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The inborn low electronic conductivity of NASCION-type Na 3 V 2 (PO 4) 3 (NVP) restricts its widespread commercial applications. Traditionally carboreduction method could add a thin carbon-layer on the surface of the particles and enhance its conductivity to some extent, while the underlying mechanism about the reducing agent categories is blurred. In this paper, the mechanism of various frequently-selected carbon sources in the carbothermal process has been explored in detail, and the Na-storage property of NVP has been optimized focusing on the categories of the carbon sources. Owning to the acid etching effect of citric acid, carbon-coated NVP (NVP@C) particles synthesized via adopting citric acid as carbon source display tiny particle size as well as porous Na-storage structure. The construction of porous Na-storing structure, coupled with evenly carbon-coating, upgrades the dynamics of ion and electron transportation effectively, enhancing its Na-storing performances. The optimal experiments indicates that NVP@C prepared with citric acid with the overdose coefficient of 125 % (CR125%-NVP) exhibits the optimal electrochemical performances. In detail, CR125%-NVP showcased the initial discharging specific capacities of 116.2 and 101.3 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and 10 C, respectively. It also performed perfect cycle stability, with a capacity retention of 88.9 % after 500 cycles at 10 C rate. [Display omitted] • NVP with densely and uniformly carbon-coating has been constructed successfully. • The CR-NVP synthesized via carbothermal reduction boasts porous structure. • The initial capacities and capacity retention rates are excellent for CR-NVP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid and quantitative detection of isoquercitrin (Isq) has been attracting much attention due to its outstanding pharmacological and physiological activities. Herein, an interesting 48-metal Zn(II)-Nd(III) nanocluster (1 , molecular sizes 1.3 × 2.8 × 3.1 nm) with salen-type Schiff base ligand was constructed as molecular sensor for the luminescence detection of Isq. 1 exhibits visible ligand-centered emission and NIR luminescence of Nd(III), and shows ratiometric fluorescence response to Isq with high sensitivity even in the presence of other interferences. The fluorescence sensing behavior can be expressed by a second-order equation I 1060nm / I 480nm = A *[Isq]2 + B *[Isq] + C , which is used to quantitatively analyze the Isq concentrations in DMF and FCS. The LODs to Isq for the ligand-centered and lanthanide emissions of 1 in DMF are 0.21 μM and 0.11 nM, respectively. The quenching of the ligand-centered emission of 1 caused by Isq is attributed to the competitive absorption of light energy and "inner effect", while, the luminescence enhancement is due to the "antenna effect". [Display omitted] • Isoquercitrin (Isq) is detected firstly by a NIR luminescent high-nuclearity d-4f nanomolecular sensor. • The ratiometric fluorescence detection of Isq is fast and reliable. • The ratiometric fluorescence detection of Isq is highly sensitive and selective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pear black spot disease significantly threatens pear trees. • Proteome and transcriptome profiling of resistant and susceptible pear cultivars were obtained. • PpJAZ1 and PpMYC2-2 were identified as potential key genes in the defense response. Pear black spot disease (BSD), caused by the pathogen Alternaria alternata , poses a significant threat to pear trees. In this study, we investigated the defense mechanisms of sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) against BSD using iTRAQ and transcriptome analysis. Proteome sequencing and iTRAQ-UPLC MS/MS identified 6487 reliable proteins, including 6230 quantifiable ones. Further analysis revealed 237 differential proteins following inoculation with the H strain of A. alternata. Among these, 20 were common to both 'Jinjing' pear and the susceptible 'Hongfen' pear, while 138 were specific to 'Jinjing' and 79 were specific to 'Hongfen'. Gene Ontology and KEGG analysis implicated these proteins in processes like "plastid", "ion binding", "ribosome", and "amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism". We further identified 100 common genes from the proteome and transcriptome data, with 69% showing consistent expression patterns. Among these, we discovered a candidate gene, Pbr037418, which shares a close phylogenetic relationship with Arabidopsis AtJAZ1 and was designated PpJAZ1. We confirmed that Pp JAZ1 is localized in the nucleus and interacts with Pp MYC2-2 in the defense response. Notably, expression levels of PpJAZ1 and PpMYC2-2 were higher in resistant 'Jinjing' pear compared to susceptible 'Hongfen' pear after pathogen inoculation. Following H strain inoculation, sand pear leaves with silenced PpJAZ1 exhibited disease spots and showed reduced expression of PpJAZ1 and PpMYC2-2 compared to control leaves. This study deepens our understanding of BSD resistance mechanisms and provides insights into proteomic and transcriptomic changes in sand pear during pathogen infection, and thus will facilitate future research on resistance gene discovery and functional studies in sand pear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global healthcare sector, while pivotal to economies, inadvertently leads to significant medical waste generation, an issue amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study, grounded in emotion-symbolic work, examines the impact of visual attributes on healthcare professionals' attitudes toward medical waste, especially medical plastics. Focusing on visual clutter, the presence of human faces, and animals in imagery, this study aims to determine the potency of these elements in eliciting moral shocks and emotional responses. Moreover, the influence of target actors, encompassing connecting to a cause, collective identity, and non-profit organizations promoting green healthcare, is explored as a moderating variable. Inspired by emotion-symbolic work, this study seeks to discern the potential of symbolic visuals in driving behavioral shifts among healthcare professionals, underscoring the intertwined nature of patient care and environmental health in addressing the pressing challenge of medical waste management. We further offer actionable insights to healthcare institutions and activists, enabling them to craft impactful campaigns that resonate deeply with their audience, fostering a greener and more responsible healthcare paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have explored paleoenvironmental conditions in China's dune fields around the mid-Holocene (MH), ∼6000 calendar years ago, often based on individual paleosol-aeolian sand depositional sequences and local-scale landscape dynamics. So far, continent-scale modeling studies have only indirectly assessed dune activation and stabilization processes via changes in simulated precipitation, net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation), and effective moisture (precipitation divided by evaporation). Here we conducted a comprehensive study using gridded data on potential evapotranspiration, precipitation, and surface wind velocity from 13 climate models participating in the Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project phases 4 (PMIP4) and compared the model results with geological records. Our evaluation of spatial patterns of dune activity in northern China around the MH reveals that the intensity of annual MH dune activity exhibited significant differences between the eastern and western parts of Chinese deserts compared to those of the preindustrial period (PI). Dune activity was significantly weaker in the eastern region, while in the western part, it was considerably stronger. The key drivers of this disparity were the distinct spatial variations in near-surface wind speed and effective moisture between the two regions. Compared with the optically stimulated luminescence ages of the paleosol-aeolian sand sedimentary sequences derived from a compilation of geological records from 88 sites across northern China, the model results suggest that the weakening of dune activity and the process of dune stabilization in eastern China around the MH were mainly attributed to a significant increase in effective moisture and a concurrent decrease in near-surface wind speed due to the intensified East Asian summer monsoon. Additionally, the weakening of westerlies in western China resulted in reduced effective moisture, contributing to increased sand availability for dune development and subsequent desert expansion. • Mid-Holocene dune activity in Chinese deserts varied regionally, differing from preindustrial period. • Varied wind speed and moisture caused different mid-Holocene aeolian activities in northern China's western and eastern desert belt. • Numerical simulations aid in interpreting field-based geological findings comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dynamics of unstable steam-air jet condensing in water flow was investigated. • Effect of air content on interface and pressure oscillation was discussed. • Interface and pressure oscillation became extremely violent at low air content. • Pressure oscillation intensity decreased when air content exceeded a critical value. Pressure oscillation occurs during the steam jet condensation in water, notably in unstable flow pattern region. Consequently, pressure oscillation may risk the thermal system. In this work, we introduce a method of reducing the pressure oscillation intensity by adding a small amount of air into steam in unstable flow pattern region. The effects of the air content on the unstable flow patterns and pressure oscillation characteristics were studied experimentally. Notably, the air layer showed a periodic accumulation-and-dispersion phenomenon around the steam–water interface. This phenomenon resulted in a periodic and dramatic fluctuation of the interface at a relatively low air mass fraction. When the air mass fraction increased to a critical value, the flow pattern became stable due to a sharp reduction in condensation rate. Accordingly, the pressure oscillation intensity increased and then dropped at the critical air mass fraction, showing a convex-shaped distribution. The air mass fraction should exceed the critical value if air is added into steam to reduce the pressure oscillation intensity. Otherwise, the air could lead to a much stronger pressure oscillation. A theoretical model for the critical air mass fraction was established and could predict the critical air mass fraction within a deviation of ±14%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tenet of the Milankovitch theory is that Northern Hemisphere solar insolation, controlled by Earth's orbital is responsible for cyclic climate variations. Eccentricity in this context is responsible for cyclic variability of 100 ka and may drive periodicity in climate change during the middle and late Pleistocene. Although abundant evidence exists for 100 ka cyclic climatic fluctuations driving glacial-interglacial cycles, our knowledge about the record of cyclic climatic changes preserved in terrestrial landscapes remains limited, especially over multi-millennial (several glacial-interglacial) timescales. The intermontane Yanqi Basin in the southeastern Tian Shan, Central Asia, preserves at least seven generations of alluvial surfaces spanning multiple glacial cycles and yields insights into the record of climatic fluctuations that lead to aggradation and incision of river systems. We complement existing chronologic data with two new cosmogenic 10Be depth profiles and four surface exposure ages of alluvial surface abandonment in the south Tian Shan piedmont within the Yanqi Basin. New surface-exposure dating reveals the successive abandonment of these surfaces with a 100 ka cyclicity between 5.1 ± 0.9 and ~550 ka and indicates that there were multiple aggradation-incision cycles. The superimposed 100 ka cycles of aggradation-incision are best explained by eccentricity-driven climate change. Within these cycles, sediment is produced during glaciations by glacial and periglacial erosion. However, due to the dry and cold conditions of the glacial periods in central Asia, there is little discharge available to transport and evacuate the sediment from the valleys to the piedmont. Later, during the glacial to interglacial transition, higher precipitation and high discharge due to glacial melt water resulted in higher transport capacity of the river beyond a threshold to evacuate sediment. Subsequent rapid incision occurs after the upstream sediment reservoir is depleted and its timing corresponds to the glacial to interglacial transition period in our study area. Compared with the aggradation and incision of the northern piedmont of the Tian Shan governed by the Westerlies, the sedimentary systems of the South Tian Shan piedmont within the Yanqi Basin are mainly controlled by eccentricity-driven glacial-interglacial cycles. • 10Be chronology of alluvial surfaces of south Tian Shan was reconstructed since 600 ka. • The abandonment of alluvial surfaces occurs over 100-ka cycles. • Aggradation-and-incision cycles are best explained by eccentricity-driven climate change. • Incision correlates with global glacial-interglacial transition periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two long Schiff base ligands H 2 L1 and H 2 L2 that have flexible long-chain backbones were used to synthesize 8- and 12-metal Zn-Ln nanoclusters [Zn 4 Eu 4 (L1) 2 (OAc) 10 (NO 3) 2 (OH) 4 ] (1) and [Zn 8 Yb 4 (L2) 8 (OAc) 8 ](OH) 4 (2), respectively. The crystal structures of 1 and 2 show that their molecular sizes are about 9 × 10 × 11 Å and 9 × 19 × 28 Å, respectively. Both clusters display typical emission bands of lanthanide ions. Interestingly, the Zn–Yb cluster 2 exhibits NIR luminescent response to metal cations, especially to Co2+ and Cu2+ at the ppm level. A 12-metal Zn–Yb nanocluster with high NIR luminescent sensitivity to Co2+ and Cu2+ cations at the ppm level was prepared using a long-chain Schiff base ligand. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clay dunes are characterized by a relatively high content of silt and clay and are typically developed on the lee side margin of closed-basins in arid and semi-arid areas. Although they are widely distributed aeolian landforms on Earth, little is known about their development and distribution in Asia. Our field investigations have identified for the first time the occurrence of clay dunes in the Alashan Plateau, north China. The clay dunes occur in three isolated lowland areas of the Suhongtu (SHT) Basin and their morphologies (barchans, hooked barchans, asymmetrical barchans, and linear or seif dunes) differ substantially from those of the well-studied clay dunes in Australia, Africa and North America. These differences could be mainly attributed to the asymmetrical bimodal wind regime, prolonged drought and sediment physical properties, which indicate that dunes of any type can be formed in sand, silt or clay. Based on the known evolution of the SHT paleo-lake basin and regional climate change, we infer that the landscape of modern clay dunes in the desert of the Alashan Plateau does not predate MIS 5, and probably formed during the late Holocene. Analyses of grain-size distributions and the contents of trace and rare earth elements, combined with geomorphological characteristics, indicate that the source sediments of the clay dunes are mainly local Cretaceous-Tertiary and Quaternary red fluvial-lacustrine mudstone and sediments, while the ultimate source is the weathered and denuded products of granitoids of the East Altay Mountains. Comparison of the morphology and alignment of the clay dunes with the prevailing wind pattern tends to support Tsoar's (1984) model of the transition in dune shape from barchans to seif or linear dunes. During 2003–2013, the seif or linear dunes of the SHT Basin migrated laterally and elongated northeastward at rates of about 2–4 m/yr and 16–20 m/yr, respectively. • Clay dunes were identified in the Alashan Plateau, north China. • Chinese clay dunes are actually not especially clay rich. • Clay dune activity does not appear to pre-date MIS 5. • Most of the clay dunes are barchans, asymmetrical barchans, and clay-rich linear dunes. • Provenance of the clay dunes are mainly from the local Cretaceous-Tertiary and Quaternary red fluvial-lacustrine sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Growth, propagation, merging and detachment of interface wave was observed. • Interface wave was proved to grow exponentially in axial direction. • Pressure oscillation of supersonic steam jet condensation was induced by interface wave. • A correlation for dominant frequency was proposed based on interface wave propagation. Pressure pulse is a potential risk during the application of condensing supersonic vapor jet in various industrial areas, particularly in a confined space, such as a pipe system. However, the source of pressure pulse remains unknown. In this work, experimental study on the dynamics of condensing supersonic steam jet in a rectangular channel was performed. Interface dynamics were captured by high-speed photography and quantitatively studied via an image-processing technique. The pressure pulse characteristics inside the channel were investigated using dynamic pressure transducers. Results proved that pressure pulse was caused by the growth, propagation, and detachment of interface wave induced by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for the first time. In addition, the interface wave was proved to grow exponentially by experimental and theoretical methods. The dominant frequency was negative related, whereas its amplitude was positive related to the interface penetration length, which could be explained well by the growth, propagation, and detachment of interface wave. Finally, a prediction model for the dominant frequency was proposed on the basis of the propagation characteristics of interface wave. The proposed model could predict the dominant frequency at a maximum deviation of ±30%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Gelatin/Dex-MA composite fibers were prepared via electrospinning. • The electrospun gelatin/Dex-MA composite fibers could be photocrosslinked. • The composite fibers could support cell proliferation and adhesion. Abstract Developing natural polymers-based fibers is highly desirable for tissue engineering. In this study, an effective method to synthesize electrospun gelatin/dextran–maleic anhydride (gelatin/Dex-MA) composite fibers with enhanced physical and biological properties has been proposed. Photocrosslinkable Dex-MA was first synthesized and gelatin/Dex-MA composite fibers were then prepared by electrospinning followed by photocrosslinking. The physical properties of the as-synthesized composite fibers including water absorption, mechanical properties, and degradation were investigated. It was found that the physical properties of the composite fibers could be dramatically improved with the content of Dex-MA, where the tensile strength can be enhanced up to 1.75 MPa and the degradation can be increased up to 40.30%. In addition, the biocompatibility study in vitro showed that the composite fibers could support cell proliferation and adhesion. Our electrospun crosslinked gelatin/Dex-MA fibers are potential to be applied in the field of tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the provenance of aeolian sediments in deserts is of great importance for understanding the Earth surface processes. In this context, we conducted detailed fieldwork in the Ordos Deserts (Maowusu and Kubuqi) in the middle portion of the desert belt in northern China, and measured the major, trace and rare earth elements (REE) of aeolian sands and their potential source rocks and sediments. Our results show that aeolian sands in the eastern (northeastern) and western (southwestern) Maowusu (Mu Us) Sandy Land exhibit different degrees of mineralogical maturity and Eu/Eu* values. Thus, we interpret that these aeolian sands have different provenances, though in the same sandy land. Our data suggest that the local lacustrine sediments and sandstones are the main sources of aeolian sands in the eastern province of the Maowusu Sandy Land, while aeolian sands in the western Maowusu Sandy Land and the Kubuqi Desert have the same external sources. The comparison of geochemical compositions of sediments in the Ordos Deserts with their potential sources in adjacent regions indicates that there is no genetic linkage between the Helan Mountains, the Yinshan Mountains and the Ordos Deserts although they are not far apart. The Qilian Orogenic Belt in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is, however, the most likely original provenance for the western Maowusu (Mu Us) Sandy Land and the Kubuqi (Hobq) Desert, but with fluvial sediments in the Ningxia-Inner Mongolian section of the Yellow River as the immediate source. In one side, our results demonstrate that dune fields that are close to each other can have significantly different source sediments. On the other hand, our work suggests that some dune fields and landforms that are far apart from one another, e.g., the Badain Jaran Desert in western Inner Mongolia, the Ordos Deserts and the fluvial sediments in Ningxia-Inner Mongolian section of the Yellow River, can share the same ultimate sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of crustal shortening rates across foreland fold-and-thrust belts is essential for evaluating how convergence is accommodated throughout the orogenic belt and analyzing seismic hazard in neighboring cities. In this study, we focused on active fold along the western portion of the Qilian Shan Foreland Thrust Belt in NE Tibet. The shortening rate across the Hujiatai Anticline (HA) along the eastern segment of the Fodongmiao-Hongyazi Fault (FHF) is 0.8 ± 0.2 mm/a based on terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) dating of deformed Late Pleistocene fluvial terrace. When this rate is combined with the shortening rates of 1.1–1.4 mm/a and 0.7–1.2 mm/a along the western and central segments obtained by previous studies, it is apparent that crustal shortening rates along the FHF gradually decrease to the east. This eastward decrease in fault activity may be a result of the northward propagation of the FHF or partitioning of strain off to nearby faults or folds. Furthermore, tectonic geomorphology and trenching suggest that several thrust faults around the HA ruptured during the historical 1609 earthquake. Combining the shortening rate of 0.6–0.8 mm/a across the north side of the Jiudong basin with our rate, we suggest that the total crustal shortening rate across the basin is about 1.3–2.2 mm/a assuming little internal deformation, which accounts for roughly 20–40% of the amount of crustal shortening deformation across the Qilian block. These results demonstrate that the Qilian Shan Foreland basin plays an important role in accommodating the crustal deformation of northeastern Tibet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New material with room-temperature flexibility and high-temperature shape stability. • The contact thermal resistance of TPS is reduced by 50% compared with that of EPDM. • The maximum temperature is controlled below 56 °C at the discharge rate of 2.5C. • The temperature difference of the CPCM cooling battery module is lower than 4.0 °C. Phase change materials have potential uses in battery thermal management because of their controllable phase change temperature and high latent heat. However, the application of phase change materials is limited by their strong rigidity, difficult assembly, high contact thermal resistance, low thermal conductivity, and leakage. In this study, a novel flexible composite phase change material (CPCM) with good mechanical properties is prepared, which can maintain flexibility at room temperature and shape stability at high temperatures. A thermoplastic styrene-based polymer (TPS) is used as the support material, paraffin is used as the phase change material, and expanded graphite is used as the reinforced thermal conductive filler. Results show that the composites have good flexibility and extensibility at room temperature and can maintain good shape stability at 60 °C and certain pressure. The contact thermal resistance of CPCM is 50% of the contact thermal resistance of similar materials. Thermal management experiments of single battery and square battery modules are designed. After six cycles of 2.5C high-rate discharge, the maximum temperature of the battery module cooled by CPCM is 2 °C and 10.4 °C lower than that of forced air cooling and natural air cooling, respectively. The temperature difference of the battery module is lower than 4.0 °C. This study shows that the new flexible CPCM thermal management system is easy to assemble and can reduce the temperature of battery modules, and this feature is conducive to the application of CPCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective Carotid artery atherosclerosis is an important cause of stroke. Ultrasound imaging has been widely used in the diagnosis of atherosclerosis. Therefore, segmenting atherosclerotic carotid plaque in ultrasound image is an important task. Accurate plaque segmentation is helpful for the measurement of carotid plaque burden. In this paper, we propose and evaluate a novel learning-based integrated framework for plaque segmentation. Methods In our study, four different classification algorithms, along with the auto-context iterative algorithm, were employed to effectively integrate features from ultrasound images and later also the iteratively estimated and refined probability maps together for pixel-wise classification. The four classification algorithms were support vector machine with linear kernel, support vector machine with radial basis function kernel, AdaBoost and random forest. The plaque segmentation was implemented in the generated probability map. The performance of the four different learning-based plaque segmentation methods was tested on 29 B-mode ultrasound images. The evaluation indices for our proposed methods were consisted of sensitivity, specificity, Dice similarity coefficient, overlap index, error of area, absolute error of area, point-to-point distance, and Hausdorff point-to-point distance, along with the area under the ROC curve. Results The segmentation method integrated the random forest and an auto-context model obtained the best results (sensitivity 80.4 ± 8.4%, specificity 96.5 ± 2.0%, Dice similarity coefficient 81.0 ± 4.1%, overlap index 68.3 ± 5.8%, error of area -1.02 ± 18.3%, absolute error of area 14.7 ± 10.9%, point-to-point distance 0.34 ± 0.10 mm, Hausdorff point-to-point distance 1.75 ± 1.02 mm, and area under the ROC curve 0.897), which were almost the best, compared with that from the existed methods. Conclusions Our proposed learning-based integrated framework investigated in this study could be useful for atherosclerotic carotid plaque segmentation, which will be helpful for the measurement of carotid plaque burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fodongmo-Hongyazi fault (FHF) is a major thrust of Northeastern Tibet, bounding the Qilian Shan. It accommodates crustal shortening across this region and has produced a strong historical earthquake. Until now the slip rate has been poorly constrained, limiting our understanding of its role in the accommodation of deformation across this region. In this paper, faulted terraces at two sites on the western and middle segments of the FHF were mapped with satellite imagery and field observations. Chronological constraints are placed on the ages of displaced river terraces at these sites using terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) exposure dating. These ages combined with offsets measured from SPOT 6 DEM’s yield average vertical slip rates of 1.3 ± 0.1 mm/yr for the western segment since ∼207 ka and 0.9 ± 0.1 mm/yr since ∼46 ka for the middle segment. These data suggest that the FHF accommodates ∼15–20% of the total shortening across the Qilian Shan (5.5–7 mm/yr). In addition, comparisons of our data with published slip rates along the Northern Qilian Thrust Fault Zone show that the fastest tectonic uplift occurs along the western portion of the Northern Qilian Shan. This is consistent with estimates deduced from geomorphology. The western portion of the Qilian Shan is mainly controlled by compressional deformation produced by the northward movement of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau, while the eastern Qilian Shan is mainly controlled by the eastward extrusion of material along the left-lateral Haiyuan strike-slip Fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, selenylation of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide (SeASP MW ) was studied by using H 2 SeO 3 /HNO 3 /BaCl 2 reaction system in microwave field. SeASP MW exhibited the Se content range of 111–264 μg/g with high yields (72.1–94.9%). 13 C NMR results indicated that the weak C-6 substitution was occurred. The decrease (from 7.348 × 10 4 g/mol to 1.736–4.667 × 10 4 g/mol) in weight average molecular mass ( M W ) of SeASP MW was observed in size exclusion chromatography combined with multi angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) analysis. SeASP MW exhibited a more rigid solution conformation which might be due to the degradation of polysaccharide chains in acidic reaction reagent. This was also supported by atomic force microscopy (AFM) result that SeASP MW showed short chains and island-like topography. In anti-tumor activity assays, SeASP MW6 exhibited the inhibition rates of 32.381% and 39.776% against human non-small cell lung cancer cell line (H1650) at the concentration of 100 and 200 μg/mL, respectively. The relatively weak inhibition effect of SeASP MW was not related to cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, suggesting Se content might be a key factor to influence the anti-tumor activities of selenized polysaccharides in vitro . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deformed alluvial fans can indicate the subsurface fault-plane geometry of thrusts. Numerous seismic profiles have illustrated the subsurface fault-plane geometry of thrusts in the Tian Shan piedmonts. However, due to a lack of seismic profiles, the subsurface fault-plane geometry in the Tian Shan is not well-known. This paper focuses on a thrust-related anticline in the eastern Kusongmuxiek Fault (KF), the Latgan Anticline (LA), located in the southern margin of the Bole Basin, northern Tian Shan. Five alluvial fan surfaces, A1-A5 from young to old, are determined along the Dilike River. We used the alluvial fan surfaces and fault attitude to determinate the subsurface fault-plane geometry of the Latgan Fault. The geometric model reveals that the Latgan Fault can be divided into three segments: an upper ramp with a dip of 55°S, a central listric fault, and a lower ramp with a dip of 31°S. The abandonment age of the A4 surface based on its cosmogenic 10Be concentrations and use of a kinematic model of a listric fault fold reveal that the fault dip-slip rate is c. 0.5 mm/a, and the horizontal crustal shortening rate is c. 0.4 mm/a during the Pleistocene. The vertical incision rates of the Dilike River are 0.5–0.6 mm/a in the uplifted area and 0.2 mm/a in the non-uplifted area. This difference may be the result of tectonic uplift. Our field and remote sensing observations and the geometric characteristics of the eastern Keguqin Mountains piedmont thrusts indicate fault propagation into the basin via thick-skinned tectonics. The LA crustal shortening rate and previous studies indicate that the crustal shortening rates of the Bole, Borohoro, and Turfan Units are ~1.7–2.0 mm/a, >4.0 mm/a, and 3.2–4.4 mm/a, respectively. The lower shortening rate of the Bole Unit and higher shortening rates of the Borohoro and Turfan Units indicate that the Bole Unit is the lowest crustal shortening rate unit in the northern Tian Shan. • Study of fault-fold growth using dated alluvial fan surfaces (northern Tian Shan) • Uses remote sensing, field survey and 10Be cosmogenic exposure dating • Fan-fold morphology and fault attitude informs on sub-surface fault geometry • Reveals a listric fault fold with ~0.5 mm/a dip slip and ~ 0.4 mm/a horizontal shortening • Lowest rate thick-skinned fault propagation within the northern Tian Shan [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In environmentally sensitive areas, particularly the arid or semi-arid regions, different factors such as relief and human activity, can greatly influence the landscape on a local scale. Using satellite imageries and field investigations, we have studied the distribution of sand dunes in the Maowusu (Mu Us) Sandy Land in the southern Ordos Plateau, northern China. Key research questions are which factors are critically responsible for the spatial pattern evident in the landscape and what is the relative importance of such factors? We used a new approach, i.e., the Geographical Detector to improve our spatial analysis. Using the combined methods of the Geographical Detector, digital image processing, field investigation and spatial and temporal analysis of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), we aimed to clarify the causal relations governing the different landform patterns within this Sandy Land and beyond. The primary factors include local relief, drainage, climatically controlled potential plant productivity, wind action and rock type as explanatory parameters x and the landscape properties as the output y . Our results show the quantified links between the spatial distribution of various landscapes and their controlling factors. This study revealed that the climatic potential productivity, local relief and drainage are the key factors in shaping the landscape spatial pattern. Owing to different regional climates and land use histories, the responses to changes of external forcing between the western and eastern parts of the Maowusu Sandy Land are out-of-step. We conclude that the desertification of the eastern part of Maowusu Sandy Land has been mainly caused by human activities while the western part is governed by natural factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon-based fractal tree-shaped microchannel heat sinks with different bifurcation angles were designed and manufactured. The heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the fractal microchannel network were experimentally studied under an inlet Reynolds number of Re 0 = 500–1700. The results showed that compared with the traditional linear microchannel heat sink, the fractal microchannel heat sinks could achieve considerable flow drag reduction and heat transfer enhancement. Maintaining the chip temperature below 85 °C, the pressure drop can be reduced by up to 92%, and the heat transfer coefficient can be enhanced by 1.5 times of the fractal microchannel network at the same flow rate. The optimized bifurcation angle of the fractal network was recommended to be 30°. The COP of fractal microchannel heat sinks with a bifurcation angle of 30° can reach 12–13 times that of the linear microchannel. • Silicon-based microchannel heat sinks with fractal structure are designed and studied. • Fractal branch angle has a significant impact on the performance of the microchannel heat sink. • Compared with the linear structure, the fractal structure reduces the pressure drop by up to 92%. • COP of the fractal microchannel heat sink can reach up to 103–104 at a branch angle of 30°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chugging is observed in subsonic and supersonic steam–air jet condensation in water. • The mechanism of chugging is revealed by a quantitative study on phase interface behavior. • Chugging can lead to low-frequency and high amplitude pressure pulse. • The correlation of dominant frequency of chugging-led pressure pulse is given. Chugging, a typical unstable flow pattern caused by steam-water direct contact condensation, should be paid more attention in engineering applications due to its accompanying low-frequency and high amplitude pressure pulse. In this paper, it was experimentally found that both subsonic and supersonic steam–air jet condensation could trigger chugging in a confined channel. As for such conditions, the chugging-caused pressure pulses all had two dominant frequencies with different amplitudes, and the one with larger amplitude was mainly distributed in the low-frequency zone of 15–45 Hz and 30–50 Hz. The brilliant image of steam-water phase interface captured by a high-speed camera showed that the mechanism of chugging was the sharp and low-frequency stretching and shrinking of the phase interface because of the periodic aggregation and dissipation of air layer. The subsonic steam–air jet condensation could trigger chugging only with a small amount of air, which therefore should be prevented as far as possible in engineering. However, for supersonic steam–air jet condensation, chugging could be triggered as soon as the air mass fraction reached a critical value because the incoming flow had severely damage effect on the air layer. By considering the steam mass flux, condensation driven potential, water Reynolds number and air mass fraction, the correlations of dominant frequency of chugging for subsonic and supersonic steam–air jet condensation were given, with deviations in the range of ± 20% and 15%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a part of the INQUA project “A Global Digital Database and Atlas of Quaternary Dune Field and Sand Seas”, 337 age records from the desert dunes of China and 20 from Mongolian dune fields have been compiled in the database. This has opened the possibility of exploring and synthesizing the Quaternary environmental changes in the Asian mid-latitudes dune fields directly from the on-site aeolian sand archives. This paper assessed the sand dune chronologies in terms of geographical distribution, data quality and their implications for late Quaternary palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. The available ages are concentrated mainly in the last 20 ka and many are from the fields of stabilized dunes in the eastern portion of the desert belt in northern China. The number of records and the ratio between the records of stable state and the total records could act as a proxy for the palaeoenvironmental interpretation. The aeolian sand activities deciphered from the chronological data in the eastern portion of the desert belt in northern China show a reasonable correlation with the general global climatic curves at the glacial–interglacial timescales. The limited aeolian sand records from the glacial period, however, hamper the understanding of the detailed features (e.g., forms and processes) of the dune fields during glacial times. In the last two millennia, however, there has not been any meaningful correlation between aeolian dune activity and climatic variation at the centennial time scales, probably due to the complexity of the aeolian sand systems and human interventions. Extending the coverage of dune chronology both temporally and spatially is urgently needed for a full understanding of the environmental changes in the dune fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study was carried out on the pressure oscillation caused by direct contact condensation (DCC) of steam jet in water. The published researches on pressure oscillation caused by DCC were generally performed in large space pools. However, the condensation oscillation characteristics of steam jet in water flow in a confined space have not been fully understood yet. During this experiment, the steam and water were introduced into a confined channel at the same side. The dynamic pressure signals were measured without interfering the flow field. The behavior of the interface was captured by a high speed camera. The main inlet parameters, i.e. steam mass flux, water Reynolds number and water temperature were tested in the range of 150–600 kg/(m 2 s), 78,000–172,000 and 25–60 °C, respectively. The results indicated that flow patterns were determined by these three inlet parameters. According to the structure and behavior of the interface, the flow patterns under various test conditions could be divided to unstable and stable types. As flow patterns transformed from stable to unstable, the pressure oscillation intensity increased sharply. The dominant frequency for subsonic steam jet condensation oscillation in water flow was in the range of 168–1177 Hz. The frequency increased with the increase of water Reynolds number, but decreased with the increase of steam mass flux and water temperature. Moreover, a correlation for the dominant frequency was given as a function of the condensation driving potential, steam mass flux, Weber number and water Reynolds number. The predicted values agreed well with the present experimental values at the maximum deviation of ±20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kubuqi Desert is the only active sand sea in the semiarid regions of northern China and occurs along the southern margin of the Yellow River. Little is known about the age and origin of this large (17,000 km 2 ) sand sea with a present annual precipitation of 200‐480 mm. Sand drift potentials indicated net capable winds for aeolian transport are from the northwest, though winds are stronger to north beyond the dune field than within the sand sea. Geomorphic and stratigraphic observations indicate that Holocene aeolian sand often drapes over bedrock and river terraces as a palimpsest landscape. Field investigations identified four stratigraphic sections with multiple aeolian sand units and palaeosols, with age control by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of quartz grains. Palaeosols are weakly developed, mostly accumulative A horizon with organic carbon content < 1% and reflect sand sheet deposition possibly in a steppe environment. Although sediments near river channels or former lakes might give old ages, the initial formation and age of the Kubuqi sand sea should be judged from the occurrence of the sandy palimpsest of the landscape that is OSL dated to the Holocene in general. The latest period of aeolian reactivation may be related to human activity associated with grazing and farming from lost cities in the Kubuqi Desert during the Han (206 B.C. – A.D. 220) and the Tang (A.D. 608 – 907) Dynasties. Also, variable discharge of the Yellow River with local diversions for irrigation and throughout the catchment resulted in possibly an increased supply of aeolian particles for dune field expansion in the past 2 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying provenance of aeolian deposits in the mid-latitude deserts of Asia is essential for understanding formation and changes of Earth surface processes due to palaeoclimatic fluctuations. While some earlier studies focused on the interpretation of palaeoenvironments on the basis of aeolian deposits mainly in the desert margins and inter-dune lacustrine sediments, research on provenance of desert sands in the vast Asian mid-latitude deserts is still rare. In this paper, we present new geochemical data which provide insight to the provenance of dune sands in the Badain Jaran Desert, northwestern China, an important part of this desert belt. We sampled aeolian and lacustrine sediments in various parts of the Badain Jaran Desert, and examined their major, trace and rare earth elements (REE) in bulk samples, coarse and fine fractions, respectively. In addition, we took and analyzed samples from a rarely known dune field with red sands, northeast of the Badain Jaran. Our results show that the sands from the Badain Jaran Desert are generally different from those in the red sand dune field in terms of REE pattern and geochemical characteristics, suggesting different sediment origins. Geochemical composition of the aeolian sand samples indicates these sediments should be mainly derived from mixed source rocks of granite, granitoids and granodiorite. Comparing the immobile trace elements and REE ratios of the samples from the Badain Jaran Desert, red sand dune field with rocks of granite, granitoids in their potential source areas, we conclude that: (1) The aeolian deposits in the Badain Jaran Desert are predominantly derived from the Qilian Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau initially via fluvial processes; (2) The Altay Mountains and Mongolian Gobi are the ultimate source areas for the red sand dune field; (3) The Altai Mountains and Mongolian Gobi in the northwest, that could produce massive amounts of materials via intensive deflation and alluvial process, are additional sand sources of the Badain Jaran Desert although their contribution is of secondary significance. As the Badain Jaran Desert acts as sediment sinks of sediments from the Qilian Mountains of northeastern Tibetan Plateau via fluvial processes, it is likely that zircon grains of loess on the Chinese Loess Plateau with age distributions similar to those of the northern Tibetan Plateau could be derived from the Badain Jaran Desert, as the wind data suggest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study was performed to investigate the direct contact condensation (DCC) of steam–air mixture in subcooled water flow in a rectangular channel. The main inlet parameters including steam mass flux, water mass flux and water temperature were tested at 150–550 kg/(m 2 s), 6–14 × 10 3 kg/(m 2 s) and 30 °C, respectively. The air mass fraction was in the range of 0%–2%. Four different flow patterns for pure steam in subcooled water flow were filmed by a high speed camera. The effect of air on these four flow patterns was investigated by introducing air into steam. The pressure and temperatures on the wall of channel were measured without destroying the flow field. The results indicated that with the present of air, the direct contact condensation was hindered, the interface area enlarged, the mixture layer thickened and plenty of small bubbles gathered in the channel. The air had greater influence on the phase interface area of unstable flow patterns than that of stable flow patterns. This phenomenon could not only be observed in the pictures of flow patterns, but also be reflected in the bottom wall pressure and temperature distributions. The average heat transfer coefficient for pure steam jet in subcooled water flow was in the range of 3.92–6.81 MW/(m 2 °C). Since air mass fraction increased, the average heat transfer coefficient decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we continue to investigate the model related to Bakshi and Chen (1997). In our model, both of the money supplies in the two countries are assumed to follow jump-diffusion processes with stochastic volatility. In the set of the two-country economy, we obtain the equilibrium price of the nominal exchange rate. With the help of Fourier transform to solve a partial integro-differential equation (PIDE), we get a closed-form solution to the PIDE for a European call currency option. We also do Monte Carlo simulations to verify the correctness of the derived formula. Our model contains some existing currency option models as special cases, for example the stochastic-volatility jump-diffusion (SVJD) model in Bates (1996), in which the jump of the exchange rate is driven by one Poisson process. We also provide some numerical analysis to show that our model is effective to the foreign currency option market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes, particularly type II diabetes, is a severe disease condition which affects human health worldwide, with a dramatically increasing trend in Asian countries including China. Currently, no efficient drugs other than those with observable side effects are available. Chromium complexes, with the most known representative chromium picolinate, have been listed as one of most attractive health supplements to attenuate this disease condition in western countries. Recent efforts have been made to develop new chromium complexes with novel ligands. Although fair amounts of reviews have been published to emphasize the biological activity, preclinical and clinical information of chromium picolinate, this mini-review is trying to cover the entire picture of updated research efforts on various chromium complexes highlighting the role of ligands. Chromium phenylalanine sensitizes insulin cell signaling pathway via the activation of phosphorylation of Akt (protein kinase B (PKB)) and/or AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase). The biological activities, toxicity, pharmacological features and clinical implications, including the effect of anti-oxidative capacities, protective effect on obese-induced heart dysfunction, and efficacy and safety of chromium supplementation in diabetes are discussed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The synthesis, crystal structures and photophysical properties of thirty-one 4f and d-4f polynuclear complexes and coordination polymers based on nine flexible salen-type ligands are described in this review. Most of these lanthanide complexes exhibit either interesting “twisted”, drum-like or polymeric structures. In these complexes, the multidentate salen-type ligands can efficiently sensitize lanthanide emissions by serving as antennas that absorb excitation light and transfer the energy to the lanthanide centers. With the lanthanide ions encapsulated by chromophoric salen-type ligands and shielded from solvent molecules which can quench the emissions from lanthanide ions, those lanthanide complexes which have “twisted” and drum-like structures show impressive luminescence properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Assessment of the dryland vegetation change and identifying its causes are of great importance for combating desertification and projecting future ecosystem dynamics in arid and semiarid regions. Since plant growth in temperate drylands is constrained by both water and temperature, understanding how ongoing warming climate will impact temperate vegetation of the steppe and fixed dune fields is a crucial question requiring great attention from both scientific communities and decision makers. In this study, we aimed to provide a reliable evaluation of the recent status and trends of desertification in the 142,400km2 Xilin Gol district of eastern Inner Mongolia located in the east portion of Asian mid-latitude desert belt. Data sources included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series from the period 1982 to 2006 and climate records from 17 local weather stations, supported by more recent ground checking. Our results show that there is little significant decrease of vegetation greenness on annual time scales under recent warming climate; however a human-induced browning trend occurs in May and June, associated with limited water availability. Results indicate that year round warming exacerbates water deficits in spring and early summer damaging vegetation. This impact is especially pronounced in desert steppe areas. Although both temperature and precipitation are projected to increase over the study area in coming decades, our work demonstrates that it is unlikely that vegetation losses from degradation will be reduced under the current climate change trends. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, the progress of microfluidic technology has provided new tools for pharmaceutical analysis and the proposal of pharm-lab-on-a-chip is appealing for its great potential to integrate pharmaceutical test and pharmacological test in a single chip system. Here, we summarize and highlight recent advances of chip-based principles, techniques and devices for pharmaceutical test and pharmacological/toxicological test focusing on the separation and analysis of drug molecules on a chip and the construction of pharmacological models on a chip as well as their demonstrative applications in quality control, drug screening and precision medicine. The trend and challenge of microfluidic technology for pharmaceutical analysis are also discussed and prospected. We hope this review would update the insight and development of pharm-lab-on-a-chip. ● Pharm-lab-on-a-chip can integrate pharmaceutical test and pharmacological test in a single chip system. ● Recent advances of chip-based principles, techniques and devices for pharmaceutical analysis. ● Demonstrative applications in pharm-lab-on-a-chip including drug quality control, drug screening and precision medicine. ● Future developments and challenges of microfluidic technology for pharmaceutical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Identification of aeolian sand sources occurring in oases of desert environments is of great importance for understanding desertification processes and for developing strategies for sustainable development in arid regions. Combined with wind data and hierarchical cluster analysis, we analyzed the spatial characteristics of major and trace elements of sands sampled at the margins of the Minqin Oasis, northwestern China and its adjacent deserts (the Badain Jaran Desert and the Tengger Desert), with the purpose to identify the aeolian sand sources and their transport pathways in the region. The spatial distribution revealed by bivariate plots of Cr, Ni, Cr/V, Y/Ni, Al, V, Zr, Hf, Zr/Hf and ternary plots of major and trace elements showed that sands between the west (B – Badain Jaran Desert, BM – the dune belt between Badain Jaran and the Minqin Oasis and TNE – dune field located in the northeast margin of the Minqin Oasis) and southeast (TSW – dune field located in the southeast margin of the Minqin Oasis) sides of the oasis have different provenances, while the composition of sands in the Minqin Oasis (M) and in the dune field located in the south margin (TM) is associated with both. The variations in abundance of K, Rb, Ba and Sr were used as indicators of aeolian transport processes. Our results show that while aeolian sands from the Badain Jaran Desert can be transported over mountains and over long distances by northwest winds to the west sides of the Minqin Oasis, they cannot directly reach neither bypass the oasis to the east side. Our interpretation is that the oasis can act as an effective barrier to stop the migration of dune fields both in the Badain Jaran Desert and the Tengger Desert. However, the extensive occurrence of aeolian sands in the Minqin Oasis indicates that its role in preventing desert encroachment should not be overestimated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using the entropy estimates in Min et al. (2013), we establish the global existence and uniqueness of solutions to a fourth order equation related to image processing. Some numerical results on the Lena image are also presented to show the effectiveness of the equation for noise removal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Prostate cancer is one of leading causes of male deaths in Europe and US and is becoming a dramatically increasing malignancy in Asian countries including China. This disease is related to hormone malfunction linked with androgen receptor cell signaling. Targeting androgen receptor has been a major strategy for treating this disease. Among these treatments, small molecules such as flutamide, bicalutamide and newly FDA-approved MDV3100 are the mainstay of drugs in clinical use. Interestingly, all of them are fluorine-containing compounds, indicating a unique role of fluorine atom on treating this cancer. In this mini-review, we summarize the prostate cancer-related cell signaling, chemistry and mechanisms of action of these drugs, highlighting the importance of fluorine chemistry on treating prostate cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We consider the problem of pricing arithmetic Asian options in the presence of stochastic volatility. By performing a change of numeraire introduced by Vĕcĕr, we derive a partial integro-differential equation (PIDE) for Asian options within Barndorff-Nielsen and Shephard (BNS) model framework. Then, a finite difference discretization is proposed for dealing with the terms containing the partial derivatives and a simple trapezoidal rule is used for the integral term due to jumps. Numerical experiments confirm that the developed methods are very efficient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study presented a novel method for purification of three different grades of diatomite from China by scrubbing technique using sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) as dispersant combined with centrifugation. Effects of pH value and dispersant amount on the grade of purified diatomite were studied and the optimum experimental conditions were obtained. The characterizations of original diatomite and derived products after purification were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and specific surface area analyzer (BET). The results indicated that the pore size distribution, impurity content and bulk density of purified diatomite were improved significantly. The dispersive effect of pH and SHMP on the separation of diatomite from clay minerals was discussed systematically through zeta potential test. Additionally, a possible purification mechanism was proposed in the light of the obtained experimental results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sedimentary sequences occurring in desert dunes reflect changes in desert systems, and as such may contain signals useful for recognizing spatial and temporal changes of deserts and their response to regional or even global climate fluctuations. Geomorphological and palaeoenvironmental studies within the dune fields of the Asian middle-latitudes have provided some solid evidence for interpreting the history of these sand seas. Using the Hunshandake (Otindag) Sandy Land, a sandy area covered primarily by stabilized dunes and located in the semi-arid zone of eastern Inner Mongolia, China (Fig. 1), as an example, we studied the initiation and variation in the dune landscape in the eastern portion of the desert belt in northern China. On the basis of physical and biochemical indicators in the sediments and OSL chronology, we herein argue that this dune system in the middle latitudes of eastern Asia is much younger than previously assumed and that it has responded sensitively to climate change during the late Quaternary. Geological evidence from the Sandy Land suggests that most of the current dunes are of late Pleistocene or even Holocene age. Palaeosols intercalated in the aeolian sequences and their OSL chronology show that the climate of the Hunshandake was much wetter than today between 9.6 ka and 3 ka. This resulted in stabilization of the dunes in the eastern and central portions of the Sandy Land. Epochs of reworking or stabilization of the dunes are broadly consistent with the fluctuations in northern hemisphere solar radiation although with an obvious time lag. Because the increase rate of annual precipitation was not sufficient to fully stabilize the dunes in more arid part of the region, some active dunes persisted even during this long-lasting wetter epoch. We conclude that periods of Holocene dune stabilization due to palaeosol formation varied along the climate gradients across the various sandy lands of northern China, and in general it began earlier and lasted longer in the east than in the west. The general nature of the sandy lands and their counterparts in the western portion of the desert belt during the LGM and mid-Holocene climate optimum is discussed in comparison with their current states. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A 18-metal Yb(III) nanoring was constructed by the using of a Schiff base ligand. It exhibits interesting NIR luminescent sensing behavior to antibiotics and explosives, in particular to NFAs and TNP with high sensitivity. The K SV values and LODs of this lanthanide nanoring to NFAs and TNP are 1.5 × 104–4.6 × 104 (mol/L)−1 and 1.7–5.1 μmol/L, respectively. Its high luminescence sensitivities to NFAs and TNP are not affected by the existence of other antibiotics and explosives. [Display omitted] • The complex shows a ring-like structure. • The complex displays typical NIR lanthanide luminescence. • The complex exhibits NIR luminescence response to antibiotics and explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geochemical characteristics of aeolian sand from two different dune fields were studied. • Spatial differences are primarily caused by surface processes and provenances. • Aeolian sand in the Horqin Sandy Land experienced intense chemical weathering. • Coarse and fine sand fractions move via separate transportation pathways. Geochemical studies examining surface aeolian sediments are significant for understanding Earth's surface processes and determining sediment provenance in arid and semi-arid regions. However, there is limited research on the geochemical comparison of aeolian sediments formed under distinctive tectonic and climatic settings. Surficial sand samples from the Taklamakan Desert and Horqin Sandy Land in northern China were collected, and the major, trace, and rare earth elements (REEs) in the bulk samples, fine fractions (<75 µm) and coarse fractions (>75 µm) of sand were analyzed. This study aimed to explore the spatial variation in the geochemical composition of aeolian sand and its drivers. The results show that differences between the two regions are primarily caused by the intensity of chemical weathering, sedimentary recycling, and provenance. The mean chemical proxy of alteration (72.3 vs. 77.8) and the Parker's weathering values (37.8 vs. 55.8) both suggest the bulk samples from the Horqin Sandy Land experienced more intense chemical weathering, whereas physical weathering is a dominant process in the Taklamakan Desert. These differences may be attributed to the different climatic conditions in the two regions and the exposure time to weathering. A combination of the index of compositional variability and immobile trace element ratios shows that aeolian sand in the Horqin Sandy Land underwent more intense sedimentary recycling than sediments in the Taklamakan Desert. REEs ratios (such as Cr/V and Y/Ni) and the Al 2 O 3 -CaO*+Na 2 O-K 2 O (A-CN-K) diagram indicate aeolian sand in the Taklamakan Desert is probably derived from mixed source rocks of tonalite, granite, and granodiorite. Eu anomaly vs. (La/Yb) N diagrams suggest that the primary source-rocks contributing to the coarse and fine fractions in the Horqin Sandy Land are different but mainly derived from the Great Hinggan Mountains. Differences in the provenance of the fine- and coarse-grained fractions are primarily controlled by interactions between wind and fluvial systems. This study confirms that surface processes and sediment provenance in drylands of northern china have distinct spatial differences, implying that geochemical signatures in aeolian sand need to be interpreted in the specific climatic and tectonic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submerged steam jet in subcooled water flow is widely used in many industrial processes. When non-condensable gas is involved in the steam jet, the mechanisms of heat and mass transfer become more complicated due to the added non-condensable components and the strong effect of water turbulence. In present work, a three-dimensional steady numerical simulation is conducted to study the steam jet condensation in subcooled water flow in a vertical pipe with the presence of non-condensable gas based on inhomogeneous multiphase model. The effects of non-condensable gas on steam plume shapes, distributions of static pressure, velocity, temperature and heat transfer characteristics are investigated. As air contents increases, steam plume transforms from ellipsoidal shape to divergent shape and the peak value of static pressure decreases. The mechanism of the peak phenomenon of static pressure at the end of steam plume is revealed to be the squeezing effect of water flow towards the nozzle axis. Since air mass fraction rises to 1%–9%, the average heat transfer coefficient declines by 24.5%–54.9%. The local heat transfer coefficient is evaluated by using thermal equilibrium model at phase interface. Numerical results show a self-intensifying effect on heat transfer, indicating that the distribution of local heat transfer coefficient is highly similar to that of water turbulent kinetic energy near phase interface, decreasing first and then rising to a high level at the tail of steam plume. The local heat transfer coefficient and steam condensation rate decrease with air concentration and increase with water mass flow rate. • Stable steam jet condensation with non-condensable gas is numerically studied. • The effect of air concentration on gas volume fraction is investigated. • The mechanism of the peak phenomenon of static pressure is revealed. • Self-intensifying effects on heat transfer are discussed at different air contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Visualization was carried out to reveal the mechanism of temperature oscillations. • High-amplitude temperature oscillations are caused by intermittent liquid supply. • The oscillation characteristics under various operating conditions are presented. • Temperature oscillations are prone to occur under low heat loads. • Low filling ratio and high sink temperature can suppress temperature oscillations. A novel loop heat pipe with a vapor-driven jet injector (LHPI) shows excellent heat transfer performance. However, high-amplitude temperature oscillations are observed at low heat loads. In this study, a LHPI with transparent compensation chamber is designed and tested to reveal the mechanism of temperature oscillations. The relations between the internal flow and temperature oscillations are investigated by visualization study, and the results show that high-amplitude temperature oscillations are caused by the intermittent liquid supply of the compensation chamber. Meanwhile, the temperature oscillation characteristics of the LHPI under a variety of operating conditions are also studied. Five operation modes of the LHPI are classified as start-up failure mode, high-frequency/low-amplitude oscillating mode, low-frequency/high-amplitude oscillating mode, overshoot mode and smooth mode. Furthermore, a low filling ratio can eliminate the low-frequency/high-amplitude oscillating mode and is therefore conducive to the stable operation of the LHPI, but it elevates the operating temperature under high heat loads. In addition, increasing the sink temperature can also suppress temperature oscillations. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Liquid chromatography at the critical condition (LCCC) method has been proposed as an attractive method to characterize individual blocks in block copolymers because it can make one block chromatographically “invisible” at the critical condition of its corresponding homopolymer. However, observable dependence of retention time on the “invisible” block length was reported in LCCC experimental studies of diblock copolymer [Macromolecules 2001;34:2353–2358; Anal Chem 2001;73:3884–3889.]. In this study, we re-examined the validity of the LCCC method for AB, BAB and ABA block copolymers by the lattice Monte Carlo simulation method with using random walk (RW) and self-avoiding walk chain (SAW) models. In the current study, the A block is set in the size exclusion mode and is chromatographically “visible”. The interaction between the B type monomer and the column surface are varied to identify the critical condition of B block in the block copolymer. Our simulation results establish that individual block, i.e. B block in the current work, from the block copolymer has its own critical condition for the first time. However, it was also found that the critical condition of B block might be different from the critical condition of B homopolymer. The critical condition of B block in the AB diblock is exactly equal to the critical condition of B homopolymer only when the chain is modeled by RW model. However, deviations of the critical condition of B block away from that of the B homopolymer are observed for AB copolymer using SAW model, and also for BAB and ABA copolymers whether the chain is modeled by RW or SAW models. Moreover, under the critical condition of B homopolymer, no dependence of the partition coefficient on the “invisible” B block length was observed for the AB and BAB copolymers when the copolymer chains were modeled by RW model. Distinct dependence of the partition coefficient of these two types' copolymers on the B block length was found when the chain was modeled by SAW model. For the ABA triblock copolymer, slight dependence of the partition coefficient on B block length was observed even for the RW model while this dependence became much stronger when the chain was modeled by SAW model. Moreover, it was also found that the partition coefficient of ABA copolymer is much smaller than those of AB and BAB copolymers under the critical condition of B homopolymer because of the chain architecture effect. The current study confirms that the block in the block copolymer is hard to be made completely chromatographically “invisible” because the intrinsic nature of the excluded volume interaction existed in real polymer system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we concentrate on fast removing speckle noise in real ultrasound images. It is hard to design a fast algorithm to solve a speckle reduction model, since the data fitting term in a speckle reduction model is usually not convex. In this paper, we present a convex variational model to deal with speckle noise in real ultrasound images. The data-fitting term of the proposed model is obtained by using a generalized Kullback–Leibler distance. To fast solve the proposed model, we incorporate variable splitting method and Bregman iterative method to propose a fast ultrasound speckle reduction algorithm. The capability of the proposed method is shown both on synthetic images and real ultrasound images. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Four Zn-Ln salen complexes are formed with the Schiff base ligand bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)ethylene-1,2-phenylenediamine (H2L). The complexes are trinuclear [LnZn2L2(OAc)2]·CF3SO3·Et2O (Ln = Eu (1) and Tb (2)), and dinuclear [EuZnL(OAc)(NO3)2MeOH] (3) and [TbZnL(OAc)2(NO3)] (4). The structures of 1–4 were determined by single crystal X-ray crystallographic studies and the respective luminescence properties in MeCN solution were determined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thermal storage with molten salt is considered to be an important subsystem for solar thermal power stations due to the fluctuation of sunshine over time. A molten salt thermal storage tank, in which the fluid is stratified in temperature with “hot” on the upper level and “cold” in the lower level due to the density difference of the fluids (Criterion 1), is preferred for the system efficiency. Porous media, such as quartzite rock or silica sand, are used to fill the tank in order to reduce the inventory of the molten salt and manage the mixing between the hot and cold molten salt, so as to form a stable layer of thermocline. However, in the flow of molten salt, either the hot fluid displaces the cold one or vice versa, phenomena of viscous fingering and/or channeling are likely to occur, which may disturb the stability of the thermocline, resulting in an over widened temperature transitional zone. To circumvent the problems, criterions are proposed in this work based on the analysis of Darcy’s flow in porous medium, i.e. Criterion 2, when hot molten salt displaces cold molten salt, the flow velocity must be under the critical value (vc ); Criterion 3, when cold molten salt displaces hot molten salt from the top down, though this is unusual, the flow velocity must exceed a critical value (wc ); and Criterion 4, in the thermocline region, if the mobility ratio is less than 1, displacement is stable, otherwise it is unstable. Criterion 1 concerns the hydrostatics factor, i.e. density and gravity. Criterion 2–4, however, takes hydrodynamics into consideration as well, which involve velocity, density and viscosity of the fluid, and porosity and permeability of the porous medium. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we study a class of conformal mappings between two semi-Riemannian manifolds and obtain the corresponding invariant under this mapping. In particular, we proved that this type of conformal mapping keeps a generalized quasi-Einstein manifold unchanged. Moreover, the geometrical meaning of this conformal mapping is discussed and some features of the semi-Riemannian manifolds admitting this class of conformal mapping are also showed. Finally, we obtain a sufficient condition for a recurrent manifold to be a quasi-Einstein manifold. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Although sand seas are located in arid regions, given that the proportions of dune areas vary greatly from region to region they are clearly influenced by other factors as well as aridity. This paper discusses the distribution pattern and major features of sand seas and large fields of stabilized dunes in northern China, and demonstrates the main influences on their development. It appears that the availability of onsite loose sediments, not wind strength, is critical to the occurrence of the sand seas on a regional scale. Tectonic, endorheic basins or areas of alluvial fans or forelands of mountain ranges are advantageous to the accumulation of fluvial sediments, and thus are ideal locations of large sand seas in an arid climate. The large dune fields currently stabilized by vegetation were active sand seas during the drier periods of the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. The distribution patterns of Chinese sand seas suggest that the height or size of the dunes in the sand seas are determined more by the availability of sands than any other potential factors. As the sand seas in China account for a large portion of deserts in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (Taklamakan is the second largest sand sea on Earth), knowledge of these sand seas’ past changes is important for understanding climatic changes in the terrestrial regions of mid-latitudes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In a solar thermal power tower system, a molten salt tube receiver is a significant component. However, the tube flow performance is different with other tubes, half the circumference of the tube is heated with a different heat flux and half that circumference is insulated. As the properties of molten salt change with the temperature along the alloy tube wall, the distributions of temperature and heat flux and the heat transfer characteristics are very complex. The present study uses the computational fluid dynamics to reveal these phenomena. The results show that the temperature distribution of molten salt and tube wall are very uneven whether in an axial or radial direction, and the temperature of the inner tube wall is an important parameter for preventing the decomposition of molten salt. The heat flux of the heating surface increases with the increase of velocity; however, the situation is just the opposite for the adiabatic surface. The heat transfer coefficient is higher as compared with the Sieder–Tate equation. The value of the local Nu number is almost unchanged with the change of the cosine angle over all circumferential direction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Characterization of dune morphology has historically been based on relationships between dune forms and wind regimes with dune height shown to be sensitive to atmospheric boundary layer depth, sand availability and sediment properties. While these parameters have been used in numerical simulations to model the occurrences of some types of dunes, they cannot alone explain the great diversity in form and size seen on Earth and on other solar system bodies. Here we present results from our studies of dune formation in the Badain Jaran Desert in western China, where Earth''s tallest dunes occur. We measured the variability of the dune morphology in this desert on the basis of LANDSAT ETM+ data, and we detected the bedrock landforms beneath the aeolian sands by applying gravity methods. Wind records from stations at the periphery of the desert and SRTM topographical data were examined also to augment the interpretation. Our studies demonstrate that in addition to average wind parameters, dune height is highly sensitive to local geology, subsurface characteristics, and topography, and interactions between changing climate conditions and aeolian and fluvial processes. These additional factors need to be considered in the interpretation and simulation of dunes on Earth. We anticipate that analysis of anomalous dune heights like those seen in the Badain Jaran may also provide critical information on subsurface characteristics and environmental conditions on Earth and on other planetary bodies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The closed Dirichlet problem for an elliptic–hyperbolic equation arising in linearizing the Monge–Ampère type equation is shown to admit a distributional solution by using an integral method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]