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A type of artificial boundary layer for the numerical simulation of wave propagation, which is named the gradient viscoelastic (GV) boundary layer, is proposed in this study. The setting of the GV boundary layer was established according to the propagation behavior of the longitudinal wave in the elastic GV rod, the analytical solution of the longitudinal wave propagation in the GV rod was obtained via the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) method, and the zero-reflection and attenuation condition was determined. The settings of the GV boundary layer in the 1D and 2D time-domain simulations were applied to numerical examples and then compared. Numerical results showed that setting the GV boundary layer in the structure could remarkably reduce the error caused by truncation, and the combined GV boundary and low-reflection (LR) boundary presented the best combination. These results provide a simple method for artificial boundary layer setting to solve numerical wave simulations in the time domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global space sector has to increasingly consider sustainability concerns in the orbit, given the rising challenge of space debris. In which direction the management of space debris will develop in terms of technological solutions, policies, and actor strategies remains still unclear. This paper applies the concept of 'global socio-technical regimes' to better understand how actors in the global space sector frame, conceive, and legitimize the space debris problem. More specifically, we apply a discourse network analysis method – sociotechnical configuration analysis – to identify and map different value orientations by core actors over the last fifteen years. This analysis reveals three development stages in the discourse: a problem identification period (2007–2011), followed by the rise of national interests amidst increasing promises of space-based infrastructures (2012–2015), and finally, the emergence of a global socio-technical regime that increasingly connects space sustainability with Earth-bound sustainability (2016–2019). Based on our analysis, we expect that ensuring future earth-space sustainability will include a broader mix of challenges. Future approaches to space debris management will have to consider a broader and clearer problem framing to help inform effective policy making. • We mapped the institutional structures that shape global space debris management. • We analyzed value considerations of actors by means of socio-technical configuration analysis. • We observed a broader sustainability framing concerning space over time. • There is a growing consensus on Earth-bound and space-based interdependencies. • Future policies to address space debris require an integrative approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An aqueous two-phase extraction method was established for separating peptides. • This method is simple and efficient for separation of antioxidative peptides. • The top-phase purified peptide exhibited a strong antioxidant activity. • The top-phase purified peptide improved the viability of oxidative damaged cells. • Ten new peptides with potential antioxidant activity were obtained. An ethanol/(NH 4) 2 SO 4 biphasic (aqueous two-phase) system was designed to effectively separate antioxidant peptides from Xuanwei ham, and its potential to prevent ultraviolet A-induced damage to skin cells was explored. Optimization via single factor experiments and response surface methodology revealed that under 20 % ethanol aqueous solution (w/w), 25.5 % (NH 4) 2 SO 4 aqueous solution (w/w), and pH 8.80 conditions, the optimal extraction ratio was 59.0 ± 1.73 %. In vitro antioxidant activity and cellular assays showed that the peptide purified in the upper phase exhibited strong antioxidant activity, increasing the viability of HaCat cells damaged by UVA irradiation from 56.14 ± 1.05 % to 66.3 ± 1.76 %. We used an in silico peptide screening strategy and identified 10 with potential antioxidant activity, emphasizing the important role of amino acids Pro, Gly, and Ala in antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Summarizing the novel preparation methods of BAPs derived from dry-cured ham. • Discussing the challenge of maintaining metabolic stability of BAPs. • Providing legal and regulatory frameworks of BAPs in various countries. Dry-cured hams contain abundant bioactive peptides with significant potential for the development of functional foods. However, the limited bioavailability of food-derived bioactive peptides has hindered their utilization in health food development. Moreover, there is insufficient regulatory information regarding bioactive peptides and related products globally. This review summarizes diverse bioactive peptides derived from dry-cured ham and by-products originating from various countries and regions. The bioactivity, preparation techniques, bioavailability, and metabolic stability of these bioactive peptides are described, as well as the legal and regulatory frameworks in various countries. The primary objectives of this review are to dig deeper into the functionality of dry-cured ham and provide theoretical support for the commercialization of bioactive peptides from food sources, especially the dry-cured ham. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin, a biopolymer generated from renewable resources, is widely present in terrestrial plants and possesses notable biosafety characteristics. The objective of this work was to assess the edible safety, in vitro antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties of various lignin fractions isolated from commercially available coffee beans often used for coffee preparation. The findings suggest that the phenolic hydroxyl content increased from 3.26 mmol/g (ED70L) to 5.81 mmol/g (ED0L) with decreasing molecular weight, which resulted in more significant antioxidant properties of the low molecular weight lignin fraction. The findings of the study indicate that the viability of RAW 264.7 and HaCaT cells decreased as the quantity of lignin fractions increased. It was observed that concentrations below 200 μg/mL did not exhibit any harmful effects on normal cells. The results of the study demonstrated a significant reduction of cancer cell growth (specifically A375 cells) at a concentration of 800 μg/mL for all lignin fractions, with an observed inhibition rate of 95 %. The results of this study indicate that the lignin extracts derived from coffee beans exhibit significant potential in mitigating diseases resulting from excessive radical production. Furthermore, these extracts show promise as natural antioxidants and anti-cancer agents. [Display omitted] • Lignin from coffee beans shows antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. • Lignin fractions didn't harm normal cells below 200 μg/mL. • Lignin fractions reduced cancer cell growth at 800 μg/mL. • The low molecular weight lignin demonstrated notable anti-cancer capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigate the daily commuting patterns allowing both late arrival in the morning and early departure in the evening. • Derive all possible equilibrium traffic flows. • Develop a combined regime of time-varying road toll and linear location-dependent parking fee. • Design a parking reservation regime joint with time-varying road toll. This paper extends the work of Zhang et al. (2008) to investigate the daily commuting patterns allowing both late arrival in the morning and early departure in the evening in a linear city. Given the fixed parking locations of morning commuters, the Nash equilibrium principle is employed to formulate commuters' departure time choice in the evening and the user equilibrium principle in terms of daily travel cost is adopted to formulate the departure time choice of morning commuters. A combined regime of linear location-dependent parking fee and time-varying road toll is then proposed to reduce the total social cost (TSC) for the linear city. All the possible equilibrium traffic flows are analytically derived. The analytical results show that (1) commuters, who arrive at work early in the morning, may not depart early in the evening, but their evening trip costs must be lower; (2) when the parking spaces become denser, the evening commute starts earlier and the morning commute starts later; (3) a linear location-dependent parking fee could either advance or postpone the earliest departure time in the morning; (4) three parking modes, distinguished by the order in which commuters park, occur successively as the parking fee rate increases; and (5) an appropriate parking fee can always improve the system efficiency, but no matter how the parking fee is changed, it is impossible to completely eliminate the efficiency loss in the morning. Furthermore, a parking reservation regime joint with time-varying road toll is designed to minimize the TSC for the linear city. Finally, a set of numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the model's properties and these proposed regimes' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns with measures of the sensitivity of a multiple nonzero finite generalized singular value of two matrices having the same number of columns. Our results show that a multiple nonzero generalized singular value generally has multiple condition numbers and their explicit expressions are derived. A numerical example is used to verify our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hydrazone-linked covalent organic framework TpBch is designed and synthesized. • The adsorption performance of TpBch can be easily controlled by ambient pH. • TpBch is promising for pH-mediated removal of DOX from aqueous solution. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) from pharmaceutical industry and daily life can cause inherent damage to human health and living organisms. The adsorption and removal of DOX from the contaminated water is urgent and the development of efficient adsorbents is highly desired. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have charming properties such as diverse structures, intrinsic porosity, large surface area and good chemical stability, presenting huge potential in contaminants elimination. Herein, a novel hydrazone-linked COFs (TpBch) was designed and synthesized via solvothermal method and served as an efficient adsorbent for pH-mediated adsorption and removal of DOX from aqueous solution. Intriguingly, the adsorption performance of TpBch was easily controlled by the ambient pH. The adsorption isotherms, thermodynamics and kinetics, desorption and regeneration of TpBch for DOX adsorption was detailedly investigated. Additionally, TpBch could be easily regenerated through the variation of pH, without the use of any toxic organic solvents. The developed hydrazone-linked COFs TpBch is promising as adsorbent for pH-mediated adsorption and removal of DOX from the aqueous environment with fast adsorption rate, high adsorption capacity and good reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultrasound-assisted extraction could be a good method for extracting larvae proteins. • Ultrasound-assisted extraction could improve properties of larvae proteins. • The findings could promote the wider application of larvae proteins in food industry. In this study, we developed an ultrasound-assisted alkaline method for extracting black soldier fly larvae protein (BSFLP). The effects of ultrasound-assisted extraction on the nutritional value, structural characteristics, and techno-functional properties of BSFLP were compared with those using the conventional hot alkali method. The results showed that ultrasound-assisted extraction significantly increased the extraction ratio of BSFLP from 55.40% to 80.37%, but reduced the purity from 84.19% to 80.75%. The BSFLP extracted by ultrasound-assisted extraction met the amino acid requirements for humans proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization in 2013, and ultrasound-assisted extraction did not alter the limiting amino acids of the BSFLP. The ultrasound-assisted extraction increased the in vitro protein digestibility from 82.97% to 99.79%. Moreover, ultrasound-assisted extraction obtained BSFLP with a more ordered secondary structure and more loosely porous surface morphology, without breaking the peptide bonds. By contrast, the conventional hot alkaline method hydrolyzed BSFLP into smaller fragments. The effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction on the structure of BSFLP improved the solubility and emulsion capacity of BSFLP, but reduced its foaming properties. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction could be a suitable method for extracting BSFLP and improving its nutritional value, and structural and functional properties. The findings obtained in this study could promote the wider application of BSFLP in food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-step inexact Newton-Chebyshev-like method is proposed to solve inverse eigenvalue problems. Unlike general Newton type methods which need to invert the Jacobian matrix that may lead to an unexpected instability, the proposed method can guarantee the numerical stability by exploiting the Chebyshev method to approximate the inverse of the Jacobian matrix. Theoretically, we prove that the proposed method converges cubically. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess outcomes in obese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who sustained an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the improved prone position and right lateral position. Between January 2015 and May 2016, a total of 60 patients were enrolled in this randomized controlled study. Patients in group A were placed in the improved prone position for a bilateral transpedicular technique, and those in group B were placed in the right lateral position for a left transverse process-pedicle approach. Clinical and radiologic outcomes were assessed and compared between the 2 groups during the 12-month follow-up period. All operations were successfully completed without any serious sequelae. The operation time, fluoroscopic time, scores for respiratory condition during the operation, intravertebral cement volume, and incidence of cement leakage were significantly greater in group A compared with group B (P < 0.01). During the follow-up period, all patients in both groups experienced significant improvement in pain relief. Satisfactory functional improvement was obtained at 3 months postoperatively. Treatment of obese patients with COPD suffering from painful OVCF by PVP in both the improved prone position with a bilateral technique and the right lateral position with a unilateral technique was relatively safe and effective. However, unilateral PVP in the right lateral position was associated with a shorter operation time, limited fluoroscopic time, and minimal cement leakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the association between discordance in crown–rump length (CRL) and adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in dichorionic twin pregnancies. This was a retrospective cohort study of dichorionic twin pregnancies after IVF that showed two live fetuses at the first ultrasound scan between 6 +5 and 8 weeks gestational age from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016. Study groups were defined by the presence or absence of 20% or more discordance in CRL. The primary outcomes were early fetal loss of one or both fetuses before 12 weeks and birthweight discordance. Secondary outcomes included fetal anomalies, fetal loss between 12 and 28 weeks, stillbirth, small for gestational age (SGA) at birth, low birthweight (LBW), very low birthweight (VLBW), admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and preterm delivery (PTD). CRL-discordant twin pregnancies were more likely to end in the loss of one fetus before 12 weeks' gestation (odds ratio [OR] 15.877, 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.495–24.019). Discordant twin pregnancies with twin deliveries had a significantly higher risk of birthweight discordance (OR 1.943, 95% CI 1.032–3.989). There was no significant difference in perinatal outcomes including fetal anomalies, PTD, LBW, VLBW, SGA, neonatal death and admission to NICU between singleton or twin deliveries. Discordant twin pregnancies were at increased risk of one fetal loss prior to 12 weeks' gestation. Except for birthweight discordance, there was no significant difference between CRL discordance and other adverse perinatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract By using a new Fragment-Based Virtual Screen strategy, two series of novel FBA-II inhibitors (thiourea derivatives) were de novo discovered based on the active site of fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase from Cyanobacterial (CyFBA). In comparison, most of the N -(2-benzoylhydrazine-1-carbonothioyl) benzamide derivatives (L14∼L22) exhibit higher CyFBA-II inhibitory activities compared to N -(phenylcarbamothioyl) benzamide derivatives (L1∼L13). Especially, compound L14 not only shows higher CyFBA-II activity (K i = 0.65 μM), but also exhibits most potent in vivo activity against Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (EC 50 = 0.09 ppm), higher (7-fold) than that of our previous inhibitor (EC 50 = 0.6 ppm). The binding modes of compound L14 and CyFBA-II were further elucidated by jointly using DOX computational protocol, MM-PBSA and site-directed mutagenesis assays. The positive results suggest that strategy adopted in this study was promising to rapidly discovery the potent inhibitors with novel scaffolds. The satisfactory algicide activities suggest that the thiourea derivatives is very likely to be a promising lead for the development of novel specific algicides to solve Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A novel impedimetric sensor, based on DNA intercalator, GR-5 DNAzyme and the low-cost gold interdigitated electrodes (GID), was studied to detect lead ions in this paper. It takes GR-5 DNAzyme as the recognition element immobilized on GID and anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (AQMS) as the DNA intercalator for improving its sensitivity of lead ions detection. When the GID modified with GR-5 DNAzyme were incubated in intercalator solution, AQMS will intercalate into the base-pairing regions of GR-5 DNAzyme. In the presence of Pb2+ ions, the GR-5 DNAzyme was activated and the substrate strand was cleaved into two parts at the RNA site (rA), which results in the releasing of AQMS from the GR-5 DNAzyme. With the decrease of AQMS, the magnitudes of the impedance increased, which relates to the Pb2+ concentration, was obtained. Our results demonstrate that the proposed sensor has a detection limit of 0.33 nM, and the linear range from 1 nM to 100 nM with a high selectivity. Finally, the sensor shows an average recovery of 99.31–107.85% when it was used to detect Pb2+ in water samples. Additionally, the GID were made on printed circuit board (PCB) which was cost-effective and mass production because of the mature produce technology. Furthermore, the application of AQMS leads to significantly decrease of the detection limit of the Pb2+. Therefore, the strategy shown that a promising applications in environmental and food-field monitoring. Graphical abstract The graphical abstract is preparation of impedimetric sensor. The high specificity of GR-5 DNAzyme fixed on gold interdigitated electrodes (GID), which made on printed circuit board (PCB) is cost-effective. The anionic intercalator anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (AQMS) intercalated into the base-pairing regions of GR-5 DNAzyme as the signal amplification. In the presence of Pb2+ ions, the GR-5 DNAzyme was cleaved into two parts at the RNA site (rA), which results in the releasing of AQMS from the GR-5 DNAzyme. The anionic intercalator can promote electron transfer without interfering signals, which enhanced the performance of the sensor obviously. Unlabelled Image Highlights • Our sensors based on gold interdigitated electrodes(GID) made on printed circuit board (PCB) which is cost-effective. • The proposed sensor obtained a lower detection limit with the utilization of anionic intercalator(AQMS). • Our approach could be switched to immobilize other DNAzyme and aptazyme for the quantification of various target molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scutebarbatine A (SBT-A), a diterpenoid alkaloid, has exerted cytotoxicity on hepatocellular carcinoma cells in our previous works. Here, the antitumor activity of SBT-A in breast cancer cells and the underlying mechanism were explored. The anti-proliferative effect of SBT-A was measured by trypan blue staining, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation and colony formation assay. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were evaluated by observing the nuclear focus formation of γ-H2AX. Cell cycle distribution was assessed by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was determined by a TUNEL assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and superoxide production were measured with 2′, 7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and dihydroethidium (DHE) staining, respectively. The results indicated that SBT-A showed a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect against breast cancer cells while revealing less toxicity toward MCF-10A breast epithelial cells. Moreover, SBT-A remarkably induced DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. SBT-A treatment increased the levels of ROS and cytosolic superoxide production. Pretreatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, was sufficient to block viability reduction, DNA damage, apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress caused by SBT-A. By exposure to SBT-A, the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) was upregulated, while the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was downregulated. In addition, SBT-A inhibited the EGFR signaling pathway by decreasing EGFR expression and phosphorylation of Akt and p70S6K. As mentioned above, SBT-A has a potent inhibitory effect on breast cancer cells through induction of DNA damage, apoptosis and ER stress via ROS generation and modulation of MAPK and EGFR/Akt signaling pathway. • SBT-A induces DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. • Elevation of ROS is associated with DNA damage, apoptosis and ER stress induced by SBT-A. • Suppression of ERK activity and EGFR/Akt pathway are involved in anticancer activities of SBT-A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve an insightful look within biomolecular processes on the cellular level, the development of diseases as well as the reliable detection of metabolites and pathogens, a modern analytical tool is needed that is highly sensitive, molecular-specific and exhibits fast detection. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is known to meet these requirements and, within this review article, the recent progress of label-free SERS in biological and biomedical applications is summarized and discussed. This includes the detection of biomolecules such as metabolites, nucleic acids and proteins. Further, the characterization and identification of microorganisms has been achieved by label-free SERS-based approaches. Eukaryotic cells can be characterized by SERS in order to gain information about the outer cell wall or to detect intracellular molecules and metabolites. The potential of SERS for medically relevant detection schemes is emphasized by the label-free detection of tissue, the investigation of body fluids as well as applications for therapeutic and illicit drug monitoring. The review article is concluded with an evaluation of the recent progress and current challenges in order to highlight the direction of label-free SERS in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we estimate the following quantity sep [ ( A , B ) , ( C , D ) ] = min ‖ X ‖ F = 1 ‖ A X D − B X C ‖ F , where A , B ∈ C m × m , C , D ∈ C n × n and ‖ ⋅ ‖ F is the Frobenius norm. In terms of the generalized Schur decomposition and Weiestrass canonical form of the regular matrix pair, lower and upper bounds of sep [ ( A , B ) , ( C , D ) ] are derived, respectively. The results are illustrated by numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel technology termed as ‘grinding pyrolysis’ has been developed in response to the limitations hindering the commercialisation of existing fast pyrolysis technologies. Some of the features of this novel technology include capability of feeding biomass having a wide range of particle sizes in the same feedstock, simultaneous pyrolysis and grinding, no requirement for a fluidising gas and simplified requirement for cooling and condensing the pyrolysis products. A pilot plant was developed to study the effects of various operating conditions on the yields of bio-oil and biochar. Experiments have been done using mallee biomass grown in Western Australia. Feed particle sizes of up to a few centimetres have been used successfully. It was proved that the simultaneous grinding and pyrolysis helps liberating volatiles from a pyrolysing biomass particle and is capable of producing higher organic yields than pyrolysis without grinding. The effective size of a pyrolysing particle was significantly decreased by the simultaneous grinding activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two isostructural 3D porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely [Co 2 (Htpim) 2 (odpa)]·8H 2 O (1) and [Ni 2 (Htpim) 2 (odpa)]·8H 2 O (2) (Htpim = 2,4,5-tri(4-pyridyl)-imidazole, odpa = 4,4′-oxydiphthalate), were prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, IR spectra and thermal analyses. The 3D architectures of compounds 1 and 2 are built from 1D metal-organic nanotubes (MONTs) which connect with each other by bridging ligands, and every 1D MONT is generated by linking the vertexes of helical chain with metal-organic fragments. In addition, the magnetic properties of 1 and 2 have also been studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An ultra-small hydrazone-linked covalent organic polymer (UHCOP) was synthesized. • UHCOP presented good stability and strong fluorescence in aqueous solution. • UHCOP is promising as fluorescent sensor for Fe3+detection in aqueous solution. A novel ultra-small hydrazone-linked covalent organic polymer (UHCOP) was synthesized based on the Schiff-base reaction between 2,4,6-trihydroxy-1,3,5-benzenetricarbaldehyde and 1,4-benzenedicarbohydrazide at room temperature and utilized as a sensitive fluorescent sensor for rapid (<2 min) and selective detection of Fe3+ in aqueous solution. The prepared UHCOP displayed ultra-small size with the diameter of 7.98 ± 0.97 nm and gave a stable fluorescent emission at 510 nm. UHCOP exhibited good sensitivity and highly selectivity towards Fe3+. The coordination interaction between UHCOP and Fe3+ resulted in the obviously aggregation-caused quenching response of UHCOP. The linear range was from 5.0 μM to 1.4 mM (R2 = 0.999) with the detection limit of 2.5 μM. Finally, UHCOP has been successfully applied in the detection of Fe3+ in real water samples, proving the fabricated UHCOP is promising as a sensitive fluorescent sensor for selective detection of Fe3+ in aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commuters can complete their “home-work-home” trips by three options: subway-only mode, auto-only mode, and park-and-ride mode on a bottleneck-constrained corridor. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the insights into pricing mechanism for subway and parking and corresponding mode choice behavior on the corridor with elastic demand. A nested logit-based stochastic user equilibrium model is proposed to characterize the commuters’ modal choice. Dispersion parameters in the nested logit model reflect the risk or uncertainty of mode choice. It is found by sensitivity analysis that the impacts of subway fare and parking fee on the commute pattern are not always monotonous. Optimal strategies of subway fare and parking fee are discussed, respectively, under four market schemes by assuming that the subway and the parking lot at workplace are operated by either the government or a private owner. A numerical example is presented to illustrate how the pricing policies affect demand implementation, mode choice behavior and benefits of private owners and the whole transportation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar-induced overall water splitting to produce hydrogen is inspiring towards energy sustainability, but it is also formidable due to its limited efficiency seriously hindering its scale up for practical application. CdS is an important transition metal sulfide with low-work-function. However, its photostability is often deteriorated due to photocorrosion influence. To overcome this issue, single-atom Pd was employed here to decorate CdS to form a CdS-Pd nanocatalyst through a simple and controllable photoinduced reduction strategy. The synergetic semiconductor (CdS)-metal (Pd) interaction promotes the fast bulk-to-surface electron migration, thereby the resultant CdS-Pd (3.83‰) nanocatalyst shows considerable structural stability and dramatically improved solar-induced HER activity in overall water splitting, about 110-fold higher than that of pristine CdS. Meanwhile, high apparent quantum yields (AQYs) of 4.47%/1.81% and 33.92%/27.49% were respectively achieved with this decorated nanocatalyst under the light of 420 nm/500 nm in absence and presence of scavenger, demonstrating the high-efficiency under broadband light illumination. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation supports that the easy formation of H* intermediates on the decorated nanocatalyst due to low energy barriers accounts for the internal promoted mechanism for hydrogen production. This study provides important insight to gain stable CdS-based photocatalysts for high-efficient hydrogen production by overall water splitting. Fast bulk-to-surface electron migration for overall water splitting under simulated solar light. [Display omitted] • Single-atom Pd was decorated to CdS through a simple and controllable strategy. • Synergetic semiconductor (CdS)-metal (Pd) interaction promotes fast bulk-to-surface electron migration. • High apparent quantum yields were achieved with this decorated nanocatalyst. • Hydrogen production on the decorated nanocatalyst presents low energy barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study and analyze absolute and relative condition numbers of the spectral projections for regular periodic eigenproblems. The main contribution is to derive explicit expressions of the condition numbers of the j-th left and right spectral projections. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the proposed condition numbers for the spectral projections associated with periodic eigenproblems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, we study the optical properties experimentally and theoretically of a unique structure with a dielectric film spacer intercalated between a corrugated metal film (CMF) and a monolayer colloidal crystal (CC). Multi-band enhanced optical transmission (EOT) phenomenon is achieved in this new metallo-dielectric structure, which is very different from the only one EOT band found in the conventional plasmonic crystal (CPC) composed of a metal film coated directly on the CC. Particularly, the location and intensity of the EOT spectrum can be easily tailored by varying the geometry parameters of the intercalated dielectric, which could show applications in the development of cost-effective plasmonic components for the light absorption and surface enhanced spectroscopies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Al2O3 ( ) surface was investigated theoretically for the first time. [•] Stability of Al2O3 ( ) surface was studied considering environmental effects. [•] Large outward relaxations of O atoms at the surface were found. [•] Termination transforms from stoichiometric to O-rich at given T as P (O2) increases. [•] Electronic structures of five surface models were discussed based on ELF and DOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Two models of Al/Al2O3 interfaces were studied by using first-principle method. [•] Stoichiometric Al2O3 (0001) surface is more stable than reconstructed surface. [•] Type 2 interface behaves better wettability than Type 1 interface. [•] Perfect wetting for Type 2 interface may occur after oxidation of liquid Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We study the magnetic impurity effects in iron-based superconductors. [•] We study the quasiparticle interference effect in two impurities system. [•] The magnetic scattering play a primary role in the appearance of the symmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has long been interest to control the transfer of population between specified quantum states and protect the coherence of the system at the same time. In this paper, from the perspective of engineering implementation, and based on the idea of reverse engineering, we propose a control scheme for state transfer of two-level open quantum system, which is to drive system from arbitrary initial state to desired target state. In order to ensure that the system can process information effectively, we design the control pulse in advance in terms of population number and coherence, and then verify the validity through numerical simulation. The results show that the system can be driven from any initial state to the desired target state by the designed control pulse, and the coherence of the system is well protected during the state transfer. The influences of environmental decoherence on population transfer and coherence control is further discussed. It reveals that the control pulse presented in this paper is robust to the variation of related parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quasiparticle bound states and vortex core contraction effects in iron-based superconductors are studied by solving the Bogoliubov de Gennes (BdG) equations self-consistently including pair coupling effects. We find that the appearance of quasiparticle bound states in the vortex core is controlled not only by the pair coupling effects but also by the inter-orbit coupling strength. We also point out that the rapid vortex core contraction is controlled by quasiparticle interference effects. We suggest that these results deserve more attention in analysis of vortex quasiparticle bound states and vortex core contraction effects found in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments for different iron-based superconductors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Let be a definite matrix pair of order , and let the columns of span an -dimensional approximate invariant eigenspace of . In this paper, we present a Hoffman–Wielandt-type residual bound for eigenvalues between Rayleigh quotient matrix pair and , which extends a result of Kahan [W. Kahan, Numerical Linear Algebra, Canadian Mathematical Bulletin, 9 (1966) 757–801]. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigate the vortex core shrinking effect in three-layered superconductors based on the inter-layer coupling Bogoliubov de Gennes (BdG) equations. It is found that the vortex core contraction is due to the quasiparticle interference effect. We point out that a rapid vortex core contraction is controlled by inter-layer couplings and a magnetic field. We also find that the quasiparticle interference effect in the vortex induces vortex charges which show an oscillation behavior. This oscillation behavior explains the local density of states (LDOSs) oscillation found in experiments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A suitable culture condition using advanced biomaterials has the potential to improve stem cell differentiation into selective lineages. In this study, we evaluated the effects of recombinant extracellular matrix (ECM) components on the mouse embryonic stem (mES) and induced pluripotent stem (miPS) cells'' self-renewal and differentiation into neural progenitors, comparing conventional culture substrata. The recombinant ECMs were established by immobilizing two chimera proteins of cadherin molecules, E-cadherin-Fc and N-cadherin-Fc, either alone or in combination. We report that the completely homogeneous population of mES and miPS cells could be maintained on E-cadherin-based substrata under feeder- and serum-free culture conditions to initiate neural differentiation. Using defined monolayer differentiation conditions on E-cadherin and N-cadherin (E-/N-cad-Fc) hybrid substratum, we routinely obtained highly homogeneous population of primitive ectoderm and neural progenitor cells. Moreover, the differentiated cells with higher expression of βIII-tubulin, Pax6, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in absence of GFAP (a glial cell marker) expression suggesting the presence of a lineage restricted to neural cells. Our improved culture method should provide a homogeneous microenvironment for differentiation and obviate the need for protocols based on stromal feeders or embryoid bodies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we investigate structured backward errors for three kinds of generalized saddle point systems where the matrix is not symmetric and its block is not zero and has perturbations. Computable formula of backward errors are derived. The expressions are useful for testing the stability of practical algorithms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three new coordination polymers, [M1.5(stp)(bpe)(H2O)] (M=Mn(1), Cd(2), Zn(3)) have been prepared by hydro-/solvo-thermal reactions of 2-sulfoterephthalate (stp) and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane (bpe) ligands with d-block Mn(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) salts. Complexes 1 and 2 are isomorphic except for the difference of the metal ions, while complexes 1–3 are polymorphic because of the different coordination modes that stp ligand adopts. The left- and right-handed helixes construct 2D layer from metal ions and stp ligands for 1–3, and the anti-bpe ligands as the pillars complete 3D structure. All the three complexes exhibit a new (2,3,4)-connected network with the Schläfli symbol {8;122}4{82; 12; 142; 16}{8}2 based on the different structural motifs. The magnetic properties of 1 reveal that there exists weak antiferromagnetic coupling between the Mn(II) ions. And the solid-state photoluminescence of 2 and 3 can be attributed to the intraligand π–π* transition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We analyze the magnetic properties through two-orbital Hubbard model with the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) interaction in the iron-based superconductors. With the help of the Ising approximation for the Hund’s coupling between the itinerant electrons and the localized spins, we give a self-consistent account of the various magnetic orders observed in pnictides and the pairing symmetry. We also calculate the local density of states (LDOS) of the vortex state when a magnetic field is applied. The LDOS without SOC shows no resonant peak at the vortex core center in the superconducting state, while it shows an obvious resonant peak when SOC is applied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on abalone (Haliotis diversicolor supertexta) embryonic development were investigated by exposing the fertilized eggs to four different concentrations of BPA (0.05, 0.2, 2 and 10μgmL−1). Toxicity endpoints including the embryo development parameters, the physiological features and the expression profile of several reference genes (prohormone convertase 1, PC1; cyclin B, CB; and cyclin-dependent kinase 1, CDK1) were assessed. The results showed that BPA could markedly reduce embryo hatchability, increase developmental malformation, and suppress the metamorphosis behavior of larvae. The possible toxicological mechanisms hidden behind of these effects (i.e. disturbing the embryogenesis) might result from three aspects: (1) BPA disturbance the cellular ionic homeostasis and osmoregulation of abalone embryos by changing the Na+–K+-ATPase and Ca2+–Mg2+-ATPase levels; (2) BPA induced oxidative damage of embryos by significantly alterating the peroxidase (POD) activities and the malondialdehyde (MDA) production; and (3) the RT-PCR analysis further demonstrated that BPA perturbed the cellular endocrine regulation and cell cycle progression by down-regulating the PC1 gene, as well as over-expressing the CB and CDK1 genes. This is the first comprehensive study on the developmental toxicity of BPA to the marine abalone at morphological, physiological and molecular levels. The results in this study also indicated that the embryo tests can contribute to the ecological risk assessment of the endocrine disruptors in marine environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on an antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin fluctuation approximation, we study the superconducting gaps in Fe-based compound using two-band model. We find that our results are consistent with the previous work that concludes sign-reversal extended s-wave pairings between different Fermi surface sheets. The different superconducting gap magnitude around different Fermi surface sheets is probably due to the different density of states on them. This calculation can give insight to the recent angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) experiments on these materials. To detect the phase variation of the superconducting gap over the Fermi surfaces, we propose a new method for measuring the particular wave vector phonon linewidth. In the case of the sign-reversal superconducting pairing, the linewidth shows continuities compared to the case of no phase variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A toxicity test was performed to investigate the possible harmful effects of tributyltin (TBT) on abalone (Haliotis diversicolor supertexta). Animals were exposed to TBT in a range of environmentally relevant concentrations (2, 10 and 50ng/L) for 30 days under laboratory conditions. TBT-free conditions were used as control treatments. The activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), and malondialdehyde (MDA), along with levels of haemolymph metabolites, and hepatopancreas histopathology were analyzed. The results showed that TBT decreased SOD activity, and increased POD level and MDA production in a dose-dependent way, indicating that oxidative injury was induced by TBT. Haemolymph metabolite measurements showed that TBT increased alanine and glutamate levels, and decreased glucose content, which suggested perturbation of energy metabolism. Elevated levels of acetate and pyruvate in the haemolymph indicated partial alteration of lipid metabolism. A decrease in lactate and an increase in succinate, an intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, indicated disturbance of amino acid metabolism. Hepatopancreas tissues also exhibited inflammatory responses characterized by histopathological changes such as cell swelling, granular degeneration, and inflammation. Taken together, these results demonstrated that TBT was a potential toxin with a variety of deleterious effects on abalone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on the Bogoliubov de Gennes (BdG) equations, we study the Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov (FFLO) states for d-wave superconductor in anisotropic triangular system self-consistently with a strong magnetic field applied parallel to its conducting planes. We find that the two-dimensional FFLO state transforms to one-dimensional FFLO state as the system frustrated. The calculated local density of states are suggested to distinguish these states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, much attention has been paid to develop meat and meat products with physiological functions to promote health conditions and prevent the risk of diseases. This review focuses on strategies to improve the functional value of meat and meat products. Value improvement can be realized by adding functional compounds including conjugated linoneleic acid, vitamin E, n3 fatty acids and selenium in animal diets to improve animal production, carcass composition and fresh meat quality. In addition, functional ingredients such as vegetable proteins, dietary fibers, herbs and spices, and lactic acid bacteria can be directly incorporated into meat products during processing to improve their functional value for consumers. Functional compounds, especially peptides, can also be generated from meat and meat products during processing such as fermentation, curing and aging, and enzymatic hydrolysis. This review further discusses the current status, consumer acceptance, and market for functional foods from the global viewpoints. Future prospects for functional meat and meat products are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A backward error for inverse singular value problems with respect to an approximate solution is defined, and an explicit expression for the backward error is derived by extending the approach described in [J.G. Sun, Backward errors for the inverse eigenvalue problem, Numer. Math. 82 (1999) 339–349]. The expression may be useful for testing the stability of practical algorithms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: N-cadherin is a cell–cell adhesion molecule and plays important roles in neural development. With conventionally used extracellular matrices (ECMs), maintenance of undifferentiated state of stem cells and regulation of their neural differentiation process is very difficult due to the colony formation through intercellular interactions. To overcome the above-mentioned problems, we developed a new artificial ECM to mimic N-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion. In this study, we constructed a chimeric protein (N-cadherin fused to IgG-Fc, abbreviated as N-cad-Fc), which contains extracellular domain of N-cadherin and Fc domain of IgG. We confirmed that N-cad-Fc can stably adsorb to hydrophobic surface. We checked maintenance of undifferentiated state and neural differentiation ability of stem cells cultured on N-cad-Fc-coated surface. Both P19 and MEB5 cells cultured on N-cad-Fc-coated surface showed scattering morphologies without colony formation and higher proliferating potency than conventional culture systems with maintenance of undifferentiated state. Both of two cell lines cultured on N-cad-Fc-coated surface differentiated into neural cells at a single cell level when induced with proper conditions. Furthermore, the expression of neuron-related gene Neurog1 in two cell lines cultured on N-cad-Fc-coated surface was promoted. Therefore, it will be expected that the constructed N-cad-Fc can be used as an artificial ECM for stem cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Changes in adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipases (HSL) in subcutaneous adipose tissue of Xuanwei ham at different ripening stages were studied. Green hams were salted for 40d and then ripened in a ventilated chamber for 15months. Adipose triglyceride lipase and HSL could be detected during the whole ripening period of Xuanwei ham, but their protein levels decreased as the ripening time increased. The decrease of lipase proteins could be attributed to the decrease in protein synthesis as ripening time progressed. The level of free fatty acids (FFAs) increased at the first stage but HSL protein remained constant indicating that HSL was more important than ATGL for adipose tissues lipolysis. The main FFAs produced during the ripening period of Xuanwei ham were oleic acid, linoleic acid and palmitic acid, suggesting that the triacylglycerols containing these three FFAs were preferential substrates for ATGL and HSL. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the effects of biomass particle size (0.18–5.6mm) on the yield and composition of bio-oil from the pyrolysis of Australian oil mallee woody biomass in a fluidised-bed reactor at 500°C. The yield of bio-oil decreased as the average biomass particle size was increased from 0.3 to about 1.5mm. Further increases in biomass particle size did not result in any further decreases in the bio-oil yield. These results are mainly due to the impact of particle size in the production of lignin-derived compounds. Possible inter-particle interactions between bio-oil vapour and char particles or homogeneous reactions in vapour phases were not responsible for the decreases in the bio-oil yield. The bio-oil samples were characterised with thermogravimetric analysis, UV-fluorescence spectroscopy, Karl–Fischer titration as well as precipitation in cold water. It was found that the yields of light bio-oil fractions increased and those of heavy bio-oil fractions decreased with increasing biomass particle size. The formation of pyrolytic water at low temperatures (<500°C) is not greatly affected by temperature or particle size. It is believed that decreased heating rates experienced by large particles are a major factor responsible for the lower bio-oil yields from large particles and for the changes in the overall composition of resulting oils. Changes in biomass cell structure during grinding may also influence the yield and composition of bio-oil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Given a multivariate quadratic polynomial system in a finite field , the problem MAX-MQ is to find a solution satisfying the maximal number of equations. We prove that the probability of a random assignment satisfying a non-degenerate quadratic equation is at least , where is the number of the variables in the equation. Consequently, the random assignment provides a polynomial-time approximation algorithm with approximation ratio for non-degenerate MAX-MQ. For large , the ratio is close to . According to a result by Håstad, it is NP-hard to approximate MAX-MQ with an approximation ratio of for a small positive number . Therefore, the minimal approximation ratio that can be achieved in polynomial time for MAX-MQ is . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Lycorine is an alkaloid isolated from the bulb of the Amaryllidaceae Lycoris. Here, we report that treatment with lycorine resulted in survival inhibition and apoptosis induction in human leukemia cell lines. Lycorine induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells via intrinsic mitochondria pathway and caused a rapid-turnover of protein level of Mcl-1 which occurred before caspases activation. Furthermore, pronounced apoptosis accompanied by the down-regulation of Mcl-1 was also observed in blasts from patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Our findings suggest that lycorine may be a good candidate therapeutic agent against leukemia in worth of further evaluation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To evaluate the value of preoperative computed tomography (CT) features including morphologic and quantitative features for predicting the Ki-67 labeling index (Ki-67LI) of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).Methods: We retrospectively included 167 patients with gastric GISTs who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT. We assessed the morphologic features of preoperative CT images and the quantitative features including the maximum diameter of tumor, total tumor volume, mean total tumor CT value, necrosis volume, necrosis volume ratio, enhanced tissue volume, and mean CT value of enhanced tissue. Potential predictive parameters to distinguish the high-level Ki-67LI group (>4%, n = 125) from the low-level Ki-67LI group (≤4%, n = 42) were compared and subsequently determined in multivariable logistic regression analysis.Results: Growth pattern (p = 0.036), shape (p = 0.000), maximum diameter (p = 0.018), total tumor volume (p = 0.021), mean total tumor CT value (p = 0.009), necrosis volume (p = 0.006), necrosis volume ratio (p = 0.000), enhanced tissue volume (p = 0.027), and mean CT value of enhanced tissue (p = 0.004) were significantly different between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that lobulated/irregular shape (odds ratio [OR] = 3.817; p = 0.000) and high necrosis volume ratio (OR = 1.935; p = 0.024) were independent factors of high-level Ki-67LI.Conclusions: Higher necrosis volume ratio in combination with lobulated/irregular shape could potentially predict high expression of Ki-67LI for gastric GISTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Xijiang River is the major source of water for about 4.5 millions of urban population and 28.7 millions of rural population. The water quality is very important for the health of the rural population. The concentration and distribution of chlorobenzenes (CBs) in both water and waterweeds collected from 4 stations in the Xijiang River (Gangdong section) of the Pearl River in April and November were determined. The result showed that nearly every congener of CBs was detected. The total contents of CBs (ΣCBs) in the river water ranged from 111.1 to 360.0 ng/L in April and from 151.9 to 481.7 ng/L in November, respectively. The pollution level of CBs in the water in April was higher than that in November. The contents of ΣCBs in waterweeds ranged from 13.53×10 [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new evolutionary programming using non-uniform mutation instead of Gaussian, Cauchy and Lévy mutations is proposed. Evolutionary programming with non-uniform mutation (NEP) has the merits of searching the space uniformly at the early stage and very locally at the later stage during the programming. For a suite of 14 benchmark problems, NEP outperforms the improved evolutionary programming using mutation based on Lévy probability distribution (ILEP) for multimodal functions with many local minima while being comparable to ILEP in performance for unimodal and multimodal functions with only a few minima. The detailed theoretical analysis of the executing process of NEP and the expected step size on non-uniform mutation are given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]