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Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To conduct a comparative study of high-frequency ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with serum RANKL and OPG detection, and assess the efficacy of high-frequency ultrasound with RANKL and OPG detection in screening early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Method: High-frequency ultrasound and MRI were performed on both carpal joints of 60 patients with early RA, and the frequencies of synovitis, joint effusion, tenosynovitis, and bone erosion detected by high-frequency ultrasound and MRI were observed. The serum levels of receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoclastogenesis inhibitory factor (OPG) were also detected. The serum levels of RANKL and OPG were also detected in 80 normal healthy examinees. The data were recorded and statistically analyzed. Results: The detection rates of carpal synovitis, joint effusion, tenosynovitis, and bone erosion in RA patients by high-frequency ultrasound were 81.66%, 69.16%, 63.33%, and 1.66%, respectively, while the detection rates by MRI were 80.00%, 71.66%, 65.00%, and 15.00%, respectively. There was no significant difference between high-frequency ultrasound and MRI in the detection rates of carpal synovitis, joint effusion, and tenosynovitis in RA patients (P > 0.05), while the detection rate of bone erosion by high-frequency ultrasound was significantly lower than that by MRI. The serum levels of RANKL and OPG in RA patients were 231.47 and 68.71, respectively, while the serum levels of RANKL and OPG in normal healthy examinees were 123.51 and 385.05, respectively. The serum RANKL levels of RA patients were significantly higher than those of healthy examinees, while the serum OPG levels of RA patients were significantly lower than those of healthy examinees, which were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The AUC values of the ROC curves obtained by high-frequency ultrasound and MRI combined with serum RANKL and OPG detection in Synovitis modeling were 0.955 and 0.954, respectively. The AUC values of the ROC curves obtained from the joint fusion modeling using high-frequency ultrasound and MRI combined with serum RANKL and OPG detection were 0.949 and 0.950, respectively. The AUC values of the ROC curves obtained from modeling Tenosynovitis using high-frequency ultrasound and MRI combined with serum RANKL and OPG detection were 0.941 and 0.949, respectively. The AUC values of ROC curves obtained by combining high-frequency ultrasound and MRI with serum RANKL and OPG detection in Bone erosion modeling were 0.908 and 0.923, respectively. Conclusion: High-frequency ultrasound combined with serum RANKL and OPG detection has comparable effects to MRI on screening early RA, providing a safe, simple, and cost-effective screening method for the early detection of RA patients. Key Points • High-frequency ultrasound and MRI can effectively detect early lesions of the wrist joints in RA patients. • Ultrasound diagnosis has the advantages of being quick, inexpensive, and repeatable, making it the preferred choice of imaging examination for RA patients at an early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deep eutectic solvent (choline chloride (ChCl)-urea) was chosen to extract flavonoids from Moringa oleifera leaves (FMOL), the condition of extraction was tailor-made, under the optimal extraction conditions (material-to-liquid ratio of 1:60 g/mL, extraction time of 80 min, extraction temperature of 80 °C), the highest extraction efficiency reached 63.2 ± 0.3 mg R/g DW, and nine flavonoids were identified. Then, the biological activities including antioxidant activities, antibacterial activities, and anti-tumor activities were systematically studied. FMOL was superior to positive drugs in terms of antioxidant activity. As to DPPH investigation, the IC50 of FMOL and Vc were 64.1 ± 0.7 and 176.1 ± 2.0 µg/mL; for the ABTS, the IC50 of FMOL and Vc were 9.5 ± 0.3 and 38.2 ± 1.2 µg/mL, the FRAP value of FMOL and Vc were 15.5 ± 0.6 and 10.2 ± 0.4 mg TE/g, and ORAC value of FMOL and Vc were 4687.2 ± 102.8 and 3881.6 ± 98.6 µmol TE/g. The bacteriostatic (MICs were ≤ 1.25 mg/mL) activities of FMOL were much better than propyl p-hydroxybenzoate. Meanwhile, FMOL had comparable inhibitory activity with genistein on tumor cells, IC50 was 307.8 µg/mL, and could effectively induce apoptosis in HCT116. Microcapsules were prepared with xylose-modified soybean protein isolate and gelatin as wall materials; after that, the intestinal release of modified FMOL microcapsules was 86 times of free FMOL. Therefore, this study confirmed that FMOL extracted with ChCl/urea has rich bioactive components, and microencapsulated FMOL has potential application in food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempts to: (a) investigate whether positive and negative emotions mediate the pathways linking self-efficacy for learning programming with effort and persistence in undergraduates' learning Scratch programming combining with a programmable hardware platform (i.e., Arduino), and (b) assess the effect of academic major (i.e., information technology-related majors vs non-information technology-related majors) on self-efficacy for learning programming and emotions. With the use of responses collected from a sample of 156 undergraduate students, the research model is empirically validated using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that undergraduates' effort and persistence while learning programming were significantly predicted by positive emotions, but not by negative emotions. Self-efficacy for learning programming significantly and positively influenced positive emotions and negatively influenced negative emotions. Finally, variations in predicting positive emotions were found between different academic majors: students in information technology-related majors experienced less negative emotional experiences than those in non-information technology-related majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore how the thickness of the femoral lateral wall influences the effectiveness of internal fixation systems used to treat intertrochanteric fractures. CT images of the pelvis and femur of a male adult were used to construct an intertrochanteric fracture model (AO/OTA 31-A2) with various thicknesses of the femoral lateral wall (FLW). Four finite element (FE) models were created with the lateral femoral walls being 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, and 40 mm thick. The fracture models were fixed with a dynamic hip screw (DHS), a proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA), and a proximal femoral locking compression plate (P-FLCP). A simulated vertical load was applied to the femoral head. The stress and displacement of the implant and femur in each model were recorded for comparison. The FE analysis of the intertrochanteric fracture models showed that the PFNA system could provide better stability than the DHS and P-FLCP with the same thickness of FLW. The FLW provided buttress support to the femoral head and neck when using a DHS and PFNA, and the buttress strength was proportional to the thickness of FLW. The maximum stress in the DHS model was recorded on the DHS plate which accommodated the lag screw. For the PFNA model, the maximum stress appeared at the connection between the nail and blade. In the P-FLCP model, the maximum stresses were highly concentrated at the connection between the cephalic nails and the proximal plate. The thickness of the femoral lateral wall should be considered an important factor when selecting a suitable internal fixation system for intertrochanteric fractures. Based on the FE analysis, intramedullary fixation, such as PFNA, experiences lower stress levels and a moderate displacement in comparison to DHS and P-FCLP when used to treat intertrochanteric fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An internet of things (IoT) system for monitoring environmental parameters on campus has been successfully developed in this study. Various sensors are adopted in front of the IoT system for detecting air pollutants. The architecture of LongRange in Class C uses low-power and long-distance transmission technologies, which has been set up on the large campus so that the terminal equipment can reach a balance between downlink latency and battery life, making it the best communication protocol. In addition, this monitoring system uses the Petri net software tool to build a correct IoT platform based on the fundamental design process and to demonstrate the feasibility of the IoT system through simulation-based verification. Finally, the experimental results indicate that the IoT system for monitoring the environmental parameters on campus achieves the goal of an acceptable data transmission success rate of more than 95%. Thus, it can facilitate the air quality trends for policy making as well as the hazardous prediction and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To comprehensively assess osteoporosis in the lumbar spine, a compositional MR imaging technique is proposed to quantify proton fractions for all the water components as well as fat in lumbar vertebrae measured by a combination of a 3D short repetition time adiabatic inversion recovery prepared ultrashort echo time (STAIR-UTE) MRI and IDEAL-IQ. Methods: A total of 182 participants underwent MRI, quantitative CT, and DXA. Lumbar collagen-bound water proton fraction (CBWPF), free water proton fraction (FWPF), total water proton fraction (TWPF), bone mineral density (BMD), and T-score were calculated in three vertebrae (L2–L4) for each subject. The correlations of the CBWPF, FWPF, and TWPF with BMD and T-score were investigated respectively. A comprehensive diagnostic model combining all the water components and clinical characteristics was established. The performances of all the water components and the comprehensive diagnostic model to discriminate between normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis cohorts were also evaluated using receiver operator characteristic (ROC). Results: The CBWPF showed strong correlations with BMD (r = 0.85, p < 0.001) and T-score (r = 0.72, p < 0.001), while the FWPF and TWPF showed moderate correlations with BMD (r = 0.65 and 0.68, p < 0.001) and T-score (r = 0.47 and 0.49, p < 0.001). The high area under the curve values obtained from ROC analysis demonstrated that CBWPF, FWPF, and TWPF have the potential to differentiate the normal, osteopenia, and osteoporosis cohorts. At the same time, the comprehensive diagnostic model shows the best performance. Conclusions: The compositional MRI technique, which quantifies CBWPF, FWPF, and TWPF in trabecular bone, is promising in the assessment of bone quality. Key Points: • Compositional MR imaging technique is able to quantify proton fractions for all the water components (i.e., collagen-bound water proton fraction (CBWPF), free water proton fraction (FWPF), and total water proton fraction (TWPF)) in the human lumbar spine. • The biomarkers derived from the compositional MR imaging technique showed moderate to high correlations with bone mineral density (BMD) and T-score and showed good performance in distinguishing people with different bone mass. • The comprehensive diagnostic model incorporating CBWPF, FWPF, TWPF, and clinical characteristics showed the highest clinical diagnostic capability for the assessment of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The survival benefit of icotinib (an oral epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] tyrosine kinase inhibitor) in patients with advanced lung cancer has been confirmed in several studies. This study (ICAPE) evaluated the efficacy of icotinib as adjuvant therapy for patients with stage IIA-IIIA EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma. Patients with stage IIA-IIIA EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase II study. Eligible patients received oral icotinib 125 mg thrice daily for 1.5 years after complete surgical resection. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Between March 2014 and January 2018, 79 patients were enrolled. The median follow-up time was 39.7 months with a median DFS and overall survival (OS) of 41.4 months (95% CI: 33.6–51.8) and 67.0 months (95% CI: 21.2-not reached [NR]), respectively. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS rates were 100%, 83.3%, and 61.7%, respectively. No significant difference was found in the median DFS between patients with Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death (BIM) mutant-type and wild-type (NR vs. 41.7 months; p = 0.75). No significant difference was found in the median DFS according to EGFR mutation types. Icotinib as adjuvant therapy demonstrated a favorable survival benefit in patients with stage IIA-IIIA EGFR-mutant non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma, indicating that icotinib might be a promising treatment option for this patient population. The optimal adjuvant duration of icotinib is still not clear and needs more incoming data to answer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The obligate pollination mutualism between figs (Ficus, Moraceae) and pollinator wasps (Agaonidae, Hymenoptera) is a classic example of cospeciation. However, examples of phylogenetic incongruencies between figs and their pollinators suggest that pollinators may speciate by host shifting. To investigate the mechanism of speciation by host shifting, we examined the phylogenetic relationships and population genetic structures of six closely related fig species and their pollinators from southern China and Taiwan-Ryukyu islands using various molecular markers. The results revealed 1) an extraordinary case of pollinator sharing, in which five distinct fig species share a single pollinator species in southern China; 2) two types of copollination, namely, sympatric copollination by pollinator duplication or pollinator migration, and allopatric copollination by host migration and new pollinator acquisition; 3) fig species from southern China have colonized Taiwan repeatedly and one of these events has been followed by host shifting, reestablishment of host specificity, and pollinator speciation, in order. Based on our results, we propose a model for pollinator speciation by host shifting in which the reestablishment of host-specificity plays a central role in the speciation process. These findings provide important insights into understanding the mechanisms underlying pollinator speciation and host specificity in obligate pollination mutualism. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses reveal mechanisms of pollinator sharing, copollination and speciation by host-shift in fig-wasp mutualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered one of the most important grains in the world. Straw return has the effect of reducing soil bulk density and increasing soil porosity. Straw returning and potassium fertilizer can supplement soil potassium content. The improvement of soil structure and the optimization of soil nutrient levels provide a good environment for high yield and high efficiency of maize. Therefore, three field experiments were carried out over a three-year period (2018–2020) to study the effects of straw returning on photosynthesis, dry matter accumulation and yield of maize 'Xianyu 335' under two different fertilization methods and four potassium application levels. The results showed that straw returning and potassium application had significant effects on the above indicators. The above indicators were significantly improved by deep tillage straw returning compared with no tillage straw returning. Increasing potassium supply can promote the effect of straw returning. The photosynthesis, dry matter accumulation and yield parameters of maize treated with straw returning and deep tillage combined with 60 kg/hm2 potassium fertilizer (SFK60) reached the highest in the three harvest seasons. The corn planting profit of SFK45 treatment is the highest, which is $1868.92 per ha. Therefore, SFK45 is an effective way to ensure stable and high yield of corn and maximize farmers' income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Autosomal recessive microcephaly and chorioretinopathy (MCCRP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by delayed psychomotor development, growth retardation with dwarfism, and ocular abnormalities, and its occurrence has been found to be closely related to variants of the gene encoding centrosomes. However, the association between centrosomal duplication defects and the etiology of microcephaly syndromes is poorly understood. It is well known that polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4) is a key regulator of centriole duplication, and the abnormalities of centrosomal function caused by its protein variation need to be further explored in the pathogenesis of microcephaly. In our study, we found that a patient with microcephaly and chorioretinopathy harbored compound heterozygous missense variants NM_014264.4: c.2221C > T (p.Gln741*) and NM_014264.4: c.2062 T > C (p.Tyr688His) in the PLK4 gene. Overexpression experiments of the variant PLK4 proteins then showed that the G741 variant rather than the T688H variant had lost centrosomal amplification ability, and the G741 variant but not the T688H variant induced centrosomal replication disorder, which further inhibited cell proliferation, cycle division and cytoskeleton morphology in HeLa cells. Moreover, the overexpression of the two variant proteins had inconsistent effects on the target protein PLK4 by western blot analysis, also indicating that T688H variant overexpression is not functionally equivalent to WT-PLK4 overexpression. Therefore, all data support the idea that the PLK4 mutation induces centriolar duplication disorder and reduces the efficiency of mitosis inducing cell death or cell proliferation in the etiology of microcephaly disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Santa Lúcia copper-gold deposit lies in the southeastern portion of the Carajás Mineral Province, along NW-SE splays of the Carajás Fault. The deposit is hosted by a rhyolitic subvolcanic rock, which is crosscut by pegmatite intrusions. The paragenetic evolution at Santa Lúcia encompasses an early stage of chlorite alteration, followed by potassic alteration with microcline, greisenization (quartz-muscovite-tourmaline), copper-gold ore precipitation, and late sericite and hematite vein formation/fracture infill. Copper mineralization is dominantly represented by chalcopyrite-sphalerite-pyrrhotite-pentlandite-pyrite breccias, which are spatially associated with greisen alteration and characterized by the enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREE), Ni, Co, and Cr. The alteration types, mineralization styles, and ore assemblage suggest that the Santa Lúcia deposit could represent a member of the Paleoproterozoic (ca. 1.88 Ga) granite-related copper-gold systems of Carajás (e.g., the Breves and Estrela deposits). However, the in situ U-Pb analyses of ore-related monazite yield a weighted average 207Pb/206Pb age of 2688 ± 27 Ma, thereby constraining the timing of mineralization at Santa Lúcia to the Neoarchean. Moreover, tourmaline from the pegmatite and within the ore zones has a range of δ11B values from − 3.7 to − 0.6‰, therefore linked to a magmatic boron source. Collectively, these results indicate that the Santa Lúcia deposit is the first reduced magmatic-hydrothermal, iron oxide–poor system formed in the Neoarchean, coeval with the 2.72–2.68 Ga metallogenic event responsible for the genesis of important iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) deposits in the Carajás Mineral Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling the morphology of metal–organic frameworks to improve their application in energy storage remains a particular challenge. In this work, hollow porous Co-MOF-74 nanocuboids consisting of nanothorn (< 7 nm) are designed through the linker exchange method for the improved MOFs-based anode of the lithium-ion battery. The Co-MOF-74 inherits the shape of cobalt acetate hydroxide prism and translates into the hollow structure due to the Kirkendall effect. The evolutions of morphology depending on temperature have been investigated further together with the lithium storage performances. Due to the combined merits from the high surface area inheriting from the nanocuboids and the coordination defects originating from the ultrasmall nanothorns, the Co-MOF-74 with optimized morphology exhibits a high reversible capacity and excellent cycle stability (up to 900 mAh g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 after 600 cycles). This work demonstrates an effective way for rational design and synthesis of MOFs-based electrodes for energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Evidential C-Means algorithm provides a global treatment of ambiguity and uncertainty in memberships when partitioning attribute data, but still requires the number of clusters to be fixed as a priori, like most existing clustering methods do. However, the users usually do not know the exact number of clusters in advance, particularly in practical engineering. To relax this requirement, this paper proposes an Evidential Evolving C-Means (E2CM) clustering method in the framework of evolutionary computation: cluster centers are encoded in a population of variable strings (or particles) to search the optimal number and locations of clusters simultaneously. To perform such joint optimization problem well, an artificial bee colony algorithm with variable strings and interactive evaluation mode is proposed. It will be shown that the E2CM can automatically create appropriate credal partitions by just requiring an upper bound of the cluster number rather than the exact one. More interestingly, there are no restrictions on this upper bound from the theoretic point of view. Some numerical experiments and a practical application in thermal power engineering validate our conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow separation under crosswind conditions seriously jeopardizes the quality of the nacelle's flow field. In this paper, microsecond pulsed surface dielectric barrier discharge (μSDBD) is used to suppress the flow separation and reduce the crosswind distortion of the nacelle. The flow structure induced by the μSDBD is first explored by a high-speed schlieren system. The pressure waves composed of a cylindrical wave surrounding the electrodes and a flat wave at the top of the cylindrical one can be perceived, which indicates the fast gas heating produced by the μSDBD. A set of wind tunnel tests are then conducted to verify the ability of μSDBD to suppress the nacelle flow separation and study the influence laws of pulse frequency, coverage area, and the actuator layout on the flow control effects. Results show that plasma actuation can not only improve the total pressure at the exit of the nacelle but also suppress the flow distortion caused by the crosswind. The best flow control effect can be achieved at the pulse frequency of 500 Hz, with the value of sectional distortion coefficient reduced by 57.76% compared with the baseline condition. The flow control effect with the plasma actuator covering 120° of the nacelle perimeter is better than that of 60° and 180° coverage, showing the highest flow control efficiency in the 120° condition. The μSDBD can improve mixing between the boundary layer and the main flow, enhancing the ability of the boundary layer to resist the adverse pressure gradient, which is beneficial to flow separation control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrids, produced by hybridization of proteins, peptides, DNA, and other new biomolecules with polymers, often have unique functional properties. These properties, such as biocompatibility, stability and specificity, lead to various smart biomaterials. This review mainly introduces biomolecule-polymer hybrid materials by reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP), emphasizing reverse addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP). It includes the methods of RDRP to improve the biocompatibility of biomedical materials and organisms by surface modification. The key to the current synthesis of biomolecule-polymer hybrids is to control polymerization. Besides, this review describes several different kinds of biomolecule-polymer hybrid materials and their applications in the biomedical field. These progresses provide ideas for the investigation of biodegradable and highly bioactive biomedical soft tissue materials. The research hotspots of nanotechnology in biomedical fields are controlled drug release materials and gene therapy carrier materials. Research showed that RDRP method could improve the therapeutic effect and reduce the dosage and side effects of the drug. Specifically, by means of RDRP, the original materials can be modified to develop intelligent polymer materials as membrane materials with selective permeability and surface modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species of Ficus are pollinated by host-specific fig wasps. In most cases, each fig wasp species is associated with a single species of Ficus, and such high host specificity is maintained by the responses of the pollinating wasps to specific floral scents of the host species. We hypothesized that closely related sympatric species with similar morphological characteristics would show greater differences in floral scent profiles than morphologically distinct species, because morphological characteristics may act as an additional factor for the maintenance of the species-specific association with pollinators. We analyzed the floral scent composition of five Ficus species growing sympatrically by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and analyzed host-specificity in one of the fig wasp species using Y-tube olfactometer assays. The scent profiles of the investigated species consist mainly of terpenoids and benzenoids with few unique compounds are typical for Ficus. Although, by the nonmetric multidimensional scaling, the overlapped floral scent compositions between species were detected, the bioassays with the pollinator species of Ficus erecta indicated that pollinating fig wasp can distinguish its host species using floral scents, even if the two species presented have similar scent compositions. Comparing the scent profiles of Ficus species with their genetic relatedness and their morphological characters, ostiole size, syconium size, and tree height, in order to clarify such effects on the differentiation of floral scents in sympatric Ficus species revealed that Ficus species with similar ostiole size and tree height had different scent profiles even though they were phylogenetically related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the role of the green inspiration effect in explaining the cross section of returns in the Chinese stock market. After constructing a new risk factor (the green risk factor), we empirically investigate the explanatory ability of this factor for the cross section of stock returns. We find that stocks of green industries have higher average returns, and the green risk factor significantly captures excess stock returns even after controlling for firm characteristic risk factors, institutional risks and economic factors. We also highlight in a subsample analysis that the explanatory power of the green risk factor improves after June 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New simultaneously doped pyrochlore compounds (Ca1−xCex)2(ZrxNb1−x)2O7 (x = 0.05, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) are prepared by solid state method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that CaCeZrNbO7 phase increase and Ca2Nb2O7 phase decrease with the increase of x. The electrical parameters of (Ca1−xCex)2(ZrxNb1−x)2O7 ceramics are as follows: the resistivities ρ700, B500/700,α500,α700 and Ea500/700 are 1.12 × 103 to 1.24 × 106 Ω cm, 10,646 to 17,148 K, − 0.0287 to − 0.0178 K−1, − 0.0189 to − 0.0112 K−1 and 0.92 to 1.48 eV, respectively. In addition, the resistivity drift reduces as the Ce and Zr ions doping content increases. Simultaneously doped pyrochlore compounds (Ca1−xCex)2(ZrxNb1−x)2O7 ceramic with wide operating temperature (300–1100 °C) and high temperature stability. After pre-aging at 700 °C for 200 h, the resistance drift rate of all samples within 300 h is less than 1%, and can be used as potential candidates for high temperatures thermistor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As has been demonstrated, the long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithm has the special ability to process sequenced data; however, LSTM suffers from high dimensionality, and its structure is too complex, leading to overfitting. In this research, we propose a new method, RFG-LSTM, which uses a rectified forgetting gate (RFG) to restructure the LSTM. The rectified forgetting gate is a function that can limit the boundary of an input sequence, so it can reduce the dimensionality and complexity of a neural network. Through theoretical analysis, we demonstrate that RFG-LSTM is monotonic, just as LSTM is; additionally, the stringency does not change in the new algorithm. Thus, RFG-LSTM also has the ability to process sequenced data. Based on the real trading scenario of China's A stock market, we construct a multi-factor alpha portfolio with RFG-LSTM. The experimental results show that the RFG-LSTM model can objectively learn the characteristics and rules of the A stock market, and this can contribute to a portfolio investment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning (DL) based semantic segmentation methods can extract object information including category, location and shape. In this paper, the identification of prohibited items is regarded as a task of semantic segmentation, and proposes a universal model with automatic identification of prohibited items. This model has two improvements based on the general semantic segmentation network. Firstly, the N-type encoding structure is applied to enlarge the receptive field of the network aiming at reducing the misclassification. Secondly, consider the lack of surface texture in X-ray security images. Inspired by feature reuse in Densenet, shallow semantic information is reused to improve the segmentation accuracy. With the use of this model, when using input images of size 512×512, we could achieve 0.783 mean intersection over union (mIoU) for a seven-class object recognition problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cubic Ag2MoO4 photocatalyst was prepared with a solvothermal method using ethanol as a solvent. The morphology and structure of the obtained materials were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The effect of different heat treatment conditions on the visible-light response of Ag2MoO4 was studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The obtained Ag2MoO4 materials were applied as photocatalysts for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), and the degradation process was analyzed by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The material synthesized at 100 °C for 12 h exhibited the best photocatalytic activity, with degradation of RhB reaching 95.0% within 60 min. The RhB degradation process had a short half-life and an average activation energy of 32.7 kJ/mol. The results of the photocatalytic experiments were in good agreement with the material characterization results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate and convenient method is essential for measuring the terminal velocity of seeds dispersed by wind. Systematic and random errors produced by existing methods lower the accuracy and convenience in determining seed terminal velocity. In this study, a video camera was used to record the falling process of forty-one species of wind-borne seed with eight appendage structures and seven aerodynamic behaviors in a settling tower at a speed of 50 frames per second (fps). The videos were analyzed by Quick Time Player to determine seed acceleration height, acceleration time, and terminal velocity. The results showed that acceleration height and time, terminal velocity, and the difference between terminal velocity and descent velocity (DTD) increased with wing loading. Compared with dropping methods, the camera recording method eliminated the effect of acceleration and corrected seed terminal velocity. Based on wing loading, release heights were determined for accurate measurement of terminal velocity of different seeds. This method, due to its inexpensive equipment, high accuracy, easy observation and operation, can be applied to measure the terminal velocity of wind dispersed seeds, and provides a promising method in exploring the dispersal process of seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present a novel negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor based on A2Zr2O7 (A = Nd, Sm, Gd, Yb) zirconate ceramics with pyrochlore-type structure for high-temperature application. The zirconate ceramics were synthesized via a solid-state reaction method where rare-earth oxides and ZrO2 were used as starting materials. The physical structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. It was confirmed that Nd2Zr2O7 and Sm2Zr2O7 are pyrochlore phases, while Yb2Zr2O7 and Gd2Zr2O7 are defect fluorite phases. The electrical property investigated by using resistance–temperature measurements demonstrated that the prepared A2Zr2O7 zirconate ceramics exhibit a typical characteristic of NTC over a wide temperature range between 673 and 1273 K. Particularly, A2Zr2O7, in addition to having high activation energy to ensure better sensitivity, can still maintain higher resistivity under high-temperature environments. Furthermore, the resistivity of A2Zr2O7 is almost independent of the change in oxygen partial pressure. These properties are superior to the classical spinel-type or perovskite-type NTC thermistor, providing valuable information to explore new NTC thermistor for high-temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticle Na3V2(PO4)3/C materials with different polyacrylonitrile contents can be successfully synthesized using precipitation method. As an energy storage material used in the production of lithium batteries which is also compared with pure of that, the Na3V2(PO4)3/C not only has a larger capacity, but also has a very high cycle stability. In particular, the initial discharge capacities of the Na3V2(PO4)3/C sample annealed at 750°C containing 10 wt% of polyacrylonitrile are 130.9 and 122.2 mAh g−1 at current densities of 0.5 and 1 C, respectively; the corresponding coulomb efficiencies are 97.3 and 99.5%. It is also worth noting that the capacity retention can reach as high as 92.7% for 500 cycles at 1 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was found for the first time that high temperature negative temperature coefficient (NTC) composites ceramic of La1−xMgxTiO3 (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) have been prepared by the solid-state reaction method sintered at 1400 °C. The effects of MgTiO3 and LaTiO3 composites on the structure, electrical properties and stability of the sintered ceramic samples were characterized by thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry (TG–DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. XRD patterns analysis has revealed that for La1−xMgxTiO3 (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) the major phases presents in the calcined bodies are double perovskites the LaTiO3 phase and the MgTiO3 phase. The SEM images have exhibited that as the mole fraction of Mg2+ from 0.1 to 0.9, the grain size of the MgTiO3 ceramics increases from ca. 1.77 to 5.99 μm and LaTiO3 ceramics decreases from ca. 2.83 to 1.53 μm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy prove the Ti3+ and Ti4+ ions on lattice sites, which result in hopping conduction. The presence of the Ti3+ and Ti4+ ions is one of the significant factors that affect the electrical conductivity of La1−xMgxTiO3 composites ceramic. The ρ400 and B400/1200 values are in the range of 14,693.137–65,659.809 Ω·cm and 7785.270–24,948.100 K, respectively. The La1−xMgxTiO3 materials could be used as potential candidates for high temperature range from 400 to 1200 °C thermistors applications. The resistance variation (ΔR/R0) was < 2% and the minimum value (0.1%) was obtained for aging at 1100 °C at 800 h. The aim of this work was exploring new composite ceramics materials, which could be used as higher temperature zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms that lead various hydrological conditions to influence solute and carbon dynamics in karst rivers is a crucial issue. In this study, high-frequency sampling and analyses of water chemistry and ẟ13CDIC were conducted from October 2013 to September 2014 in a typical karst river, the Beipan River in southwestern China. The major ions (such as Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3−, K+, SO42−, Na+, and Cl−) in the river are mainly from the weathering of carbonates and silicates and present temporal hydrological variabilities. Sr and U are mainly derived from carbonate weathering and show chemostatic behaviors responding to increasing discharge, similar to carbonate-sourced ions Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3−. Silicate weathering is the primary source of Al and Li, which show significant dilution effects similar to those of Na+ responding to high discharge. Meanwhile, most dissolved trace elements (such as Zn, Cu, Ba, Sb, Mn, Mo, and Pb) are strongly impacted by anthropogenic overprints and also exhibit a significant seasonal variability, which may be related with mining activities in the investigated area. A simultaneous increase of ẟ13CDIC and decrease in ∆DIC contents and pCO2 values suggests that photosynthesis is the primary control on riverine DIC variability during the high-flow season. Besides, the pCO2 values display significant chemostatic behaviors owing to the influx of biological CO2, which is produced by microbiological activities and ecological processes, and enhanced by monsoonal climatic conditions. A two-dimensional endmember mixing model demonstrates that carbonate weathering (averaging 62%) along with biological carbon (averaging 38%) are main sources to the riverine DIC, with temporal variability. Consequently, these results show that carbonate weathering and involved plant photosynthesis are the dominant processes controlling the riverine DIC contents under high discharge and temperature conditions. This work provides insight into the crucial influence of hydrological variability on solute sources and carbon dynamics under monsoonal climate for the karst rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nonparametric evidential regression (EVREG) method provides flexible forms of prediction regarding the value of output, allowing the output of training instances to be partially unknown. However, the superfluous training instances still have negative effects on the parameter learning in EVREG. To relax this limitation, this paper introduces an interactive nonparametric evidential regression (IEVREG) algorithm with instance selection. More specifically, the significance of an instance is firstly measured by defining the evaluation functions, taking into account both the prediction accuracy of regression model and the spatial information between that instance with other ones. According to a search strategy, the instances with high degree of significance are then selected to maximize an objective function. Different from existing instance selection methods, the selection of training instances is synchronously accomplished with the parameter learning in IEVREG, rather than just a separated data preprocessing operation as traditional methods do. Furthermore, the noise and redundant instances can be simultaneously removed and the performance of IEVREG is robust to the order of presentation of instances in raw data set. Experimental results show that the proposed IEVREG algorithm has appropriate prediction accuracy, while performing well selection of the representative training instances from the raw data set. Simulations on synthetic and UCI real-world data sets validate our conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the characteristics of submerged floating tunnel anchored by tension legs, simplifying the tube as point mass and assuming that the tension leg is a nonlinear beam model hinged at both ends, the nonlinear vibration equation of the tension leg is derived. The equation is solved by the Galerkin method and Runge-Kutta method. Subsequently, numerical analysis of typical submerged floating tunnel tension leg is carried out. It is shown that, the parametric vibration response of the submerged floating tunnel tension leg is related to the amplitude and frequency of the end excitation. Without considering axial resonance and transverse resonance, it is reasonable that higher order modes are abandoned and only the first three modes are considered. The axial resonance amplitude of the second or third order mode is equivalent to the first order mode axial resonance amplitude, which should not be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral chemical components are important cues used by plants to attract pollinators. One outstanding case is "fruit fly orchids" in the genus of Bulbophyllum to attract their pollinators by releasing characteristic fragrances. Dacini fruit flies are main or exclusive pollinators which are strongly attracted to certain natural chemicals, either methyl eugenol (ME: a phenylpropanoid) or raspberry ketone (RK: a phenylbutanoid). Furthermore, zingerone (ZN: a phenylbutanoid) has been characterized as the attractant for both ME- and RK-sensitive fruit fly species. In the present study, we examined chemical profiles of two closely related Bulbophyllum orchids—B. hortorum, and B. macranthoides subsp. tollenoniferum—distributed in Papua New Guinea and the Southeast Asian countries, respectively. We first observed that RK-sensitive flies were attracted to these orchids by ex situ cultivation in Penang, Malaysia. These Bulbophyllum orchids contained RK and/or ZN as their main floral components. Other than these attractants, multiple phenylbutanoids including potential attractants for RK-sensitive species were identified from these orchids. Therefore, we examined attractiveness of potential phenylbutanoid attractants to an RK-sensitive melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, using laboratory-reared flies. Furthermore, we analyzed molecular phylogenetic relationships among phenylpropanoid- or phenylbutanoid-producing orchids to see a relation between chemical profiles and phylogenetic classification in the related species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) represent a major fraction of skin resident T cells. Although normally protective, Tregs have been shown to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines in human diseases, including psoriasis. A significant hurdle in the Treg field has been the identification, or development, of model systems to study this Treg plasticity. To overcome this gap, we analyzed skin resident Tregs in a mouse model of IL-23 mediated psoriasiform dermatitis. Our results demonstrate that IL-23 drove the accumulation of Tregs; including a subpopulation that co-expressed RORγt and produced IL-17A. Genesis of this population was attenuated by a RORγt inverse agonist compound and clinically relevant therapeutics. In vitro, IL-23 drove the generation of CD4+Foxp3+RORγt+IL-17A+ cells from Treg cells. Collectively, our data shows that IL-23 drives Treg plasticity by inducing a population of CD4+Foxp3+RORγt+IL-17A+ cells that could play a role in the disease pathogenesis. Through this work, we define an in vitro system and a pre-clinical in vivo mouse model that can be used to further study Treg homeostasis and plasticity in the context of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) is a common biomineral found in the plant kingdom. Crystals of CaOx occur in different plant tissues, such as leaves and stems. However, little is known about the biosynthesis of CaOx in oxalate-accumulating plants. Moreover, the literature on genes related to CaOx formation under high-calcium environment is scarce. In the present study, the physiological parameters and the transcript profiles of Medicago lupulina leaves treated with 0.1 and 25 mM Ca2+ were analyzed to study the genes involved in the biosynthesis of CaOx. Results: We demonstrated that exposure to high external calcium concentration induced H2O2 production, ascorbic acid degradation, and CaOx accumulation in M. lupulina leaves. Moreover, we identified 1715 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (1322 up-regulated and 393 down-regulated genes) in leaves treated with 25 mM Ca2+ compared with the leaves treated with 0.1 mM Ca2+. We further demonstrated the involvement of DEGs in oxalic acid production, calcium transport, and calcium buffering. These results revealed that a high calcium promoted oxalic acid biosynthesis by inducing the expression of NADPH oxidase and ascorbate oxidase genes. In addition, several genes encoding cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, Ca2+-ATPase, H+/Ca2+ exchangers, and calcium-binding proteins were found to be differentially expressed and involved in calcium transport and calcium buffering. Conclusion: Our transcriptome analyses provide a comprehensive insight into the biosynthesis of CaOx in oxalate-accumulating plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buoyancy-driven underwater gliders are highly efficient winged underwater vehicles driven by modifying the net buoyancy and internal shape. Many advantages, such as wide cruise range, less power consumption, low noise, and no pollution, make the underwater glider an important platform for marine environment observation and ocean resource exploration. For the wide cruise range, attitude control of underwater glider becomes the core technology. In this paper, the underwater glider named OUC-III has been developed for marine observation. To control the attitude of glider, the kinematic and dynamic models of it have been calculated by mathematical analysis. Furthermore, a novel control algorithm is proposed to control the attitude of glider. The algorithm is combined reinforcement learning with Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) and compared with classical ADRC by simulation based on the dynamic model of OUC-III. The simulation experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm compensates well for the ocean current disturbances on OUC-III attitude control mission and it obtains high-precision and high-adaptive control ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study is to identify calcium dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) superfamily genes (including calcium dependent protein kinase (CDPK) genes, CDPK-related kinase (CRK) genes, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase-related kinase (PEPRK) genes) and to analyze their expression in response to high calcium, bicarbonate, and water deficit in Medicago lupulina. Methods: Transcriptome sequencing databases and bioinformatics were used to identify CDPK superfamily genes. qRT-PCR analyses were used to study the expression of CDPK superfamily genes in response to high calcium, bicarbonate, water deficit, and their combined treatments. Results: Ten MlCDPKs, four MlCRKs, and two MlPEPRKs genes were identified from transcriptome sequencing databases. The identified MlCDPK superfamily genes could be divided into six subgroups including CDPK I, CDPK II, CDPK III, CDPK IV, CRK, and PEPRK according to evolutionary relationships. Analysis of protein structure indicated that MlCDPK proteins contained a protein kinase domain and EF-hand domain. However, PEPRKs contained only a protein kinase domain while CRKs contained also degenerative EF-hands. Most of the MlCDPK superfamily genes were differentially expressed in different organs. According to their expression levels, MlCDPK superfamily genes such as MlCDPK1, MlCDPK9, and MlCDPK10 were more sensitive in response to individual treatments of high calcium, carbonate or PEG rather than their combination of treatments. The results indicated that MlCDPK superfamily genes may play an important role in response to those stresses. Conclusions: These results provide important insight into the role of CDPKs in M. lupulina, especially in the tolerance to Karst habitats, where high calcium and carbonate and drought conditions are the dominant ecological limiting factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: How landscape configuration, dispersal agents and diaspore features interact to determine the input of seeds into the soil, which is the first part of the formation of a soil seed bank, is a major challenge. This study explored the role of diaspore traits and sand surface configuration in determining the number of seeds that become buried during wind dispersal. Methods: We investigated seed burial probability of 36 species with different diaspore traits under eight wind speeds and three sand surface configurations during wind dispersal by using a wind tunnel. Results: Wind speed rather than diaspore traits and sand surface configuration was the most important factor affecting the burial of seeds. Effects of slope direction and surface barrier on seed burial were regulated by wind speed. Effects of diaspore traits on seed burial were only significant at high wind speeds, and seed burial was more likely to be formed for small or flat elongated diaspores than for large or spherical ones. Conclusions: The effect of diaspore traits on seed burial is modified by the shifts in wind speed and sand surface configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly dense LaCrO3 negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor ceramics by low-heating solid-state method have been successfully synthesized in air ambient. The X-ray diffraction analysis has shown that both of the calcined powders and as-sintered ceramics crystallize in a perovskite structure. The relative densities of the ceramics synthesized by Cr(NO3)3·9H2O and the ceramics synthesized by CrCl3·6H2O are 91% and 65%, respectively. The relationship between lnρ and 1000/T shows an approximate line in the measured temperature range. The values of ρ25 and B0/25 of the ceramics synthesized by Cr(NO3)3·9H2O and the ceramics synthesized by CrCl3·6H2O are 424.8 Ω cm, 3252 K and 1835.9 Ω cm, 3636 K, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is a rare disease that causes primary infertility. However, the genetic causes for approximately half of MMAF cases are unknown. Whole exome sequencing analysis of the 27 patients with MMAF identified several CFAP44 mutations (3 homozygous: c.2935_2944del: p.D979*, c.T1769A: p.L590Q, c.2005_2006del: p.M669Vfs*13; and putative compound heterozygous: c.G3262A: p.G1088S and c.C1718A: p.P573H.) and CFAP43 acceptor splice-site deletion (c.3661-2A>-) mutations in 5 and 1 patients, respectively. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays also demonstrated that CFAP44 expression was very weak in patient (P)1 and P3, and CFAP43 expression was lower in P6 than in the control. Immunofluorescence analysis of CFAP43 showed lower CFAP43 protein expression levels in P6 than in the normal control. This study demonstrated that biallelic mutations in CFAP44 and CFAP43 cause MMAF. These results provide researchers with a new insight to understand the genetic etiology of MMAF and to identify new loci for genetic counselling of MMAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new polyanionic cathode material, LiV(PO)·LiMnFePO/C for lithium-ion batteries, was synthesized using a sol-gel method and with N,N-dimethyl formamide as a dispersion agent. The analysis of electron transmission spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction revealed that the composite contained two phases. The material has high crystallinity with a grain size of 20-50 nm. The valence states of Mn, V, and Fe in the composite were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical kinetics in LiV(PO) is effectively enhanced by the incorporation of LiMnPO and LiFePO, via structure modification and reduced Li diffusion length. The LiV(PO)·LiMnFePO/C materials displayed high rate capacity and steady cycle performance with discharge capacity remained 148 mAh g after 50 cycles at the rate of 0.2C. In particular, the composite exhibited excellent reversible capacities, with the values of 157, 134, 120, 102, and 94 mAh g at charge/discharge 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5C rates, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new composite, LiMnO·LiNiCoFeO, can be synthesized by a solid-state method and preconditioned with 5 wt% HCl, HSO, or HPO solution to achieve H/Li exchange. The effects of acid treatment on the structure, morphology, and electrochemical properties of LiMnO·LiNiCoFeO cathode materials are analyzed. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns imply that the hexagonal α-NaFeO structure (space group R $$\bar{3}$$ m) of the materials is not changed by the acid treatment. The scanning electron microscope images show that particles become spherical with smooth surfaces after acid treatment, and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis reveals that the specific surface area increases. The charge-discharge test demonstrates that acid-treated LiMnO·LiNiCoFeO cathode materials deliver higher initial coulombic efficiencies than untreated material, owing to the improvement of the catalytic reduction activity of oxygen released during the initial charge process. Furthermore, LiMnO·LiNiCoFeO treated with HCl displays the best electrochemical performance, with the acid treatment improving the initial coulombic efficiency from 66.0 to 82.2%. Thus, acid treatment can effectively improve the electrochemical performance of electrode materials in Li-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semiconductor photocatalysis is a solution to issues of environmental pollution and energy shortage because photocatalysis can use solar energy to degrade pollutants. The photocatalytic activity can be improved by using composites of ZnO and other semiconductors. Here, composites of ZnO and polymeric graphite-like CN (g-CN) with high photocatalytic activities were prepared by microwave synthesis. Products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B was tested under irradiation from a Xe lamp. Results show that adding graphite-like CN promotes the photocatalytic activity of ZnO. Composites with 1.0 wt% g-CN showed the best photodegradation efficiency, and the reaction average energy was approximately 33.71 kJ mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A carbon-coated Li3V2(PO4)3 material was prepared by a two-step reaction using a kind of biomass feedstocks, bamboo, as the reaction carrier. The structure and morphology were detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Its electrochemical properties were assessed using a constant current test; the results showed stable cycle performance and a high discharge capacity. Its specific capacity can reach 132.8 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C under the voltage range of 2-4.3 V. After 160 cycles, the retention of the initial discharge capacity was 92.2%. The simulated data for the charge-transfer resistance and the calculated value of lithium ion diffusion coefficient were 89.76 Ω and 1.47 × 10−11 cm s−1, respectively, indicating that this material exhibits excellent ionic and electronic conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The styles of the plants of genus Alpinia show a similar bending behavior. Each species has two types-hyper-type and cata-type. The styles of hyper-type bend downward first, and then bend upward second. The styles of cata-type also bend twice, but the bending direction is opposite to hyper-type. We tested the effects of light, IAA, and NPA on the style movement of Alpinia oxyphylla and Alpinia galanga, and analyzed the IAA distribution in their styles. We found that the effects of light were similar for the two species, but the two types of each species responded differently. The first style bending of hyper-type was downward when it was in dark, and was upward when in light; the second bending was upward if in light, and did not move if in dark. The two bendings of cata-type showed no obvious difference between in dark and in light. Effects of IAA and NPA were different for two species. For A. galanga, neither IAA nor NPA had obvious effects on the style bending. For A. oxyphylla, IAA enhanced the second bending of hyper-type and the two bendings of cata-type. NPA enhanced the second bending of hyper-type and the first bendings of cata-type, and significantly inhibited the second bending of cata-type. The results of IAA immunolocalization indicated that IAA was symmetrical in the styles of A. galanga both before the first bending and before the second bending in two types. However, in A. oxyphylla, IAA asymmetry was found in two types. Therefore, we hypothesize that the mechanisms of the style bending of Alpinia plants are different, not only between two types of each species, but also among species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the problem of monitoring/estimating process parameters in the insufficient case when only imprecise and uncertain information can be obtained, possibly due to limited precision and reliability of sensors in industries. To solve this problem, a constrained fuzzy evidential multivariate model is proposed as a soft sensor to monitor imprecise and uncertain process parameters. The most challenging task involved in the modeling is how to identify structure parameters of the monitor model, especially under sets of constraints. To tackle this challenge, we represent the imprecise and uncertain information as fuzzy belief functions in the evidence theory framework, and then propose a restricted fuzzy evidential Expectation-Conditional Maximization algorithm (RFE2CM) for maximum likelihood estimation from fuzzy belief functions under linear inequality constraints. Also, the convergence property of the restricted fuzzy evidential EM algorithm is discussed. In order to validate the performance of the proposed model and algorithm, some numerical simulations are conducted as well as an experimental simulation on a real ball mill in a power plant. The numerical and experimental simulation results show that the proposed model and algorithm can not only be feasibly applicable to monitor the process parameters in insufficient informatics cases, but also have high prediction accuracy with small mean square errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A congruent melting compound LiNaV2O6 has been synthesized by high-temperature solution reaction and it has been grown with sizes up to 11 × 6 × 2 mm3 by the top-seeded growth method for the first time. LiNaV2O6 crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group C2/c, with a = 10.184(2) Å, b = 9.067(2) Å, c = 5.8324(11) Å, β = 108.965(14)°. UV–Vis–NIR diffuse reflectance spectrum of LiNaV2O6 shows that it has a wide transmittance range from 385 to 2500 nm. The ab initio calculations show that the birefringence of LiNaV2O6 is 0.136 at 589.3 nm. Therefore, LiNaV2O6 may be a new birefringent material. Based on the analysis of the relationship between crystal structure and linear optical properties, it is found that the large birefringence is attributed to the particular arrangement of V–O anionic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We study the quantum nonlocality dynamics of pair coherent states in the double Jaynes-Cummings model. It is shown that the Bell-inequality violation can be fully destroyed in a finite time and then recovered. The inequality violation can obtain better recovery when only one atom couples to either of the cavity fields. Besides, the correlation property of cavity fields is more feasible affected when the atom interacts resonantly with the second cavity field. The difference in the number of photons of the two modes may play an important role in the case of resonant interaciton especially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]