vehicles in Japan considering diverse consumption attitudes. Under the current construction conditions for public charging systems and charging technologies, the adoption potential of battery electric vehicles may not be as promising as previously expected, and the government still faces great pressure to respond to the market share target. Given the current level of battery technology, technical and policy improvements such as fast charging, reducing the production cost, perfecting the public charging infrastructure, and increasing purchasing subsidies were found to be more effective than improving the battery capacity at increasing the adoption potential of battery electric vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

JAK/STAT pathway is one of cytokine signaling pathways and mediates diversity immune responses to protect host from viral infection. In this study, LvSOCS2, a member of suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) families, has been cloned and identified from Litopenaeus vannamei . The full length of LvSOCS2 is 1601 bp, including an 1194 bp open reading frame (ORF) coding for a putative protein of 397 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of ∼42.3 kDa. LvSOCS2 expression was most abundant in gills and could respond to the challenge of LPS, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphhylococcus aureus, Poly (I: C) and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). There are several STAT binding motifs presented in the proximal promoter region of LvSOCS2 and its expression was induced by LvJAK or LvSTAT protein in a dose dependent manner, suggesting LvSOCS2 could be the transcriptional target gene of JAK/STAT pathway. Moreover, the transcription of DmVir-1, a read out of the activation of JAK/STAT pathway in Drosophila , was promoted by LvJAK but inhibited by LvSOCS2, indicating that LvSOCS2 could be a negative regulator in this pathway and thus can form a negative feedback loop. Our previous study indicated that shrimp JAK/STAT pathway played a positive role against WSSV. In this study, RNAi-mediated knockdown of LvSOCS2 shrimps showed lower susceptibility to WSSV infection and caused lessened virus loads, which further demonstrated that the JAK/STAT pathway could function as an anti-viral immunity in shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneously enhancing the thermal conductivity, insulation, and mechanical properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites is highly desired for electronic and electrical applications. In this research, HDPE/boron nitride (BN)/coconut shell charcoal (CSC) composites were prepared. Benefit from the synergistic effect between the multi-dimensional hybrid fillers, the prepared HDPE/BN/CSC composites exhibited enhanced comprehensive properties compared to the HDPE/BN composites and pure HDPE. In particular, as for HDPE/25BN/3CSC (25 wt% BN, 3 wt% CSC) nanocomposites compared to the pure HDPE, enhancements in in-plane thermal conductivity of 980.89%, normal thermal conductivity of 138%, and tensile strength of 18.91% were obtained, while higher volume resistivity and decomposition temperature were achieved. This work provides a simple but effective way for improving the thermal conductivity and comprehensive physical properties of HDPE composites. • HDPE/BN/CSC composites were prepared. • High thermal conductivity of the HDPE/BN/CSC composites were achieved. • Thermal stability, mechanical properties, and insulation properties were all enhanced at appropriate CSC contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shortcomings such as undesired severe lithium-dendrite growth and side-reactions impede the applications of lithium batteries. Investigation into the formation of uniform lithium-ion diffusion layers provides new insights into the suppression of dendrite growth and stabilization of lithium metal. Herein, cross-linked nanofibrous polysiloxane hybrid membranes (SHMs) are fabricated via simple processes involving the electrospinning of poly(vinylidene fluoride- co -hexafluoropropylene), vinyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, and functional cage silsesquioxanes. The functional polar groups on the SHMs impart lithiophilicity to the membranes, thus enabling them to form artificial solid electrolyte interfaces to guide uniform Li-ion flux distribution, ensure smooth lithium deposition, and fundamentally alter dendrite formation. In addition, the shear enhancement effect of polydimethylsiloxane 3D networks not only changes the surface morphology but also facilitates the migration of lithium ions. As a result, with the introduction of these SHMs, the Li||Li symmetric batteries were stabilized and thus able to maintain successive electrodeposition over 800 h at 0.5 mA cm−2 and the LiFePO 4 ||Li cells exhibit a high capacity of 112 mAh g–1 and 96.7% capacity retention after 400 cycles at 2C. This work provides an effective strategy for the suppression of uncontrolled lithium dendrite formation and the enhancement of cycling performance. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Successful multi-target tracking requires locating the targets and labeling their identities. For a laser-based tracking system, this mission becomes significantly challenging when the targets are in close proximity or frequently interact with one another. This paper presents a novel on-line learning-based method for laser-based multi-target tracking. When the targets do not interact with one another, multiple independent trackers are employed to train a classifier for each target. When the targets are in close proximity, the learned classifiers are used to assist in tracking. The tracking and learning supplement each other in the proposed method, which is helpful in dealing with difficult problems encountered in laser-based multi-target tracking; moreover, it ensures that the entire process can be completely automatic and available on-line. Various evaluations have demonstrated that this method performs better than previous methods when interactions occur, and it can maintain the correct tracking under various complex tracking situations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The fabrication and development of excellent thermoset polymers with self-healing and shape memory properties is highly desirable. Herein, a novel high-strength epoxy resin (EP-SeSe) with diselenide bonds was rationally designed for rapid repair materials in building constructions and electrical packaging. The resultant resins exhibit excellent shape memory performance and self-healing performance due to the dynamic diselenide bonds (Se Se), while maintaining a high mechanical strength (tensile strength = 105 MPa and E = 2.0GPa), and exceptional thermal stability. It is especially noteworthy that the diselenide bonds of the bis(4-aminophenyl) diselenide (BAPDSe) allow EP-SeSe to exchange molecular chains in a dynamic manner, facilitating transport of chain segments while the ortho-phenyl groups prevent the side effects of weak bonds on mechanical properties. Furthermore, when the temperature exceeds Tg, EP-SeSe displays fast stress relaxation, self-healing, remodeling, and weldability due to the [2 + 1] radical-mediated mechanism of the diselenide bonds. We envision that this study provides a facile method for constructing robust multifunctional epoxy resins, which have great potential applications for self-healing and shape-memory epoxy resins. [Display omitted] • Epoxy thermosets (EP-SeSe) based on dynamic diselenide bonds were successfully prepared. • The epoxy thermosets (EP-SeSe) exhibit good mechanical strength, stretchability and excellent self-healing properties. • The dynamic diselenide bonds of bis (4-aminophenyl) diselenide (BAPDSe) made EP-SeSe exhibit excellent stress relaxation. • The epoxy resin have certain shape memory properties under the action of dynamic diselenide bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tracking hundreds of persons in the large and high density scenarios is a particularly challenging task due to the frequent occlusions and merged measurements. In such circumstances, a stronger dynamic model for prediction usually plays a more important role in the overall tracking process. In this paper, we propose an elaborate dynamic model for multiple pedestrians tracking in the extremely crowded environments. The novelty of this tracking model is that: the global semantic scene structure, local instantaneous crowd flow and the social interactions among persons are taken into account together and combined into an unified approach, which can make the prediction for persons’ motion more powerful and accurate. We apply the proposed model by using an online “tracking-learning” framework, which can not only perform the robust tracking in the extremely crowded scenarios, but also ensures that the entire process is fully automatic and online. The testing is conducted on the JR subway station of Tokyo, and the experimental results show that the system with our tracking model can robustly track more than 180 targets at the same time while the occlusions and merge/split frequently occur. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a novel method to extract skeletons of complex articulated objects from 3D point cloud sequences collected by the Kinect. Our approach is more robust than the traditional video-based and stereo-based approaches, as the Kinect directly provides 3D information without any markers, 2D-to-3D-transition assumptions, and feature point extraction. We track all the raw 3D points on the object, and utilize the point trajectories to determine the object skeleton. The point tracking is achieved by the 3D non-rigid matching based on the Markov Random Field (MRF) Deformation Model. To reduce the large computational cost of the non-rigid matching, a coarse-to-fine procedure is proposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first to extract skeletons of highly deformable objects from 3D point cloud sequences by point tracking. Experiments prove our method''s good performance, and the extracted skeletons are successfully applied to the motion capture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As an important class of chemosensory-associated proteins, odorant binding proteins (OBPs) play a key role in the perception of olfactory signals for insects. Parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator relies on its sensitive olfactory system to locate host larvae of Noctuidae and Geometridae. In the present study, MmedOBP14, a male-biased OBP in M. mediator , was functionally investigated. In fluorescence competitive binding assays, the recombinant MmedOBP14 showed strong binding abilities to five plant volatiles: β-ionone, 3,4-dimethylacetophenone, 4-ethylacetophenone, acetophenone and ocimene. Homology modeling and molecular docking results indicated that the binding sites of all five ligands were similar and concentrated in the binding pocket of MmedOBP14. Except acetophenone, the remaining four ligands at 1, 10 and 100 μg/μL caused strong antennal electrophysiological responses in adults M. mediator , and males showed more obvious EAG responses to most ligands than females. In behavioral trials, males were attracted by low concentrations of MmedOBP14 ligands, whereas high doses of β-ionone and acetophenone had a repellent effect on males. Moreover, 1 μg/μL of 3,4-dimethylacetophenone showed the strongest attractiveness to female wasps. These findings suggest that MmedOBP14 may play a more important role in the perception of plant volatiles for male wasps to locate habitat, supplement nutrition and search partners. [Display omitted] • The MmedOBP14 is a male antennal biased OBP in parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator. • Mating experience had no impacts on transcriptional expression of MmedOBP14. • MmedOBP14 has strong binding abilities to five plant volatile components. • The binding sites of all five ligands are similar and concentrated in the binding pocket of MmedOBP14. • Male adults showed more obvious electrophysiological response and behavioral preferences to MmedOBP14 ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We aimed to assess whether machine learning models are superior at predicting acute kidney injury (AKI) compared to logistic regression (LR), a conventional prediction model.Methods: Eligible studies were identified using PubMed and Embase. A total of 24 studies consisting of 84 prediction models met inclusion criteria. Independent samples t-test was performed to detect mean differences in area under the curve (AUC) between ML and LR models. One-way ANOVA and post-hoc t-tests were performed to assess mean differences in AUC between ML methods.Results: AUC data were similar between ML (0.736 ± 0.116) and LR (0.748 ± 0.057) models (p = 0.538). However, specific ML models, such as gradient boosting (0.838 ± 0.077), exhibited superior performance at predicting AKI as compared to other ML models in the literature (p < 0.05). Creatinine and urine output, standard variables assessed for AKI staging, were classified as significant predictors across multiple ML models, although the majority of significant predictors were unique and study specific.Conclusions: These data suggest that ML models perform equally to that of LR, however ML models exhibit variable performance with some ML models displaying exceptional performance. The variability in ML prediction of AKI can be attributed, in part, to the specific ML model utilized, variable selection and processing, study and subject characteristics, and the steps associated with model training, validation, testing, and calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) sourced by the forest fire release are emerging as significant contributors. Despite their increasing importance, the impact of forest fires on POPs remains inadequately explored and an unclear understanding. Herein, the research, choosing four typical forest combustibles, focuses on the relationship between typical POPs and wildfire parameters by assessing the predominant compounds and their concentration in POPs emissions from such fuels through molecular-level analysis. Experiments reveal forest combustibles thermally degrade to release products, releasing a variety of products, including acids (>7.94 %), aldehydes (>2.32 %), ketones (>3.40 %), alcohols (>7.70 %), esters (>2.33 %), ethers (>4.44 %), hydrocarbons (>6.36 %), aromatic compounds (>21.40 %), and nitrogen-bearing compounds (>11.83 %); notably, aromatic compounds, containing substantial concentrations, are also recognized as POPs. By delving into the pyrolysis (20 °C·ms−1) and burning processes (25, 35 and 50 kW/m2) of forest combustibles, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of the origin of POPs in wildfires. Moreover, Pearson correlation analysis is employed to establish connections between emitting volatiles and forest fire risk, further unveiling a significant correlation between fire hazards of forest combustibles and the presence of aromatic compounds (Correlation over 0.8). These findings are crucial for comprehending the POPs in forests and evaluating forest fire hazards at the molecular level. [Display omitted] • Exploring forest combustibles' chemical makeup, POPs up to 21.40 %, raising fire risk. • Evaluating POPs' impact on forest fire risks via correlations, coefficient over 0.8. • Molecular proof that POPs cycle from wildfires affecting forest fire risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The improved ASERM is more accurate and can separate time-variant acceleration errors. • Flexibility in choosing imaging plane, obtaining undistorted SAR ground images and capability of multi-core parallel processing. • PFA interpolation is used to project the signal spectrum directly to the ground plane. • The pixel grid resolution span is smaller and the image quality is higher in the process of IGDC. This paper investigates a new imaging algorithm for high-maneuverability synthetic aperture radar (HM-SAR) travels with high velocities and time-variant accelerations. To be specific, a more precise acceleration-separation-based equivalent range model (ASERM) is established, which can separate time-variant acceleration errors from the ideal linear range model. After 2-D spectral interpolation, a joint compensation method based on inverse-mapping and local filtering is constructed for compensating the space-variant motion error (ME) and image distortions caused by the time-variant acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Henan province, the most populous province in China, is facing serious particulate matter (PM) pollution problem. In this study, a provincial emission inventory of total suspended particles (TSP), particulate matter 10 (PM 10) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) from dust source of the year 2016 was established on a grid of 3 km × 3 km resolution using the RS and GIS technology. The results show that the TSP, PM 10 and PM 2.5 emission from dust source in Henan province were 1261.11 kt·a−1, 461.24 kt·a−1 and 103.05 kt·a−1, respectively. Among various emission sources, construction dust was the main sources of PM emission, which contributes 56.72% of the TSP emission, 77.68% of the PM 10 emission and 76.77% of the PM 2.5 emission. Furthermore, the total emission of TSP, PM 10 and PM 2.5 in Henan province formed a Zhengzhou-centered high emission zone, which was surrounded by Luoyang, Kaifeng, Xinxiang, Jiaozuo and Xuchang cities. PM emission from different dust sources showed particular spatial characteristics, high PM emission of soil dust source was more likely to occur in cities with backward economic development and dry climate, PM emission of construction dust source mainly concentrated in developed and densely populated regions, city centers and the surrounding country centers were the area with high PM emission from road dust source. • A RS and GIS based approach was proposed to establish PM emission inventory of dust sources in Henan province. • The distribution of TSP, PM 10 and PM 2.5 emission from dust sources was depicted on a grid with 3 km × 3 km resolution. • Construction dust source is the main source of PM emission in Henan province. • PM emission from different dust sources shows particular spatial characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct insertion of indium powder into alkyl iodides was found to be efficiently catalyzed by a catalytic amount of cobalt(II) bromide (10 mol%). Upon subjection of the thus-formed alkylindium compounds to palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with a wide range of aryl halides, a series of cross-coupled products could be obtained in moderate to good yields with the tolerance to many important functional groups. Unlabelled Image • Cobalt(II) efficiently catalyzed the insertion of indium into alkyl iodides. • The formed alkylindium could effectively cross-couple with aryl halides. • Both the insertion and cross-coupling exhibited good functional group tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to enhance the adhesion strength between the epoxy resin (EP) substrate and the electroless copper plating layer by utilizing a MnO 2 –H 2 SO 4 –H 2 O–Na 4 P 2 O 7 system for surface modification. The effect of the volume ratio of V H2SO4 :V H2O and the duration of surface modification on various surface characteristics and adhesion strength was examined. The results provide valuable insights into the relationship between these factors and their impact on the properties of the surface. Optimal results were achieved with a volume ratio of V H2SO4 :V H2O at 3:1, a surface modification time of 20 min, Na 4 P 2 O 7 content of 30 g L−1, and a modification temperature of 50 °C. Following the surface modification treatment, the EP substrate surface exhibited many deep micro-holes, significantly improving surface roughness. Due to the enhanced roughness on the surface and the application of suitable modifications, the contact angle on the EP substrate surface exhibited a significant decrease from 94.6° to 19.5°. This alteration caused the surface to transition from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The adhesion strength between the EP substrate and the electroless copper plating layer was significantly increased to 0.74 kN m−1. This improvement was attributed to the combined effects of surface roughness and hydrophilicity of the substrate surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bonding of two-dimensional layered metal hydroxides (LMHs) to silicone rubber (SR) is not yet common, mainly due to the hydrophilic surface and limited layer spacing of LMHs, which make it difficult to achieve uniform distribution. In this work, we modified Fe-Mg-Al LMH nanoparticles by incorporating silsesquioxane nanocages bearing anionic benzoate groups and polyethylene glycol chains (SQ–COOH) using a co-precipitation procedure. The modification step leads to an enlarged interlayer spacing for LMHs and simultaneously transforms their intrinsic hydrophilic surfaces into hydrophobic ones, originating from the rigid and bulky nature and also the intercalation capacity of the modifiers. When melt-blended with SR, this SQ–COOH-incorporating strategy allowed an enhanced LMH dispersion via an interfacial compatibilization between the elastomer matrix and the modified nanoparticles. The resulting SR/LMH@SQ–COOH composites showed the expected improvement in mechanical properties while demonstrating outstanding thermal stability and flame retardancy performance. Most importantly, the synergistic effect of Fe-Mg-Al LMH with SQ–COOH endows this SR composite with significant surface charring ability resulting in a compact and strengthened ceramic-like layer to inhibit progressive combustion, which will find application in packing and other utility. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bonding of two-dimensional layered metal hydroxides (LMHs) to silicone rubber (SR) is not yet common, mainly due to the hydrophilic surface and limited layer spacing of LMHs, which make it difficult to achieve uniform distribution. In this work, we modified Fe-Mg-Al LMH nanoparticles by incorporating silsesquioxane nanocages bearing anionic benzoate groups and polyethylene glycol chains (SQ–COOH) using a co-precipitation procedure. The modification step leads to an enlarged interlayer spacing for LMHs and simultaneously transforms their intrinsic hydrophilic surfaces into hydrophobic ones, originating from the rigid and bulky nature and also the intercalation capacity of the modifiers. When melt-blended with SR, this SQ–COOH-incorporating strategy allowed an enhanced LMH dispersion via an interfacial compatibilization between the elastomer matrix and the modified nanoparticles. The resulting SR/LMH@SQ–COOH composites showed the expected improvement in mechanical properties while demonstrating outstanding thermal stability and flame retardancy performance. Most importantly, the synergistic effect of Fe-Mg-Al LMH with SQ–COOH endows this SR composite with significant surface charring ability resulting in a compact and strengthened ceramic-like layer to inhibit progressive combustion, which will find application in packing and other utility. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramic additive manufacturing (AM) typically uses a high fraction of organic binders to form pre-sintered green parts that require a post de-binding process to remove. The de-binding process inevitably results in severe gas expansion and residual chars, leading to structural defects, accumulated stress, and compromised material properties in the final parts. Here we report a binder-free additive manufacturing process named hydrothermal-assisted jet fusion (HJF) that utilizes a hydrothermal method to create geometrically and compositionally complex ceramics under mild temperatures. The HJF process employs a selectively deposited volatile dissolving ink, high pressure, and mild heat to strategically fuse a ceramic powder bed into complex geometries. Compared to traditional AM methods for ceramics, the HJF process eliminates the need for organic binders in green part fabrication and offers the potential to directly co-print ceramics with other dissimilar materials, such as polymers and metals, enabling the development of novel multi-functional ceramic composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transportation sector has become the leading and most-rapidly growing contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Promoting low-carbon travel mode is critical to alleviate this issue. As a new travel mode, online ride-hailing (such as Didi Chuxing and Uber), is becoming increasingly popular in cities around the world. However, there is still no comparative analysis on fuel consumption and emissions: does online ride-hailing have a distinct fuel consumption and emissions pattern with traditional taxis? In this study, we use one month global positioning system dataset and orders dataset, averagely covering around 7 thousand taxis with 0.3 million trips and 23 thousand Didi Chuxing Express vehicles with 0.1 million trips per day in Chengdu, China to answer this question. Empirical results show that taxi trips associate with longer idle distance and shorter delivery distance than Didi trips. Didi trips' average idle velocity is apparently smaller than their delivery velocity. Online ride-hailing mode is concluded to contribute to these difference: after dropping off previous passengers, Didi drivers usually park their cars until being dispatched new orders and then drive directly to pick up passengers rather than search circuitously. Fuel consumption and carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbon emissions per passenger-on kilometer of taxi trips are found to be about 1.36, 1.45, 1.36 and 1.44 times that of Didi trips, respectively. Additionally, only taxi drivers with good performance have the ability to reduce fuel consumption and emissions; while most Didi drivers can perform well on fuel consumption saving and emissions reduction. Finally, several feasible policies are suggested for improving and upgrading the traditional taxi business. Our study provides convincing evidence for understanding the advantage of online ride-hailing mode in reduction fuel consumption and emissions sourced from empty cruising, so as to support better traffic policy making and the promotion on low-carbon travel mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key challenge in binder jet additive manufacturing is the low density of fabricated parts. An emerging approach to mitigate the low density is comprised of in-situ uniaxial compression of the print. However, the applied pressure prompts a heterogeneous stress network between the ink-saturated print and the surrounding loose powder, i.e., stress shielding. In this work, we aim to investigate the effects of printing parameters on inducing stress shielding during compaction of a selectively ink-wetted powder bed. We find that when compacted with dry powders, saturated powders experienced significantly reduced stresses. The size of print area occupied by the ink-saturated powder played a major role as a decreasing print area led to a more significant disparity in stress between the two regions. Lastly, a higher ink concentration within the print led to a more notable stress shielding effect in the printed region. [Display omitted] • Saturated powders experienced reduced stresses when co-compacted with dry ones. • A smaller print area leads to a more significant disparity in stress in powder bed. • A higher ink concentration leads to a more notable stress shielding effect. • Compaction properties of different regions influence the stress shielding effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the coming of the aging society, the lives and travel of vulnerable groups, especially the elderly, have received unprecedented attention. This paper provides a framework for TOD age inequity research applicable to high-density and public-transport-oriented cities. Our research uses big mobile phone positioning data to extract the age information of TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) station users and uses geographic information and survey data to quantify the TOD service level. Then, we used the Gini coefficient, correlation coefficient analysis, and cluster analysis to explore the differences in TOD resource allocation across age groups on the JR Yamanote Line and part of the JR Chuo line in Tokyo. The results show that inequity exists at the TOD service level regarding user age, and there is a negative correlation between the average age of users and most indicators of TOD. In the clustering results, three unique TOD groups are formed: a) Residence-oriented aging TOD, b) Livable middle-aged TOD, and c) Commuter-oriented young TOD. Based on the research results, we made three suggestions for building an age-friendly TOD: a) More diverse land use, b) Better connectivity between transit nodes and multimodal transportation, and c) Affordable housing cost. • This paper provides a framework for TOD age inequity research applicable to high-density and public-transport-oriented cities. • The TOD user age feature extracted using mobile phone location data is introduced into the node-place model as the third dimension. • The results show that the inequity of TOD resource allocation is related to the average age of users. • The stations are classified into three types, and corresponding optimization suggestions are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first attempt to model search-and-go human behavior as a CTR-like binary classification problem in recommender system. • We propose an effective end-to-end deep learning model with a wide&deep architecture by utilizing LSTM attention and factorization-machine, to learn the sophisticated interactions between mobility data and search data. • We evaluate the framework on real-world dataset collected from Yahoo! Japan portal application, and demonstrate satisfactory performances on multiple search-and-go scenarios at a nation-wide level. • Our propsed model DeepSTIN achieved better performances comparing with the baseline models such as GBDT, DNN, Factorization-supported Neural Network [48], Product-based Neural Network [26], Wide&Deep [2], Deep & Cross Network [31], DeepFM [10], and XDeepFM [19]. • DeepSTIN improves the performance of DeepFM on four datasets by {6.4%, 7.9%, 11.8%, 9.3%} in AUC and {7.8%, 8.5%, 22.0%, 26.8%} in LogLoss. Every day, people are using search engines for different purposes such as research, shopping, or entertainment. Among the behaviors of search engine users, we are particularly interested in search-and-go behavior, which intuitively corresponds to a simple but challenging question, i.e., will users go where they search? Accurately estimating such behavior can be of great importance for Internet companies to recommend point-of-interest (POI), advertisement, and route, as well as for governments and public service operators like metro companies to conduct traffic monitoring, crowd management, and transportation scheduling. Therefore, in this study, we first collect search log data and GPS log data with linked and consistent user ID from Yahoo! Japan portal application installed in millions of smart-phones and tablets. Then we propose a framework including a complete data-processing procedure and an end-to-end deep learning model to predict whether a user will check-in the searched place or not. Specifically, as users' daily activities are considered to have high correlation with their travel, eating, and recreation decision in the future (i.e., go or not), Deep Spatial–Temporal Interaction Network (DeepSTIN) is elaborately designed to automatically learn the sophisticated spatiotemporal interactions between mobility data and search query data. Experimental results based on the standard metrics demonstrate that our proposed framework can achieve satisfactory performances on multiple real-world search scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore wind farms are increasingly becoming the focus of clean sources market because of the huge energy potential and fast-maturing technology. The existing researches normally optimize the wind turbine layout and two-dimensional cable routing independently. This work focuses on the synchronization optimization of site selection of the offshore wind farm, three-dimensional wind turbine layout and three-dimensional cable network routing based on meta-heuristic algorithms and geographic information systems. Several practical issues, i.e., restricted areas, power generation, cable network and energy loss, are taken into consideration. A two-layer model is proposed. The outer layer model is for the site selection and the wind turbine layout optimization. The inner layer model is for the obstacle-avoiding cable routing optimization. In this stage, the seabed terrain is considered for the first time. The proposed integrated model is complex and non-convex. Thus, a hybrid method including an improved ant colony optimization combined with genetic algorithm, dual-simplex method and Kruskal algorithm is proposed to search the solution more efficiently. The initialization stage of the hybrid method is improved from random assignment to directional assignment. The directional solution is obtained by the widely used genetic algorithm. A case study based on a real offshore wind farm is established to prove the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The results show an over one million dollars increase in annual benefit compared with conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionotropic receptors (IRs), as a member of the conserved chemoreceptor families in the peripheral nervous system, play a critical role in the chemoreception of Drosophila. However, little is known about IRs in Hymenoptera insects. Here, we comprehensively characterized the gene structure, topological map and chemosensory roles of antennal IRs (MmedIRs) in the hymenopteran parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator. We found that the IRs were conserved across various insect species. In the in situ hybridization assays, most IRs showed female antennae biased features, and there was no co-expression of the IRs and the olfactory receptor co-receptor (ORco). Moreover, three IR co-expressed complexes, IR75u-IR8a, IR64a1-IR8a and IR64a2-IR8a, were detected. Two genes with high similarity, IR64a1 and IR64a2, were located in distinct neurons but projected to the same sensillum. In two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings, IR64a1 was widely tuned to the chemicals from habitat cues released from host plants over long distances, whereas IR64a2 responded to a narrow range host cues and plant odors with low-volatility. Notably, IR64a2 was able to perceive Z 9-14: Ald, a vital sex pheromone component that is released from Helicoverpa armigera , which is the preferred host of M. mediator. Furthermore, most ligands of IR64a1 and IR64a2 can trigger electrophysiological responses in female wasps. We propose that IR64a1 and IR64a2 collaboratively perceive habitat and host cues to assist parasitoids in efficiently seeking hosts. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A discrete-time MOMILP model for pump scheduling of products pipelines is built. • Various factors about pump operation are considered comprehensively in the model. • A two-stage strategy is adopted to deal with the proposed model. • Two cases from a products pipeline system in China illuminate model's practicability. As one of the major means to link refineries to local markets, pipelines are crucial for refined oil supply chains. Pump scheduling is vital to optimally operate the refined products pipelines. Existing studies mostly quantified the number of pump stop/restart in the form of cost, whereas the cost coefficient was often subjectively selected. The present study built a multi-objective mixed-integer linear programming (MOMILP) model for refined products pipelines to minimize the number of pump stop/restart and reduce the pump running cost simultaneously. In this study, the minimum continuous running time of pumps, changing electricity price (i.e., time-changing electricity price and local electricity) and the pressure limits of special points were considered meticulously, e.g. high-elevation points, low-elevation points and pump stations. In the first stage, the improved augmented ε-constraint method (AUGMECON) was adopted to deal with this model, and obtained a seris of pump operating schemes, acting as a Pareto set. Then the results of the AUGMECON were evaluated by an established evaluation model based on neural network. Finally, two cases from a refined products pipeline system in China were employed to verify the practicability and accuracy of the proposed model. The results of this study can effectively guide the pump scheduling of refined products pipelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the size (weight and volume) of cruise ships are experiencing spectacular increase, coherently with the increase in energy consumption and carbon emissions. However, the regulations about pollutant emissions imposed by the International Maritime Organization are becoming more and more strict. In order to face up to this issue, the energy system of cruise ships is constantly being modified. In this paper, the structure of the cruise ship's energy system with multiple facilities such as an internal combustion engine, gas turbine, dual fuel engine, PV panels, and the wind turbine is pre-established. Then, a multi-objective mathematical programming model is formulated to determine the selection and capacity of facilities with minimal total annual cost and size, while the emissions, energy balance and technical constraints are taken into account. By adopting the augmented ε-constraint method, the design and operation strategies could be obtained. As an illustrated example, the model is applied to a real cruise ship, and the Pareto frontier could provide ship designers with well-balanced solutions based on economic and size priorities, and with the increase in the proportion of size objective, the total annual cost increases and size decreases gradually. Compared with the reference energy system, the optimal energy system could reduce the total annual cost by 12.6% if only the economic objective is considered and reduce the size by 21.1% if only the size objective is considered. In multi-objective condition, the CO, NOx, and SOx emissions could be reduced by 29.1%–61.3%, 42.8%–61.3%, and 42.8%–61.3% per year, respectively. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is conducted, and the result shows that the size and consumption cost of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) are more sensitive to the change of the proportion of size objective compared to Heavy fuel oil (HFO) and Marine diesel oil (MDO). • A multi-objective model for the design optimization of cruise ship energy system is developed. • An augmented ε-constraint method is introduced to solve the optimization problem. • The proposed model could obtain the optimal strategies of the cruise ship energy system with minimal total annual cost and size. • The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is verified through a real cruise ship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the rise of cruise services, energy consumption and emission of the maritime area are increasing. Due to the negative effect of greenhouse gases, many policies have been issued in the world to save energy and reduce emission. Adhering to the principle of energy conservation and emission reduction, an artificial neural network model with strong nonlinear fitting ability is introduced to explore the dynamic sailing data, and predict the fuel consumption for cruise ships based on automatic identification system data. Considering the constraints of station arrival time and the uncertainty of sailing speed and load during sailing, which can obtain the change rule from the historical voyage data, the objective function is to minimize the fuel consumption of a voyage. The established artificial neural network model is embedded into these four improved particle swarm optimization algorithms (GPSO, LPSO, MCPSO and SIPSO) with global search capability to optimize the sailing speed between stations, achieving the economic and environmental protection of a voyage. This method is applied to a real case study of Norwegian waters. By comparing the optimization results of these four algorithms, the total fuel consumption is potential to reduce from 97.4 t to 86.6 t of a voyage with the help of multi-swarm cooperative particle swarm optimization algorithm when its inertia weight is 0.7. It demonstrates that the method can be used as a tool to plan the sailing speed of cruise ships in advance. Highlights • An ANN model for predicting fuel consumption is established. • The uncertainty of load and speed is considered in the model. • The constraints of station arrival time are taken into consideration. • Four improved PSO algorithms are used for testing and comparison. • A real case of Norwegian waters is studied to show the effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, the effects of pressure on the optical sensor in an on-line particle measurement system were investigated in detail based on the quantum theory and kinetic theory of gas. The results show that pressure alters the divergent light angle by altering the density and refractive index of the gas, so that the focused beam position is offset from the center of the aerosol tube; this causes the intensity per cross-section area of the optical measurement volume (OMV) to change, creating a significant deviation in the measurement result relative to the actual sample. Theoretical and experimental dynamic models were established based on the geometric optics theory and the geometric mathematical relation to analyze these variations. The results show that OMV size increases as pressure and divergent light angle increase. During an actual particle measurement process, the dynamic models proposed here can be used to effectively adjust and reconstruct the optical sensor, which can substantially improve the precision and accuracy of the measurement results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the essential role of public railway transport in urban planning and development, it is crucial to understand railway travel behavior. With data and survey cost limitations, the railway travel behavior considered in previous studies suffers from a lack of comprehensiveness. Based on millions of GPS records, we analyzed railway usage behavior and then classified 36 stations on the JR Yamanote and JR Chuo lines in Tokyo based on railway usage behavior. To explore the built environment characteristics of each classification and the relationship between railway usage behavior and the built environment, we generated a series of built environment indicators based on the functional attributes around stations. The results show that railway usage behavior in non-secondary catchment areas correlates strongly with the commercial and functional attributes of stations. For non-core catchment areas around stations, consumption level, housing price, and passenger load are the main influencing indicators. Beyond these analysis results, we also present a policy discussion on railway station construction. We found that GPS records constitute valuable information for assessing station usage and neighborhood construction. These fundings can assist urban planners in performing better land use planning and development assessments for future cities. • Three railway usage behavior patterns are mined based on GPS records. • This study reveals the difference in the usage behavior patterns and uneven development of each station type. • Employ canonical correlation analysis to explore the relationship between railway usage behavior and built environment. • Commercial and transportation attributes mainly influence railway usage behavior in non-secondary areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a novel approach to fabricate dense zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) ceramics with excellent properties via an additive manufacturing process based on stereolithography. The XRD patterns show the ZTA sample consists of α-Al 2 O 3 and t-ZrO 2 with the dominance of α-Al 2 O 3 . The zirconia grain with the average size of 0.35 µm is small enough to trigger the toughening behavior of zirconia in the ZTA. The prepared ceramics showed a density, Vickers hardness, bending strength, and fracture toughness of 4.26 g/cm 3 , 17.76 GPa, 530.25 MPa, and 5.72 MPa m 1/2 , respectively. These properties are comparable to those for ceramics obtained through conventional ceramic processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Al 2 O 3 ceramics were printed by stereolithography from particles with different particle size distributions, which are the micro-sized Al 2 O 3 , nano-sized Al 2 O 3 , and a mixture of both. The influence of the particle size and the debinding method on the density and morphology of the sintered bodies were investigated. The density of the samples containing both micro-sized and nano-sized alumina particles is highest among the three samples. Furthermore, the samples subjected to the vacuum debinding showed a higher density compared with the samples subjected to the traditional thermal debinding. The results suggest that the combination of a powder with a bimodal particle size distribution and the vacuum debinding process offers an effective way to print 3D ceramics with a good performance through stereolithography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a novel approach, integrating stereolithography and liquid precursor infiltration techniques, to fabricate fine-grained alumina ceramics. The XRD patterns of the sample immersed with Zr 4+ or Zr 4+ (Y 3+ ) show that the sintered body contains Al 2 O 3 and t-ZrO 2 as the major phase and minor phase, respectively. Moreover, the t-ZrO 2 phase in the sample immersed with Zr 4+ (Y 3+ ) shows intense peaks compared to the composite immersed with Zr 4+ . On the other hand, the sample immersed with Mg 2+ contained Al 2 O 3 and MgAl 2 O 4 as the major phase and minor phase, respectively. The microstructure of the sample immersed with Zr 4+ shows that ZrO 2 particles are homogeneously distributed in the Al 2 O 3 matrix, thus inhibiting the grain growth of alumina particles. Moreover, the sample immersed with Mg 2+ shows a more dense and fine-grained structure. Compared to the non-infiltrated sample, the average grain size of the alumina sample immersed with Zr 4+ or Mg 2+ decreased. The sample infiltrated with Zr 4+ (Y 3+ ) had the smallest alumina average grain size of 1.14 µm. The ceramics prepared by infiltration showed a higher hardness (19.54 GPa), but a slightly lower fracture toughness (4.02 MPa m 1/2 ) compared to the samples (17.2 GPa, 4.13 MPa m 1/2 ) without infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dense defect-free alumina cutting tool was fabricated via stereolithography process. Different drying processes and debinding profiles were then tested and compared to find the optimal way for the preparation of the sintered body. The experimental results showed that using PEG400 as a liquid desiccant results in a lower deformation of the body compared to the natural drying process. Compared with vacuum debinding or air debinding, a two-step debinding process, which consisted of both a vacuum pyrolysis step and the following air debinding, is allowed to control the pyrolysis rate while suppressing the formation of defects in the alumina body. After optimization of the postprocessing, the relative density of the sample as high as 99.3%, and the Vickers hardness ∼17.5 GPa. These properties are similar to the properties of alumina bodies prepared via the conventional shaping method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The thermolysis/burning behavior of wood under different oxygen concentrations is studied. • The oxygen concentrations affect the wood thermolysis and then influence the release of combustible fuels. • A controlled atmosphere smoke chamber (CASC) is constructed to analyze the heat and smoke release. • The higher the oxygen concentration, the more fully the wood burns and the higher the heat release. • The effect of variable oxygen concentration during wood-burning processes is revealed. Revealing the effect of variable oxygen concentrations during wood-burning processes, have great importance for understanding the wood-burning behavior and drawing attention to the properties of burning lignocellulosic biomass. Herein, we focus on the thermal decomposition and burning behavior of wood in a variable oxygen atmosphere. The thermal-decomposition products and the kinetic analysis are verified combining the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), TGA-FTIR, and TGA-MS. Although the main thermolysis products are similar at different oxygen atmospheres, the thermal-decomposition follow different reaction mechanisms, obtained by the calculated kinetic parameters. The combustibility is explored by the micro-scale combustion calorimeter that analyzes the heat release capacity, peak heat release rate, and total heat release. The oxygen concentrations affect the thermal-decomposition of woods and then influence the release of combustible fuels. Further, we construct a controlled atmosphere smoke chamber (CASC) to analyze the heat and smoke release during the burning of variable oxygen concentrations. The oxygen concentrations exhibit competition between inhibiting and promoting combustion, thus leading to the max smoke release at 19 vol% oxygen concentration. Overall, the combustion parameters at different oxygen concentrations obtained in our study reveal the role of oxygen concentration in the wood-burning processes and have positive implications for understanding the wood-burning behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to excessive ambient light at night (ALAN) has been proved to have a statistical association with human diseases. But current studies on ALAN exposure inequity have likely underestimated exposure levels due to the neglect of personal mobility. Based on mobile phone positioning big data and night-light satellite imagery, we conducted an empirical study on the inequity of ALAN exposure in Tokyo, Japan. We quantified the intensity of ALAN on the grid of mobile phone positioning data. Then we used the Gini coefficient and population-weighted mean exposure to evaluate the inequity of ALAN exposure among individuals and between different population groups. As a result, we found evidence of the inequity of ALAN exposure in Tokyo. For age inequity, younger people suffer higher exposure to light pollution at night, but children are an exception. For gender inequity, there is almost no inequity between men and women. For residence inequity, the average ALAN exposure of non-residents can reach up to about twice that of residents. At time and space nodes where there are more travel behaviors, such as central Tokyo during 18:00–24:00, we have detected higher exposure and stronger inequity, indicating that ignoring personal mobility will cause underestimation. • Based on night-light satellite imagery and dynamic population data • Assessed the exposure to ALAN and the inequity in it for individuals and demographic groups • Revealed the impact of travel behavior on ALAN exposure and its inequity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence indicates that activator protein-1 (AP-1) plays a major role in stimulating the transcription of immune effector molecules in cellular response to an incredible array of stimuli, including growth factors, cytokines, cellular stresses and bacterial and viral infection. Here, we reported the isolation and characterization of a cDNA from Litopenaeus vannamei encoding the full-length c-Fos protein (named as Lvc-Fos). The predicted amino acid sequences of Lvc-Fos contained a basic-leucine zipper (bZIP) domain, which was characteristic of members of the AP-1 family. Immunoprecipitation and native-PAGE assays determined that Lvc-Fos could interact with the Lvc-Jun, a homolog of c-Jun family in L. vannamei , in a heterodimer manner. Further investigation demonstrated that Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun were expressed in all tested tissues and located in the nucleus. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed both Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun in gills were up-regulated during Vibrio parahaemolyticus and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) challenges. In addition, reporter gene assays indicated Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun could activate the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) of Drosophila and shrimp, as well as WSSV immediate early (IE) genes wsv069 and wsv249 , in a different manner. Knockdown of Lvc-Fos or Lvc-Jun by RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in higher mortalities of L. vannamei after infection with V. parahaemolyticus , suggesting that Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun might play protective roles in bacterial infection. However, silencing of Lvc-Fos or Lvc-Jun in shrimp caused lower mortalities and virus loads under WSSV infection, suggesting that Lvc-Fos and Lvc-Jun could be engaged for WSSV replication and pathogenesis. In conclusion, our results provided experimental evidence and novel insight into the roles of L. vannamei AP-1 in bacterial and viral infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper introduces a case study of locating the priority to constructing hydrogen facilities in Tokyo based on a multiple dataset fusion method. • The adopted method considers the effect of land use planning and policy regulation on the practice of facility construction. • The complex network theory and massive GPS trajectory records in the capital region of Japan is adopted for computation. • The rationality and feasibility of result is proved and it also provides detailed analysis and guideline for the future scenarios of hydrogen facility locations. Hydrogen socialization has become a promising target in future energy development. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is gradually becoming a considerable substitute for fossil fuel vehicles in many countries. As for the promotion of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, The construction of facilities like hydrogen refueling stations and depots should be strengthened. The research provides a case study of locating the priority of the construction of hydrogenation facilities, based on policy regulation, massive GPS trajectory records, geographical land use data, road network and, POI data. The PageRank value in the complex network theory is employed to estimate the priority of the Land use Unit and policies regulation is referred to to ensure the feasibility of construction. Among 24,595 Land Use Units in sum, 59.78% of them are allowed to build hydrogen facilities. The results show that the available location of hydrogen refueling stations with high priority (we pick the first 100 for analysis) and feasibility in policy are geographically clustered around the city centers and sub-centers. The place with the highest PageRank value of 0.0033 is Haneda airport, which is an important transportation hub. The PageRank values of most of the other first 100 ranked Land Use Units are under 0.001. This indicates that the vehicle transportation network is highly centralized. There is an obvious sequence of priority of hydrogen refueling stations. We furtherly provide sensitivity analysis and it shows that higher-ranked places are spatially clustered. The best hydrogen depot is located near Tokyo Bay with the advantage of low transportation cost of liquid hydrogen, convenient transportation conditions, strong safety assurance. After verification, the results showed consistency with the current hydrogenation facility construction process and demonstrated the potential for future hydrogenation facility construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lockdown measures have been a "panacea" for pandemic control but also a violent "poison" for economies. Lockdown policies strongly restrict human mobility but mobility reduce does harm to economics. Governments meet a thorny problem in balancing the pros and cons of lockdown policies, but lack comprehensive and quantified guides. Based on millions of financial transaction records, and billions of mobility data, we tracked spatio-temporal business networks and human daily mobility, then proposed a high-resolution two-sided framework to assess the epidemiological performance and economic damage of different lockdown policies. We found that the pandemic duration under the strictest lockdown is less about two months than that under the lightest lockdown, which makes the strictest lockdown characterize both epidemiologically and economically efficient. Moreover, based on the two-sided model, we explored the spatial lockdown strategy. We argue that cutting off intercity commuting is significant in both epidemiological and economical aspects, and finally helped governments figure out the Pareto optimal solution set of lockdown strategy. • Employed millions of financial transaction records and billions of human trajectory records. • Proposed a two-sided model, taking mobility as the bridge to connect epidemics and economics. • Assess the epidemiological performance and economic damage by different lockdown policies. • Found that the strictest lockdown characterize both epidemiologically and economically efficient. • Figured out a Pareto optimal solution set of lockdown strategy, taking Tokyo Metropolis as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mobility is attracting more attention in public health research; however, the existing paradigms typically lack a universal indicator to reveal the underlying mechanism for both urban and rural cases. Based on the large-scale datasets, including national survey, census, and billions of GPS trajectories, we found that the preference for choosing vehicles for travel can be a powerful and universal indicator for regional health levels. Firstly, we showed reliable evidence on the correlation among travel environment, travel behaviors, and health level. Then, we proposed a new travel inverse preference index that is a reliable measurement of unhealthy lifestyle levels and the age-corrected mortality rates within a particular region. The result further showed that multiple spatial environment factors, such as urbanization level, climates, and local walkability, are also strongly related to the indicator. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive spatial analysis to develop strategic policies that the government could adopt for potential social improvement. • Based on billions of GPS trajectories, we found vehicle travel preference is a universal indicator for regional health level. • The relationship between travel preference and unhealthy lifestyle level is the key to connect human mobility and health. • Travel inverse preference index is proven to be a better indicator to represent the social trend of travel mode preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GHGs and GWP were quantified under different crop type and fertilization treatments. • C sequestration effect mainly depended on external inputs in arid cropland regions. • CO 2 equivalent from GHGs could be potentially offset by SOC increments. • Relatively low GHGs and net field-GWP existed in arid cropping systems. With the intensification of food production pressure, arid areas have increasingly become one of the key areas for cropland reclamation. However, due to the relatively low indigenous soil organic matter (SOM), it is worth pondering whether the introduction of integrated cropland management measures will affect the soil organic carbon (SOC), greenhouse gases (GHGs) and global warming potential (GWP) in the arid areas. Based on these, a long-term fertilization experiment was used for a three-year GHG study to gain insights into the GHGs and field-GWP accounting in the western arid region of China. Five treatments, including no fertilizer (CK), inorganic fertilizer (NPK), inorganic fertilizer and straw (NPKS) and two combinations of inorganic fertilizer and manure (NPKM and NPKM+) were selected. Moreover, three crops of cotton, wheat and maize were grown over the three-year period, respectively. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and methane (CH 4) concentrations were measured using the static chamber method from April 2012 to July 2014. The results revealed that the SOC of all fertilizer treatments in topsoil (0−20 cm) increased from approximately 27 Mg C ha−1 in 1990 to 25.5–66 Mg C ha-1 in 2014; furthermore, the SOCSR (SOC sequestration rate) values were from -0.035 to 1.70 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 in the 25 year experiment. The N 2 O and CH 4 emissions across treatments, crops, and years ranged from 0.2 to 3.8 kg N 2 O-N ha−1 yr−1 and −2.3 to 13.0 kg CH 4 -C ha−1 yr−1, respectively, and the emission factor of CH 4 and N 2 O ranged from −0.1 % to 1.3 % and 0.5 % to 1.0 %, respectively, displaying relatively low GHGs emissions compared with other cropping systems in China. Based on the GHGs and SOCSR results, we found relatively low net field-GWP existed in arid and extremely arid cropping system, especially for the manure amendment treatments, implying the sustainability of certain existing managements in the arid area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microporous electrospun membranes have certain advantages of higher porosities and electrolyte wettability owing to their high specific surface areas, but these materials suffer from insufficient mechanical strength and dimensional stability when they are employed in advanced lithium batteries. In order to improve the material characteristics and electrochemical performance of these materials, we report the fabrication of silsesquioxane modified electrospun hybrid poly(vinylidene fluoride- co -hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF(HFP)) membranes via the combination of concurrent electrospinning/electrospraying techniques and a UV-initiated grafting polymerization method. The fabricated electrospun hybrid membranes were systematically characterized via various techniques, including thermal characterization, morphology observation, dimensional and mechanical property tests, as well as electrochemical measurements. Silsesquioxanes were covalently integrated onto the surface of electrospun fibers to obtain rigid sheath-like hybrid shell architectures and enhanced cross-linked networks, thus imparting these electrospun hybrid membranes with superior mechanical properties, thermal and dimensional stabilities, as well as remarkable electrochemical performance. Through an in-depth investigation into the electrochemical performance differential of separator prepared by different molecular-topological silsesquioxanes, we discovered that octa-silsesquioxanes (SQ-T 8) decorated separators offered superior cycling performance while deca-silsesquioxanes (SQ-T 10) exhibited a higher capacity. Through these investigations, we hypothesized that SQ-T 8 and SQ-T 10 assembled into different configurations via intermolecular stacking arrangements as they were grafted onto electrospun fibers. On the basis of these promising results, these electrospun hybrid membranes could find practical applications in advanced lithium batteries. • We fabricated a novel silsesquioxane-grafted hybrid electrospun membranes that featured silsesquioxane-based sheath-like protective shells covalently bonded onto electrospun fibers. • Theses silsesquioxane-grafted hybrid membranes were successfully prepared via UV-initiated grafting cross-linking reaction that is combined with simultaneous electrospinning/electrospraying methods. • Remarkably enhanced mechanical strength and dimensional stabilities of the membranes that is benefiting from the coated silsesquioxane-based protective shell and the formed cross-liked network. • Highly improved electrochemical performance, including higher conductivity, lower electrochemical impedance, superior electrochemical stability as well as improved charge-discharge properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spread of the ride-hailing service over the world, many scholars still argue whether ride-hailing is an effective travel mode for emission reduction. Since rider-hailing is a crowdsourcing system, the user scale can have a great impact on the emission performance of the system. A clearer pattern of the impact of user scale on emission performance of the ride-hailing system should be provided for better local market development and policymaking. In this study, based on massive Didi GPS records, we proposed a cross simulation model to evaluate the impact of user scale on the emission performance of the ride-hailing system and adapted the Gibbs sampling for a comprehensive computation. The result shows a strong impact of user scale on the emission performance. The mean of void cruising distance proportion varies from 2.12% to 44.58% under all situation simulation. Moreover, according to the simulation results under different day conditions, the relationship between the user scale and emission performance is not concerned with the day condition but the local regular travel pattern. Based on this relationship, we provided approximate user scales under expected thresholds of the emission and efficiency performance of ride-hailing. This work can be a foundation and guideline for future decision making on ride-hailing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar PV has seen a spectacular market development in recent years and has become a cost competitive source of electricity in many parts of the world. Yet, prospective observations show that the coronavirus pandemic could impact renewable energy projects, especially in the distributed market. Tracking and attributing the economic footprint of COVID-19 lockdowns in the photovoltaic sector poses a significant research challenge. Based on millions of financial transaction records and 44 thousand photovoltaic installation records, we tracked the spatio-temporal sale network of the distributed photovoltaic market and explored the extent of market slowdown. We found that a two-month lockdown duration can be assessed as a high-risk threshold value. When the lockdown duration exceeds the threshold value, the monthly value-added loss reaches 67.7%, and emission reduction capacity is cut by 64.2% over the whole year. We show that risks of a slowdown in PV deployment due to COVID-19 lockdowns can be mitigated by comprehensive incentive strategies for the distributed PV market amid market uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online ride-hailing as an innovative travel mode becomes increasingly popular in cities around the world. To improve the efficiency of dispatching system of ride-hailing, many ride-hailing demand prediction models based on deep learning architecture have been proposed to reduce the gross travel distance between drivers and passengers. However, in most of these prediction models, only the error metrics are used for performance evaluation. There is scarce evidence on how much the demand prediction model reduces the unnecessary travel distance in reality. In this study, a multi-scenario-based method is proposed to evaluate technical potentials of the ride-hailing demand prediction model in ride-hailing dispatching system simulation. The ride-hailing dispatching is simulated in three scenarios: traditional dispatching system, prediction model-based dispatching system, and perfect prediction model-based dispatching system. One-month data of Didi Express service provided by Didi Chuxing GAIA Initiative in Chengdu is employed to support the simulation. Two terms, empty distance and relative performance, are introduced as the criteria of prediction model performance measurement. Simulation results reveal that the total empty distance reduced 1,164 km per day by using the prediction model compared with the traditional dispatching system. The relative performance is only 58.9% compared with the perfect prediction model-based dispatching system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposing a framework to analyze emission patterns of buses and changes in post-COVID-19. • 2056 buses with 1.5 million ridership and 7589 taxis with 0.2 million trips are used for analysis. • 224 social surveys are collected and show a 56.3% ridership reduction in post-COVID-19. • We find buses cannot be "greener" travel modal than cars if ridership reduces by more than 40%. Emission benefits of transit buses depend on ridership. Declines in ridership caused by COVID-19 leads uncertainty about the emission reduction capacity of buses. This paper provides a method framework for analyzing spatio-temporal emission patterns of buses in combination with real-time ridership and potential emission changes in the post-COVID-19 future. Based on GPS trajectory and Smart Card data of 2056 buses from 278 routes covering 1.5 million ridership in Qingdao, China, spatio-temporal emissions characteristics of buses are studied. 7589 taxis with 0.2 million passengers' trips are used for acquiring private cars' emissions to evaluate the emissions difference between buses and cars. Empirical results show that the average difference between buses and cars with 2 persons can reach up to 117 g/km-person during 7:00–8:59 and 115 g/km-person during 17:00–18:59. However, buses have various emission benefits around the city at different periods. A double increase in emissions during non-rush hours can be observed compared with rush hours. 224 online survey data are used to study the potential ridership reduction trend in post-COVID-19. Results show that 56.3% of respondents would decrease the usage of buses in the post-COVID-19 future. Based on this figure, our analysis shows that per kilometer-person emissions of buses are higher than cars during non-rush hours, however, still lower than cars during rush hours. We conclude that when ridership reduces by more than 40%, buses cannot be "greener" travel modal than cars as before. Finally, several feasible policies are suggested for this potential challenge. Our study provides convincing evidence for understanding the emission patterns of buses, to support better buses investment decisions and promotion on eco-friendly public transport service in the post-COVID-19 future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]